Metal School

[Dannyalcatraz]

And now...

ANIMETAL-USA!

Featuring singer Mike Vescera (OBSESSION/ex-LOUDNESS), bassist Rudy Sarzo (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO), drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and guitarist Chris Impellitteri (IMPELLITTERI) are gearing up for the October 12th release of their debut album in Japan, featuring the band covering Japanese anime theme songs.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW9oSOfOyy4&feature=youtube_gdata_player]Impellitteri //ANIMETAL USA??Space Battleship YAMATO - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Guest 85555]

I realize this page is already well into 22 pages but figured I would contribute what I could.

I started out on bands like Iron Maiden, Queen, Sabbath and Metallica and by the time I was in my own band in the 90s was very into classical music and doom metal (my guitar teacher turned me onto classical when he realized there was a lot of overlap between classical--particularly baroque--and metal). Don't know if doom metal has been brought up or not.

Going mostly by memory here. Doom metal was basically heavy, slow and modeled after bands like Black Sabbath. I think some of the early "prot-doom" bands were Count Raven (basically sounds like ozzy) and St. Vitus (but I could be wrong there). I first became aware of Doom Metal with Candlemass. Soon after you had others bands like Solitude Aeturnus and Cathedral (who veered into a strange psychodelic/doom style after their first album---though that one was trippy as well). There were also a bunch of bands that were associated with Doom metal even though they were probably more properly labeled death metal and death rock, bands like My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. MDB had a violist in the group (or at least a violin on their albums) and Paradise Lost had a recurring female vocalist. Keep in mind I haven't really followed doom since the late 90s, so lord knows how this stuff has gelled over time.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Welcome to the class!

 

[Guest 85555]

Welcome to the class!

Thanks.

Here are some links to the Doom bands:

Candlemass
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eiXYQPqCe8&feature=related]Candlemass Epistle No.81.wmv - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADosdi2CEwE&feature=fvsr]Candlemass Darkness in paradise.wmv - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNZOPxGNmzI]Candlemass - Dawn / A Tale Of Creation (HQ) - YouTube[/ame]

Solitude Aeturnus
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N31PgU_L__w&feature=related]Solitude Aeturnus - Opaque Divinity - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_USb2EysU]Solitude Aeturnus - Where Angels Dare To Tread - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW86qYIu6UU&feature=related]Solitude Aeturnus - Beyond... - YouTube[/ame]


Cathedral
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMZNdKftcFQ&feature=related]Cathedral - Equilibrium - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOdV62qc8OY]Cathedral - Serpent Eve - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Qdj7pt7Iw]Cathedral - Hopkins (The Witchfinder General) - YouTube[/ame] (getting funky)

My Dying Bride
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipEDSD4ASdY]Sear Me - My Dying Bride - YouTube[/ame] (this one is classic)

 

[Thunderfoot]

Welcome to the classroom!
Yeah, doom metal (also known snidely as emo metal) wasn't really discussed much as it's a niche of death metal, but you're quite right, the melodic side of it is much more...well... more.... than straight death metal (ie shred your face, hair, the neighbor's dog, etc.)

As for Candlemass, I'd forgotten about them. Are they still together and dropping music or have they gone the way of the dodo?

As for the scene changing, I was in Baltimore when they (to the tune of "They Paved Paradise") They paved Hammerjack's and put up a parking lot... oooh lot lot lot lot, ooohhh hot hot hot hot.
The old Hammerjack's location is not in the middle of the parking lot of Raven Stadium. The "new" Hammerjack's is downtown, smaller and plays mostly hip-hop/R&B dance music.

Unfortunately for me, this is a small college town area and the college has lost it's "college" roots and become more of the foreign exchange, wanna be gangsta scene, in the middle of a real-life Hee-Haw episode.

Oh well, I'm sure it could be worse, I'm just not sure how yet.

 

[Asmo]

From Candlemass homepage: (posted 21/10)

"We are happy to announce that we have signed with Napalm Reocrds for the last and final CANDLEMASS album. Cool bands like Monster Magnet and Karma to Burn are on the label and we are proud to be a part of it too!

Our farewell album will be recorded in december for a release in the spring. The album is our 11:th studio effort and we’ll do our best to make it a worthy end. CANDLEMASS hope to play the european festivals one last time, also tour and play everywhere on the planet where our faithful and fantastic fans want us to go…we will be there!!

Our career has lasted for over two decades. This year it was 25 years since “EPICUS DOOMICUS METALICUS” came out. It has been a long and bumpy ride, but we survived, and are now probably more successful than ever! We headline big festivals, and sell lots of records. But 25 years is a long time….somewhere sometime you need to slow down and stop no matter how much you are enjoying yourself. And it feels good to do it while you are still on top!!

But don’t be sad just yet all you fans of doom. CANDLEMASS won’t disappear for a while. We still have lots of gigs to play, a new great album to promote, uncharted C-mass territories to visit…especially Australia, Japan, Asia…(we would love to play there so book us please! AND…we have a 30 year anniversary to look forward to also!!
So you’re not rid of us yet! Plenty of more DOOM to come!!"


Asmo

 

[Guest 85555]

Welcome to the classroom!
Yeah, doom metal (also known snidely as emo metal) wasn't really discussed much as it's a niche of death metal, but you're quite right, the melodic side of it is much more...well... more.... than straight death metal (ie shred your face, hair, the neighbor's dog, etc.)

Speaking of Death Metal, has anyone brought up Bolt Thrower yet? They had a huge influence on my guitar style back in the early 90s.

Death Metal sometimes gets a bad reputation when it comes to melody, but having been in a band that fused death/doom and iron maiden stylings, I think this is somewhat unfair. Sure the vocals aren't much in the way of melody (and I've always felt it works better sporadically as a technique rather than pure style), but the guitar can be very melodic. Not just the shredding, but the ballads too. Morbid Angel had one accoustic song (all guitar, no vocals) that was really great like that (can't remember the name as it has been nearly two decades).

 

[ggroy]

Speaking of Death Metal, has anyone brought up Bolt Thrower yet? They had a huge influence on my guitar style back in the early 90s.

Death Metal sometimes gets a bad reputation when it comes to melody, but having been in a band that fused death/doom and iron maiden stylings, I think this is somewhat unfair. Sure the vocals aren't much in the way of melody (and I've always felt it works better sporadically as a technique rather than pure style), but the guitar can be very melodic. Not just the shredding, but the ballads too. Morbid Angel had one accoustic song (all guitar, no vocals) that was really great like that (can't remember the name as it has been nearly two decades).

I listened to Bolt Thrower and Morbid Angel around 20 years ago, when both were on Earache Records.

Don't really listen to them at all these days.

 

[Guest 85555]

I listened to Bolt Thrower and Morbid Angel around 20 years ago, when both were on Earache Records.

Don't really listen to them at all these days.

Yeah, it has been the same amount of time since I've listened to them as well.

 

[Thunderfoot]

I heard Morbid Angel on the "radio" just the other day.

As for Death Metal, you are right on bedrock... The musicianship of a "majority" of the bands is quite good, with some being on the level of virtuoso-esque, but the vocals detract from many of the songs to make them un-listenable to me. I can handle speed for speed's sake, I love distortion when it's toned "just right" and that high pitched squeal of feedback just on the verge of taking over, but not quite are all very much a part of what I look for in metal. But vocals have to be both intelligible and musical, something that growling just doesn't cover on either note. I don't disparage groups that use it or those that enjoy it, hell we're all one big happy metal family after all, but it just isn't my cup of tea.

There was a time when even growling had a sense of musicality to it (late 80s early 90s), now it's mostly just loud.