What Music Are You Listening To?

[Werthead]

New Dawn Fades, a Joy Division classic performed by their later incarnation, NewOrder, with Billy Corgan (Pumpkins) and John Fruiscante (Chili Peppers) guesting on guitars and mixed live by Moby.

 

Awesome.

[Alys Kinch]

*laughs* glad to know that slipknot and others of their ilk are alternative.

[the dude]

i don't think that alternative as a genre really exists anymore; that was a '90's phenomenon that got broken up into a lot of sub-divisions.

 

alys, lil sis, you know i got your back and all. but as your big brother, and a fan of music, i feel it is my duty to state my firm opinion about slipknot.

 

unfortunately, the pg-13 rating of this site does not allow me to fully explore my feelings on this issue. i will say it in simple, unadorned terms (something i usually have a hard time with). the only adornments i can add to the following statement would all be 4-letter words.

 

slipknot is not a good band. they do not make good music. and they do not have a good gimmick.

 

had to say it. sorry. :oops:

 

but you still like me, right? :(

[Werthead]

'Alternate' is also pretty much a US invention. No other country makes much of a difference between 'alternative' and 'rock', especially as many of the 'alternative' bands like REM, U2 etc are far closer to traditional rock like the Stones, the Who, Hendrix, Led Zep and the Beatles than the bands that are listed as 'rock' (basically Metal or American Punk).

 

Personally I hate trying to define subgenres as it's all in the eye of the beholder. Yes, obviously Rock, Classical, Country, Reggae and Hip-Hop are different genres (although the lines between them are blurring, especially between Rock and Hip-Hop and between Rock and Country), but arguing if a band are Industrial or Goth is a waste of time IMO.

[Alys Kinch]

well, yeah, but i have the feeling that he is trying to say that i listen to stuff lighter than rem which is itself a good bit too light for me to listen to unless it is a very extremely rare occassion.

[Ishydin]

actually alys, quite the opposite, i was implying that you tend to like nu-metal and post-grunge (bands like nickelback, staind, godsmck, korn, etc). Which is fairly accurate, no? I said "alternative rock" becuase that's what the radiostation in my area that plays that sort of music calls itself.

 

At any rate, I apologize for my previous comment. You'll like whatever music you like, and as long as it keeps you happy then that's all that really matters. The way I see it, this thread should be a place for people to go and discover new bands that they haven't heard before, not a place for elitist bastards like me to critisize others' taste. So again, I apologize (although I sincerely hope you check out the bands I, I too once liked the music you do so it's not too far a stretch).

[the dude]

yeah, hope i didn't come off as some kind of opinion police here, ishydin.

 

when i think alternative, i think bands like collective soul, smashing pumpkins, i mother earth, um, let's see, oh, you know what i mean. the pumpkins were one of alternative's flagships, so to speak, and there were tons of bands out there that sounded very much like them.

 

alternative was mostly just a marketing mechanism. alternative to what, exactly? in the end, all the money went to the same place, but the people who listened to it could feel that they weren't buying completely into pre-fab mainstream stuff. unfortunately, they often were buying into exactly that.

 

when that horse had been ridden into the ground, record companies picked back up the ol' pop/dance, and rap was really hitting it's mainstream boom. alternative was really just the '90's incarnation of rock, with a spin on it to make kids think it was something totally new.

[I Love Semirhage]

Bit of a misleading term really, I'd say the most alternative sounding band of all is Pink Floyd, yet they're global megastars, so they can't be that alternative.

 

Fair enough though, Stravinsky's Rite Of Spring is unbelievably good.

