Metal Music Discussion

[Howie]

I particularly dislike the way in which Dimmu Borgir cite the 'Sagoth as one of their favourite bands, whilst taking the pomp and grandeur of their music and turning it into fodder for the pseudo-gothic "MTV black metal" audience (as I rather ignorantly call it)!

Heh, I read a review on a Dimmu Borgir-show in a swedish newspapers website yesterday, which they called it "child-friendly metal". Sweden wins, once again.

[Soeru]

I would suggest that that's why, then!

I don't mind Turisas, but I tend to see them as one of the many bands who've taken elements of 'Sagoth and used them to create music that is ultimately more accessible. It's all fair enough, but these bands don't have the same appeal, for me. They certainly lack the imagination of mr. Roberts, at any rate.

I particularly dislike the way in which Dimmu Borgir cite the 'Sagoth as one of their favourite bands, whilst taking the pomp and grandeur of their music and turning it into fodder for the pseudo-gothic "MTV black metal" audience (as I rather ignorantly call it)!

Of course, there will be Dimmu fans here who'll say I'm talking nonsense, but there was something about the more recent stuff (Death Cult Armageddon in particular) that smacked of a watering-down and "gothing"-up of the unashamedly overblown Bal-Sagoth sound.

Agreed. Borgir are just watered down commercial friendly "black metal". Don't even get me started on Cradle of Filth, they don't even deserve the title of black metal.

I really dislike how most people(including some metalheads) associate the entire metal scene with gothic make-up wearing/hair color dyed clowns. Whatever happened to the denim, leather, motorcycle-loving metalhead? I'm not saying metal bands should have any image whatsoever, that would be too played out and studioed-up. But the fact is that metal DOES have an image, but it's not this, it's more like this. Well at least that's the stereotype that I'd like people to associate with metal, not some goofs with makeup.

Oh yeah, can't beat this.

[Megalith]

I don't like Bal-Sagoth at all. I listened to Power Cosmic (supposably their best album), but found it pretty generic. I don't understand why people praise them all that much.

Megalith, that's pretty cool. How long have you been playing? What kind of finger speed do you mean? If it's your picking hand(right if you're a righty), have you tried tremolo(fast) picking(think death metal)? It's confusing how to do it right and efficiently(so it's not tiring) at first, but when you get it down you'll be trem picking fast as hell with easy consistency.

To improve your other hand, scales help a lot. Think of Zakk Wylde, that's the first kind of soloing/scales you'll be practicing. Just take some time to mindlessly practice them, preferably with a metronome and make sure you start off slow and clean. Then pick up the pace but make sure it stays clean.

Starting out with an acoustic is a very smart idea. I played acoustic for a year then electrics were easy as hell to play(I had to get used to playing on foot though).

With your skill level you should tackle these songs:
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter.
Megadeth - Tornado of Souls.
Slayer - Mandatory Suicide, Angel of Death.
Death - Crystal Mountain(might be a little hard now but it's not complex really).

I think this is my 7th month playing guitar. I got my guitar around late February, and started practicing in April with simple scales, chords and the rest of that shit.

I can tremolo with my right arm averagely. I can gain good speed with it, but I'm bound to screw up like once every five seconds in a tremolo. And I don't know why, but I can't tremolo as good on the last three strings (GBE). So I'm gonna work a bit on that and sweeps as well. Know any good excercise to practice?

I've been practicing lotsa scales these days, mostly off tabs I got from MSB's excercises section. Everybody told me when I was starting that scales help the most, but I was ignorant enough to neglect that suggestion. I can hit a few solos now. Fade to Black's opening solo (which is pretty easy) and some parts of the outro solo (the scale parts to be specific, the note emphasizing parts are not sounding good) plus a bunch of others from easier Metallica songs.

Oh yeah, I plan to get an electric around July of next year (my graduation). I haven't picked the equipment I'm buying yet, but I have my eye on a Gibson Kelly, B.C Rich Warlock (Bronze Edition) or a Squier Stratocaster. I haven't made my mind, but I'm not too sure about the last, since I'm gonna want a metal guitar, and the Stratocaster certainly is not, and the Warlock gets alot of heat from critics. But whatever, I still have a lot of time to research.

Tornado of Souls is not too hard? Great. Off to get the tab. Oh, I can play Angel of Death. A little slopp-ish, but I can nail it if I practice it enough. The opening and third riff is pretty easy, but I usually screw the second one when playing the whole thing.

