Do any of you metalheads have tales from your experience getting into Black, Death and the similar? I certainly don't enjoy it at the time, but I like some Doom, so I don't know, is there a process for getting into this heavier than heavy bands with the agonising singing, fast as hell riffing and drop Q tuning?
Well yes, the vocals are the last thing to get used to. So for many of us the extreme clean vocal bands worked. Even Thrash is easy to listen to compared to the vocals in death or black.
So for me I could relate to the guitar then slowly got use to it all. It is an learned taste like whisky or Opera. Only way to learn is to push yourself even in genres that demand a lot from the listener as they pay back at the end.
Except for progressive metal, I haven't always been payed back from that genre.
Then there is the music that your only 1/2 way on. Still it starts to click after years. That's my opinion. I tried to find the darkest most intense music, then I found music that was more and more aggressive.
It is all very personal and everyone has their sub genres. There is no right or wrong even though it seems like there is.
Well yes, the vocals are the last thing to get used to. So for many of us the extreme clean vocal bands worked. Even Thrash is easy to listen to compared to the vocals in death or black.
So for me I could relate to the guitar then slowly got use to it all. It is an learned taste like whisky or Opera. Only way to learn is to push yourself even in genres that demand a lot from the listener as they pay back at the end.
Except for progressive metal, I haven't always been payed back from that genre.
Then there is the music that your only 1/2 way on. Still it starts to click after years. That's my opinion. I tried to find the darkest most intense music, then I found music that was more and more aggressive.
It is all very personal and everyone has their sub genres. There is no right or wrong even though it seems like there is.
I cannot accept thrash vocals, where i am really comfortable with death. Black vocals are much more meh, but still acceptable. Thrash is far from my ideal vocals, in most bands.
I cannot accept thrash vocals, where i am really comfortable with death. Black vocals are much more meh, but still acceptable. Thrash is far from my ideal vocals, in most bands.
I think it may be just what your used to then? Thrash and the first wave of Black was in early eighties, Death and 2nd wave Black came later.
If I was younger and it was all out there, I don't know. Vocals are the most personal thing, like Dani Filth, his were easy to get used to in 1999, then his voiced changed, I don't know if I would even like them hearing them in 2005?
Do any of you metalheads have tales from your experience getting into Black, Death and the similar? I certainly don't enjoy it at the time, but I like some Doom, so I don't know, is there a process for getting into this heavier than heavy bands with the agonising singing, fast as hell riffing and drop Q tuning?
I came at it around 2003-2005-slowly evolved to including extreme vocals not that I loved the vocal style but I felt there was too much good music out there to exclude harsh vocals. A lot of the more inventive, creative metal included extreme metal.
What I remember was there was more extreme textures of vocals in doom/stoner, etc. For instance YOB, who I love included elements of DM vocals, but also used cleaner vocals. People compared him to an almost Geddy Lee vocal sound. HOF, while not extreme was a much heavier sound in terms of the playing. The ablum Surrounded by Thieves was an important album-much heavier than sleep.
Other albums that made me investigate were:
Electric Wizard-Dopethrone (not extreme but distorted)
Mastodon-Leviathon-the closest they ever got to DM, and a fairly heavy album for them
I started listening to a lot of Neurosis-some of their earlier classics like Through Silver and Blood, Enemy of the Sun and their transitional classic Through Times of Grace have DM like vocals with a hardcore sound. Isis's Panopticon and Oceanic hardcore monotone vocals were a big jump for me.
I just figured bands that included HC style vocals weren't that far removed from considering DM/BM.
I always liked classic prog rock like Floyd and Yes. A good place for a lot of people who like prog is Opeth. If you haven't heard Blackwater Park or Ghost Reveries-that might be a good call. Ghost Reveries was pivotal for me. And, then melodic death metal finally got me into it. After Opeth, I'll bet the number one early melodic DM classic has to be At the Gates-Slaughter of the Soul.
In fact, I would guess Slaughter of the Soul and Blackwater Park have turned more people onto extreme metal who otherwise resisted than just about any other albums. Their kind of mandatory listening for the genre to me.
Dark Tranquility's early classic, The Gallery is almost like Iron Maiden guitars with a little prog and extreme vocals. DT's albums Character and Damage Done are two of my favorite. That style isn't really in vogue these days, though.
Finally, when I wanted to learn about BM, I bought the book Lords of Chaos, and was intrigued from an almost sociological standpoint-an interesting investigation into the rise of Satanism, church burnings and the like in the early 90's in Norway. Bathory, Immortal, Emperor and Gorgoroth IMO are good starting points. Be advised, the production is extremely low fi. And, there is a lot of prog in BM if you like prog at all.
In fact, you could just cut to the chase and listen to Enslaved a favorite for combining black metal with prog.....
About the barrier on vocals, personally they just snuck in on me. I found really honest and beautiful music which happened to have screams on it. Think of them just as an instrument like the others (I don't know how to listen to the actual lyrics. Not in my native language either, worth a mention).
Let's drop some Behemoth in here. A prime example. You guys like it too.
Moose, on the subject of dark and intense music: I've found the darkest stuff usually comes hidden under a lot of silence! Not fast guitars and drums for me.
Do any of you metalheads have tales from your experience getting into Black, Death and the similar? I certainly don't enjoy it at the time, but I like some Doom, so I don't know, is there a process for getting into this heavier than heavy bands with the agonising singing, fast as hell riffing and drop Q tuning?
I came at it around 2003-2005-slowly evolved to including extreme vocals not that I loved the vocal style but I felt there was too much good music out there to exclude harsh vocals. A lot of the more inventive, creative metal included extreme metal.
