Albums/Bands You Don’t Get

Agreed on metalcore, though I gotta say, I have greatly enjoyed myself at one or two metalcore shows.  There's a certain energy in 'em that gets that pit moving really effectively and it's a lot of fun!

I've never been able to get into Extol for some reason.  I own basically every Crimson Moonlight album but hardly ever listen to 'em.  Both bands are made up of excellent musicians no doubt, but for some reason they just never clicked with me.

Speaking of Holy Soldier, the only album I'm really into was Last Train, loved the Cinderella-type vibe on that one. The first one started strong with Stranger and Fear No Evil, but the rest was mediocre IMO, while Promise Man was too much of a departure.

Kerrick wrote:Agreed on metalcore, though I gotta say, I have greatly enjoyed myself at one or two metalcore shows.  There's a certain energy in 'em that gets that pit moving really effectively and it's a lot of fun!

It's funny that you say that. I don't like a lot of metalcore bands, but if I go to a concert and one is playing, they are usually doing a great job and the audience is hyped.

the only album I'm really into was Last Train, loved the Cinderella-type vibe on that one. The first one started strong with Stranger and Fear No Evil, but the rest was mediocre IMO...

Guess everyone's welcomed to their opinion...








'cept you

Destruction Comes is dope but you have to dis-associate (is that a word?) it from the earlier stuff. Roger sounds like Mike Muir on drugs at times. Also the fact that Ramald Domkus from Scaterd few is featured on Raegoul (the wailing in the background) is so cool, I‘d love to find out how that collab came to pass.  I love it.

Raegoul wrote:Destruction Comes is dope but you have to dis-associate (is that a word?) it from the earlier stuff. Roger sounds like Mike Muir on drugs at times. Also the fact that Ramald Domkus from Scaterd few is featured on Raegoul (the wailing in the background) is so cool, I‘d love to find out how that collab came to pass.  I love it.

Yeah man.  That wailing beneath that apathetic monologue in Reagoul is, once again, unique.  And that repetitive riff, simple and heavy, Just magic. I did not realize another vocalist was doing those wailing parts, I thought it was all Roger. When I was fresh from school and had my first full time job but had no car, I walked at 5am every morning with my walkman and headset on and listened to that song on the way to work.  You'd think it would've creeped me out at that time alone in the dark walking the street, but it actually was a comfort. Like help me from R/E, epic and original.

Constantine wrote:Vengeance Rising - I find most of what they did after Human Sacrifice to be dull and uninspired.  Destruction Comes in particular is barely listenable.  No, actually it is unlistenable.

Disagree.  I think their music got better as time went on.  But all in all, I am not a HUGE fan of any of their releases.  I think they are very overrated and there is a lot better Christian thrash or death metal out there.  

It's definitely far from unlistenable.

Tourniquet - Cannot get into Psycho Surgery at all.  Pathogenic is a little better but I just don't really enjoy their material after Stop The Bleeding.  It's got some amazing playing but too busy, too messy.   Also, cannot handle Luke Easter's vocals.  Don't get how others can, but then again I also dislike Dave Mustaine's vocals and they are similar.  However Luke is much better on his solo album.  That material just suits him better.

Psycho Surgery is HORRIBLE.  I would say it is unlistenable and a cringe fest.  Agreed that their best material was STB.

DM is a million times better than LE, and they are not really similar.

Dale Thompson - I appreciate his obvious talent, I really do....but most of the side projects he gets involved in tend to have similar-sounding material with (mostly) sub-par songwriting.   Exceptions would be some of the material from The Thomas Thompson Earth Project and Dale Thompson & The Boon Dogs.  The last Perpetual Paranoia was also a step up from their earlier material, although still not great.

I also think DT is talented but don't enjoy his music other than the GNR era of Bride.

Stryper - Despite all the fan-boy gushing over their last album "Even The Devil Believes," the song-writing was mediocre.  I listened to it 2-3 times and never again.  Production and guitar solos were awesome though.

Exactly.  It's far from bad but not great.  Songs sound undercooked to me.

Metalcore - Most of the Christian metalcore bands sound alike and the whole scene is overrated IMO.  

It's a gateway drug for those too young to know 80s metal.  I imagine most of those fans have moved on to real metal by now.  We all have to start somewhere.

