[bavinck]

  Definitely worth checking out the "pretty" bands. Deafheaven, Russian Circles, Ghost Bath, Iliya, anything that can get lumped into post- or -gaze is at least worth a quick look.

Those guys get suck flack from metalheads and I don't get it. They make pretty darn good blackened metal to my ears.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  Those guys get suck flack from metalheads and I don't get it. They make pretty darn good blackened metal to my ears.

I'd put down money it's because their album cover was pink, they use some major keys in their melodies, and they don't have trve kvlt corpse paint and spiked costumes.

 

[Monsterzero]

  I tend to sometimes write off the "prettier" metal albums. I was listening to Kodoma this morning into work. It is a really nice album. I'd throw in Russian Circles and Sylvaine into the mix as well even though Russian Circles isn't really a metal album. But for an instrumental album with heavy rock overtures, Guidance and Memorial (2013) worth checking out. 

Russian Circles:

All instrumental?
Couldnt find any vocals at all,but liked the music.

 

[bavinck]

  I'd put down money it's because their album cover was pink, they use some major keys in their melodies, and they don't have trve kvlt corpse paint and spiked costumes.

Yes, I agree. I think the drawback to metal is the absolutely goofy image most bands try and project. It's just ridiculous - but the music is cool.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Dark Tranquility....didnt really like them too much

 


 
lol. Sorry man, couldn't resist.

 
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Dark_Tranquillity/8
 
Dark Tranquillity is one of the best and most important melodic death metal bands out there. They have a large discography. Please do yourself a favor and kick the habit of judging bands without hearing their material first. (I'm assuming you just skimmed one of their albums.) For your convenience, here are some more DT tracks.
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Whoa there, I know we're all passionate about our favorite bands, but we can't expect someone to force themselves to listen to an entire discography when they don't like what they heard! 
 
I think Dark Tranquility are a fine band, great at what they do. I also know they're not for me, and I'd rather chew through one of my limbs rather than sit through 11 of their albums . . . or look at Trump videos. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Whoa there, I know we're all passionate about our favorite bands, but we can't expect someone to force themselves to listen to an entire discography when they don't like what they heard! 
 
I think Dark Tranquility are a fine band, great at what they do. I also know they're not for me, and I'd rather chew through one of my limbs rather than sit through 11 of their albums . . . or look at Trump videos. 

 
Which is why I provided a handful of tracks in the spoiler.

 

[Fastnbulbous]

  Note that some of them have changed drastically over time, so don't judge anything just from one song or album. It's best to hear entire discographies.
 

 
I'm also taking into account what you said previously. Yeah, it's much more reasonable if someone doesn't like the latest album to recommend a couple key earlier tracks to hear.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I'm also taking into account what you said previously. Yeah, it's much more reasonable if someone doesn't like the latest album to recommend a couple key earlier tracks to hear.

 
I think a good rule of thumb is to try to hear material throughout a band's discography, such as one track from each album. It may be best to hear everything, but that's certainly not practical or necessary.

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Also for monsterzero and others, if you still like to read magazines, Iron Fist offers the best coverage of NWOBHM and classic heavy metal. I switched to reading it digitally on my Kindle Fire via Pocketmags.
 
http://www.ironfistzine.com/
 

 

[bavinck]

   
I think a good rule of thumb is to try to hear material throughout a band's discography, such as one track from each album. It may be best to hear everything, but that's certainly not practical or necessary.

IMO, I like to consider an album as a whole. Over at the prog rock thread I really appreciate that guys will take suggested albums and listen to them a few times all the way through before commenting. I am seeing the opposite approach here, even at times some of you are just "skimming" a song. If you are looking at a 3 minute pop song that will work, but most metal writers are making more complex music than that.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  IMO, I like to consider an album as a whole. Over at the prog rock thread I really appreciate that guys will take suggested albums and listen to them a few times all the way through before commenting. I am seeing the opposite approach here, even at times some of you are just "skimming" a song. If you are looking at a 3 minute pop song that will work, but most metal writers are making more complex music than that.

 
And that's the problem: some people may hear one song or album by a band and decide they don't like the band. For all they know, they might love the band if they had heard songs from all their albums. Any given person is more likely to dislike a band if they assess it from just one song or album than if they were exposed to songs from all their albums. If an album is representative of the band as a whole, that's a different story. It's just that some bands have more diverse material.

 

[Monsterzero]

  Also for monsterzero and others, if you still like to read magazines, Iron Fist offers the best coverage of NWOBHM and classic heavy metal. I switched to reading it digitally on my Kindle Fire via Pocketmags.
 
http://www.ironfistzine.com/
 

Mmmmmmm Doro....Ive had a crush on her for 35 years

Even my son said to me the other day
"Wow shes cute"
"no,shes hot as hell"
"Yep!There are no girls at my school that look like that"


Parenting done right!

 

[Monsterzero]

   
And that's the problem: some people may hear one song or album by a band and decide they don't like the band. For all they know, they might love the band if they had heard songs from all their albums. Any given person is more likely to dislike a band if they assess it from just one song or album than if they were exposed to songs from all their albums. If an album is representative of the band as a whole, that's a different story. It's just that some bands have more diverse material.

I agree my title of Sir SkimAlot doesnt work for the best results 100% of the time.But I dont just listen to one song or one album,I check out a few albums before I move on.

Opeth is one band that originally I did not like after some skimming,but im more prone to not like Prog,which is where the complicated stuff usually comes from.Now I do enjoy Opeth,primarily because they dont do death growl 24/7

EDIT: I dont feel anyone needs to hear the entire discography of Judas Priest(for example) to get an idea of what theyre about...with the exceptions being Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings albums,Parental Guidance era,pretty much Priest is Priest.

 

 

[bavinck]

   
And that's the problem: some people may hear one song or album by a band and decide they don't like the band. For all they know, they might love the band if they had heard songs from all their albums. Any given person is more likely to dislike a band if they assess it from just one song or album than if they were exposed to songs from all their albums. If an album is representative of the band as a whole, that's a different story. It's just that some bands have more diverse material.

I know, we agree. I was writing in support of your argument.