The best metal out there - post yours

[Ex-User (9086)]

For starters, if you like metallica GET OUT . Metallica is not metal, it's cheap whiny crap for the masses. I suffer a stroke every time a person says that they like metallica, really, out of all the great music that's out there they listen to 70-year old drunks who can't play their instruments after holding them for 40 years.

Now what I'm going to list is the absolute best that metal has to offer, you may disagree and that's fine, you're probably wrong and it's totally fine to be wrong. Unless you post something that impresses me that is.

1.

Spoiler: Sunless Rise - Unrevealed

2.

Spoiler: Sithu Aye - Invent The Universe

3.

Spoiler: Persephone - Spiritual Migration

4.

Spoiler: Halcyon (Plini) - Pastures

 

[Cognisant]

My taste in metal lacks refinement, like someone who is an "alcoholic" and drinks light beer all afternoon.

I like Metallica

 

[Puffy]

Hmmmm, early Metallica is okay. I used to listen to that kind of music a lot when I was a teenager and outgrew it though. Same with a lot of metal in general in honesty.

These are some things metal related that I've listened to in the last couple of months and liked. The thing they seem to have in common is leaning more towards the extreme side. Metal hasn't aged very well as a genre to me and a lot of it sounds cliche or uninteresting so I have quite niche taste:

Spoiler: Strapping Young Lad (Devin Townsend)

Spoiler: Xasthur

Spoiler: Gorguts

Spoiler: Gnaw Their Tongues

Spoiler: Nahvalr

I haven't heard of the bands in the OP so I'll sample them a bit later. They sound like Djent'y band names.

 

[Rook]

this i always think of . dont care what it is i like.

 

[birdsnestfern]

Deep purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, sort of heavy metal/heavy rock and part of the past that I remember. Still have a hard time NOT dancing to this:

 

[PiedPiper]

Metal, like fine red wine to the taste.

 

[Hadoblado]

Re: Glaerhaidh

Spoiler: Re: Metallica and 'metal'

Yeah this feels like a branch on the NPC dialogue tree. It's frustrating when you're excited to talk about something that interests you with someone who claims to like the same thing, but then they start talking about Metallica. I think it's a failure of classification: Too much is lumped under 'metal'.

Even ignoring normiecore, there's too much distance between subgenres of metal for them to fall under the same umbrella IMO. e.g. death is probably farther from doom than pop is from rock. To me, it seems like people are allowing the people who don't listen to a genre to dictate what is in that genre (the stuff too loud for them) although obviously it's not that simple.

Warning: My interest in most music is gated by how I experience the vocalist, don't take it personally. Nobody is more annoyed by this than me.

Spoiler: Sunless Rise

I enjoy this sort of music but dislike this vocalist (which is my main issue with most bands that don't quite get there for me).

Spoiler: Sithu Aye

This is the sort of music I listen to while studying, and I associate it heavily with students and especially programmers. The genre feels more like a radio station to me in how it's a part of people's routine.

I find the cheeky guitars a bit annoying, almost like they take the place of the vocalist. But overall this is something I'd listen to.

Spoiler: Persefone

This is nice and diverse. I like this kind of music. Vocalists feel like they lack range or depth or something? Having multiple people contribute helps a lot though.

Spoiler: Halcyon

I see this as similar to Sithu Aye, I probably prefer this a little more. Where Sithu Aye sounds evokes a sense of scope, this feels gentler and more in line for the mood I would be in for listening to this type of music.

Overall these are all pretty decent but nothing really got me excited (which is rare):

 

[Puffy]

I'd rate these similar as Hado OP, in a range of 5-6. It isn't that I think they're bad - I don't think my ratings are objective - rock and metal is just my most played genre over my life-time so a lot of it sounds boring to me now.

My list is partly reflective of me only recently coming across black metal in the last couple of years, so it's been a bit more new for me to explore. Also if I'm listening to metal it tends to be as I'm feeling very dark emotions at the time and it helps me to explore what I'm feeling, so I have specific aesthetics I gravitate to.

