It's a new day, and a new Metal band!
 

This may not work, but I'm going to try (try) to post details of one new Metal band I have listened to every day. Comes at a good time, as I'm discovering a lot of new stuff for Metal Month II. Obviously, anyone can post whatever they want too, just make sure it's a new (to you) band, and that it's some sort of Metal.
http://www.metal-archives.com/images...54413.jpg?4944
Myrkur --- Myrkur --- 2014

Credit for this goes to Ninetales, who featured the album in one of the "What are you listening to" threads. A Danish one-woman outfit, Myrkur do the virtually impossible and make me enjoy Black Metal, with a really ambient twist which Nine correctly defines as having a very Sigur Ros feel. I believe the name is also that of a Sigur Ros song. Really tuneful and yet hard as hell, with some gorgeous soundscapes. And she doesn't roar her head off either. Worth checking certainly. Watch for it in the "Recommended by" thread too.

Wait, really? I was about to write a journal entry on that album. Listened to it just now.

Yeah, it's seriously great isn't it? Actually, I'll credit both you and Ninetales for the rec... :thumb:

The style is pretty rad, but it's been done better. I think it kind of fades when compared to this:



...and now I have to listen to that album.

Today's band comes from that hotbed of Power Metal, um, Belgium. Fireforce have been in existence since 2008 and have two albums, their latest released this year. They're nothing terribly special, but if you like Power Metal with cringeingly cliched lyrics and a singer with a raspy voice as opposed to a high screamer, you might like them. After all, how can you not like a song called "Attracted to sin and lust"? ;)
http://www.metal-archives.com/images...11710.jpg?2418
Deathbringer --- Fireforce --- 2014

How about some avant-garde Norwegian Black Metal? Hmm. Let me see what I can find. How's this?
http://www.metal-archives.com/images...82505.jpg?4339
The Tower --- Vulture Industries --- 2013

Again, I just loved the band name and bought the album not even knowing if it was metal (the samples I listened to proved inconclusive at the time), but they're to be found on Encyclopaedia Metallum, the true test of whether or not a band is metal. There I learn that they've been around since 2003, and have three albums, of which this is the latest. Have a listen to this: might take a little getting used to, but worth it I feel.

Came across these guys in my search for Brazilian metal bands. Not a lot of time to describe them, as I'm in the process of putting the finishing touches to Metal Month II, but have a listen...
http://www.metal-archives.com/images...31497.jpg?5328
Times are changed --- Ecliptyka --- 2014

Just another German melodic metal/Power Metal band, sure, but a pretty good one. This is Solar Fragment, and a track from their second album, "In our hands", released in 2011.
http://www.metal-archives.com/images...99729.jpg?0240
In our hands --- Solar Fragment --- 2011

On the day Metal Month II begins, may I present for your listening pleasure
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...t_of_Dying.jpg
The art of dying --- Death Angel --- 2004
I'm not going to have time to go too much into these artistes with everything I have going on at the moment, so let me just leave this here for you and let you judge for yourselves.

Hey, don't forget to drop by Metal Month II in my journal! I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it.

Another thrash metal band with punk roots, I'm told, from the shores of good old Blighty!
http://www.metal-archives.com/images.../5012.jpg?5235
Power from Hell --- Onslaught ---1985

Hell yeah with the Onslaught

Yes, I've neglected this for a day or two (Anyone else gonna contribute? No? Just me then? Right. Sod yiz all!) but I picked a bad time to decide to start this.
Anyway, here's today's band, new to me.
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/5/9/6/2/59628.jpg
Voice of wilderness --- Korpiklaani -- 2005

**** this, I'm gonna move to Finland! Well I can't, but man is there some great metal coming out of there. This is Korpiklaani, whose name means "Clan of the wilderness". They have eight albums to date and are a folk metal band, using the flute to great effect as well as some almost power metal harmonies and driving rhythms. This is from their second album. Gonna check into these guys more!

Been checking out some Spanish metal, and came across these guys, who I feel are pretty damn good.
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/4/4/1/3/4413.jpg
Sangre de reyes --- Tierra Santa --- 2001

Some more Viking Metal for you. This is Heidevolk, from Holland (or Netherlands if you prefer) from their first album "De strijdlust is geboren"...
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/5/7/4/3/57438.jpg
De strijdlust is geboren --- Heidevolk --- 2005

This is interesting. Band from Belarus called Vicious Crusade. Like the double vocal, works well.
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/1/9/4/2/19422.jpg
Forbidden tunes --- Vicious Crusade --- 2002

You like onslaught? From what I've seen you and I don't overlap that much, so for us to have onslaught in common is special. I'll second that notion, hell yeah with Onslaught. That introductory part before the first song is one of the most badass moments in thrash.

