Joachim discovers "classic" and "important" hardrock and metal albums

[Armoreska]

Atheist...that's the kind of music I had to suffer through for the themes to find something to hang onto. Sadly I can't even clearly hear the lyrics. Maybe they're really good.
Onslaught's Sounds of Violence and Motorhead work much better, even The Ocean and The Faceless had nice tracks.

Spoiler

[Armoreska]

For Sevenfold, I also have Waking The Fallen written in in the wishlist.

Bad Company - Bad Co, Straight Shooter
BOC - everything, one of the best bands

even their 1st song on 1st album is already awesome!

"BOC is the highlight of and best reason for being on Earth" sounds about right

[Pretentious Hipster]

Who cares about hearing the lyrics. You can read them. It's all about the stylized vocals and how they play with the music.

[joachimt]

Nice that you post Pelagial by The Ocean, Armoreska. I love that album!

[Armoreska]

Who cares about hearing the lyrics. You can read them. It's all about the stylized vocals and how they play with the music.

I do.
btw isn't Elements the better Atheist album? I quite like that one! (OK, only maybe a FEW songs on that one)

[Armoreska]

Nice that you post Pelagial by The Ocean, Armoreska. I love that album!

Cool. There are probably a few songs that are bearable for me. I'm still trying to suffer through the rest of their catalogue when my mood is not too low haha.

[joachimt]

Bathory: "Bathory" and "Under the Sign of the Black Mark"

This is not my thing. I don't get pleasure out of listening to such a low sound quality. All the instruments blend together. I often read people saying that's how metal was supposed to sound, but I think that's just stupid.

The first album sounds like punkmetal. It's one riff repeated over and over with the drums banging without hardly any variation and the singer in the background just screaming. I know I sound very lame saying this, because this is how most people think about ALL metal, but seriously, after hearing lots of different metal in my life, this is still what I get from stuff like this.

The second album was more interesting songwise. It sounded like they weren't trying anymore just to sound fast and extreme, but also tried to make something out of it. Still not liking the sound, but I can understand people liking this.

I also had "Blood Fire Death" lined up, but I don't think I need to listen anymore. Or is it worth a try for me?

[Pretentious Hipster]

If low quality deters you then remove all black metal from my suggestions list. It's how it was of the time, and still is to this day, as it helps set an atmosphere.

[Armoreska]

Why'd you listen to the first? It's not one of the 4-5 that had been recommended to me

Spoiler

Asa Bay

A Fine Day to Die

Shores in Flames

Home of Once Brave

The Woodwoman

Twilight of the Gods (listen to the end) - im gonna go listen to this album since I skipped it sadly

[joachimt]

If low quality deters you then remove all black metal from my suggestions list. It's how it was of the time, and still is to this day, as it helps set an atmosphere.

Maybe. But I like to stay open minded. Maybe I'll hear something I'll like anyway.

Why'd you listen to the first? It's not one of the 4-5 that had been recommended to me

Spoiler

Asa Bay

A Fine Day to Die

Shores in Flames

Home of Once Brave

The Woodwoman

Twilight of the Gods (listen to the end) - im gonna go listen to this album since I skipped it sadly

These three albums were mentioned on some "essential" or "best" lists.

[joachimt]

Btw, recommendations from Arthur are not a good idea for me almost always, because you listen to music in a very different way than I do. For example, if I think of good black metal I think of "Dusk and Her Embrace" for example. I assume that's something you don't like, because it lacks the atmosphere you're looking for in black metal.

[Knaldskalle]

If low quality deters you then remove all black metal from my suggestions list. It's how it was of the time, and still is to this day, as it helps set an atmosphere.

I was just about to post "no early black metal for you" after reading joachimt's comment about sound quality. I also don't like early black metal. I do like "Rotting Christ", though, they are very melodic and not at all what I usually associate with black metal, but that's what they're classified as ("Hellenic Black Metal" to be fair).

some Rotting Christ

[Kublai Khan]

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

Now that's more like it!! You all know I love progmetal, so you know I prefer songs were lots of different things happen. I certainly enjoy some technical death metal like this. Still sounds very fresh, not like it's 30 years old.

I can't pick individual songs yet, it was too overwhelming for that after one listen.



They didn't make a lot of albums, btw. I think I'll listen to the rest later as well.

Hey. Local band. I knew and hung out with Kelly Schaefer a few times, though it was post-Atheist.