What are your highest ratings that push into the 8+ zone, @Hadoblado ?

 

[Rook]

 

[birdsnestfern]

: ) Ha! : ) Ha! : ) Ha! Rook, yours wins! Best one I've ever seen.
I will play that one often and dance to it.

 

[Rook]

>.<

i want one dancing in my palace

 

[Hadoblado]

I'd rate these similar as Hado OP, in a range of 5-6. It isn't that I think they're bad - I don't think my ratings are objective - rock and metal is just my most played genre over my life-time so a lot of it sounds boring to me now.

My list is partly reflective of me only recently coming across black metal in the last couple of years, so it's been a bit more new for me to explore. Also if I'm listening to metal it tends to be as I'm feeling very dark emotions at the time and it helps me to explore what I'm feeling, so I have specific aesthetics I gravitate to.

What are your highest ratings that push into the 8+ zone, @Hadoblado ?

Not much black metal I'm afraid.

10 - Igorrr, Zeal and Ardor
9 - Meshuggah, Gojira, Cattle Decapitation, Iwrestledabearonce (pre-Courtney), FleshGod Apocalypse
8 - Archspire, Haken, Anul Nethrakh, Maximum the Hormone
7 - Rivers of Nihil, Devin Townsend/SYL, Tool, Lucid Planet, Beyond Creation, Job for a Cowboy, Gilgamesh, Dethklok

There are plenty of bands with singular songs that are really good, but who lack consistency. The above bands are consistently good in my view.

For you, you seem more into atmospheric. Zeal and Ardour is very good at this though they're only partly black metal.

 

[Cognisant]

 

[Puffy]

 

[BurnedOut]

Metallica's Master Of Puppets, Enter Sandman, Fade To Black, Nothing Else Matters and some other tracks are masterpieces. I find Megadeth much cornier than Metallica but I stopped listening to either as I was growing up.

I'll share some of my favourite metal songs (currently)









Stopping here because I will keep extending the list endessly

 

[Thurlor]

I used to hate all metal with a passion. Especially the vocals. To me it seemed to lack any skill or creative merit. But I was wrong.

Then I discovered some prog-rock and prog-metal that I quite liked and began a journey that hasn't ended yet.

I still dislike the vast majority of metal vocals so my tastes tend toward the instrumental side of things. But there are a few japanese metal bands whose vocals I enjoy. Some examples would be Nemophila, Yousei Teikoku (AKA Das Feenreich), Unlucky Morpheus and Baby Metal.

As I said, usually I listen to instrumental stuff. I wish more metal bands would release instrumental versions of their songs so I can skip the screeching. Recently I found an instrumental cover of Meshuggah's Bleed which I really enjoy.

Some good instrumental acts are Vitalism, Plini, Andromida, Angel Vivaldi and my all time favourite of all metal bands would be Wide Eyes. Their latest album Oneironaut is a favourite of mine when I want to lose myself in some music.

And I will end with a question. Why is the gate-keeping in the metal scene so bad? Even us INTP's apparently aren't immune to it.

 

[Hadoblado]

And I will end with a question. Why is the gate-keeping in the metal scene so bad? Even us INTP's apparently aren't immune to it.

This is something I've thought about a lot over the years.

I think it's because the process of coming to enjoy metal includes a rejection of social norms or an embracing of alternative norms. You now respond to a different rythm. Valid archetypes for this identity include those centered around alternate hierarchies of consumption and hyper-masculinity: Brutality, technical musicianship, cultural signifiers such as tattoos, piercings, battle vests and other merchandise, band lore, aggressive displays etc..

The metal identity is submerged in a constant state of conflict with normative values, just like political identities experience conflict with opposing values.

So compared to other expressions of consumption, metal signifiers tend to simultaneously signal metal pedigree, but also a rejection of other norms. This manifests inter-group as an outspoken skepticism and outright challenge to social norms. Intra-group however, this manifests as purity testing. Metal is so diverse that there is probably as much difference between metal subgenres as there is between metal and other genres, resulting in perpetual jockeying for position.