Saint - The 6 or so studio albums from 2004 - 2011 do not compare to their earlier or even later material.  Also, Broad Is The Gate was a very good album and I don't understand why it was so unappreciated.  I think criticism was way, way too harsh on the vocalist.  I liked him just fine.

I thought he sounded fine too, but think their music is generally WAY overrated, especially the quality of the vocals.  Faith Factor and others makes this stuff sound like amateur hour.  I do think this band started sounding a lot better later on and think their more recent work is their best.  I can appreciate most any band that improves over time.

Letter 7, Thunderchild, Angelic Forces, Faith Factor, Gloriam Dei, Place Of Skulls, The Waymaker, Messenger, Ancient Prophecy, Deth Enemy -  I don't understand why these bands are not more popular.   I find their material to be overall better than many of the more well-known bands that people tend to hold in higher regard.  That also goes for Everthrone (not a Christian band, but brilliant - but they never caught on and eventually disbanded).

I'm also stumped why some bands are not more popular.  You've inspired me to listen to these bands you listed.  Thoughts below:

Letter 7 - These guys were really well-received but disappeared for the last several years.  

Thunderchild - Oh yeah, awesome release that seemed to have been totally overlooked.

Angelic Forces - Well, it was just an EP.  A lot of potential, but to me it sounds undercooked if it wants to appeal to people who want that Dianno Maiden sound.  Needs catchier, less generic riffs IMHO.  The production is a bit of a turn off to me personally, with how maxed out it is.  Wouldn't surprise me if they nail it on a full release.

Faith Factor - listened to them again last night.  Just an awesome band with so many great songs

Gloriam Dei - pro band, but I'm not into this style

Place Of Skulls - I'm not into this style of Doom, the Saint Vitus school, I'm more into the Messiah Candlemass stuff, but this band is just as legit as any others playing this style.

The Waymaker - pro but there are million flower metal bands like this with little to distinguish them

Messenger - This is not bad but doesn't appeal to me.  Just strikes me as corny generic hard rock

Ancient Prophecy - good if you're into Arch Enemy I guess.  Not a fan of this, but it's pro for the people into it

Deth Enemy - Good band, very pro and listenable.  Not sure who to compare them to ... maybe this is why they didn't catch on?  Also only one album, seems like you have to have a lot of music out there to even get the time of day these days.

I would add Antithesis to your list.  Brilliant band!

Letter 7 - These guys were really well-received but disappeared for the last several years.  

Messenger - This is not bad but doesn't appeal to me.  Just strikes me as corny generic hard rock

I remember a bit of buzz when Letter 7 hit, but I don’t know what happened to them. It was great stuff.

I couldn’t really get into Messenger, either. I thought they showed obvious talent, but the songs didn’t really do it for me. I was surprised at the amount of acclaim they got.

other than the foray into rap, I don't get all the hate for Psycho Surgery...

crucifyd wrote:other than the foray into rap, I don't get all the hate for Psycho Surgery...

Me neither. I think it’s brilliant and it’s one of my top TQT albums. I even like Spineless, mainly because the second half is great.

Spineless is cool but the MCs were really bad. They should remix it with Lecrae, Tedashii and Bizzle.

Raegoul wrote:Spineless is cool but the MCs were really bad. They should remix it with Lecrae, Tedashii and Bizzle.

Sure, but at least the rap lyrics are way less cringeworthy than those on Whitecross’ Holy War

Pethead wrote:

Raegoul wrote:Spineless is cool but the MCs were really bad. They should remix it with Lecrae, Tedashii and Bizzle.

Sure, but at least the rap lyrics are way less cringeworthy than those on Whitecross’ Holy War

Ah yes that was even worse. I just realised In The Kingdom is not on Spotify. Why?

Anyway Deliverance also has a song with rappers, A little sleep, and that one was also really badly rapped, completely off beat. Christian rappers used to be so bad back in the day, I was stoked to find out there are now many decent ones.

Raegoul wrote:

Pethead wrote:

Raegoul wrote:Spineless is cool but the MCs were really bad. They should remix it with Lecrae, Tedashii and Bizzle.

