Dayvan Cowboy

I used to be this way, and I honestly regret it. Metal is perhaps one of the most misunderstood genres. I only know a handful of metal bands at this moment, but even I grew to know better.

LoathsomePete

I'd say metal is more misrepresented than misunderstood. One of the things that's lost on many people who aren't that familiar with metal is that it is a geek/nerd genre. I don't know why this astonishes people so much, I kind of thought guys like Dio would have made that painfully obvious but it's a fact that still manages to elude people. Geeks and nerds also tend to be outsiders, and as such tend to not have the greatest social skills. Metal hasn't really had a Carl Sagan to help bridge the differences, instead you've mostly gotten angry white guys with Slayer carved into their wrists. With those kinds of imagery conjured it's not hard to see why people just kind of let metal do its own thing, but amongst the legions of shit (and there are legions of it) you will find the gems lurking in the muck. Luckily with the Internet and torrents it's never been easier to find good music from halfway across the world.

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TheCunningStunt

While we're on the subject of Metal, I wish I had more really great Metal.
Most Metal I've heard has been pretty dire, but that's down to what I've heard rather than the genre itself. I might use tonight to listen to some Metal.

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LoathsomePete

Well metal is a very large genre, let's narrow it down a little, how do you feel about guttural "cookie monster" vocals? Depending on how you answer will really help me determine what to recommend to you.

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Badlittlekitten

I've got to admit my auditory intake of metal is non existent. Well apart from the Black Album, which is awful. I always imagine dudes with rubbish clothes, dodgy facial hair, tacky black guitars, and voices shouting lyrics that can be appreciated when your 15, in the style of an old WWF interview. I'm guessing this is the general opinion of outsiders. Is it way off the mark? LoathsomePete's comment, that it is a geek/nerd genre is true (though you could say the same for indie), but it doesn't really come across in the confident and technically precise music (the track above is nice, if a little tasteful), two features that usually don't exist in bashful, apologetic indie.

Genuine question; I dig Hendrix/Sabbath/Stooges/Motorhead big time. Is there anyone in recent metal that has that same visceral power? There must be something I'm missing out on.

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Queen Boo

I dunno if Karp will do anything for you. I think they've got a pretty perfect balance between br00tal and self-aware.

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TheCunningStunt

I guess I'd prefer clean vocals, but I'm not opposed to a good growl.
I like Sabbath an awful lot, I'd say they were my favourite Metal band but I'm sure there's more to Metal than Black Sab.
I've never been able to get into Iron Maiden, the vocals (the vocals don't often put me off music) really grate on me.
The last few Metal albums I've heard:

Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
Budgie - Never Turn Your Back on a Friend

I need to give them all another listen come to think of it, I feel like as you say - there's a massive genre out there and I'm not listened to too much of it but I can't find anything I find myself really wanting to listen to.
From what I've seen you and Jackhammer seem to be the biggest Metal fans on the boards, so I'd happily take any recommendation either of you would offer. Quite dark metal with good lyrics would be something I'd probably listen to, but I dunno

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LoathsomePete

The way metal and indie differ in their geekiness is that indie manages to pull off the cool factor about being weird, metal is more about being weird because that's just how you are. I couldn't think of an indie band writing a song about Egyptian slaves being sacrificed to the god's phallic penis', so it's really not something that everyone can get. But on the other hand, metal has some incredibly poetic lyrics, specifically in the fields of death metal and black metal. I know it seems weird because one of death metal's defining features was its gory lyrics, but musicians and lyricists grow up over time. There's only so much you can really write about the inner workings of the human body, so some of the song writers started to experiment a little bit. One in particular was Chuck Shuldiner from the highly influential band Death. This is best evidenced on their last album The Sound of Perseverance (1998), here are a few examples:

"I would describe it as an invisible darkness
casting a shadow, a blinding black
guarded by hope, my soul is kept from
the bloody claws.

Look beyond, what vision lets me see
time after time, unneeded misery
holding tight to my dreams
I own no price for you
I grip them tight and hope for sight.

Open my eyes wide to see a moment of clarity
confusion gone, it's in your hands
your turn to ask why."

-"A Moment of Clarity"

"Throughout our time a thought
escapes us to enforce a word, no
holding on to pain it may seem to some

The easy way to say o.k., twist your
knife a little deeper
words to sharp actions dark
hide the blade of the deceiver."

-"To Forgive is to Suffer"

Opeth

"There's a sense of longing in me
As I read Rosemary's letter
Her writing's honest
Can't forget the years she's lost

In isolation
She talks about her love
And as I read
"I'll die alone"
I know she's aching

There's a certain detail seen here
The pen must have slipped to the side
And left a stain
Next to his name
She knows he's gone

And isolation
Is all that will remain
"The wound in me is pouring out to rest
on a lover's shore"

-"Isolation Years"

Enslaved

"Reckless man - So righteous, so clean
Towards the light - So bashful, so pure

Who told you to abandon life
Your strength, free will
And bow for the light?
The light! And turn from the spinning wheel

Fear of the judgement!
Obey!"

-Ethica Odini

Of course lyrics are very subjective from one person to another, some may not even notice the lyrics. I know for some people the vocals are more an instrument to add to the aesthetic of the music, and not for telling a story or singing. Still it's an interesting vocal style for those who do choose to try and tell a story by that vocal style. Trying to sing a long is incredibly hard and it really gives you an appreciation of talent to sing like that for a whole album. I guess what I'm saying is that there are just some areas where the musicians aren't as willing to go, whereas with metal you more or less just say "Fuck it" and do whatever you want.

I understand that my comparing musical genres to mentalities in high school might seem a little bit off putting, but I proved this to have some truth to it. When I was 15 I lost one of my first new friends after moving back up to Vancouver in 2003. I was really starting to get into my extreme metal phase and he acted like he didn't know me to impress some other people, who didn't like me because I listened to death metal. A couple of other things definitely helped make me an outcast, but my liking of death metal was the only thing that actually cost me a friend.

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LoathsomePete

Well if you like Black Sabbath then you'll most likely enjoy doom metal. It's slow, melodic, clean vocals, and heavy, all the things that made Black Sabbath great. A few albums I would recommend:

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986)
Pentagram - Day of Reckoning (1987)
Cathedral - The Ethereal Mirror (1993)

I'm sure you'll find something in those three albums you'll enjoy.

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TheCunningStunt

Thanks Pete, I'll definitely give them a listen after this album.
I hope Doom Metal is my thing, the description given sounds like it should be good.
Would you recommend starting with a particular one, or doesn't it matter?
I'll definitely get round to listening to all three, but only one tonight. I'll listen to the other 2 tomorrow. If not, I'll just start from the top.

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