What I remember was there was more extreme textures of vocals in doom/stoner, etc. For instance YOB, who I love included elements of DM vocals, but also used cleaner vocals. People compared him to an almost Geddy Lee vocal sound. HOF, while not extreme was a much heavier sound in terms of the playing. The ablum Surrounded by Thieves was an important album-much heavier than sleep.
Other albums that made me investigate were:
Electric Wizard-Dopethrone (not extreme but distorted)
Mastodon-Leviathon-the closest they ever got to DM, and a fairly heavy album for them
I started listening to a lot of Neurosis-some of their earlier classics like Through Silver and Blood, Enemy of the Sun and their transitional classic Through Times of Grace have DM like vocals with a hardcore sound. Isis's Panopticon and Oceanic hardcore monotone vocals were a big jump for me.
I just figured bands that included HC style vocals weren't that far removed from considering DM/BM.
I always liked classic prog rock like Floyd and Yes. A good place for a lot of people who like prog is Opeth. If you haven't heard Blackwater Park or Ghost Reveries-that might be a good call. Ghost Reveries was pivotal for me. And, then melodic death metal finally got me into it. After Opeth, I'll bet the number one early melodic DM classic has to be At the Gates-Slaughter of the Soul.
In fact, I would guess Slaughter of the Soul and Blackwater Park have turned more people onto extreme metal who otherwise resisted than just about any other albums. Their kind of mandatory listening for the genre to me.
Dark Tranquility's early classic, The Gallery is almost like Iron Maiden guitars with a little prog and extreme vocals. DT's albums Character and Damage Done are two of my favorite. That style isn't really in vogue these days, though.
Finally, when I wanted to learn about BM, I bought the book Lords of Chaos, and was intrigued from an almost sociological standpoint-an interesting investigation into the rise of Satanism, church burnings and the like in the early 90's in Norway. Bathory, Immortal, Emperor and Gorgoroth IMO are good starting points. Be advised, the production is extremely low fi. And, there is a lot of prog in BM if you like prog at all.
In fact, you could just cut to the chase and listen to Enslaved a favorite for combining black metal with prog.....
I do't know why but I love YOB and Electric Wizard. I mean LOVE, these were life-changing. I listen to a very little amount of metal, it being stoner and doom mostly, since I got tired of Metallica, Megadeth, Maiden, etc.
I remember first time I listened to YOB was Marrow from their last record. It was :eek: holy schiit, this is Doomy Pink Floyd. Electric Wizard is the heaviest stuff I'm into, I really could not dismiss Dopethrone when I heard it the first time last year.
I have listened to Kvelertak, this Norwegian black metal band, and I kinda liked it. The vocals were completely fond of the Black style but the guitars on "Blodtorst" are very "Foo Fightery".
On the topic of Black Metal books, I have some other recommendations, Lords of Chaos is a very entertaining read.
Amazing coffee table book for you Norwegian BM fans: http://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Black-Metal-Johan-Kugelberg/dp/1576874354/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1431786344&sr=8-2&keywords=black+metal+book
A lot of pseudo-academic ******** but also some interesting essays: http://www.amazon.com/Hideous-Gnosis-Black-Theory-Symposium/dp/1450572162/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1431786344&sr=8-5&keywords=black+metal+book
A collection of essays and interviews with people from all over the BM scene: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Metal-Darkness-Louis-Pattison/dp/1907317724/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1431786344&sr=8-12&keywords=black+metal+book
The last one is going for $200?!? I got it for $20 3 years ago, worth it at 20, certainly not worth it at its current price.
Do any of you metalheads have tales from your experience getting into Black, Death and the similar? I certainly don't enjoy it at the time, but I like some Doom, so I don't know, is there a process for getting into this heavier than heavy bands with the agonising singing, fast as hell riffing and drop Q tuning?
I basically just gradually listened to more and more extreme bands. A few of them scared the crap outta me when I first heard them. lol. But you get used to it and learn to love it. I could give you a ton of recommended tracks if you like.
I have listened to Kvelertak, this Norwegian black metal band, and I kinda liked it. The vocals were completely fond of the Black style but the guitars on "Blodtorst" are very "Foo Fightery".
I doubt they'd agree with the BM classification (or any classification) as they're a bit of an amalgamate of genres, but I'd say 'crust' is at least getting closer.
As such they've got more in common with these guys…
Oh, I get around
I've posted here before, but with guys like Red, ferday and markm1 around I don't feel like I've got that much to add, quite frankly.
Good list, a bunch of fond memories. Personally I've been more into the stripped down, heavy/blues/punk strains of metal lately. It seems like the long standing brick wall between black metal and punk/hardcore has more or less crumbled away over the last decade, which is cool.
I've enjoyed the direction the latest few releases from the likes of Darkthrone, Clutch and Audrey Horne has taken.
That is unless I have one of my bouts of misanthropy, then it's straight back into the musty, damp and dark woods of traditional black metal again.
Abigor, Antaeus, Anorexia Nervosa, Aosoth, Averse Sefira, Deathspell Omega, DHG, Lengsel, Leviathan, Limbonic Art, Silencer, Summoning, Xasthur, and Zyklon are all must-hear bands in terms of the more extreme stuff -- and none of them are really "traditional" BM, in my opinion.
Abigor, Antaeus, Anorexia Nervosa, Aosoth, Averse Sefira, Deathspell Omega, DHG, Lengsel, Leviathan, Limbonic Art, Silencer, Summoning, Xasthur, and Zyklon are all must-hear bands in terms of the more extreme stuff -- and none of them are really "traditional" BM, in my opinion.
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