What heavy metal are you listening to? (and what can you recommend)

[Indrid Cold]

I am and always have been stuck in the 80's, 90's, early 2000's metal scene and keep saying I haven't found anything modern worth listening to. Change my mind. (Archspire seems cool though)...

As for the first part of the post, I have been listening to a lot of Alchemist, Coroner, Holocaust and Trouble.

Fellow metal heads unite....

Click to read more...

 

[flyersnorth]

I grew up listening to 80s/90s/2000s metal too, but around mid-90s, really branched off into progressive metal.

With that in mind, I can recommend a few more recent prog metal-ish bands I listen to.

Circles - The Last One

VOLA - Witness

Evergrey - The Atlantic / Escape of the Phoenix / A Heartless Portrait (those are the three newest releases though the band has been around for about 20 years)

Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds, Part I / War of the Worlds, Part II

Shokran - Exodus

Animals As Leaders - Any release, really... for some angular instrumental wizardry

I'm generally not a fan of growls / death vocals so these are all clean vocals for the most part, if that matters.

Happy listening!

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I am and always have been stuck in the 80's, 90's, early 2000's metal scene and keep saying I haven't found anything modern worth listening to. Change my mind. (Archspire seems cool though)...

As for the first part of the post, I have been listening to a lot of Alchemist, Coroner, Holocaust and Trouble.

Fellow metal heads unite....

I listen to a lot of stuff, and I too find it hard to find interesting recent metal albums. I tend to enjoy a lot more what's "barely metal". You might find some pleasure in these:

Trap Metal (I love scarlxrd):


This is considered Nu Metal, which I normally really dislike, but the Indian-flavored rythms are really fun (don't drop it at the first rap vocal, you need to listen to at least 1:45, and maybe try some of their other songs, like Machi Bhasad and Gaddaar):


And kind of linked to that, and a good fix (that you surely already know) when I miss the older stuff:


And if you don't mind more experimental stuff, go for Igorrr (his work goes in all directions, but metal is a strong influence):

 

[#37]

Steel Panther.

Reasons: Killer riffs, contriversial, and would piss off your parents. Probably all the reasons you started listening to Metal to begin with? If not, probably not the band for you.

Warning: If your personality heavily revolves around proudly telling everyone you vote 'progressive', let me save you the trouble, this is not the band for you. Just move along.

Mark Parrish, "Satchel", is easily my favorite guitarist of the 21st century.

A few bangers that make me laugh when I listen to them. YMMV.

Spoiler: NSFW

Spoiler: NSFW

Spoiler: NSFW

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Steel Panther.

Reasons: Killer riffs, contriversial, and would piss off your parents. Probably all the reasons you started listening to Metal to begin with? If not, probably not the band for you.

Warning: If your personality heavily revolves around proudly telling everyone you vote 'progressive', let me save you the trouble, this is not the band for you. Just move along.

Mark Parrish, "Satchel", is easily my favorite guitarist of the 21st century.

A few bangers that make me laugh when I listen to them. YMMV.

Spoiler: NSFW

Spoiler: NSFW

Spoiler: NSFW

Oh man, thanks, I needed the laugh. The attempt at shock value is so pathetic that it's absolutely hilarious. If someone else wants to have a laugh, go listen to "Friends with benefits" from their latest album, it's all edgy and misogynistic and juvenile, you can just see the kids going "hihihi, he did say it, hihihi".

But seriously, I get it that it's meant to be funny, but the only thing funny is that grown adults actually thought this crap was cool. Oh, the music is trash too, if you want to listen to glam metal pastiche, The Darkness is a much better option, without the dumb.

 

[#37]

Oh man, thanks, I needed the laugh. The attempt at shock value is so pathetic that it's absolutely hilarious. If someone else wants to have a laugh, go listen to "Friends with benefits" from their latest album, it's all edgy and misogynistic and juvenile, you can just see the kids going "hihihi, he did say it, hihihi".

But seriously, I get it that it's meant to be funny, but the only thing funny is that grown adults actually thought this crap was cool. Oh, the music is trash too, if you want to listen to glam metal pastiche, The Darkness is a much better option, without the dumb.

So, not the band for you. Got it.

 

[Indrid Cold]

I grew up listening to 80s/90s/2000s metal too, but around mid-90s, really branched off into progressive metal.

With that in mind, I can recommend a few more recent prog metal-ish bands I listen to.

