Metal Reviews

A lot of folks around here really love their Black Metal. I've never really gotten it, personally. I've traditionally thought the whole scene was pretty lame.

Today for reasons I don't understand I've suddenly decided to stop being close minded and at least give it a chance. So what I want is recommendations of where the best place to start might be.

Assume I know literally nothing about any band or album. That's not too far from the truth anyway. I can't say what sound I'm after because I don't know. I might discover I really do hate it after all. Anyway, what I'll do is describe what I *do* listen to.

As you probably know by know, my metal interests are Thrash/Death/Traditional....

My interests outside of metal are mainly Prog (symphonic, eclectic, folk, fusion, spacerock) and downtempo electronica/psychedelic ambience.

So, recommendations of where to start.

....go.

Emperor - Anthems To Welkin At Dusk
Windir - 1184
Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness
Mayhem -De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Mayhem - Chimera
Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
Negura Bunget - Om
Absu - Tara
Absu - Absu
Absu - Abzu
Melechesh - Sphynx
Melechesh - The Epigenesis

These should keep you busy for a while.

Cheers.

Listening to Emperor now.

Honestly I think black metal is the least popular it has ever been on the forum. A lot of people left or changed their tastes, plus there was the whole "Is USBM really black metal" schism.

Anyway, DI has some nice suggestions.

I'd emphasize
Emperor-In the Nightside Eclipse
Ulver-Bergtatt
Negura Bunget-OM (DI suggested as well)
Drudkh-Forgotten Legends

and then things can go in a bunch of directions: Moonsorrow/Enslaved for Viking-tinged, Xasthur/Burzum for rawer sounding, and Limbonic Art/Darkspace for spacey sounding. But that stuff can all wait based on how interested you may be later.

Totally. Drudkh, Enslaved, Limbonic Art.

Drudkh - Autumn Aurora. The Swan Road. Blood in Our Wells.
Enslaved - Below The Lights

These should on your playlist for sure.

Also, Wolves In The Throne Room.

Yeah, I agree. A huge amount of people that were very much into BM have left for good.

A huge amount of people have left in general. As I said in that other thread, I've come and gone every few months since 2008. Every time I come back it seems there's fewer regular posters.

Good luck finding something that you enjoy. Always great to see anyone willing to try something new. And yeah the forum seems to be pretty fatigued these days. I'm still hoping to make a comprehensive post with a billion links on funeral doom, but I've been a bit occupied lately.

Yeah, it's really a shame. This place used to have such lively conversations. There has not been much of regulars added, either. Only Bruce....and... who else? Nothing comes to mind. That's a bit depressing. This is the only Metal place I post besides the Archives which I rarely post anyway.

Bruce is the first new regular in forever, too. I remember when he joined, assuming he'd be gone in a week or two like all the rest.

Let's see... So it's me, you, Trapt, Noodles (has posted much less these past couple of months), Wali, Goat (does not post as much anymore at all), Thomas (he's struggling with his mother's cancer, Stefan, Bruce, Thrashtildeath is back for a while (let's see how long that lasts), and yeah that's about it. We have other posters which strictly post in the reviews section but that's pretty much it I suppose. Maybe around 10 posters in total that are somewhat regulars. Oh and Alexander, he doesn't post much at all either, maybe on occasions. And Corey (Solarsoul) which is busy with his family.

So I'm almost all the way through Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk...

The style of riffing and drumming definitely has the same feel that has always turned me off of Black Metal. The Vocals too, but I can deal with that because I've listened to a lot of Blackened Thrash.

However, the symphonic elements are a definite plus. Even though it's slightly jarring to me to hear a keyboard in extreme metal, I can at least see the benefit of composition which is layered in this way.

So i'm not convinced yet, but it does seem this was a good place to start. Thanks DI.

Cheers. No problem. Any time.

In what way can the forum attract new posters, I wonder?

In what way? I don't know. I really don't! Advertisement? But where and how? Maybe Zad has an answer. Whenever he shows up.

I don't know if it's like this anymore, but I remember a while back there used to be a lot of guys who joined up and posted for a short while, but they would get trolled for listening to Disturbed or Slipknot (or whatever) and they would leave.

It's a shame because they were probably teenagers, who, given some time would probably have grown into some more respectable listening habits.

Maybe we scared them all off.

That hasn't happened for a long time either, Thrashtilldeth. Most of the recent joiners have been relatively literate on the metal underground, they have just been so few and far between, and rarely stay long anyway.

I mean our most active poster, the historical Steve, was the only newer poster that create such controversy that he had to be banned for good. Raven has once again become a regular poster which is always good. However, our tastes differs vastly. I guess it's us few that keep the flame burning.

That's interesting. I think it's funny when someone like myself genuinely likes a band like Slipknot and goes out their way to make it known too. What's someone gonna say about it when a lot of people like these bands are loyal to real metal and moreso than most.?

Sorry, could you rephrase? I didn't quite catch your point.

Generally happens when reading an Adveser post.