[Fiend]

http://www.rioslive.com/?page=gigs&action=view&gig=1735 booked a ticket for this OH YES!

OH YES OH YES ace gig, Bolt Thrower have such a good sound, still heavy as fuck and catchy as fuck after 24 years 

[Stubbs]

Just heard the live version of this from download here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00swftr/Rock_Show_with_Daniel_P_Carter_Download_Festival/ , sounded brilliant. Dio (RIP) cover

Holy Diver Video by Killswitch Engage - MySpace Video http://mysp.ac/abCQc9

[Fiend]

God Machine CDs reissued!!!!!!!!!! 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Last-Laugh-God-Machine/dp/B000025BOD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1279801993&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scenes-Second-Storey-God-Machine/dp/B000008G1X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1279801772&sr=8-2

[Fiend]

Currently I have been listening to:


Behemoth - Evangelion
Behemoth - The Apostasy
Heavy, refined, brutal, epic blackened death metal. These guys owned the Terrorizer Awards 2009 and it's clear why.



Kataklysm - In The Arms Of Devastation
Kataklysm - Prevail
Straight up no-nonsense death metal. Nothing out of the ordinary, they just do it very well.

Also I've just ordered:



Gorefest - La Muerte - catchy death metal with a vaguely punky Napalm Death feel.
Immortal - All Shall Fall - shockingly catchy and well produced epic guitar black metal.
Burzum - Belus - new post-prison album from the murderer Varg; dark, subdued, eerie black drone metal.
Behemoth - Zos Kia Cultus - just need more of the mighty Behemoth!

[GCW]

You can never go wrong with Immortal.
I've been listening to some older DarkThrone stuff recently. 

[Fiend]

To be honest I've never been into pure black metal - the girly shrieking, lack of rhythm and tinny production just doesn't appeal.

But I was reading around recently and tried some samples from that recent Immortal album and they are really really good, as per the video. Still got the black metal vibe but proper riffs, an epic sound, and good production. Plus the vibe of that video is great, I am loving the dudes crab dance at 0:45 :D

I do like black/crossover stuff like blackened death or black metal ambient - which is why I got the Burzum album, it reminds me of some of the black ambient people like Nordvargr&Drakh and Nortt do...

[GCW]

I have acquired Belus but not had a chance to listen to it yet.  You may have just provided the impetus to do so.

[Fiend]

Just finishing it. I really like it. Proper "wall of sound" style.

[andy popp]

How do you get past the sheer ridiculousness of most metal? This is meant in the nicest possible way. Do you have to just embrace it?

[Grubes]

How do you get past the sheer ridiculousness of most metal? This is meant in the nicest possible way. Do you have to just embrace it?

 

Anyway been of work ill this week and grabbed my converge albums.
The guitar on this is amazing

[Fiend]

How do you get past the sheer ridiculousness of most metal? This is meant in the nicest possible way. Do you have to just embrace it?

What ridiculousness? The music or the image? My ears can't tend to hear images, so it's not an issue...

Come to think of it, black metal and Gwar aside, the image of metal is scarcely less ridiculous than that of many forms of popular music...

[slackline]

Come to think of it, black metal and Gwar aside, the image of metal is scarcely less ridiculous than that of many forms of popular music...

I don't know what you're talking about!

[andy popp]

How do you get past the sheer ridiculousness of most metal? This is meant in the nicest possible way. Do you have to just embrace it?

What ridiculousness? The music or the image? My ears can't tend to hear images, so it's not an issue...

Come to think of it, black metal and Gwar aside, the image of metal is scarcely less ridiculous than that of many forms of popular music...

Well its not the music per se but its also much more than just the visual imagery (though that is part of it), I guess its just the whole stance of the thing if that makes any sense - the  overwhelming portentiousness. Is it meant to be taken seriously? At all?

Agreed, many other things are equally silly - some of which I no doubt like.

[Fiend]

The stance - i.e. the imagery, the attitudes, the subject matter, the overall atmosphere. Well it's extreme, aggressive, nihilistic, misanthropic music, so an extreme, aggressive, nihilistic, misanthropic stance fits in with that. It might not be necessary but it is harmonious.

Does one take the stance seriously?? Most of the metal acts do, some don't. Many fans do, some don't. I....it kinda just washes over me....I like the overall vibe it creates as a vessel to contain the music, but I don't live by it. Same as the stance of some hip-hop acts I like.

N.B. This is about extreme metal in general. Not really about black metal which is the furthest extreme of the stance.

