Metal Reviews

When you go through a long musical binge through periods of either extended activity or just relaxing with albums on the computer, what are some albums of either different genres or bands of equal stature that may be different aesthetically but are on par with each other for their own unique reasons? Can you make the jump from a classic heavy metal album to a death metal album you hold in the same regard as a genre staple? What classic albums from different genres or styles of music are similar enough for you to make the jump even in spite of their differences?

I'm stealing this thread for my other forum, should provoke some interesting discussions

Well I feel that Blind Guardian's music generally matches well with that of Ulver. In the same way I find that Obituary and My Dying Bride go together rather well.

Interesting. Because of the doom riffs that Obituary used, I assume? If I had to put My Dying Bride next to a death metal band I'd go with Nile, because Nile also enjoys doom riffs (ends of To Dream of Ur or Sarcophagus, for example), and also enjoys the doom length song tracks.

Many years ago I gave Dark Tranquillity's The Gallery to an older metalhead and he said it reminded him of 80s Metallica, particularly the riffs. The direct, and obvious comparisons between Iron Maiden and the mid 90s Swedish stuff can also be made but I would pair stuff like The Gallery with Ride the Lightning.

Good topic, I'll have to think of more examples.

Yeah I don't know why, and it may only work for me, but listening to Turn Loose The Swans after Slowly We Rot made both seem somehow very similar and obviously they are nothing alike.

Speaking of Nile I personally feel they match nicely with Melechesh but that's hardly surprising given they use the same sorts of scales and techniques in a slightly different context.

I would say Mayhem's "A Grand Declaration" goes well with Metallica's "Lulu" due to each having spoken word vocals paired with crushing music, though coming from two different genres.

I bounce back and forth from Tenacious D to Manowar quite frequently. Why the D hasn't covered The Gods Made Heavy Metal is still a mystery to me.

There's a ton of power and prog. metal bands that seem to be working on the same threads of thought.

Too many bands talking about being trapped in mazes and being given their Icarus wings to escape.

For all my obsession over the band I never got around to finding out what the whole symbolism was about with Labyrinths until a few days ago.

So the story goes, it's a place where you meander aimlessly and every time you get closer to the center, you unlock a chakra, or place of knowledge and finding your inner self is the center of the labyrinth, then you work your way out of it with your new found wisdom intact and re-learn the same things but with the perspective of Illumination.

There's a big huge massive tapestry being constructed by a lot of bands working in the same thought and this is obviously to enlighten the people that are capable of understanding it.

I am really questioning whether this is totally subconscious or if anyone is aware of what is actually going on. All these bands keep talking about some chosen one that will arise eventually.

The latest Ayreon album is making me think someone actually went back in time and colored everyone's thoughts to enlighten himself indirectly with the help of everyone that is involved.

If you think the band Tool is actually really deep, it's really no where close to how pervasive the awareness runs in the power metal and prog. metal scene. I think we are all psychic and can communicate across oceans - the science is actually there to support this, by the way.