Sure, but at least the rap lyrics are way less cringeworthy than those on Whitecross’ Holy War

Ah yes that was even worse. I just realised In The Kingdom is not on Spotify. Why?

Anyway Deliverance also has a song with rappers, A little sleep, and that one was also really badly rapped, completely off beat. Christian rappers used to be so bad back in the day, I was stoked to find out there are now many decent ones.

Agreed. It seemed to take Christian rappers a long time to really catch up with their secular peers, sadly.

Thought of another one: 

Seventh Angel. 

They have a cool, unique sound, but I don't really get why so many go gaga over them. I spin The Torment on occasion and it's solid, but I find their stuff doesn't really grab me. I have a friend who adores Lament for the Weary, but I find it kind of dull.

^ I agree, I find Seventh Angel to be overrated. It was novel for the time though.

Pethead wrote:Thought of another one: 

Seventh Angel. 

They have a cool, unique sound, but I don't really get why so many go gaga over them. I spin The Torment on occasion and it's solid, but I find their stuff doesn't really grab me. I have a friend who adores Lament for the Weary, but I find it kind of dull.

"Lament" is great IMHO.

The love for "Torment" or My Silent Wake I never really got.

Another one:

Shout: In Your Face

The guitar solos are epic and Ken’s vocals are fantastic. But there are only a few songs that truly grab me. I also don’t find much to excite me in the lyrics. I still enjoy the album (When the Love Is Gone is a MONSTER tune), but I think its reputation is a bit overblown.

No you don't!  Oh no no no-NO! First it's Destruction comes.  Then Holy Soldier's epic debut.  I won't stand for anymore of this heresy!  Lament for the weary is a stunning album and thoroughly underrated in the world of metal. If it wasn't for the tag attached to it, I believe it would be a homestead classic in the metal archives, (much like Resurrection band would have been) absolutely! It is a thoughtful thrash album slabbed with doom laden chugs and medieval interludes that stood apart from the usual affair of recycling Slayer riffs or Metallica etc, and the vocals are killer too.

Now that I think about it, christian metal had handful of thrash bands that really did have their own spin on the genre.  TQT, Seventh Angel, Vengeance rising, even Believer (especially dimensions).

You know what I can't get into, the stuff that comes out today, it just doesn't have that something those iconic bands had.

Anyway, I'm off to start a youtube channel and start my rants based on my triggered feelings over this thread.  Good day!

Pethead wrote:Another one:

Shout: In Your Face

Forgot about them...Yes, the playing is killer, and Ken Tamplin is a MEGA talented as a singer.  
But the song-writing just did not grab me.  Same with a few other commercial metal bands of the time like Divine Right and Crossforce.

Other bands like Neon Cross, Crystavox, Rage of Angels and Whitecross fared better, although the production on their records often left a lot to be desired (although ROA had pretty good production).

Talking about Ken Tamplin. I love shout but couldn‘t get into Magdallan. Now that was over the top circus music. It‘s more a display of his musical skills than proper music intended to listen to.

I don't get most anything with growling, screeching vocals that is so prevalent in modern metal.  It's monotone vocals and ruins the music to me.

I don't get most progressive metal.  Some songs have so many parts that they could have created more songs with those segments.  I can't keep up with the changes and get lost with it.  I have real A.D.D. and this creates ear fatigue and over-stimulation for me.

I didn't get Dale Thompson's new blues album.  It sounds horrible!  The mix is all over the place and the songs sound demo-ish to me.  I don't understand how anyone can like this.

Good call on Shout, it was very generic to me.

I agree about Magdallan.  I tried to listen to their material a few times and could not get into any of it.  On the other hand, I really liked Lanny Cordola's solo material.

I don't get all the dislike for Deliverance's "Learn" album though.  To me it's got some real gems on it.  "Time" is easily one of my top three Deliverance songs.

Constantine wrote:I agree about Magdallan.  I tried to listen to their material a few times and could not get into any of it.  On the other hand, I really liked Lanny Cordola's solo material.

I don't get all the dislike for Deliverance's "Learn" album though.  To me it's got some real gems on it.  "Time" is easily one of my top three Deliverance songs.

Same. Learn is great. In fact, outside of Weapons, that mid-period of Deliverance is my favorite.