He was in Neurotica later on. Which had some good tracks, but I might be biased.

[joachimt]

Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom

I'm two songs into this one. I think you can all guess what my opinion is so far...... I'll listen to the rest as well.

[joachimt]

Okay, I finished it. Luckily not very long. It was slightly better than Bathory, based on sound quality, but still the drums and guitars were just one big mess. Didn't hear any interesting songs, so I didn't get any pleasure out of this.

[joachimt]

Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos

Listened to this last week and again yesterday. Didn't blow me away, but fun enough. I can see it being influential back them.

The funny thing is I always thought Bolt Thrower was something like Sabaton or maybe Iced Earth, based on the artwork. Never knew it sounded like this.

Speaking of Sabaton, btw, I never actually listened to it. Everything I read about them screamed "not for Joachim", so I always ignored it. I just listened to a few bits of the concert below. And yeah, I was right, not for Joachim. Really boring songs. Some simple pop-tunes, but played by touch guys with long hair and guitars so people think it's metal.



I can't even hear this guy is singing English, btw. Not because he's grunting, but simply because he's an awful singer live.

[Pretentious Hipster]

Not a classic but for pop metal I love this

[joachimt]

Body Count - Body Count (1992)

I guess this was influential as a time piece because of the state of American cities and black communities, but the music is rather dull and lyrics pretty bad.

[joachimt]

Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth

Blind Guardian - Tales From the Twilight World

These are very easy likes for me. Melodic, bombastic, choirs, fast solo's. Not the best in its genre, but certainly something I enjoy listening to.

[joachimt]

Blue Öyster Cult
Which album(s)?

[Armoreska]

None unless you're interested in listening to all of it. Come back when you are

Listen chronologically, like a big album.

But progarchives clearly recommends Secret Treaties, Fire Of Unknown Origin, Imaginos

[joachimt]

Burzum - Filosofem

I guess you won't be surprised if I tell you this is not my thing. It starts kinda interesting with the first track, but after a few minutes of "Jesu Død" I got bored from the repetitive sounds. At "Circumambulation Of The Transcendental Pillar Of Singularity" (or should I use the German title, Discogs has English titles) I thought I was listening to some weird Sci-Fi soundtrack. I made it till 10:00 into the song (which is 25 min long) and skipped the rest of the album.



I also jumped through "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" a bit just now, but I don't think it's worth it to give that one a thorough try.

[Armoreska]

The last track has those nice ambient horror factory chains

this is sort of an outtakes album, i find out

[joachimt]

Bad Company - Straight Shooter

Listened to it twice completely. Nothing special. Nothing groundbreaking. Some nice songs, some boring ones. Not listening more to this. I just hardly get anything out of this. It leaves me kinda indifferent.

*runs*

[joachimt]

Starting with C.....

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

This is an easy like. I know several more recent albums by Candlemass and like those very much, especially Death Magic Doom, so this classic sounded very familiar. It doesn't sound like 1986 at all to me, still very fresh. In general I'm not really into doom, because it's often too slow and monotonous to me. With Candlemass there's still enough going on to keep me interested every moment.

[bal3x]

Balls to the Wall is in my top 500 songs
I'd prolly prefer Head Over Heels by Accept to a Bon Jovi cover

I wonder, did you listen to more than 500 songs in your life?

I have And Accept is still one of my favorite bands. You call it "simplistic", I call it "powerful", I think that's what I like about them and I never thought about them as "pop", not the UDO era anyway even though one can argue there are some pop elements, they used also some classical music stuff etc., I know many also think Accept is a Russian band

Speaking of "pop", that's what the new Accept sounds like in comparison - tbh, it's not that bad actually

[bal3x]

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

Now that's more like it!! You all know I love progmetal, so you know I prefer songs were lots of different things happen. I certainly enjoy some technical death metal like this. Still sounds very fresh, not like it's 30 years old.

I can't pick individual songs yet, it was too overwhelming for that after one listen.



They didn't make a lot of albums, btw. I think I'll listen to the rest later as well.