[Clart]

I've just had a quick scan through here and could find no mention of Opeth?!?! Opeth make a better fist of the dramatic stuff than Behemoth in my opinion. In fact Opeth absolutely fucking rule. All their tracks seem to be a bit epic and around the 10min mark.



and



For pure hardness I still haven't heard better than Lamb of God, there seems to be a nice amount of space in their music, not to thick like. 11th Hour is probably my favourite track by them but this is also awesome:

[Wood FT]

long shot, but anyone listen to tragedy?

[rodma]

The stance - i.e. the imagery, the attitudes, the subject matter, the overall atmosphere. Well it's extreme, aggressive, nihilistic, misanthropic music, so an extreme, aggressive, nihilistic, misanthropic stance fits in with that. It might not be necessary but it is harmonious.

Does one take the stance seriously?? Most of the metal acts do, some don't. Many fans do, some don't. I....it kinda just washes over me....I like the overall vibe it creates as a vessel to contain the music, but I don't live by it. Same as the stance of some hip-hop acts I like.

N.B. This is about extreme metal in general. Not really about black metal which is the furthest extreme of the stance.

When I read your "stance" thing, I can't help but imagine a spandex-clad Dickinson, with one leg up on the monitor tilting the mic-stand type "stance".

I take it that's not what you meant by stance   

[andy popp]

The stance - i.e. the imagery, the attitudes, the subject matter, the overall atmosphere. Well it's extreme, aggressive, nihilistic, misanthropic music, so an extreme, aggressive, nihilistic, misanthropic stance fits in with that. It might not be necessary but it is harmonious.

Does one take the stance seriously?? Most of the metal acts do, some don't. Many fans do, some don't. I....it kinda just washes over me....I like the overall vibe it creates as a vessel to contain the music, but I don't live by it. Same as the stance of some hip-hop acts I like.

N.B. This is about extreme metal in general. Not really about black metal which is the furthest extreme of the stance.

Thanks Fiend, that's a genuinely illuminating answer. I guess I just don't get it - and perhaps I feel I should because there are few things better than extremely loud and heavy guitars. Similarly, I just don't get fantasy and sci-fi in literature. I seem to have a problem with the 'non-real' for want of a better word.

All this said though I have been listening to a little Sunn O))) and Zeni Geva recently

[Grubes]

All this said though I have been listening to a little Sunn O)))

I saw sunn O))) in camden town with Boris a few years ago now. They also joined and did an Altar set.
I really enjoyed Boris and the opening act (think it was unearthly trance can't remember) but I could not get into sunn O))). I think it was a bit too much for me.

[BB]

If you like Boris, try having a listen to Bongzilla. Their Apogee album is qualidy.

[Fiend]

Thanks Fiend, that's a genuinely illuminating answer. I guess I just don't get it - and perhaps I feel I should because there are few things better than extremely loud and heavy guitars. Similarly, I just don't get fantasy and sci-fi in literature. I seem to have a problem with the 'non-real' for want of a better word.

Aye I understand that - a certain amount of "fantasy" is a part of extreme metal. There are some who have no stance at all. I can't think of many offhand but Dillinger Escape Plan and Messugah might be examples. OH! And Gojira who I've recommended before - they have a slightly trippy but very low-key stance.

I have a problem with "real". Being surrounded by reality, the last thing I want is to experience more of it in my entertainment media 

[Fiend]

Opeth make a better fist of the dramatic stuff than Behemoth in my opinion.

Agreed, although Behemoth make a better fist of the thunderous wall of metal that brutally cracks your skull open :D  A good addition to this thread though.

I am pleased to report the Gorefest CD is very good indeed. Hints of Napalm Death, Carcass's groovier parts, and some properly crunchy thrash metal riffs...

[Stubbs]

Some free streams of new Fucked Up tracks available vis their new blog here http://lookingforgold.blogspot.com/  looking forwad to the new album a lot.

[Fiend]

Had a bit of metal splurge recent. In decreasing order of heaviness:

Origin - Entity - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_13?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=origin+entity&sprefix=origin+entity

Decapitated - Carnival Is Forever - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=decapitated+carnival+is+forever

The Faceless - Planetary Duality - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Planetary-Duality/dp/B001PA3RCM/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313779797&sr=301-1

Gojira - Terra Incognita - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Terra-Incognita/dp/B002LC2LXE/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313779832&sr=301-1

Cavalera Conspiracy - BLunt Force Trauma - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blunt-Force-Trauma/dp/B004OLWXIS/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313779875&sr=301-1

Overkill - Ironbound - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ironbound/dp/B0032K7KCQ/ref=sr_shvl_album_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313779909&sr=301-2

[Stubbs]

Mastodon: an oldy and two new ones, anyone with 13 minutes to spare who wants to hear more riffs in one song than you hear on most albums should listen to Hearts Alive





http://www.soundcloud.com/mastodonrocks/curl-of-the-burl