Metal Reviews

This list is subject to change at any time and is in no way difinitive... Well, except maybe the #1 spot...

1) Dream Theater - Amazing musicianship, amazing players, amazing song, amazing albums... amazing.

2) Nevermore - Arguably the band that got me into Metal. Warrel Dane is perhaps my favorite vocalist of all time.

3) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Any band that writes an album as apocalyptically perfect as lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to heaven deserves to be on this list.

4) Cryptopsy - Tech Death!!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH BURR BURR BURR BURR BURR!!!!

5) Deathspell Omega - These guys, whoever they are, are the best Black Metal band around. They also just happened to write the best Black Metal album ever. HAILZ

6) Blind Guardian - My favorite Power Metal band. HOO AH! A Night At The Opera rules every other Power Metal album I own.

7) Faith No More - I've only got a couple albums by them, but they absolutely rule. My favorite Rock band ever. MIKE PATTON!!!1!11

8) Leviathan - Twistedly creative Black Metal. Wrest is a madman, and his banshee shreiks of agony and torture are second to none.

9) Porcupine Tree - Even though I only have In Absentia, this band deserves to be on this list for that alone. Powerful, beautiful music, and when the time is right, it's some of the most soberingly beautiful music ever.

10) Coheed & Cambria - I have listened to IKSOSE: 3 at least a million times, and I still love it to little itty-bitty peices.

11) Iron Maiden - Pure charisma. From the galloping basslines of Steve Harris to the soaring vocal attack of Bruce Dickinson, this band bleeds Metal. Probably my favorite of the classic Metal bands (Black Sabbath, Judas Preist, etc.)

12) Mr. Bungle - More Patton. Crazy, creative, frantic, even sadistic, Mr. Bungle is some good ol' dark fun.

Uhhhh... That's about all I can think of right now.

In no order:

Windir
Agalloch
Drudkh
Emperor
Arcturus
King Crimson
Pink Floyd
Enslaved
Septic Flesh
In The Woods...
Insomnium
Haggard
Winds
Jean Micheal Jarre
Sigh
Rotting Christ
Moonsorrow
Ulver
Melechesh
Therion

Honorable mentions:

keep of Kalessin
Quo Vadis
Spiral Architect
(new) Mayhem
Unexpect
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Canvas Solaris
Estradasphere

I'd like to name 100 bands, but the first that come to mind are

Manowar - The epitome of what is metal, surprised I didn't see them on any of the other lists. Wagner inspired riffs, top musicianship and the best vocalist to ever grace heavy metal.

Judas Priest - The band that single handedly created what we came to know as heavy metal (no, despite what you may have heard it wasn't sabbath ). The riffs, the solos, the screaming vocals, all tm by da Priest.

Jag Panzer - American Power metal at it's best.

Dokken - I'm surprised to see Dokken is nearly forgotten nowadays, the man's released some of the best hard rock/metal hybrids of all time: Back for the Attack, Under Lock and Key etcetc. George Lynch is a god!

Fifth Angel - When it comes to melodic virtuoso metal, fifth angel's debut is simply second to none, and perhaps the best metal record ever released.

Grave Digger - A personal fave, in your face barbaric german metal that sends all smurf power pussies back to the kindergarden that spawned them!! Especially when they listen to Boltendahls sheep like BLUAAAAAAAARRR screams

Yngwie Malmsteen - The man that re-invented the post Blackmore neoclassical guitar. I prefer his earlier work with Soto and Boals.

Iced Earth - Because Stormrider is the best 90's metal album, and because the triplet of Stormrider, Burnt Offerings and Dark Saga just can't be beat!

Candlemass - FUCKING DOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

Axel Rudi Pell - The Blackmore of heavy metal, the man's released incredible albums like Masquerade Ball or Magic. Plus he has some of the best cd covers ever!

Brocas Helm - The gods of deranged epic metal, just listen to their latest (Defender of the Crown) and bow before Schumacher's moustache!

Manilla Road - Crystal Logic is the epitome of technical, atmospheric and generally kick ass epic metal!

Skyclad - Founders of the folk metal genre and some of the most intelligent lyrics ever

Bonfire - Because German poser kicks american poser ass!!

