Music of This Millennium vs Music of This Millennium

Forostar

Forostar

Ancient Mariner
Mckindog's topic called "Top 10 albums since the beginning of the new millennium" inspired me to do a mix of his topic and Black_Thunder's "Song vs Song" topic.

The goal is to spread some more appreciation for music of this millennium (2000 or later). Our forum is flooded with polls and survivors of classic bands, albums and songs. Nothing wrong with that but why shall we not create some interest in the music of the era we live in now? Who knows we might dig some new music!

The idea is as follows:
Mention two songs and add links to sound, e.g. use YouTube.
When you answer you do not have to post a new choice.
You can also just mention the song you like best, or only listen.

The first who wants to post a new choice can do this at any time, and naturally you can give feedback to songs in earlier choices. Also non-metal allowed. Any music is welcome.

Here goes:

Soilwork - Spirits Of The Future Sun  vs  Amorphis - House of Sleep  
 
Wow, great topic!

Comments on your songs: The first one's vocals first put me off a bit (the particular singer, not growling in general), but I got used to it by the end of the song.  The melodies and riffs were great, and overall a good song.  The Amorphis one I've heard on the radio quite a few times, so it wasn't new; but Amorphis is one Finnish band that I am not familiar with at all, and I'll have to get to know them at some point. 
"Winner": Spirits of the Future Sun

Nightwish - Ever Dream (live) vs Moonsorrow - Tyven/Sankarihauta
 
I'll admit that when I started my thread I had the ulterior motive of discovering great new some music.
This is even better.

My biggest problem with a lot of new bands is the vocals. Unlike Invader, I simply dislike growling in general.
It spoiled the Soilwork song, which I think I could have liked a lot otherwise. Same thing for the otherwise epic Moonsorrow.
Put a modern-day RJD on these tracks and wow.
The Nightwish stuff was OK and Amorphis quite good.

The only band I have really fallen in love with that emerged in the past decade is Coheed and Cambria.
A choice of two of theirs:

In Keeping Secrets Silent Earth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp_Now6WDRc vs Gravemakers and Gunslingers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciC0Uc4b ... re=related
 
I can't stand growling too.


Coheed and Cambria sounds good.I liked the 2nd one better, it has some really nice riffs and melodies and it just flows better.
Ever Dream is one of my favourites( :ok:) and this version is just GREAT!!!

Here is a couple off Enforcer.
Black Angel - Midnight Vice
 
I felt like "I Can't Look The Other Way" had a more epic and anthemic vibe. It's truer to the the 80's style arena-rock influence that most hard rock/AOR bands wear on their sleeve. Basically, I enjoyed it more than "You're Lying" :) I felt like it could be part of an 80's style film like Top Gun. Although for what it's worth, nothing beats Brother Firetribe when it comes to 00s AOR as far as I'm concerned. Samples: Runways & Heart Full of Fire

Anyway... here are the two songs I'm putting up against each other. Let me take you guys away from (what I assume are) your comfort zones a bit and dish you a couple of my favorite indiepop tunes of this millennium:

The Lucksmiths - Sunlight in a Jar (features some of the most brilliant lyrics that I wish I had written)
vs.
Belle and Sebastian - Another Sunny Day (B&S are indiepop legends and this is one of my favorite tunes of theirs)
 
Took some time to check those Brother Firetribe.They are pretty good indeed.I liked Heart Full Of Fire more - not just because of Anette( :p) - it's a pretty good up-tempo song with a strong chorus.

Checked the indie stuff and I enjoyed especially the 2nd song even though I'm not into this stuff.  :bigsmile:



Time for more AOR!  :shred:

They are new and they just released their first album which is absolutely AWESOME.
Support them if you like them!    Into The Wild - Vega vs Kiss Of Life - Vega
 
Never actually checked Buckethead but this was a nice song!