"Your musical compatibility with Weaponfire is VERY HIGH. Music you have in common includes 7SECONDS, Melvins, Mayhem, Burzum and Zoinks!."

:)

p.s. Exhorder rules

1. Literally listened to Melvins for the first time a week ago....I hated Gluey Porch Treatements save for two songs, but Houdini was great. One of the heaviest albums ever.
2. Only like early Mayhem
3. Not really sure about Burzum, only listened to him a few times.
4. Zoinks! is acceptable
5. 7SECONDS is probably the only real compatability out of that list lol, sorry.

EDIT: and of course Exhorder is awesome. Yeah tough to go wrong with them.

Nice, I'm going to check these guys out! Nice thread Trollheart.

Well if those were the only artists we had in common, it'd be VERY LOW. It's very high though. The taste-o-meter knows what it's doing.

This is true.

And Trollheart plods on alone, bearing the task of bringing new metal bands to the notice of the Music Banter forum on his weary, old shoulders....
Ah well..

Speed metal from Italy? You got it!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eurodeliri.jpg
Neurodeleri --- Bulldozer --- 1988

I find this thread hilarious, it's like the last 30 years never happened.
I swear any of those albums could have been made at any point between 1984 & 2014 and would still sound the same and still have the same cheesy covers.

Hey, at least I'm trying, y'know?

I'm not knocking you, I think it's a great thread.
Keep up the good work :thumb:

I heard Danzig for the first time today. I won't elaborate, as I'm going to post a review in my journal. But I will say that I'm enjoying my exploration of metal (slightly) more than I'd expected, primarily thanks to good recs from Briks.

Tried some black metal. Not as bad as I thought. Doubt I'd be going back under my own power though... then again....:shycouch:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_Darkness.jpg
Sons of northern darkness --- Immortal --- 2002

^ I can barely stand that. A few months ago I would have hated that.

Dissection might be a better band for ya.


EDIT: I think I just gave a black metal recommendation. Might be the first time ever.

Immortal is ****ing awesome!

Thanks guys. Once you get past the fact that most if not all of the vocalists in BM are going to sound this way, it's not what I'd call enjoyable but it's not torture either. This would still be my least favourite subgenre other than grindcore, but during this month I have come to realise that some black metal is pretty damn good. This isn't, not really, but if you check into my explorations of Germany and, next week, Spain, you'll see what I mean.

Try out the album At the Heart of Winter by Immortal if you haven't already, it's quite similar in style to SoND but just generally better all around, imo.

I'd second that recommendation (Although they're too close for me to really say it's better.) I don't think it'll seriously win TH over, but the music is more progressive, as opposed to the more straight-up trad metal style of Sons of Northern Darkness, so it might connect with him a bit more. Definitely one of my favorite black metal bands at the moment.

I'm passing the review of this on to a good friend of mine. I'm sure he'll give it a fair and unbiased hearing.
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...Killington.jpg

Still checking out some Black Metal. Batty, this one is for you...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Nightwing.jpg
Nightwing --- Marduk --- 1988

I've got to start scribbling down some reactions, otherwise this is a bit pointless. I'll try to get time to go back over the ones I've listed previously as soon as I have a chance. As for this...

Powerful dramatic guitar intro, the usual screechy vocals but the guitar was really bitchin' (Copyright Batlord Enterprises, MMXIII); kind of a mixture of thrash and black metal I guess really. Seems those Scandinavians really know how to do this subgenre eh? To be fair to the vocalist, I could understand him, just didn't like his voice, big surprise.

(Breaking news --- Trollheart listens to all Venom albums in order. This story has not been confirmed at the time of going to press; when interviewed all Trollheart would say is "I'm finding that after all, Hell is not such a bad place to be". Watch this space. And now, today's weather...)

Then you should check some of their later stuff out. I think it'd actually be right up your alley.

Ehnahre

Death metal that jumps back and forth from droney jazz tinged passages to in your face pummeling speedier passages. Some strange and incredible things going on here. It's pretty obvious that the guitarist is the band-leader because of how focused the music is on that instrument. Oh ja, there's also a trumpet thrown in at points. I thought I'd put it here since I doubt we'd ever see TH post about these guys.

Having taken a shot at Black Metal I felt it was only fair to let "the other guy" have his chance, so here's some Christian metal for ya. Um, Christian Death Metal?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...thmmachine.jpg
Primitive rhythm machine --- Mortification --- 1995

I must admit, the only real CM I know is the likes of Theocracy, Narnia and of course Stryper, so this could be a revelation (hah!), though to be honest the name of the band sounds more like something you'd expect from a straight-up death or black metal band. Nevertheless, they have over 20 albums and to add to the strangeness they're Australian!