3 inches of blood - BECAUSE THEY WILL DOMINATE THE METAL SCENE IN AEONS TO COME! METAL, LEATHER SPIKES AND SWORDS!! AAAARGGGHH ... gah, gah... sorry caps

This list is highly subjective to change, but here is it anyways. It'll likely change a lot soon, as I'm digging myself into Totalism and Postminimalist composers.

1. John Zorn – Postmodern Free Jazz. I love almost everything what this guy did, especially his Filmworks series and every (Electric) Masada (String Trio) output. His interpretations of Klezmer are out of this world.


2. Vágtázó Halottkémek – Space Rock/Hungarian Folk. Their music is lifting, can be extremely powerful and serene in one song. They contain energy that I've never heard in a band before. Improvised songs that are completely born on stage mark their sense of experimentation, it's hypnotic.

3. Venetian Snares – Breakcore/Drill'n'Bass. Aaron Funk can be so much more than silly beats. He proved that on his Rossz album, and proved it again on Meathole, also less convincing. Sure, he made a lot of music in which you wish he had been more serious, but the albums that I just mentioned are just so fucking good that it's hard to judge him on the others.

4. Philip Glass – Minimalism/Postminimalism. Although this guy is often mentioned as one of the biggest minimalists, he's certainly not one of the inventors. He was actually quite late to start on minimalism, but that doesn’t take anything away from the quality material he put out.

5. Tan Dun – Chinese Classical. Although mostly known for his filmworks, these are certainly not the only things is occupied with, and neither are those his best works.

6. Hawkwind – Space Rock. The inventors of the genre, what more is their to say? Especially their latest works are innovating and interesting.

7. Yann Tiersen – Modern Composition/Modern Creative?. Melancholic, beautiful and natural. Great composer and songwriter, and a legend in the world of drama.

8. Miranda Lehman – Psych Folk. Just for her intensely beautiful Shipwrecks & Russian Roulette, which was copied by Velvet Cacoon. Say what you want about them, but they did have taste.

9. Sieben – Modern Composition/Neofolk. Although this is Matt Howden’s song-based work, it’s still his most interesting. The moods are not less capturing, yet the addition of incredible lyrics and a great voice is what makes this so special. His violin loops are his trademark sound, the guy knows how to build up an entire orchestra on his own.

10. Steve Reich – Minimalism/Postminimalism. Another minimalist, this one does need no explanation.

11. Jan Garbarek – Improvised Jazz/World Fusion. Some absolutely brilliant works of mesmerizing beauty by the Saxophonist. Especially in combination with oud and tabla.

12. 65DaysOfStatic – Noise Rock/Drill’n’Bass. Well crafted and emotionally capturing music.

13. God Is An Astronaut – Post-Rock/Shoegazer. Some of the very best available in the genre of Post-Rock. Epic and glorious.

14. Clifford Gilberto – Drill’n’Bass. Inspiring work that is very close to acid jazz. The beat-programs and trademark bass are stunning.

15. Burzum – Black Metal. This still deserves a place in the list.

Dude, you have some very weird tastes...

Here's my tops...I know, not much different than what a lot of others have listed, but I haven't heard nearly as much metal as pretty much everyone else on this forum.

1. Dream Theater: Best musicians out there, in my opinion...add great songwriting and that's all you need for a great band.
2. Into Eternity: If I was going to pick up an instrument and form a band, they would be like these guys...very technical & insane vocals.
3. Megadeth: Every release has been solid, with Countdown and Rust in Peace as classics. I've yet to check out Peace Sells, though.
4. Children of Bodom: Just really entertaining music with great musicianship.
5. Blind Guardian: A Night at the Opera is one of my favorites...
6. In Flames: I only have Clayman so far, but it's incredible.
7. Opeth: I love both sides of them, softer and heavier.
8. Dragonforce: Love teh speed.
9. Coheed and Cambria: Good Apollo is incredible.
10. Tool: I can't listen to them a whole lot, but their music is still great...I can't believe they get played on the radio (not saying that's bad...just surprising).
11. Iron Maiden: I don't listen to them quite as much as I used to, but they're still one of my favorites.
12. Led Zeppelin: Same as with Iron Maiden, except more extreme...I find that I don't like their mellower stuff anymore, but "Achilles Last Stand", "Heartbreaker", etc. are still classics.
13. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon is incredible. The Wall has some good songs too.
14. Rush: I think if I would give these guys more play time I would like them more.
15. Trivium: Yeah, I know not everyone here is too fond of them, but Ascendancy was a really good album IMO and The Crusade looks like it's going to be incredible...

