Extreme Metal

What type of metal are you most inclined to like (choose two)?

  • Viking Metal

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Death Metal

    Votes: 6 37.5%
  • Black Metal

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Doom Metal

    Votes: 6 37.5%
  • Folk Metal

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Gothic Metal

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Grindcore

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Groove Metal

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Industrial Metal

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Metalcore

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Sludge Metal

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Stoner Metal

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Thrash Metal

    Votes: 10 62.5%

  • Total voters
    16

valacirca

Trooper
While it's arguable whether or not stuff like Doom and Thrash should be included under this grouping, I'd rather not since I don't consider them as "extreme" as the truly extreme stuff such as Black Metal, Death Metal and Grindcore. But you guys are free to talk about it as well if you wish.

Right now I'm listening to Immolation's Close to a World Below. I also enjoy mixtures of sludge metal with hardcore and screamo such as Battle of Mice and Celeste... some technical/brutal death metal like Fleshgod Apocalypse... prog-death and melodeath stuff like Opeth, Amorphis and Insomnium... and some more sludge like Neurosis --- and quite a lot more actually.

Basically, I was just wondering if you guys venture into more extreme territory when it comes to your metal and where your musical sensibilites lie with regards to that type of music.
 
Well, I do have a few criticisms of your list, such as the coupling Black/Viking (most Viking metal may be black metal, but the amount of Viking metal in black metal is almost negilible). I'd suggest coupling Viking/Pagan metal and letting black stand for itself- but whatever. Moreover, the only genres I'd define as "extreme" would be black, death, more extreme thrash and metalcore.

Anyway, the "extreme" stuff I listen to most is probably melodic death, mostly Amon Amarth, Withering Surface and then some. There's a lot of melodic death I can't stand though, such as In Flames. Related to that, obviously, is old school death, such as Possessed, Bolt Thrower and Death (Cannibal Corpse, on the other hand, have never done much for me), and modern death like Asphyx or Anaal Nathraak. I'm also extremely fond of God Dethroned, who have been named "blackened death", whatever that may mean.
As for black metal, I'm very picky on this one. I love Vreid (and of course, Windir), Immortal and Dark Funeral, and I also listen to a lot of Marduk (especially after waking up), Dissection and ancient stuff like Bathory. I like some bands with a pagan/Viking edge, like Unleashed, Kampfar, and obviously, Primordial (although just how "black" they are is up to anyone to decide). There's also a lot of unknown bands from those genres I listen to, like Geist (check out their album, Galeere, which is one of the best things I ever heard) or Nebelhorn and others.

If you consider thrash to be extreme (I guess in the case of Slayer and Testament, you might do that), I listen to it a lot, both the more mainstream things (Big Four, Annihilator, Testament etc) and old school, like Exodus, Death Angel, Flotsam and Jetsam, Sacred Reich, Exumer, Razor, Exciter (though hardly extreme) and so on.

I hate metalcore. I see absolutely nothing good about it.

Anyway, that's very brief, let me know if you want some details.
 
valacirca said:
While it's arguable whether or not stuff like Doom and Thrash should be included under this grouping, I'd rather not since I don't consider them as "extreme" as the truly extreme stuff such as Black Metal, Death Metal and Grindcore. But you guys are free to talk about it as well if you wish.
Well if Doom and Thrash are not considered extreme, I'd really need not respond here.  My CDs are way more mellower than yours or Pers.  Testament is probably the most extreme thing I listen to.
 
Perun said:
In Flames
Not even their earlier material, like Subterranean or The Jester Race?

I read somewhere that In Flames was formed in an effort to mix death metal elements with the melodies/guitar harmonies of Iron Maiden. I found that interesting when I read it. Haven't revisited their earlier albums with that in mind though.
 
I wouldn't consider melodic death metal "extreme" at all... it's as flowery as the power metal it borrows from. Quite frankly, I listen to so much metal all across the board my idea of "extreme" has diminished. I used to consider Opeth extreme, now their just another death metal band. I used to consider Cathedral extreme... no more. In fact none of your choices strike me personally as extreme, just different sub genres.