Circles - The Last One

VOLA - Witness

Evergrey - The Atlantic / Escape of the Phoenix / A Heartless Portrait (those are the three newest releases though the band has been around for about 20 years)

Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds, Part I / War of the Worlds, Part II

Shokran - Exodus

Animals As Leaders - Any release, really... for some angular instrumental wizardry

I'm generally not a fan of growls / death vocals so these are all clean vocals for the most part, if that matters.

Happy listening!

Animals as Leaders is amazing stuff, and it's as taxing a listen as any death metal release. I'd recommend listening to Russian Circles if you like the instrumental stuff like I do.

Screen shotted your post and will have a listen. Thanks for the list. Also, check out Alchemist if you haven't. My favorite Prog metal band after Fates Warning.

 

[flyersnorth]

Animals as Leaders is amazing stuff, and it's as taxing a listen as any death metal release. I'd recommend listening to Russian Circles if you like the instrumental stuff like I do.

Screen shotted your post and will have a listen. Thanks for the list. Also, check out Alchemist if you haven't. My favorite Prog metal band after Fates Warning.

Yeah, Tosin Abasi is just a ridiculous guitarist. His style is instantly recognizable.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've never heard Russian Circles so I'll check them out. I feel like I've heard Alchemist maybe on my prog metal playlist but it changes so often I often don't take stock of what's playing - I'll check them out too.

I was a huge Fates Warning fan back in the day - started with Awaken the Guardian, and I was hooked. Followed closely until about A Pleasant Shade of Grey, and now check in on them every once in a while to listen to new stuff. I enjoyed Theories of Flight, haven't heard anything since then.

 

[Indrid Cold]

Yeah, Tosin Abasi is just a ridiculous guitarist. His style is instantly recognizable.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've never heard Russian Circles so I'll check them out. I feel like I've heard Alchemist maybe on my prog metal playlist but it changes so often I often don't take stock of what's playing - I'll check them out too.

I was a huge Fates Warning fan back in the day - started with Awaken the Guardian, and I was hooked. Followed closely until about A Pleasant Shade of Grey, and now check in on them every once in a while to listen to new stuff. I enjoyed Theories of Flight, haven't heard anything since then.

Kong is another great instrumental band. They blend metal with house music.

'Animals' is such a tough listen. They exhaust me more than Cannibal Corpse does. I dont know why, lol. Abasi is on a rocket ship to the top of any best guitarist of all time list.

I like Perfect Symmetry and Parallels best. No Exit would probably be third on my list. Do you listen to Riverside?

 

[DaaaaB's]

So, not the band for you. Got it.

I'd say they're not the band for anyone who likes good heavy metal and that has nothing to do with politics. They just aren't good.

 

[Ozz]

If you like Archspire, I recommend Inferi

 

[flyersnorth]

Kong is another great instrumental band. They blend metal with house music.

'Animals' is such a tough listen. They exhaust me more than Cannibal Corpse does. I dont know why, lol. Abasi is on a rocket ship to the top of any best guitarist of all time list.

I like Perfect Symmetry and Parallels best. No Exit would probably be third on my list. Do you listen to Riverside?

I feel the same about Animals as Leaders. I have to be in the mood. They are heavily atonal and it's hard to find the harmonic center to grab onto.

Love Parallels! Probably my fave FW release.

I went through a big Riverside phase. From Out of Myself up to Shrine of New Generation Slaves. I've heard singles here and there from new releases, and just haven't enjoyed them as much.

Do you listen to Leprous? Their releases range from prog metal with some death growls on the earliest release (Tall Poppy Syndrome) to some kind of poppy atmospheric math prog rock on the newest stuff. I love everything up to Malina, and then kinda moved away from them. Definitely a talented bunch of guys. If you've never heard them, I recommend starting with The Congregation.

The band Skyharbor is also pretty solid. As is Voices From the Fuselage.

BTW, listening to Kong right now... really digging it.

 

[Hivemind]

I have been listening to a lot of Alchemist, Coroner, Holocaust and Trouble

In response to the Trouble, specifically- I've been digging a lot of Bottomless recently (their 2021 release is better than their 2023)

 

[beowulf]

A variety of Thrash, Prog, industrial and other smaller subgenres.

Tool, Metallica, Megadeth, Devin Townsend, Animals as Leaders, Tesseract, Manowar, Disturbed, Iron Maiden, Kyuss, Mastodon, Opeth, Symphony X, Woods of Ypres, etc etc

 

[izlez]

Not sure this will be up your alley, but it's my favorite band right now and certainly modern.