Sorry, I feel like I've got a clear vision of this but am struggling to frame it well in the time I have It's a really interesting question.

 

[Cognisant]

I have no idea what good metal is, I have some idea what popular metal is (basically any band name I think I've heard before) but I have no idea what makes it good and there's some obscure stuff I listen to which I enjoy but I wouldn't call it good.

For example Neo's Day At Disneyland, I'm not even sure if that's metal, in fact I'm pretty sure it's just garbage but it's the garbage that tickles my fancy.

I am I a connoisseur for liking such an acquired taste, or do I just have shit taste?
Does the blue cheese actually taste good?

 

[Puffy]

For me personally I wouldn’t say I gate-keep so much as I’m just a snob. My snobbishness comes from studying arts at university. I was accustomed to consuming lots of literature, film and music. From that I think it’s mostly that I’ve come to value quality and originality in what I consume. There’s so much out there and I’ve consumed so much that if something sounds derivative I don’t have much patience for it.

The aspect of metal gate-keeping that irks me is the mindset that metal is somehow this superior genre or taste in music. It’s simply not true. More often than not they’re just revealing their small-mindedness in respect to music.

 

[ZenRaiden]

I had interest in metal.
Mostly exploratory, and cannot say anyone song stands out or band.
My rule was if something made me interested in the song or band I listen to it a lot, and then drop it in favor of something else.
Metal is certainly more interesting to listen to than mainstream pop music.
So if I had the choice between a mainstream song and metal song Id take a metal song over pop.

That being said some song just rub me the wrong way or don't necessarily sound the way I like and it does not matter what band or what genera.

Sometimes Id listen to a bad song, just to figure it out and see if I can learn to like it.

Truth is listen to music is much like eating food.
It is acquired taste.
Since I listen to pretty good metal songs for about 22 years I suppose I could be biased towards metal.

 

[Hadoblado]

I'm really into this song atm.


I'm not sure how to articulate the pattern I enjoy, but it's the guitar. I often find these dense high repetition sections w/ guitar to stand out.

Edit: And I just found this, really impressed

 

[Puffy]

I’m noticing some similarity between yours and redbaron’s taste @Hadoblado

 

[Hadoblado]

I think percussionist background might have something to do with it. I remember he liked meshuggah and some djentlemen like vildjarta. There were differences though, he liked iirc.

 

[Puffy]

I think percussionist background might have something to do with it. I remember he liked meshuggah and some djentlemen like vildjarta. There were differences though, he liked iirc.

Haha I just looked up Vildjarta and the first song by them I can find is called dagger. Now I understand what his obsession with daggers was about lol.

 

[Hadoblado]

Oh haha

I actually linked him that in a thread here at some point where you were supposed to describe someone with a song. He responded well to the song but the reason I linked it was the daggers thing. So daggers caused vildjarta. That said, this is me recalling him responding positively, I have no clue if he ever listened to them again.

I always assumed the daggers thing was a greentext or maybe a copypasta?

 

[PiedPiper]

I have no idea what good metal is, I have some idea what popular metal is (basically any band name I think I've heard before) but I have no idea what makes it good and there's some obscure stuff I listen to which I enjoy but I wouldn't call it good.

For example Neo's Day At Disneyland, I'm not even sure if that's metal, in fact I'm pretty sure it's just garbage but it's the garbage that tickles my fancy.

I am I a connoisseur for liking such an acquired taste, or do I just have shit taste?
Does the blue cheese actually taste good?

Metal is like Wine, you like it or you don't. There are the more refined wine palettes and variants of bitter accumulated taste. It's difficult to describe the feeling metal gives off, its like pure -raw-unbridled emotion. Like a disoriented orgie with traces of anticipation and existential dread mixed with alcohol. Imagine all the worst parts of your life rising with the knowledge there is no hope as the energy from it slowly builds up in your body- put it into music. That's metal to me personally.