Have you seen the "qatsi" movies that he did the soundtracks for? They're really powerful stuff.

Now I need to check out Hawkwind since two people have said they're awesome today.

This is really just the 15 bands that came to my mind first (mostly).

Amon Amarth
Candlemass
King Crimson
Pearl Jam
Alice in Chains
Coheed and Cambria
Dark Tranquility
Sleep
Deathspell Omega
Nevermore
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Sodom
diSEMBOWELMENT
Boris

At least burzum still gets a place

Haven't seen the movies, but ofcourse I heard the album...

Downloaded Meathole t'other day. Good stuff.

1. Opeth – No need to explain. Genius, majestic, top of the line music.
2. Dark Tranquillity – They have released nothing but splendid albums and are continually evolving and tuning their sound.
3. Insomnium – With the latest album being such a masterpiece, these lads have convinced me that they are indeed one of the best bands there is.
4. Wintersun – Unbelievable. First album blows pretty much anything away, and if Time turns out to be of the same quality, or even better, Wintersun might just snatch the third place.
5. Arsis – Where did these guys come from!? Talented, technical and furious metal. Wonderful.
6. Bloodbath – Defines how Death metal should be like.
7. Draconian – Defines how Doom metal should be like.
8. Cradle of Filth – Defines how…. em, no there’s just no other band in the world like Cradle. One of the first metal bands I heard and they still put out great music and live acts.
9. Kent – Swedish rock band that just feels a little bit more real and honest than anything else. Isola and Verkligen are timeless records that perhaps only the nine million Swedes in the world understand, even though I think they have been translated into English.
10. Augury – Yeeeehhhaaaaaa! Give me a new album now!
11. Arch Enemy – The first three albums are killer and the latest three are also great.
12. The Duskfall – Not much to mention. Just great melodic death.
13. The Mars Volta – What can I add that has not already been said?
14. The Axis of Perdition – The most brutal and scariest band I know.
15. Taake – Just how I like my black metal.

Honourable mentions:
Disillusion - Gloria might be able to put them on the list if it turns out good.
Agalloch – Ashes against the grain is one of the better albums I’ve heard in a long long time, but I’m still working one the others.
Sikth – If they had only released the first album they would definitely be on the list, but the latest record was sadly a bit of a disappointment.

I heard some of his stuff (a couple samples and the stuff on his Myspace), and it blew my fucking mind. Especially the song from Winnipeg Is A Frozen Shithole. I think I need that album.

i've heard these 2 venetian snares albums -

Huge Chrome Cylinder Box Unfolding - it sounded if you sampled like 15 nintendos malfunctioning in the coolest way possible at the same time.

Ross Czillag... - good, but as far as neoclassical meets electronica i prefer the requiem for a dream soundtrack. Summer Overture is like wow.

Thanks for the tip on Summer Overture!!
Winnipeg Is A Frozen Shithole is a so so album by the way.

I saw that one at a record store and thought of buying it, but since his stuff is so varied in quality decided not to... I think it would be nicer if he focused himself a bit more isntead of releasing 2-3 albums a year, since he definitely has the ability to make awesome stuff.

He does focus, but he focusses on different things all the time. Winnipeg is a not so serious hate album. Rossz is entirely different, so it's just a matter of what you like more...

That Summer Overture is played by the Kronos Quartet, I have lots by them!! Respect!!

Cool, I'm listening to Kronos Quartet performs Phillip Glass and kind of whoring a bunch of their stuff right now... so far I like their less avant-gardey stuff most. Black Angels just scared the living hell out of me.

Haha, and you haven't even heard the PWNTENDO!!!

rofl