But for the sake of the thread and argument, Doom and Death are by and large what I go for from said list. I rarely listen to Viking metal and have very little stoner metal.

I LOVE early In Flames (up to Clayman) though A Sense of Purpose was a pleasant surprise. Opeth is BY FAR my favorite death metal band, and most of the Doom I listen to is Candlemass and Paradise Lost.
 
Onhell said:
I wouldn't consider melodic death metal "extreme" at all... it's as flowery as the power metal it borrows from.

I disagree. It is "flowery" at times, but there's a huge difference in the vocals and rhythm guitars.

Extreme metal, for me, is defined by cookie monster vocals. Which I usually can't fucking stand.

Some of the extreme bands have interesting instrumental stuff, but the vocals make me want to claw my ears off.
 
valacirca said:
Not even their earlier material, like Subterranean or The Jester Race?

I read somewhere that In Flames was formed in an effort to mix death metal elements with the melodies/guitar harmonies of Iron Maiden. I found that interesting when I read it. Haven't revisited their earlier albums with that in mind though.

True. I actually had this same discussion with Per (on Wacken Open Air, 2008). I tried to explain they were quite influenced by Maiden, but apparently that doesn't mean every Maiden fan has to like their stuff, or even their early stuff. :)

I really like their old stuff, and after Whoracle they slowly evolved into a different sound, and I liked that less.


Perun said:
modern death like Asphyx

Huh, I admit I don't know their music that well (so maybe stylewise you have a point), but we're talking about an old doom/death band here. Wiki tells me that they were formed in 1987.

I like a lot of extreme metal bands, especially in death, black and doom. Lately I listen less to extreme metal, but this has more to do with spending time on discovering other albums in totally different genres (jazz!). This doesn't mean I like extreme metal less, it's just that I want to move on and at some point, I expect I'll give some good old extreme metal albums some swings again. :)

I know I sound conservative when I say "old" but I haven't heard much groundbreaking in the last few years, so if you guys have heard some new albums you're really impressed with, feel free to post. Like vala, I'm interested still, but I'm following the scene less intense, compared with the past.

Favourite bands in extreme metal, in random order, and I lack time to describe them (feel free to ask details, or what I like about them). I admit that the list also consists of a few bands of which I only know or like one or two albums, but still they're worth mentioning:

Sear Bliss
Ancient
(old) Dimmu Borgir
Epica
After Forever
Gorefest
Absu
God Dethroned
(old) In Flames
At The Gates
Gates Of Ishtar
(older) Children Of Bodom
My Dying Bride
Candlemass (doom, though I wouldn't call it that extreme)
Immortal
Deviser
Septic Flesh
Arch Enemy
Six Feet Under
Amorphis
Solitude Aeturnus (see Candlemass)
Satyricon
Necrophagist
(older) Slayer
The Arcane Order
Scar Symmetry
Opeth
Soilwork
Carcass
Bolt Thrower
and last but not least: Napalm Death
 
I noticed Amorphis on your list. Talk about a band that has changed. What do you make of their new sound? By new sound I mean their last three albums, Eclipse, Silent Waters and Skyforger. I LOVE Eclipse and Silent Waters... a worthy follow up, but Skyforger plateaued. No really unique lyrics/concepts and the sound was just more of the same from the previous two albums.
 
I haven't heard the latest yet, and to be honest I don't know Eclipse either, I think.

I really like Silent Waters, a lot of good melodies. Their current singer is a very strong vocalist, live and he does the old tracks well too. About 4 years ago, I saw them performing, and I was impressed.

I still prefer the two first albums the most, and have played Elegy also pretty often when it came out.
 
SinisterMinisterX said:
I disagree. It is "flowery" at times, but there's a huge difference in the vocals and rhythm guitars.

If you want to nitpick... yeah, I agree. Like Dark Tranquility is Melodeath, but hardly flowery, yet In Flames... is just as happy and melodic as Helloween... well, early In Flames. Their "dark period" (reroute to remain to Come Clarity) is just popish crap.