 

[Hadoblado]

I think when people talk about good taste, what they mean is that they share a need that is met by the same product. So if I like something and you like something, and we like it for the same reasons, we have the same need and this might suggest a greater social synergy between us.

So if we both like red wine, that might be because our well-to-do parents raised us with a cup of watered-down wine as children. This implies overlap in our lived experience and outlook and fosters connections. But if I like wine because I was born rich and you like wine because you're an alcoholic, I probably don't celebrate our shared preference.

When someone says they like metal but then explains that "Yeah I'm a big fan of Metallica", this is always disappointing because they set my expectations as having a possible avenue of connection and then withdraw it. Instead of connection through mutual interest, I feel disconnected because we're so far apart we interpret the entirety of the genre differently. It's nothing to do with thinking Metallica is bad.

Funnily enough, I get a similar feeling from many more 'pure' metal fans because our need is different despite it being satiated by the same product. This is especially the case for legacy puritans because I tend to ignore the history of music and isolate it from pedigree, while often they celebrate the fact that something was innovated even if that innovation was 30 years ago.

 

[Rook]

 

[Minuend]

My favorite songs:

 

[Hadoblado]

Oh hey overlap

Earthside is on my study tunes list. Neo Obliv are my housemate's favourite band, and cattle decap are fantastic (espec the era that song is from, I don't really like the older stuff).

Nornafer aren't my thing, but Al-Namorood seem interesting. I like black metal when it incorporates other genres and elements.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Warning: My interest in most music is gated by how I experience the vocalist, don't take it personally. Nobody is more annoyed by this than me.

That's enlightening. I'm triggered by most vocals so I prefer complete instrumental music unless the vocals mesh well enough to not annoy me or in the rare cases add something greatly enjoyable to the "song". For me requirement #1 is solid, powerful and interesting instrumentals.

10 - Igorrr, Zeal and Ardor
9 - Meshuggah, Gojira, Cattle Decapitation, Iwrestledabearonce (pre-Courtney), FleshGod Apocalypse
8 - Archspire, Haken, Anul Nethrakh, Maximum the Hormone
7 - Rivers of Nihil, Devin Townsend/SYL, Tool, Lucid Planet, Beyond Creation, Job for a Cowboy, Gilgamesh, Dethklok

There are plenty of bands with singular songs that are really good, but who lack consistency. The above bands are consistently good in my view.

For you, you seem more into atmospheric. Zeal and Ardour is very good at this though they're only partly black metal.

Again, interesting because most of these bands are in the 5-7/10 range for me. Too slow, too little instrumental prowess. Beyond Creation and Igorr are probably best. Igorr is 10/10 for its visuals in Very Noise alone (9/10 overall), they just rub the right synapses for me.

Metallica's Master Of Puppets, Enter Sandman, Fade To Black, Nothing Else Matters and some other tracks are masterpieces. I find Megadeth much cornier than Metallica but I stopped listening to either as I was growing up.

Nothing Else Matters is my anathema, pure whininess and norminess, it's such a normie song that they play it on mainstream radio. It just evokes this image of a drunk whiny man crying about their past. I'm sure you have your reasons for liking it and I'm not hating on ya, I'm just triggered by this song every time I hear it.

I'm not gatekeeping metallica fans out of metal, but whenever someone says they're into metal and they say metallica and I share my music they instantly give me this look like I'm a satanist or a crazy person. Metallica fans are so normie that they can't enjoy other metal for the most part and can't even get into the subject matter properly.

To be fair I like the rawness and aggression in some metallica stuff, I wish they would focus on that and do it more. Top metallica song for me is this one (can listen to it without a stroke and enjoy it):
2nd best:

 

[Hadoblado]

Again, interesting because most of these bands are in the 5-7/10 range for me. Too slow, too little instrumental prowess. Beyond Creation and Igorr are probably best. Igorr is 10/10 for its visuals alone, they just rub the right synapses for me.