 

[Indrid Cold]

I feel the same about Animals as Leaders. I have to be in the mood. They are heavily atonal and it's hard to find the harmonic center to grab onto.

Love Parallels! Probably my fave FW release.

I went through a big Riverside phase. From Out of Myself up to Shrine of New Generation Slaves. I've heard singles here and there from new releases, and just haven't enjoyed them as much.

Do you listen to Leprous? Their releases range from prog metal with some death growls on the earliest release (Tall Poppy Syndrome) to some kind of poppy atmospheric math prog rock on the newest stuff. I love everything up to Malina, and then kinda moved away from them. Definitely a talented bunch of guys. If you've never heard them, I recommend starting with The Congregation.

The band Skyharbor is also pretty solid. As is Voices From the Fuselage.

BTW, listening to Kong right now... really digging it.

Have you ever heard Spiral Architect? Talk about hardcore prog. It makes your head spin.

I just downloaded that Leprous album you recommended and will give it a spin this weekend.

Earminded and Push Comes To Shove are great Kong albums, but then they got a little too electronic. Traders Of Truth, the latest is back to being metal again. I like this trend, Prong's new album is back to their thrash roots. Hopefully more established bands go back to what worked for them.

A variety of Thrash, Prog, industrial and other smaller subgenres.

Tool, Metallica, Megadeth, Devin Townsend, Animals as Leaders, Tesseract, Manowar, Disturbed, Iron Maiden, Kyuss, Mastodon, Opeth, Symphony X, Woods of Ypres, etc etc

Anything Devon Townsend, especially SYL is good in my book.

 

[Cas]

I listen to tons of stuff, including lots and lots of new stuff, and I've been generally seeking more "interesting" stuff. These days I'm more in the trad, doom, and black realms.

I have top tens I made for a poll for each of the last three years. I would make several changes were I to vote again now on these, but the original list is here (the "Alsos" are more what I'd like to include now, asterisks mark things I'd now drop, though nothing has dropped below what I enjoy and consider good):

2022
1. Autonoesis - Moon of Foul Magics
2. Vital Spirit - Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind
3. Sonja - Loud Arriver
4. The Otolith - Fomium Limina
5. Spell - Tragic Magic
6. Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture
7. Nechochwen - Kanawha Black
8. Gaerea - Mirage
9. Au-Dessus - Mend
10. Nostalghia - Au milieu de l'hiver
Also: Messa - Close; Sisyphean - Colours of Faith; Blud aus Nord - Disharmonium; Sumerlands - Dreamkiller; White Ward - False Light; Bran - Odcházenî; Negative Plane - The Pact

2021
1. Panopticon - …And Again Into the Light
2. Dvne - Etemen Ænka
3. Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst*
4. Haunt - Beautiful Distraction*
5. Khemmis - Deceiver*
6. Thy Catafalque - Vadak
7. Noltem - Illusions in the Wake
8. Imperialist - Zenith
9. Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial Arcana
10. The Ruins of Beverast - The Thule Grimoires
Also: Eternity's End - Embers of War; Lamp of Murmuur -Submission and Slavery; Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

2020
1. Wayfarer – A Romance with Violence
2. Lord Vigo – Danse de Noir
3. Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still
4. Hellripper – The Affair of the Poisons
5. Briton Rites – Occulte Fantastique
6. Spectral Lore & Mare Cogitum – Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine*
7. Haunt – Flashback
8. Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron*
9. The Spirit Cabinet – Bloodlines*
10. My Dying Bride – The Ghost of Orion*
Also: Pallbearer - Forgotten Days; Lamp of Murmuur - Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism; Ôros Kaù - Imperii Templum Aries; Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi; Spirit Possession - Spirit Possession; Havukruunu - Uinous syömein sota; Schizophrenia - Voices

To get a start on my 2023 list:

Odz Manouk - Tzurr
Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
Ôros Kaù - Thanatos
Smoulder - Violent Creed of Vengeance
Spirit Possession - On the Sign...
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse
Inherits the Void - The Impending Fall of the Stars
Ahab - The Coral Tombs
Lamp of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstream
Nostalghia - The Last Path
Wayfarer - American Gothic

That's probably my top eleven right now. #1 is almost certainly going to be PetroDragonic Apocalypse.

...