Extreme metal, for me, is defined by cookie monster vocals. Which I usually can't fucking stand.

Some of the extreme bands have interesting instrumental stuff, but the vocals make me want to claw my ears off.

LOL, I remember when I started getting into death metal, I kept thinking WTF? Why do they sing like this? what's wrong with them? then I "got" it... love it ever since. Not saying it happens to everybody, but it is an acquired taste.
 
I used to hate the argument that you just have to get used to the vocals... but it's true. I couldn't stand growls and gutteral vocals just a few years ago, as some of you may even remember. But nowadays, when it comes to heavy tunes, I usually find myself preferring them to clear vocals. With a few exceptions, of course: Bruce Dickinson, the Immortal Dio, Rob Halford (unless he's shrieking) and then some.
 
It really helps to be angry and/or depressed while listening to said music. As much as I love Kiske, he doesn't exactly channel thedarkness, pain and  hellish atmosphere I feel when the idiot behind the counter at McDonald's gets my order wrong :p
 
Interesting that you need some one growling in your speakers to express the pain you feel from getting a 'large' drink instead of 'super size' ... But I do feel your PPPPPAAAAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Ok maybe not Mikey D's, but definitely foreclosing on one's home, getting dumped by the fiance, getting a DUI, getting fired, because of said DUI, going broke from  getting fired from said DUI and forced to live at home with mom, with no car (suspended DL), no money and no job because of said DUI... Did I mention all of this in the same year mere months apart? Ya...
 
Well, take all that, and the scene and McD's becomes the straw that poked out the camel's eye.

Whoa, rough year.  Take a moment to listen to something dark. 
 
In answer to the Poll question, there's not really any particular subgenres of metal that I'm inclined to listening to. I like some Power Metal bands (e.g. Blind Guardian, Hammerfall), Prog Metal (Dream Theater & Symphony X), Thrash (only the obvious ones really) and Metalcore bands (As I Lay Dying are one of my favourite bands). With some subgenres, most notably Power Metal & Metalcore, one only needs to know five or six bands to know the standard sound of the subgenre, although there may well be bands that I haven't discovered yet. I'm more inclined to avoid certain subgenres, namely the Extreme Metal subgenres. I've always hated the likes of My Dying Bride, Cannibal Corpse and Gorgoroth but I have managed to come across some bands who I can cope with from that bracket e.g. In Flames (who used to be borderline) and Emperor (one of their songs influenced my user name).

I've never been able to handle listening to Extreme Metal. It's not really music to me, just incessant noise.
 
Black Wizard said:
I've never been able to handle listening to Extreme Metal. It's not really music to me, just incessant noise.

No, it is not and extreme metal is not a genre, it's a style. Maiden, Motörhead, Venom and Priest were considered extreme at their time 'cos their style was the most extreme when they were around; Sabbath, Purple, Maiden and Priest were much more extreme than Zeppelin or The Who on a general consensus. Labels means shit - listen to bands, not genres.

Watch and listen to it and tell me it's only 'incessant noise':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0C5gUQhvV0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i38m-xGX7io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-PPhjCzzqQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XesD_wpAp0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9kxhC4KAc4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXjaDKnMG1s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCAMqXJlWeQ
 
Wasted CLV said:
Interesting that you need some one growling in your speakers to express the pain you feel from getting a 'large' drink instead of 'super size' ... But I do feel your PPPPPAAAAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Onhell said:
Ok maybe not Mikey D's, but definitely foreclosing on one's home, getting dumped by the fiance, getting a DUI, getting fired, because of said DUI, going broke from  getting fired from said DUI and forced to live at home with mom, with no car (suspended DL), no money and no job because of said DUI... Did I mention all of this in the same year mere months apart? Ya...

Wasted CLV said:
Well, take all that, and the scene and McD's becomes the straw that poked out the camel's eye.

Whoa, rough year.  Take a moment to listen to something dark.  

Sounds like a 'Man on the Edge' sort of PAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNN.
 
Back
Top