I listen to it all on 1.25x. I used to go the full 2x but that made some faster songs pretty exhausting.

Regarding instrumental prowess, there are some individually amazing musicians in these lineups, but it's not my top priority. For me, technical competency is just removing an obstacle to creating interesting music, not an ends in itself. I'm probably more sensitive to the skill of the drummer and vocalist than to anything else?

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I listen to it all on 1.25x. I used to go the full 2x but that made some faster songs pretty exhausting.

For real or you're kidding? I never...considered that. I should give it a go. I'm dumb for not trying the nightcore approach before.

Thanks for helping me discover Igorrr, top tier stuff
Edit: Okay, tried that Meshugah jumps 2 points on 2x speed, but they are devoid of melody so it's still feels like listening to fancy EDM.

Ayreon is probably the best vocals-oriented metal I know. I've been evangelizing it to everyone for the last 20 years and it started becoming popular in the last few.

 

[Hadoblado]

Yay a convert. My evangelising finally traps someone. The group is really kookie - inventing their own languages to sing in, splitting the same members into different bands to represent the vision of individual members, letting a chicken's pecking compose the piano and writing the song around it. Fun stuff.

Re: Ayreon and vocals oriented metal
This is a bit too clean for me. I had them on a playlist half a lifetime ago, but while they've got some good sections the overall feel of the music doesn't hit any of my chakras squarely. Basically the wrong genre for me. I often get this where I technically respect everything about a band but they just don't meet any need I have?

Edit:
If you like beyond creation, you might like archspire, who are like if beyond creation decided to do a rap album. They have less range, but the things within their range I've not seen anyone else come close to.


I think I've posted this video before but hey it's relevant. He enunciates every single word, and does so faster than I can read. Their approach to writings lyrics appears to be they write a horror story without worrying about how it fits a tune, as the vocalist will make it fit by articulating it faster. Something about the prominence of the baseplayer makes me associate them with BC.

They're the sort of music I can't listen to all the time, but when they hit right they're amazing.

 

[Rook]

yeah Blar( ithink) or sorry Glaen ; ) had me in the Ayreon cult way back when. i havent listened to 'em in a while, thought bout 'em like a month ago, so thanks imma dive back in ; )

 

[BurnedOut]

Nothing Else Matters is not a bad song at all. It has very good instrumental solos and tolerable vocals

 

[Puffy]

Warning: My interest in most music is gated by how I experience the vocalist, don't take it personally. Nobody is more annoyed by this than me.

That's enlightening. I'm triggered by most vocals so I prefer complete instrumental music unless the vocals mesh well enough to not annoy me or in the rare cases add something greatly enjoyable to the "song". For me requirement #1 is solid, powerful and interesting instrumentals.

10 - Igorrr, Zeal and Ardor
9 - Meshuggah, Gojira, Cattle Decapitation, Iwrestledabearonce (pre-Courtney), FleshGod Apocalypse
8 - Archspire, Haken, Anul Nethrakh, Maximum the Hormone
7 - Rivers of Nihil, Devin Townsend/SYL, Tool, Lucid Planet, Beyond Creation, Job for a Cowboy, Gilgamesh, Dethklok

There are plenty of bands with singular songs that are really good, but who lack consistency. The above bands are consistently good in my view.

For you, you seem more into atmospheric. Zeal and Ardour is very good at this though they're only partly black metal.

Again, interesting because most of these bands are in the 5-7/10 range for me. Too slow, too little instrumental prowess. Beyond Creation and Igorr are probably best. Igorr is 10/10 for its visuals in Very Noise alone (9/10 overall), they just rub the right synapses for me.

Metallica's Master Of Puppets, Enter Sandman, Fade To Black, Nothing Else Matters and some other tracks are masterpieces. I find Megadeth much cornier than Metallica but I stopped listening to either as I was growing up.

