Bands or albums you can't get into...

MagnusPrime wrote:I've tried numerous times to get into Testament, but they keep telling me they don't need another vocalist or guitarist or anything else.
The last time was the worst. I showed up to jam and Chuck Billy personally removed me from the premises. Now they have a restraining order against me. 
If the whole experience has taught me anything, it's that I'll have to wear a disguise next time.

This sounds like they're being discriminatory.  Have you told the journalists at Metal-Sucks.com so they can launch an investigation?

Temple of Blood wrote:

MagnusPrime wrote:I've tried numerous times to get into Testament, but they keep telling me they don't need another vocalist or guitarist or anything else.
The last time was the worst. I showed up to jam and Chuck Billy personally removed me from the premises. Now they have a restraining order against me. 
If the whole experience has taught me anything, it's that I'll have to wear a disguise next time.

This sounds like they're being discriminatory.  Have you told the journalists at Metal-Sucks.com so they can launch an investigation?

That's what the police called me.

No wait...it was "instigator". 

Which is funny, because I contacted some journalists to do an investigation and they said they only do "instigations" now. I said "hey the police said I'm good at that! You hiring?". I start at CNN Monday.

Pethead wrote:For Black Rider, I’ll once again say that I hated the latest album from The Brave.

I didn't hate it, but I could have done with less keyboards and more crunch to make it more like "Trust" and "Evie's Little Garden".  Those are by far the best albums by The Brave to me, and I could have listened to another full album like them.

alldatndensum wrote:

Pethead wrote:For Black Rider, I’ll once again say that I hated the latest album from The Brave.

I didn't hate it, but I could have done with less keyboards and more crunch to make it more like "Trust" and "Evie's Little Garden".  Those are by far the best albums by The Brave to me, and I could have listened to another full album like them.

I was really excited because I LOVED Evie’s Little Garden, but Gravedigger really disappointed me.

Black Rider wrote:AGL is Stryper's best musically of the early years followed by Soldiers. IGWT is too poppy for me.

Against the Law is pretty good. It contains the one ballad (probably) that I don't mind from the band- Lady.

Dustofyears wrote:

Black Rider wrote:AGL is Stryper's best musically of the early years followed by Soldiers. IGWT is too poppy for me.

Against the Law is pretty good actually. It contains the one ballad (probably) that I don't mind from the bad_ Lady.

That's easily their best ballad from the original era. Some of the recent ballads have been good, though.

Another one for me:

Paramaecium: Exhumed of the Earth. Dull, dull, dull. (Please don't hurt me, Kerrick). Within the Ancient Forest is much better.

Dustofyears wrote:Just thought of two that everyone seems to love, but they aren't christian bands. But they are big and loved by most metal heads (at least that's the impression I get). I tried liking their music but just can't even trick myself into pretending I like them.

The first band is Meshuggah. I know, they are all very clever with poly Rhythms and are Pioneers of the genre known as, Djent. But being technical does not make it good music. To my ears it sounds like sludge and not good sludge, but more like a flat tire. Yeah that's it, it sounds like a flat tire going round and round in the mud. Not a lot to it.

The other one is Lamb Of God. Like a Pantera wanna be compressed so tight the guitars are paper thin. The vocals are a thin rasp. Yet, most metal heads rate these two bands highly... Don't get it...

Amen to this. 

Meshuggah, if people weren't constantly telling you how great they are, how technical and innovative they are, would be forgotten by time. Writing 20yrs of unmemorable songs qualifies as a waste of time. I owned four albums at different points. After all these years I can't remember a single riff or lyric. Whatever cool riff they came up with they beat to death for 5 minutes until the song was over.

Lamb of God is funny. You nailed it for me. Pantera with no groove nor innovation, Slayer/Exodus minus the riffs. I was consistently baffled by their mass popularity.

Exhumed of the Earth is a doom death masterpiece. Within the Ancient Forest is far superior musically but the clean vocals are atonal and ruin the whole thing. If only Andrew could sing!

I tried again recently with Exhumed when I was spinning more doom and death (and doom/death). I’ve had it since 2006. Still bored me to tears. Jayson’s drumming was the only thing I liked.

Frozen Fire wrote:

Dustofyears wrote:Just thought of two that everyone seems to love, but they aren't christian bands. But they are big and loved by most metal heads (at least that's the impression I get). I tried liking their music but just can't even trick myself into pretending I like them.

The first band is Meshuggah. I know, they are all very clever with poly Rhythms and are Pioneers of the genre known as, Djent. But being technical does not make it good music. To my ears it sounds like sludge and not good sludge, but more like a flat tire. Yeah that's it, it sounds like a flat tire going round and round in the mud. Not a lot to it.

The other one is Lamb Of God. Like a Pantera wanna be compressed so tight the guitars are paper thin. The vocals are a thin rasp. Yet, most metal heads rate these two bands highly... Don't get it...

Amen to this. 

Meshuggah, if people weren't constantly telling you how great they are, how technical and innovative they are, would be forgotten by time. Writing 20yrs of unmemorable songs qualifies as a waste of time. I owned four albums at different points. After all these years I can't remember a single riff or lyric. Whatever cool riff they came up with they beat to death for 5 minutes until the song was over.

Lamb of God is funny. You nailed it for me. Pantera with no groove nor innovation, Slayer/Exodus minus the riffs. I was consistently baffled by their mass popularity.