Well, the vocal is death metal but I can kind of make it out. I guess without the vocals/lyric there's no way to tell that this is in any way Christian metal. Meh. Not that great though.

Mind you, you'd think their lyrical themes would be a little limited wouldn't you? Puts me in mind of this from the Simpsons (although whoever thought Priest were death metal must have been on something really strong...) :rolleyes:

Meh, let's stick with Christian Metal for a bit. Bloodgood are apparently one of the oldest and well known of the bands on the Christian Metal front, defiantly denying that the biggest of them, Stryper, had any influence on them at all.
http://www.metal-archives.com/images.../6463.jpg?3516
Bloodgood --- Bloodgood --- 1986

The below is a track entitled "Demon on the run", taken from the above album, which was their debut. They had five albums before disbanding in 1994, but then got together again in 2006, and released a sixth album last year.

I suppose the thing about Christian Metal is that it always seems so odd to be associating the two. Metal --- indeed, rock and/or roll --- has traditionally been labelled "the Devil's music", so it's strange to hear bands praising Christ rather than Satan and advocating a life of abstinence and penance (do they?) when we're used to being exorted to drink and **** and basically misbehave, often in the very name of Satan. But as I discovered with Narnia, Christian Metal bands can kick just as much ass as normal, or even Black Metal can.

However I always have a little discomfort listening to CM. When you play Black Metal, much of the time you're laughing at the lyrics (assuming you can make them out!) because who really --- other than a very small percentage of the listening population --- is actually going to start worshipping the Devil after listening to Black Metal? And do the bands involved expect that to happen? Hell no (well, bands like Watain excepted of course): they just want to be controversial and piss people off mostly. But Christian Metal acts do give you the impression that they want everyone who isn't already praising God to start doing so, and hope their music will cause this sort of conversion.

That's what worries and irks me about CM: it's almost like they;re trying to convert you through their music. And I don't want anyone doing that. Not that they would. But it's odd to be singing "Praise the dark one" and then "Living water from the father" or "God is the saviour" when you listen to the likes of Narnia.

All that aside though, I guess the main and most important thing is, can these bands play and do you enjoy their music? Well this I do: much more traditional metal than that death metal I featured yesterday. The lyric is cheesy of course but what do you expect? Good stuff. I've seen the light! Hallelujah!

(Not really...)

All right, all right! One more Christian Metal band before I move on.
And who better than a band said to be the first, or certainly one of the first Christian Metal bands? Formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1975, Jerusalem have had a total of nine albums to date. This is from their fifth, the first not written in their native language.

Dancing on the head of the serpent --- Jerusalem --- 1987 (JM Records)

Hmm. Sounds more like AOR to me, with that chunky bright synth leading the line. Very catchy to be sure, but would I consider this metal? I'd have to say at best it's hard rock, at worst it's AOR and the singer reminds me at times of Meat Loaf. Not that I don't like it, I just don't think it's quite heavy enough to qualify as metal of any sort. Still, considering it's late eighties maybe I'm being overly harsh. This was the era of Europe and Bon Jovi after all, and maybe Jerusalem were just trying to bandwagon-jump. Certainly sounds like it would have been a big radio hit if anyone knew who these guys were. May check out more of their stuff...

Something totally different to start the week off. Not actually a new band, per se, as I listened to them before but was put off by the growly vocals. With my newfound if not appreciation then tolerance for same, I thought I'd give them another shot.

Haggard combine classical, folk and, er, death metal to produce music that truly straddles the musical spectrum. You probably all already know them but some of you may not.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...uove_cover.jpg
Eppur si muove --- Haggard --- 2004 (Drakkar Enterntainment)
The interesting thing about the album title is that it is taken from Galileo's sotto voce defiance after having been forced by the Inquisition to agree that his theories about the Earth's rotation around the sun were blasphemy, and it gives an indication of how frightened he was (wouldn't anyone be, faced with that dread organisation?) and yet how he stuck to his belief, even if he only kept it to himself. "Eppur si muove" translates as "but it does move".

Well, first it seems like I've put on a classical album --- or at least something by Nigel Kennedy --- then, Trans-Siberian Orchestra-style, the hard electric guitar bites in for a moment, then the deep growly vocal comes in and you know you're not listening to Mozart! To be fair, the vocal, though deep, is understandable. The tempo shifts then, becoming "more metal", if you will, the classical influences all but dropped. Certainly something different!