I still preferred the Satch track.  :shred:

After Forever - Follow in the Cry

vs

Epica - Seif al Din

Hope you guys aren't to dismayed be the grunts and screams. It's just a matter of getting used to it (good music helps of course). I started to get into music with cooky monster vocals at the age of 19, back in 1994 when hearing Amorphis' classic Tales From The Thousand Lakes album and witnessing a live gig of Dutch death metallers Gorefest. It was weird at first, but there is metal in this world where clean vocals don't fit as well as grunts and screams. It's not only a matter of power and darkness, sometimes such music contains fast non-melodic riffs, so clean and nice singing is difficult, and hearing such a combination isn't easy as well.

There's too much good music out there to leave alone imho. As you can hear, these two bands combine classical (and Arabic) elements, and a female vocalist which might be interesting (or even new?) as well.

Hope you guys don't mind I keep posting music with grunts and screams (a lot of strong metal music from the last ten years contains such vocals), and it would be cool if you guys would give material with such vocals a chance.  :ok:
 
I second what Foro said.  Growling vocals take some getting used to, but once you do you'll love them.  And as with Foro, of my favourite "new" bands (post 80s) most use growling vocals.  I would have missed many great bands and gigs if I had never given growling a fair chance. 

Comments on the above songs: I knew a bit of Epica beforehand, but nothing of After Forever.  The songs are quite similar in style, with female vocalists and growling combined plus the eastern influences.  Female vocals are cool, but the only bands that I listen to with female singers are Nightwish and Arch Enemy.  Of these songs, Follow in the Cry was a bit stronger because I'm not a huge fan of spoken parts in the middle of songs (which Seif al Din had), and Seif al Din felt longer than it should.  But good stuff anyway. :ok:

Here's another Dutch band, versus a Swedish one. Two faster, heavier songs, again with growling.

Amon Amarth - Asator vs God Dethroned - Drowning in Mud
 
(EDIT: Invader beat me to posting by several minutes but I'll post this anyway :p)

Wow, those two tracks are really good. I'm not a huge fan of symphonic metal, but I was really impressed. I also appreciated how both tracks managed to incorporate those mystical middle-eastern influenced melodies to contrast with the intense death metal cookie-monster growls and blast beats. The female vocalists both sing beautifully, but I prefer Floor Jansen's (of After Forever) tone a bit more. I also think that the beautiful melodies and abrasive death metal influence is a bit more balanced in "Follow in the Cry".

Having said that, I'll have to choose "Seif al Din" as the better track. The female vocals may be a bit better and the elements in the other track a bit more balanced, but the Epica song sounds a lot more epic (no pun intended) and diverse than the straightforward approach of "Follow in the Cry". There seem to be more sections and shifts in style that constantly keeps the track interesting.
Invader said:
Of these songs, Follow in the Cry was a bit stronger because I'm not a huge fan of spoken parts in the middle of songs (which Seif al Din had), and Seif al Din felt longer than it should.  But good stuff anyway. :ok:
Click to expand...

Both songs are indeed very similar and I agree that the spoken part in the middle of Seif al Din was slightly off-putting, but I just thought that SaD was much more exciting than FitC. That would mean that I'll have to disagree that it felt longer than it should even though it was almost two minutes longer.
 
Cheers for the feedback both of you. These are both songs from their debut albums respectively (AF: 2000 and Epica: 2003). Both vocalists have become better and better. After Forever disbanded some years ago, and Floor Jansen is solo now. Epica is doing very well, with two ex-God Dethroned members in their line-up. :)

Both songs have been huge live favourites, and I always go mental when I see them at a concert.

Invader said:
The songs are quite similar in style, with female vocalists and growling combined plus the eastern influences.
Click to expand...