Nothing Else Matters is my anathema, pure whininess and norminess, it's such a normie song that they play it on mainstream radio. It just evokes this image of a drunk whiny man crying about their past. I'm sure you have your reasons for liking it and I'm not hating on ya, I'm just triggered by this song every time I hear it.

I'm not gatekeeping metallica fans out of metal, but whenever someone says they're into metal and they say metallica and I share my music they instantly give me this look like I'm a satanist or a crazy person. Metallica fans are so normie that they can't enjoy other metal for the most part and can't even get into the subject matter properly.

To be fair I like the rawness and aggression in some metallica stuff, I wish they would focus on that and do it more. Top metallica song for me is this one (can listen to it without a stroke and enjoy it):
2nd best:

I don’t personally care if you’re a gatekeeper, I know that you have taste outside of metal so my previous comment doesn’t really apply to you.

But in fairness this is the same as gate-keeping. You’re saying someone isn’t a true / pure metal fan if they just like popular metal groups. Metallica is a metal band so if someone is a fan of Metallica then we can at least conclude that they’re a fan of some metal music. As Hado says metal is a really broad genre.

Also I think it’s important to acknowledge the role popular groups play as a “gateway drug” to more obscure music. I loved Metallica when I was a teenager, they were my favourite band for a while. I went from that to more progressive music like Opeth and King Crimson, from that to jazz fusion like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Alan Holdsworth, from that to all kinds of eccentric stuff like Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, etc. I personally find Metallica boring now but regardless they were a part of my love of music.

I think I get where you’re coming from that you want to meet more people who are into what you’re into. But a side-effect of gate-keeping as a cultural thing is that it puts people off exploring once they’re hooked in by the gateway stuff. So arguably I’d say it’s counter-productive to your desires.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

But in fairness this is the same as gate-keeping. You’re saying someone isn’t a true / pure metal fan if they just like popular metal groups. Metallica is a metal band so if someone is a fan of Metallica then we can at least conclude that they’re a fan of some metal music. As Hado says metal is a really broad genre.

Puffs, my whole OP was a joke intended to get people riled up into talking about metal. I don't mean "metallica is not metal" seriously Metallica is clearly metal, albeit with an incredibly close-minded fanbase that imo rarely transfers into other less mainstream metal.

 

[Puffy]

But in fairness this is the same as gate-keeping. You’re saying someone isn’t a true / pure metal fan if they just like popular metal groups. Metallica is a metal band so if someone is a fan of Metallica then we can at least conclude that they’re a fan of some metal music. As Hado says metal is a really broad genre.

Puffs, my whole OP was a joke intended to get people riled up into talking about metal. I don't mean "metallica is not metal" seriously Metallica is clearly metal, albeit with an incredibly close-minded fanbase that imo rarely transfers into other less mainstream metal.

No worries, not always easy to tell over text! Gate-keeping doesn't upset me as I'm not heavily invested in metal sub-culture, I was more highlighting the contradictions within it. The aspect of it that usually annoys me is people who are uppity about metal music and don't listen to anything else.

The very first album I ever bought was Toxicity by System of a Down (the first album bought for me was St. Anger by Metallica which I think we can all agree is a steaming pile of crap). I've given them a listen for the first time in over a decade this week. I don't think I could listen to them repeatedly anymore as I played these albums to death as a teenager. They still bang though. Probably the last metal act to get two no.1 debuting albums out in a single year anyway.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

The group is really kookie - inventing their own languages to sing in, splitting the same members into different bands to represent the vision of individual members, letting a chicken's pecking compose the piano and writing the song around it. Fun stuff.

They're super fun to listen to. I like the soundscapes they create, structure and instrumentation keep them fresh. I listened to all of their albums already and now my cousin and brothers are listening too

Basically the wrong genre for me. I often get this where I technically respect everything about a band but they just don't meet any need I have?

That's perfectly fair, we like what we like, chakras need full penetration

Edit:
If you like beyond creation, you might like archspire, who are like if beyond creation decided to do a rap album. They have less range, but the things within their range I've not seen anyone else come close to.