I'm not a fan of extreme metal, but this album must be one of the most complex and technically accomplished albums ever released, takes many listens to appreciate, it's rather jaw dropping tbh. I like the term "jazz-metal"

[Pretentious Hipster]

I'm not a fan of extreme metal, but this album must be one of the most complex and technically accomplished albums ever released, takes many listens to appreciate, it's rather jaw dropping tbh. I like the term "jazz-metal"

This is probably the most complex extreme metal album I've heard. They said their inspiration is both avant-garde jazz and 20th century avant-garde classical

https://adnauseam-official.bandcamp.com ... ternitatis

[bal3x]

I'm not a fan of extreme metal, but this album must be one of the most complex and technically accomplished albums ever released, takes many listens to appreciate, it's rather jaw dropping tbh. I like the term "jazz-metal"

This is probably the most complex extreme metal album I've heard. They said their inspiration is both avant-garde jazz and 20th century avant-garde classical

https://adnauseam-official.bandcamp.com ... ternitatis

Sounds interesting Thanks!

[Pretentious Hipster]

I'm not a fan of extreme metal, but this album must be one of the most complex and technically accomplished albums ever released, takes many listens to appreciate, it's rather jaw dropping tbh. I like the term "jazz-metal"

This is probably the most complex extreme metal album I've heard. They said their inspiration is both avant-garde jazz and 20th century avant-garde classical

https://adnauseam-official.bandcamp.com ... ternitatis

Sounds interesting Thanks!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! It's one of my favourite albums of the year

[bal3x]

This is probably the most complex extreme metal album I've heard. They said their inspiration is both avant-garde jazz and 20th century avant-garde classical

https://adnauseam-official.bandcamp.com ... ternitatis

Sounds interesting Thanks!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! It's one of my favourite albums of the year

Is there a full album available? I think it's just one song here?

[Pretentious Hipster]

Sounds interesting Thanks!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! It's one of my favourite albums of the year

Is there a full album available? I think it's just one song here?

Yea just wanted to link a track for now. You can hear it all here: https://adnauseam-official.bandcamp.com ... range-dr11

I think it's on youtube too.

[bal3x]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! It's one of my favourite albums of the year

Is there a full album available? I think it's just one song here?

Yea just wanted to link a track for now. You can hear it all here: https://adnauseam-official.bandcamp.com ... range-dr11

I think it's on youtube too.

thanks!

[joachimt]

Cannibal Corpse - Tomb of the Mutilated

I guess I really never listened to Cannibal Corpse before. I always assumed they were something towards grindcore, but this album is actually something I can listen to.

[joachimt]

Celtic Frost
"Morbid Tales" and "To Mega Therion"

I already knew Celtic Frost has been an influential band in the old days, but I never listened to it when I started getting into metal, because they didn't exist at that moment (mid 90's). They had a short revival, but I never take notice of reunions of band outside my scope.

I listened to these two albums twice. They don't really grab me all that much. I can clearly hear that it's a bridge between Black Sabbath and punk to metal, but other bands from that period make my heart tick a lot faster than this. Especially the vocals are not that interesting.

I'll still hold on to these two though. I might listen to them a bit more in the future.





I'm often baffled by the iconic status some bands have, although having been active for just a few years. I guess I would feel different if I was a little bit older and been listening to this stuff when it came out. I began this journey to find out amazing stuff from the early metal years. A lot of people claim "it'll never be as good as back then", but that statement has nothing to do with quality, but more with nostalgia, appreciation for its influence, etc... Sure some amazing music has been made back then, but anyone who keeps stuck in that period, is really missing out.

[joachimt]

Circus Maximus - Isolate

I selected this from some best metal list. No idea what it's doing there. Sounds like something I've heard a million times before.

[joachimt]

Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties

Only four songs into this album but I'm loving it. Great songwriting, hardly any second is wasted. You can't sit still with these songs, especially with ME 262. Very catchy riffs. Typical 70's sound, but still very fresh. I've got two albums from the 80's lined up as well. I wonder how that decade might have influenced their sound. Let's hope they didn't switch the Hammond for a synthesizer.

[joachimt]

Now three songs into Fire of Unknown Origin. The third song, Veteran of the Psychic Wars, didn't ring a bell by title, but I knew the song already. Unfortunately, the Hammond has been switched for a synthesizer. Not enjoying this song. Next song, Sole Survivor, doesn't start nicely as well with an ugly synthesizer. The chorus is boring as hell. I'll finish this album later, but it seems I'm going to stick with Secret Treaties.

This doesn't sound like hardrock to me, or not even rock. It's just 80's pop and to be honest, 80's pop is among my least favorite periods for music.

[bal3x]

Do you prefer this cover?

[joachimt]

Ah, that’s why I knew the song already! I should have figured it out by myself.