 

I didn't used to like Slipknot, but going to Metal clubs religiously twice a week has had the effect that I've grown rather fond of Duality, and I always liked Wait & Bleed. Put it this way, Adrian Smith defended Wait & Bleed, so I won't hear a word said against it. As for their gimmick, they became huge overnight, and instantly the most contraversial thing around for a generation of school children. So I'd say that actually the gimmick worked quite well. I love the fact that everyone slated them at first, saying it was just noise and theatrics, yet now, 3 albums later, they're taken very seriously, Corey Taylor and Joey Jordison are major features in Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, sure they have masks on, but they talk normally, and everything they say makes perfect sense. Also both Slipknot guitarists are now rather widely respected for a couple of downpicked riffs on the 3rd album I think, and everyone knows Joey Jordison is one of the best drummers alive today. After all, he did play a phenomenal solo when held upside down 30 feet up in the air, not sure if I could do that.

 

If we're onto small unknown bands, check out Primitaii (Heavy Metal, but with amazing shred solos and a strong underlying groove, look for 'Death Hammer,' 'The Destroyers,' 'Rockin Hell' and 'The Piper'), they're based in Sandhurst, Berkshire, I saw them playing at my local pub a few months ago, got the album, it ranks alongside Metallica. Signify (Coldplay-ish indie pop, 'Where The Ice Is Thin' and 'Please' were their best songs) were good when they were around, but they only made one 4-track EP and then split up. The Red Dawn (Epic Victorious Thunder Metal somewhat akin to Gamma Ray, but with pirate bits, look for 'Stigmata,' 'Angels With Golden Wings,' 'Russian Roulette' and of course 'Chaos On The Restless Seas') album Death Or Glory is out now, I can't recommend that enough, one of the best CDs I've ever heard. And on a slightly larger scale, a Danish band called Mercenary (Power Metal meets Thrash, in spectacular fashion, while '11 Dreams,' 'Falling' and 'Times Without Changes' are good, the standout track is certainly 'Firesoul') I saw supporting King Diamond were shockingly good, their album is always on in the car. Oh, and there's SR-71 as well, I always forget them (American Punk in the vein of Sum 41, but better, and with more variety. Look for 'Right Now,' 'She Was Dead,' 'Tomorrow' and 'Goodbye').

 

Right, I'm off to bash some drums and then write more of my Pirate song.

 

Cradle Of Filth: The Twisted Nails Of Faith.

 

ILS

[Alys Kinch]

see, i agree with the dude on the definition of alternative. even so nickleback is the lighter end of what i like, godsmack is....o.k. i do like staind, but i have always liked them. hate coldplay. and what is wrong with grunge? sevendust? some of the stuff i listen to would get an "alternative" station shut down. thusly, i rarely post that kind of thing here.

 

i am not fond of slipknot's gimmick, but i like the music. most of the stuff on subliminal verses 3.

[the dude]

i think i'll refrain from any discussion of slipknot personally. ultimately, it could only be a frustrating exercise for me and others.

[Guest Majsju]

Well, Slipknot is better than metallica, that's about the kindest thing I have to say about them... :lol:

[I Love Semirhage]

Ha! I didn't used to like Metallica, but I have not an unkind word to say about S&M, they sort of grew on me from there. Still, only got that album and The Black Album, and that certainly has its bad tracks. Must be said, when Master Of Puppets or For Whom The Bell Tolls comes through the speakers of the local Metal club, you know it's gonna be good.

 

And so I would sumarise Metallica as being rather good, but not worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as Iron Maiden. And their dear drummer is really annoying, and I don't like his style.

 

ILS

[the dude]

Well, Slipknot is better than metallica, that's about the kindest thing I have to say about them... :lol:

 

in the politest possible terms i can word this, this is the most offensive thing i've ever seen posted on this board. 100% serious here. :evil:

[Guest Majsju]

:lol:

[the dude]

you said that JUST to rib me, didn't you? 8)

[Kilted Writer]

And so I would sumarise Metallica as being rather good' date=' but not worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as Iron Maiden.

ILS[/quote']

 

Damn right--about Iron Maiden. Megadeth beats the hell out of Metallica, btw :twisted:

[the dude]

metallica makes megadeath cry.