On your recommendation I listened to Archspire's 'Bleed The Future' and it was good. I put it on 1.25 and it really slaps! I think it's going in my playlist after I convert it to 1.25 permanently Will check the rest of their stuff.

I think I've posted this video before but hey it's relevant. He enunciates every single word, and does so faster than I can read. Their approach to writings lyrics appears to be they write a horror story without worrying about how it fits a tune, as the vocalist will make it fit by articulating it faster. Something about the prominence of the baseplayer makes me associate them with BC.

Guy's really good. I'm enjoying his growling as a percussion instrument, very stabby and energetic.
I like it when I don't understand the lyrics, often times. That prevents my brain from analyzing the text and, worse yet, disagreeing with what I hear

 

[Hadoblado]

Nice

Feels good to have some commonality.

 

[Minuend]

Oh hey overlap

Earthside is on my study tunes list. Neo Obliv are my housemate's favourite band, and cattle decap are fantastic (espec the era that song is from, I don't really like the older stuff).

Nornafer aren't my thing, but Al-Namorood seem interesting. I like black metal when it incorporates other genres and elements.

I tend to like some songs from some bands, I rarely enjoy entire albums. I don't like the older stuff of Decap either. Earthside have a couple of songs I like, contemplation of the beautiful is on a different level from all of their stuff, imo

 

[Old Things]

I am probably the square here in that I pretty much only listen to Christian music, but here are a few favorites of mine:

Spoiler: I did this in a chiasm so let me know if you figure it out.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Cegorach]

So, I know this thread is all about what we consider the best metal in existence, but I have no intention of going through the dusty archives and carefully curating a list of favorites. I have places to meet, people to be.
Rules schmules and deadly duels. There're no Admins left to stop me. Mwahaha, etc.
*litters used banana peels on the cold stone floor of The Dark Castle and skates around on them frivolously*

Instead here're some songs that I've enjoyed from albums I've recently listened to:

Note:
All music should be listened to, at least for the first time, with headphones over both ears, at a high enough volume to pick out the subtleties, entirely focused on the music... and at the intended tempo.
You psychopaths. Tempofiends.

Converge
Metalcore - Post-Hardcore, Mathcore, Hardcore Punk

Spoiler

Note:
Warning! These two are a little louder on YouTube than everything else, so turn down the volume a bit and adjust it accordingly, lest your headphones fill up with blood.

Converge - 'All We Love We Leave Behind'

Converge - 'Sadness Comes Home'

Cult of Luna
Atmospheric Sludge Metal - Post-Rock

Spoiler

Cult of Luna - 'Cold Burn'

Electric Wizard
Doom Metal, Stoner Metal - Heavy Psych

Spoiler

Electric Wizard - 'Saturnine'

Serpent Column
Dissonant Black Metal - Avant-Garde Metal, Mathcore

Spoiler

Serpent Column - 'Ausweg'

Atka
Grindcore, Mathcore - Technical Death Metal, Avant-Garde Metal

Spoiler

Atka - '2xs{m:}4xs{:a:}4xs{ma..dkc}4xs{:3:}1xs{oo}1xs{/l}'

Steel Bearing Hand
Deathrash - Black Metal

Spoiler

Steel Bearing Hand - 'Per Tenebras Ad Lucem'

Baroness
Sludge Metal - Progressive Metal, Stoner Metal

Spoiler

Baroness - 'The Gnashing'

Deathspell Omega
Dissonant Black Metal - Avant-Garde Metal, Progressive Metal

Spoiler

Deathspell Omega - 'Ad Arma! Ad Arma!'

Effluence
Brutal Death Metal, Technical Death Metal - Avant-Garde Metal, Free Improvisation, Gorenoise

Spoiler

Effluence - 'Tentacular Cerebric Appendage'

 

[Cegorach]

It appears you can only have ten YouTube links format correctly per post, so here's a sendoff with the first three songs from Ghost's Meliora.

Now I'm done.