[Stoned Stoner]

You guys should listen to some "8 foot sativa"

real good metal

download a few tracks off whatever file-sharing you guys use,see what you think

[Howie]

You guys should listen to some "8 foot sativa"

real good metal

download a few tracks off whatever file-sharing you guys use,see what you think

I listened to Season For Assault long ago, and I wasn't too impressed so I deleted it.

[Lag]

Well, stoned_stoner DOES have Cypress Hill logo in his avy I would expect 8 foot saliva is rap metal or something I didn't bother getting some '8 Foot Saliva'.

[Howie]

Metal Archives calls it "Mallcore", which I perfectly agree with.

[Klatrymadon]

There are a thousand criticisms one could possibly level at Bal-Sagoth, but "generic" certainly isn't one of them! Oh well, horses for courses! They don't sound like any other band on the planet, and their imitators fall flat on their faces with every offering.

My favourite albums of theirs are Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule and Battle Magic.

BLODU OK JARNA!

[Soeru]

I can tremolo with my right arm averagely. I can gain good speed with it, but I'm bound to screw up like once every five seconds in a tremolo. And I don't know why, but I can't tremolo as good on the last three strings (GBE). So I'm gonna work a bit on that and sweeps as well. Know any good excercise to practice?

I've been practicing lotsa scales these days, mostly off tabs I got from MSB's excercises section. Everybody told me when I was starting that scales help the most, but I was ignorant enough to neglect that suggestion. I can hit a few solos now. Fade to Black's opening solo (which is pretty easy) and some parts of the outro solo (the scale parts to be specific, the note emphasizing parts are not sounding good) plus a bunch of others from easier Metallica songs.

Oh yeah, I plan to get an electric around July of next year (my graduation). I haven't picked the equipment I'm buying yet, but I have my eye on a Gibson Kelly, B.C Rich Warlock (Bronze Edition) or a Squier Stratocaster. I haven't made my mind, but I'm not too sure about the last, since I'm gonna want a metal guitar, and the Stratocaster certainly is not, and the Warlock gets alot of heat from critics. But whatever, I still have a lot of time to research.

Yeah, the reason it's harder to trem pick the higher strings(GBE) is due to lack of tension, since they are thinner. More string tension = faster snap-back, allowing you to pick faster and cleaner. Get higher guage strings if you feel they are flimsy. Really high guage strings will hurt somewhat at first, but after you get used to them you'll have a lot of strength in your fingers, and youll be ready to shred the shit out of any guitar with lower guage strings! :p

Definately DO NOT get a Squier Strat or a BCR(any Bronze model. More expensive ones are ok but still requier a few adjustments). Those guitars are expensive firewood, really. So many of them are defective... build quality is very low, they're not very playable, and sound bad. How much do you want to spend on the guitar alone? If you want something awesome for a begginer I suggest aiming above $200(BCR Bronze costs $150, so bleh). I can reccomend a lot of really good ones if you're interested, ebay is really good because you can get new or like new guitars for even less than half the regular new retail price. I can also tell you about amps and stuff and reccomend a few. Let me know and I'll elaborate.

Also a very good idea is to try a lot of the ones in your price range at a store, to give you an idea of the feel you like and then research online and buy the same guitar used or something.

Gibson Kelly? Lol... I think you mean a Jackson Kelly, like mine. I have a Jackson JS30 Kelly, looks like a Gibson or ESP Explorer but curvier. Cost me $300 new(like 220 pounds?) but I should've gotten it used. Oh well. Other Jackson JS30 models: plain ol' V, Rhandy Rhoads V, Dinky(strat) with a whammy bar bridge, and Warrior(think Necrophagist or Chuck Schuldiner style guitar).

"JS30" just means the line of same builder guitars. Js30 being the lowest and most affordable(and yet still kicks ass, but the pickups aren't as good as in higher quality lines like JS35, KVX, and the most expensive which are handmade in the US: USA Jackson guitars). In the base of BC Rich it would be like this> Bronze series, Platinum Series, Platinum Pro series, NJ series(which are mostly handmade), and fully handmade customs.

I've been trying to find a BCR Ironbird(think of Trey Azagthoth's "Insta Gib", exact same guitar) for a 2nd guitar, just something cheap as hell because I need to use a lot of different tunings, but they're hard to find, I might bid on one I saw on ebay, but I'm probably going to have to replace the crappy whammy bar bridge it has with a better one.

Fender strats are great, man, as long as it's a real Fender and not a knock off. The dude from Obituary uses them... so does one of the guys from Nile sometimes, and it's Yngwie Malmsteen's guitar of choice. So it can definately be a "metal" guitar.