[Kilted Writer]

Well, there is that old rivalry [which Dave apologized for] between Megadeth and Metallica. I've never really liked Metallica--I'm a faithful Megafan \m/

 

To each their own :)

[the dude]

fair enough. i'm not sayin' megadeath didn't put out some righteous stuff. had to rib a bit... 8)

[Kilted Writer]

Of course! I wonder what direction Metallica would have taken had Dave Mustaine remained in the band. Perhaps Listening to Mechanics and Mechanix side by side would give us a clue.

[Draven]

It's all downhill for Metallica since that crap album "Load." Not that the black album is a decent metal album to begin with, but Load was the definite turning point. The only reason that this band still gets any attention is because of their name. There really is no comparing them to Maiden or Megadeth which stayed true to their music and didn't sell out after all these years. (*Whew!* and thank God that Megadeth's "Risk" was just a phase...) "King Nothing," "The Memory Remains," - "Unforgiven II!? What a joke...

[details]

Jay-Z, Kingdom Come

Lupe Fiasco, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

Nas, Hip Hop is Dead

 

^ Those are my three favorites this year. I know Nas' new cd isn't officially out yet, but I'm calling it as one of the best cds of the year. I'm also lined up to get John Legend's newest, "Once Again," his last cd, "Get Lifted," was a banger...stayed in my car's stereo for like a month straight.

 

In rock news: Ehh, not feeling most of the shizz people are passing as rock these days. I liked Taking Back Sunday's single, "Make Damn Sure," and (this is completely out of the ordinary for me) I totally rock out to "Call Me When You're Sober," from Evanescence (a band I couldn't stand a few years ago). It looks like the new My Chemical Romance cd is going to suck it up, and I'm not a huge fan of the Killers.

Slipknot, and all those boys: I don't listen to it. Period.

 

One thing that's irritated me lately: Justin Timberlake working with Timbaland. It's so hard for me to continue hating Justin Timberlake when Timberland delivers him some of the best beats ever. It started with "Justified," and continues with this new "FutureLove SexSounds" or whatever it's called. "My Love" is my favorite non-Kingdom Come song right now.

 

8)

[the dude]

It's all downhill for Metallica since that crap album "Load." Not that the black album is a decent metal album to begin with, but Load was the definite turning point. The only reason that this band still gets any attention is because of their name. There really is no comparing them to Maiden or Megadeth which stayed true to their music and didn't sell out after all these years. (*Whew!* and thank God that Megadeth's "Risk" was just a phase...) "King Nothing," "The Memory Remains," - "Unforgiven II!? What a joke...

 

most people never accepted that load and reload were a natural progression in an evolving band. they weren't 20 anymore. while it wasn't in the classic ballad metal genre per se anymore, it would be well to remember that bands like metallica define metal, not the other way around. load and reload were worthwhile albums in their own right, exploring a new musical direction that to me worked very well. now, black was a musical masterpiece. heavy metal achieved perfection with sad but true.

 

to return to an earlier point, comparing metallica to a band like slipknot is like comparing mickey mantle, who admittedly played one season too many (the equivalent to metallica's st. anger) to someone who's had a distinguished career in the special olympics.

[Guest Haxorsist]

I think it's funny how people call Metallica sell-outs. When I listen to Maiden it just seems like they've been singing the same songs for 20 years. Boring!

 

Anyways, anyone heard the new Mastodon album, Blood Mountain? I think it's awesome.

[Kilted Writer]

I've heard a couple Mastodon songs, and they were pretty good--but I've yet to buy an album from them.

 

Maiden has a very distinct sound, but I wouldn't say their songs all sound the same. Case in point: Number of the Beast and Somewhere in Time, both good albums, but Somewhere in Time has a very "processed" sound, which . . . I dunno. I like the content of the album, but the guitars are probably a tad over-processed. Overall, Iron Maiden has made some pretty epic albums in their career.

 

Any Iced Earth fans here?

 

~James