Ghost
Hard Rock, Heavy Metal - Progressive Rock, Heavy Psych

Spoiler

Ghost - 'Spirit'

Ghost - 'From the Pinnacle to the Pit'

Ghost - 'Cirice'

And as always, Hail Satan and may we all burn in Hell for eternity~
So be it/Ramen.

 

[Old Things]

Even ignoring normiecore, there's too much distance between subgenres of metal for them to fall under the same umbrella IMO. e.g. death is probably farther from doom than pop is from rock. To me, it seems like people are allowing the people who don't listen to a genre to dictate what is in that genre (the stuff too loud for them) although obviously it's not that simple.

(It's why I love metal.)

Here's some sort of Blackened Melodeath Doom stuff I think is pretty good.

Spoiler: Lyrics

White, red,
Black and pale
Conquest, war,
Famine and death

Reaching in, cutting out Deep inside
Beyond layers of diversions, a faceless grin
A stream of vengeance, tainted brown
Dripping down from my wounds of shame It takes a village to raise a child
But where does this leave us In a world of children the fate of man?

Give me Karma
Upon a bed of ashes
Give me pain and laughter
To temper indifference

For my people are foolish, they don’t know me
They are blinded children, they don’t know me
They have no understanding from the gallows we sigh I don’t know him

For my people are foolish they do not know me
They are stupid children and they have no understanding
They are skilled in doing evil but do not know how to do good

I looked on the earth, and it was waste and void
And to the heavens, they had no light
I looked on the mountains, and they were quaking
All the hills moved to and fro
I looked and there was no one at all
And all the birds of the air had fled I looked and the fruitful land was a desert
And all the cities were laid in ruins
Before the Lord
Before his fierce anger in this best of all possible worlds

 

[Hadoblado]

Pretty good!

 

[Old Things]

Pretty good!

You won't like what the song is about (but I'll tell you anyways).

It is of course a Christian song from a Christian band.

The idea is that even in the "Best of All Possible Worlds" that God creates is massive death and such (from the book of Revelation).

It's a philosophical idea that comes from (I think) the theology of Molinism. There are heavy philosophical implications that God created the best possible world - one in which evil is so rampant and chilling that it requires God to rain down massive judgment.

Of course, I always have more songs I could share. So here is this one.

 

[Hadoblado]

That's a strong theme, the lyrics are pretty lit tbh. Zeal and ardor (my fav) are also religion-themed.

Spoiler: Re: Discussing religion

I'm not allergic to all things religion, I just see it as very stale fuel for conversation while also having enough gravity to suck any and all other topics off the rails. You don't need to tiptoe around me, just please don't turn threads that aren't about religion into threads about religion. I have similar feelings about politics. Every thread looks like a nail when you're overly fond of your hammer.

Despite seeing hundreds of threads about religion, I have never, ever, not once, seen anyone change their mind. Discussion about religion is two monologues pretending to be a dialogue.

 

[Old Things]

This band has something cooking and I think it is going to be excellent. There were first rumors and plans of what they were doing months ago, but currently, they are in the studio working on a new release. They have been criticized for being unoriginal but this new release will be sure to please given the hype they are giving for it. Their philosophy as far as originality goes is that sometimes bands sacrifice quality for originality. It's this mindset that they think your work on the basics of your perspective genre and then when you have something original to offer, it will be truly excellent.

The band is "A Hill to Die Upon" which is a Blackened Death Metal band with a focus more on Black Metal. Some might consider them War Metal.

A Hill to Die Upon - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Spoiler: Lyrics

Weaving the wasted waters of the world,
I hear the music:
AINULINDALE.
Nothing could be more than walking hand in hand,
lamenting the later lords.
The gull tears my heart,
but let it be said of me: “…”
And “thus he spoke to me!”

O sinners, let us go down,
let us go down, come down,
down, in the river to pray.
O sinners, let us drown,
let us drown, come drown,
where in the river we’ll stay.

I despise the land that you so cherish,
and I abhor the earth beneath my feet.