Exhumed of the Earth is a doom death masterpiece. Within the Ancient Forest is far superior musically but the clean vocals are atonal and ruin the whole thing. If only Andrew could sing!

Yah! Someone actually agrees on both counts! Was waiting to doge the hail of arrows and spears to rain down on me. Sweet!

Pethead wrote:I tried again recently with Exhumed when I was spinning more doom and death (and doom/death). I’ve had it since 2006. Still bored me to tears. Jayson’s drumming was the only thing I liked.

Prefer Ancient myself too. Though when the mood is right, I enjoy Exhume.

Paramaecium are definitely mood-music for me.

Pethead wrote:For Black Rider, I’ll once again say that I hated the latest album from The Brave.

I'm praying for you.

Not a Christian band, but Death Angel. I love thrash, especially melodic thrash, but these guys have never really clicked for me. I like some songs and enjoy Act III overall, but I don’t really find them all that compelling.

Pethead wrote:Not a Christian band, but Death Angel. I love thrash, especially melodic thrash, but these guys have never really clicked for me. I like some songs and enjoy Act III overall, but I don’t really find them all that compelling.

It took me a little longer to get into them back in the day.

I wouldn't say they're "progressive thrash" or anything, but they definitely like to experiment more than a lot of the bigger name thrash bands.

I will say they have one of the best logos ever.

Act III is where they clicked for me , more melodic but still riffing hard.

Act III is the only one of theirs I really ever spin. But I still think it’s good, not great.

Ooh, I thought of another one:

Affector’s Harmagedon

The musicianship is outstanding, but the songs are so unmemorable that it bores me. I don’t understand the acclaim this album received.

Pethead wrote:

The musicianship is outstanding, but the songs are so unmemorable that it bores me. 

This describes my problem with most modern heavy music. They've forgotten how to (or never learned to) write good songs. 

They're focused more on technique and the almost "athleticism" (especially the drums) of it all, instead of trying to create something that will stand the test of time and one day become a classic.

Most of it sounds like a soulless automaton trying to fit into the skin of what we once loved about metal.

Second Wind wrote:Also love oddities from 98.

I too, thought Oddities was superb, and whilst I am not keen on The Jesus Experience at all (which is kind of similiar to Oddities), I think Oddities has some catchy hooks, and some pretty awesome lyrics in it.

As for bands I can't get in to...

Affector’s Harmagedon - That was a great album that I just couldn't get in to.  I see the talent, but just can't connect.
Deliverance - I want to love them, but there's only a few songs I can get enjoy.  Again, it's definitely not a talent thing, as all their albums are brimming with talent.  Just a personal taste thing.

Pethead wrote:

I was really excited because I LOVED Evie’s Little Garden, but Gravedigger really disappointed me.

Same here.  100%.  I thought Evie's Garden was perhaps their best album yet.   
But Gravedigger has a few moments here and there but was surprisingly tedious for me.

What albums or bands can I not get into?  Too many to mention...but I'll stick with a few high profile ones.

Deliverance - Camelot In Smithereens

I have tried a few times to get into this album but have always found it to be dull.  However, so many here on the board have been so positive about the redux version that I am now interested to check it out.  

Bride - Snakes In The Playground

Objectively I can see why this album was well-regarded, especially for the time.  However I could never really get into it and like "Kinetic Faith" so much better.  

Bride - Show No Mercy, Silence Is Madness

Show No Mercy lacks direction, which wouldn't be such a bad thing if the songs were good.   But with a few exceptions there does not seem to be much going on here musically.

As for Silence, I have listened to it a few times but always find the riffs and song-writing to be tedious.  A few songs are good but for the most part, a big letdown after "Live To Die."


Sacred Warrior - Waiting In Darkness

The title track is brilliant, one of the best metal songs ever IMO.  But my impression of the rest of the album is of muddy production, and not much in the way of hooks or cool riffs.  One or two songs are okay but after that title track this one was just a big disappointment after all that time.

Deny The Fallen 

I don't mind the style (although it's not my favorite) but just could never get into this band.   Tried a few times but reaction is always the same.

MagnusPrime wrote:

This describes my problem with most modern heavy music. They've forgotten how to (or never learned to) write good songs. 

They're focused more on technique and the almost "athleticism" (especially the drums) of it all, instead of trying to create something that will stand the test of time and one day become a classic.

Most of it sounds like a soulless automaton trying to fit into the skin of what we once loved about metal.

Yep.  This is an old problem that has actually greatly increased with the rise of the internet and the ease of new recording technology.

Back in 1985 or so, when thrash (and later, death metal) began to take over, bands were racing to become the fastest, most technical, and "heaviest."  This created a new aesthetic, a new template for how metal fans evaluated metal music.  This new aesthetic later fed into prog, power metal, black metal, nu metal, and other genres.  

Musicians who grew up on this stuff and learned to play from watching You Tube became focused on technique and on emulating their heroes - which many do well.  But the ability to create good music that is memorable and satisfying and that touches people has been getting lost.  There are always exceptions but when listening to a whole album, I tend to prefer older music.

Black Rider wrote:AGL is Stryper's best musically of the early years followed by Soldiers. IGWT is too poppy for me.

I wouldn't say best, but ATL is really good indeed. And agreed on IGWT, it's my least favorite from Stryper early years.

Of course it's just my opinion but I think they channelled their frustration into a great album.

For the most part, almost everything “black metal”. 

Although I do like the Blackened/Death style of A Hill to Die Upon. I really like that band!