[Ingo]

Not that they're sad or somber in their tone, but music that makes you feel insigificant because of how mind-blowing it is. Stuff that shows you that you have no hope of ever creating something so awesome. Makes me wanna cry.

I've been out of the 'head-fi' world for a while due to the drain of everyday life. This is the first time in months that I've sat down with my Grados and had a real listening session with nothing else on my mind. I really had forgotton what it felt like to be overwhelmed by my music.

Anyhow, what did if for me was hearing Nickel Creek's amazing 'Ode To A Butterfly' for the thousandth time. I started it out with the volume at 9 O'clock and ended up at Noon about 8 seconds into the tune. This music (folk/bluegrass instrumentals) is really what I decided to buy above average playback equiptment for. I was fine listening to rock with an personal CD player and KSC-35s, but when it came to Béla Fleck and company I felt a need to reach deeper.

Well, that's it for my rant. Just thought I'd share my little rediscovery.

I'd like to hear your story too.

-Ingo

 

[acidbasement]

Speaking of Nickel Creek and Béla Fleck et al, I'd suggest you try out Chris Thile's solo album "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" - you'll crank it to 11, and I don't mean 11 o'clock.

I'd put many of the guitar interludes/solos by Gamma Ray into the soul-crushing category. They reach the crucial balance between virtuostic showing off and drama, movement, and raw emotion. Makes me want to pump my fist in the air and bang my head, but that would look kind of funny to my office co-workers..

 

[Calexico]

Would this be acoustic stuff then? My teacher in 6th grade was playing Nickel Creek while we were doing something, and I asked him what song just played, but he thought I was talking about a different one, and told me it was Sultans of Swing, which introduced me to Dire Straits instead lol.

 

[Trav]

Ingo i feel your pain regarding the beauty of music...my one and only regret in life is didn't learn to read music...yet music is my one catharsis..that which refreshes my soul.

 

[Calexico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trav /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ingo i feel your pain regarding the beauty of music...my one and only regret in life is didn't learn to read music...yet music is my one catharsis..that which refreshes my soul.

Regret? I'm sure you still have plenty of time.

 

[Brighten]

If you like metal, The Serpent by Still Remains would be a soul crushing intro instrumental.

 

[Azathoth]

off the top of my head:

Al Di Meola - "Race With Devil on Spanish Highway"
Joe Satriani - "Why"
Joe Satriani - "What Breaks A Heart"
Metallica - "The Call of Ktulu" one word: EPIC
Metallica - "Orion" EPIC, pt. 2
Metallica - "To Live Is To Die" EPIC, pt. 3
Yngwie Malmsteen - "Icarus Dream Suite Op. 4"
Death - "Voice of the Soul" This is THE definition of soul-crushing...the guitar solo literally sounds like a soul begging for mercy.
Marty Friedman - "Dragon Mistress"
Iron Maiden - "Transylvania"
Rush - "YYZ"
Electric Wizard - "Master of Alchemy"

 

[nolocus]

Dirty Three
Red Sparowes

 

[VicAjax]

Anything by Fela Kuti.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/fela-thread-388391/

 

[elliot42]

Liquid Tension Experiment is pretty intense.

But what really gets me is the instrumental solo in Blind Faith (at about 8 minutes) climaxing with John Petrucci on guitar, from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater.

EDIT - Actually, I'm listening to LTE right now and I must say that it's making me very happy. You should all see the grin on my face right now. Paradigm Shift really makes me excited, especially the end. And right now, Freedom Of Speech is sounding pretty eargasmic with my detail monsters, the MS2s.

 

[synaesthetic]

Russian Circles

 

[sisenor]

"Whitewash" - Buckethead - Colma
"Sanctum" - Buckethead - Colma
"Scraps" - Buckethead - Giant Robot [NTT]
"For The Love Of God" - Steve Vai - Pasion and Warfare

 

[goober-george]

This guy's talent and synth riffs blows my mind away and crushes my soul.

YouTube - "stay crunchy" - messin with an e-piano sound

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calexico /img/forum/go_quote.gif Would this be acoustic stuff then? My teacher in 6th grade was playing Nickel Creek while we were doing something, and I asked him what song just played, but he thought I was talking about a different one, and told me it was Sultans of Swing, which introduced me to Dire Straits instead lol.

Yeah, Nickel Creek does indeed use mostly acoustic instruments. Sounds like your sixth grade teacher and I would have got along pretty well. I'm listening to my "Brothers In Arms" LP right now.

 

[Calexico]

My favorite instrumental would be by LTE as well. It'd probably be Biaxident.

My favorite instrumental SECTION would probably be the first part of Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding by Elton John, as well as the covered version by Dream Theater. Elton John's has wonderful piano, but I love the percussion and guitar in Dream Theater's version.