I do think Ibanez strats look more "metal" and play way better than Fenders though. Also the whammy bar-equipped guitars... Ibanez makes them way better and more stable. John Petrucci and Steve Vai anyone? Trey Azagthoth of MA also uses them a lot, and Behemoth use Ibanez 7-strings for the songs on Zos Kia Cultus.

[Megalith]

Yeah, the reason it's harder to trem pick the higher strings(GBE) is due to lack of tension, since they are thinner. More string tension = faster snap-back, allowing you to pick faster and cleaner. Get higher guage strings if you feel they are flimsy. Really high guage strings will hurt somewhat at first, but after you get used to them you'll have a lot of strength in your fingers, and youll be ready to shred the shit out of any guitar with lower guage strings! :p

Definately DO NOT get a Squier Strat or a BCR(any Bronze model. More expensive ones are ok but still requier a few adjustments). Those guitars are expensive firewood, really. So many of them are defective... build quality is very low, they're not very playable, and sound bad. How much do you want to spend on the guitar alone? If you want something awesome for a begginer I suggest aiming above $200(BCR Bronze costs $150, so bleh). I can reccomend a lot of really good ones if you're interested, ebay is really good because you can get new or like new guitars for even less than half the regular new retail price. I can also tell you about amps and stuff and reccomend a few. Let me know and I'll elaborate.

Also a very good idea is to try a lot of the ones in your price range at a store, to give you an idea of the feel you like and then research online and buy the same guitar used or something.

Gibson Kelly? Lol... I think you mean a Jackson Kelly, like mine. I have a Jackson JS30 Kelly, looks like a Gibson or ESP Explorer but curvier. Cost me $300 new(like 220 pounds?) but I should've gotten it used. Oh well. Other Jackson JS30 models: plain ol' V, Rhandy Rhoads V, Dinky(strat) with a whammy bar bridge, and Warrior(think Necrophagist or Chuck Schuldiner style guitar).

"JS30" just means the line of same builder guitars. Js30 being the lowest and most affordable(and yet still kicks ass, but the pickups aren't as good as in higher quality lines like JS35, KVX, and the most expensive which are handmade in the US: USA Jackson guitars). In the base of BC Rich it would be like this> Bronze series, Platinum Series, Platinum Pro series, NJ series(which are mostly handmade), and fully handmade customs.

I've been trying to find a BCR Ironbird(think of Trey Azagthoth's "Insta Gib", exact same guitar) for a 2nd guitar, just something cheap as hell because I need to use a lot of different tunings, but they're hard to find, I might bid on one I saw on ebay, but I'm probably going to have to replace the crappy whammy bar bridge it has with a better one.

Fender strats are great, man, as long as it's a real Fender and not a knock off. The dude from Obituary uses them... so does one of the guys from Nile sometimes, and it's Yngwie Malmsteen's guitar of choice. So it can definately be a "metal" guitar.

I do think Ibanez strats look more "metal" and play way better than Fenders though. Also the whammy bar-equipped guitars... Ibanez makes them way better and more stable. John Petrucci and Steve Vai anyone? Trey Azagthoth of MA also uses them a lot, and Behemoth use Ibanez 7-strings for the songs on Zos Kia Cultus.

Yeah, I meant the Jackson Kelly. Don't know what I was thinking when I typed that. Please do elaborate more on this, Soeru. My price range is around 360$ for the guitar alone.

I have another question about amps and shit. So now, most amplifiers have only two modes, right? Overdrive and clean. To get distortion, I have to hook the guitar to an effects/ditortion pedal, and hook the pedal to the amp? Or is there something I'm missing here..? My price range for amps and distortion is around 150$ for both. I'd appreciate it if you could help me here as well.

[Stoned Stoner]

8 foot sativa isnt rap/metal man,and cypress hill owns all your BS death metal

get a haircut boyyyyyyyyy

[Megalith]

Wow. To come and say that in the metal thread of all places, you must be stupid. Take the first exit, mate.

[Howie]

8 foot sativa isnt rap/metal man,and cypress hill owns all your BS death metal

get a haircut boyyyyyyyyy

Get out. Now. You don't belong here.

[Stoned Stoner]

haha,na i like metal,just not shit where they have no skillz and dress like vampires,
altho COF is cool but they got skillz

been listening to archetype by fear factory,some of there tracks are badass,there older stuff rules to

[Stoned Stoner]

also fuck you i dont have to go anywhere,nor do i have to belong


go put on your black nail polish boyyyyyyy