Mark Jansen was screamer/guitarist/songwriter in both bands (and can be heard on both tracks and co-wrote both tracks) so that explains. :)
 
Invader said:
Amon Amarth - Asator vs God Dethroned - Drowning in Mud
Click to expand...
The thing with "Drowning in Mud" and other more standard-sounding death metal is that sometimes it feels like just a lot of raw, incessant pounding. Of course, if that's your thing then great. I however, prefer the brutality of death metal mixed in with some melody and a catchy groove. I love melodic death metal, which is why I'm picking "Asator". It just might be the most speedy and brutal track that the band has made. It destroys and obliterates at a breakneck pace and I also like the full, fat tone since it makes the song feel powerful unlike the God Dethroned song which feels more of evil and sinister (especially with its black metal influence).
Here's the next two songs. Two beautiful, heartbreakingly melodic post-rock tunes :bigsmile:

Explosions In The Sky- Your Hand In Mine

vs.

Mooncake - Rain in the Ashtray
 
valacirca said:
The thing with "Drowning in Mud" and other more standard-sounding death metal is that sometimes it feels like just a lot of raw, incessant pounding. Of course, if that's your thing then great. I however, prefer the brutality of death metal mixed in with some melody and a catchy groove. I love melodic death metal, which is why I'm picking "Asator". It just might be the most speedy and brutal track that the band has made.
Click to expand...

I actually picked Drowning in Mud against Asator because it has one of the "catchiest" riffs I know in death metal; it gets me headbanging every time I listen to it.  But I agree with you in that I also prefer Asator.  It's insane live.
 
valacirca said:
Here's the next two songs. Two beautiful, heartbreakingly melodic post-rock tunes :bigsmile:

Explosions In The Sky- Your Hand In Mine

vs.

Mooncake - Rain in the Ashtray
Click to expand...

I'll go for the Mooncake track, though I wish it would have some more chord changes.

Next two (not for the faint hearted ;) ):

Gorefest - The Glorious Dead (The Eindhoven Insanity - live @ Dynamo Festival 1993)
(For the people who can't stand grunts, wait until the midpart starts at: 2.11)

lyrics (which are not easy to hear):

Blood on your hands as you put them
Near the hole in your chest.
Where the bullet struck and threw you
Flat into the mud.
"Come on lads" the bastards soon will be defeated
God is on our side was what you heard
When all went black

For god and the country we raise our heads
All real heroes die the glorious dead

From this point of view it all looks very different
As you cough up blood and an intense cold
Runs up your spine
No one ever told you that it could be like this
Dehumanised, no respect for life, you want to cry

For god and the country we raise our heads
Or ideals that weren't yours the glorious dead

Misguidence was your undoing
Death stares you in the face
Memories, past times flash by
As they declare you dead

vs

Napalm Death - Mass Appeal Madness

lyrics:

Tell me, assure me
I really can't relate to your dishonesty
Dissention, seeking attention
Yet segregation from the ones that really cared

Tell me, assure me
I really can't relate to your dishonesty
Cash styled deadhead, no conscience or opinions
Material gain bar happiness means shit
It means shit

Mass appeal madness eats your brain
False influence like a leach
Sucking dry your veins

Public eyes see fit your second face
Freakshow - fooling those who imitate

Clever marketing to dominate
Screwing those who gave you your big break

And when the bubble bursts
Exposing your selfish crap
You'll cry for sympathy
We'll just sit back and laugh
 
Kalmah for sure. Never checked any of these bands before (still heard often about Korpiklaani of course).

I am pleasantly surprised by Kalmah's mix of melody, energy and catchy riffs, which make the music less monotone than e.g. Kiuas. I can also appreciate the slower piece in the middle of the song.

I am not the biggest fan of party metal (Korpiklaani) but I sure can understand how well this works in a live situation. Korpiklaani possesses some kick ass rhythm guitars but somehow, for me, it doesn't work with such lyrical content.

These next songs are very different:

Jacobs Dream - Kinescope
(American metal, I always saw these guys as a mix between Maiden and Queensryche)

vs

Autumn - Satellites
(Female fronted rock - catchy and melancholic at the same time)
 
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