I'm sure I could say a fair amount about each of these, but for the moment I'll confine myself to my #1's:

A Romance with Violence - A mix of black metal, spaghetti western score, and American folk atmosphere, that I just found very innovative and interesting.

...And Again Into the Light - Another folk/black metal crossover with atmosphere, just crushes.

Moon of Foul Magics - Seems like a bedroom black metal project, except one that is ludicrously fast black metal mixed with melodic thrash with progressive elements.

PetroDragonic Apocalypse - Progressive stoner thrash, kind of like of Tool and Motorhead made an album together.

 

[Hippasus]

Just lately:

Prong: Primitive Origins is crusty thrash from 1987. It's about 17 min. Toxic Holocaust (more thrash)
Rippikoulu, Thergothon (doomy death metal)
Graveland (symphonic black metal)
Mortician (brutal death metal, a little bit grindcore-like)
Demoncy (black metal)
Massacra (death thrash)

Gonna listen to Sacramentum (progressive black metal--similar to Dissection but more progressive).

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Between the Buried and Me. just start at Alaska and just go through the discography

 

[S E P H]

Screen shotted your post and will have a listen. Thanks for the list. Also, check out Alchemist if you haven't. My favorite Prog metal band after Fates Warning.

Riverside, especially ADHD (Anno Domini High Definition).


Also, anything Devin Townsend as he is probably my favourite musician atm. He has an album that would appease anyone, but I recommend Ocean Machine: Biomech and Transcendence as the first albums and then work from there (preferably to Ziltoid).

Between the Buried and Me. just start at Alaska and just go through the discography

Colours II is a masterpiece, probably my favourite album by them and it came out in 2021.

Tosin Abasi

I personally believe he is the best guitarist alive and it isn't close.

 

[norrisnick]

I caught them after they broke up but Isis is phenomenal. As is Neurosis (they've been around forever though), but they also sadly are likely done. They're in the progressive/post-metal vein. Big into repetition and just adding layer on top of layer on top of layer as the song builds.

 

[Indrid Cold]

Between the Buried and Me. just start at Alaska and just go through the discography

I listen to Glass Casket, a few of the same members I believe.

Riverside, especially ADHD (Anno Domini High Definition).


Also, anything Devin Townsend as he is probably my favourite musician atm. He has an album that would appease anyone, but I recommend Ocean Machine: Biomech and Transcendence as the first albums and then work from there (preferably to Ziltoid).



Colours II is a masterpiece, probably my favourite album by them and it came out in 2021.

I personally believe he is the best guitarist alive and it isn't close.

I love Riverside, and ADHD is my favorite album from them. Their most metallic for sure.

 

[Indrid Cold]

I caught them after they broke up but Isis is phenomenal. As is Neurosis (they've been around forever though), but they also sadly are likely done. They're in the progressive/post-metal vein. Big into repetition and just adding layer on top of layer on top of layer as the song builds.

Man, I could not get into Isis. The vocals ruin it for me. I do like Neurosis. I am probably in the minority as I prefer Times Of Grace. I bet you like Meshuggah, as I do.

I feel the same about Animals as Leaders. I have to be in the mood. They are heavily atonal and it's hard to find the harmonic center to grab onto.

Love Parallels! Probably my fave FW release.

I went through a big Riverside phase. From Out of Myself up to Shrine of New Generation Slaves. I've heard singles here and there from new releases, and just haven't enjoyed them as much.

Do you listen to Leprous? Their releases range from prog metal with some death growls on the earliest release (Tall Poppy Syndrome) to some kind of poppy atmospheric math prog rock on the newest stuff. I love everything up to Malina, and then kinda moved away from them. Definitely a talented bunch of guys. If you've never heard them, I recommend starting with The Congregation.

The band Skyharbor is also pretty solid. As is Voices From the Fuselage.

BTW, listening to Kong right now... really digging it.

I gave a quick listen to Leprous, and I REALLY like them. Just when you think you can't find anything different in Prog metal. I will take a deep dive this holiday week.

 

[93gilmour93]

Kataklysm, Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir are the bands I’ve been listening to the most lately

 

[Nemesis Prime]

I'm in the same boat. Most modern metal lacks good song writing, and instead favours a technical, riff salad approach. I think Wage War is one of the few modern bands I like. Trivium is definitely in that 2000s group of bands, but some of their recent releases (The Sin And The Sentence, What The Dead Men Say, In The Court of the Dragon) have been stellar if you haven't checked 'em out