Top 2003 albums:

Vital Remain - Dechristinize (Death Metal)

Krisiun - Word Of Canarge (Death Metal)

Edge Of Sanity - Crimson 2 (Progressive Melodic Death Metal)

Nevermore - Enemy Of Reatily (Progressive/Power Metal)

Nightingagle - Alive Again (Progressive Rock)

Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja (Progressive Black Metal)

Septic Flesh - Sumerian Daemons (Death Metal)

Katatonia - Viva Emptiness (Progressive Rock)

Opeth - Damnation (Progressive Rock)

Windir - Likferd (Symphonic Black Metal)

Zyklon - Aeon (Death Metal)

Naglfar - Sheol (Melodic Black Metal)

Children Of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll (Melodic Power/Speed Metal)

Dissection - Live Legacy (Melodic Black Metal)

Alchemist - Austral Alien (Thrash Metal)

Soulreaper - Life Erazer (Melodic Death/Black Metal)


=========
What yours?

hmmm nobody interested at METAL?

Iron Maiden - Dance of Death

Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death

oh yeah, I forgot to put that album in, anyway, that not as good as old maiden stuffs, but still great album...great coming back!

My thoughts on some of these (haven't had time to listen to much new stuff this year so I've only heard a few):



I never got past the utterly crappy production on this one. Too bad really because I like Nevermore quite a bit and their previous albums were very good. I really don't know wtf happened here but the production is so bad that the album is unlistenable IMO.



Decent. I really need to hear this one more though to be more certain of how I feel about it. Seems a little more directionless than their last few albums, though maybe that's because it seems their trying to change their sound somewhat.



I haven't heard this one but I've been liking Opeth less and less with each release Some of their earlier albums were good (excellent even), but they seem to have become a little dull in their later works. Then again, I've never quite understood why everyone seems to worship Opeth so much anyway



Haven't heard this one either, but I've liked everything else I've heard from Windir. I'd call it more Viking/Folk Metal than Symphonic Black Metal though (look at the album cover even.. heh) Then again, since I haven't heard this one, it could be that they've changed styles from a more Viking/Folkish sound to a more contemporary Black Metal sound (something like what Forlorn and Thyrfing have done... which I find to be a highly annoying development).

@Dibrom:
Could you post a little "Beginner's Guide" to this kind of metal music?
You know, some essential recordings to get started, that you think are must-haves.

I have listened to some of this music on a friend's friend house. And I think it is something I could get into, but I wouldn't know where to begin.
I would probably end buying albums just by their covers

Opeth, Dibrom and others:

What's your opinion on Dimmu Borgir's latest album, Death Cult Armageddon ?

I've been reading several rave reviews, and I am tempted to buy it. I only know Dimmu Borgir from Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, and I like that album a lot.

Oh, and I am a big fan of Opeth. They are definately my favorite "extreme" metal band (Tool is my overall favorite metal band). Damnation is a little bit disappointing, though. It's still a great album, but it simply can't compete with Blackwater Park and Deliverance.

AtaqueEG, there were basically three albums that really got me into extreme metal:
- Enthrone Darkness Triumphant by Dimmu Borgir
- Blackwater Park by Opeth
- Sons of Northern Darkness by Immortal

Maybe you can give those albums a try ? Also, look around on allmusic.com. I discovered many great bands this way.

From the top of my head: a list of extreme metal bands I'm into (although I haven't been listening to the genre for a long time yet):
Opeth, Immortal, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Carcass, Amorphis, The Gathering, Paradise Lost, Entombed, Nile, Electric Wizard, Napalm Death (depends on my mood ), Morbid Angel, Six Feet Under, Samael, Cathedral, ...

I probably forgot some, but I guess this list still somewhat represents my favorites in the genre.

Dimmu Borgir's Death Cult Armageddon is an mazing album ,its Beginning with the massive Allegiance and follow with the other 10 tracks in your face ,a power Symphonic Metal that make u feel like on a movie "it remind me batman" .

i recommend

I think the band want their new cd sound a little bit dirty, it sound like death metal with clean hi vox

About opeth, i personally dont like their last 2 releases that much. I prefer old stuffs

------



I think beginner should try some old school metal like Old metallica, slayer, megadeth,savatage, or maybe some melodic stuffs like at the gates, dark tranquillity, in flames, children of bodom,.... or maybe some cheesy power metal...

------



I personally dont like Dimmu ...I personally call em Dummy Chesse Burger

------

By the way, anyone like the new Edge Of Sanity cd? pretty good huh? \m/

Well, you can start off with stuff like Def Leppard. Their old albums are really good. On Through The Night, Pyromania, Hysteria, Adrenalize and RetroActive are my favourite. Then, you can move to Ozzy Osbourne. I have all Ozzy albums. From Ozzy, you can move to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Again, I have all Judas Priest and Iron Maiden Albums. I can bet that you will take some time to assimilate all the great music I have listed. I really, really, really enjoy Iron Maiden and Judas Priest . Iron Maiden's Dance Of Death is a great album. Some people may think otherwise , but to real Maiden fans, it is a treat worth the wait . Trust me-get Iron Maiden. You will love it. Up The Irons!!

I wouldn't call Dimmu Borgir and Amorphis very extreme at all



Please, do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with the older productions of these bands. The recent Dimmu Borgir (starting with ETD) is nothing but Iron Maiden with bells and whistles. Iron Maiden, Accept and Twisted Sister.

Dimmu Borgir's second album Stormblåst is regarded as a very emotional and good album, and it had at least a bit of originality. I would really recommend you to at least check it out.

Whereas Immortal's SoND is not a bad album by any means, the older albums which musically defined nordic black metal, will surely offer you more. Pure Holocaust (1993) is regarded as a true masterpiece of atmospheric black metal, and I would say it's one of the finest extreme metal albums ever.

A bit lighter but nonetheless brilliant side of Immortal can be heard at the more recent At The Heart Of Winter album. Basically the atmosphere and the guitarwork on this album beat the hell out of most modern "melodic metal" bands.

If you're into a bit more melodic and lighter stuff, check out Therion's productions. You might also enjoy older Cradle of Filth. For melodic death metal At The Gates (defined the genre) and Dark Tranquillity, as well as Edge Of Sanity, are worth a try.

@AtaqueEG

You asked for a tutorial.

This covers pretty much the entire metal genre.
http://www.anus.com/metal/about/faq/

For a breaf historical overview of "extreme" metal (we call it black metal here in scandinavia )
http://www.raging-metal.d2g.com/columns/tfnw/0003.html

General information and review about bands:
http://www.anus.com/metal/about/deathmetal.html
http://www.anus.com/metal/about/blackmetal.html

Start reading about Bathory, Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor and Immortal for an in-depth historical timeline of black metal.

Could someone please help me understand all these metal sub genres mentioned above?

Some 10 years ago Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and GNR were considered Heavy Metal. But compared to what I hear on MTV these days, it is mild rock in comparison.

I deliberately excluded old Metallica from the list above. I think it is so much harder and very different (I do not like it).

I prefer what some call Goth Rock or Gothic Metal: Theatre of Tragegy (old), Within Temptation, Nightwish, Gathering (old), Moonspell, Sins of Thy Beloved, Therion, Tristania, etc.

I also like metal like Alastis, Samael, Paradise Lost, Tiamat and Rammstein, but I have no idea what sub genre they belong to.

And what about the first three Type O Negative albums: 1. Slow, Deep and Hard, 2. Bloddy Kisses, 3. October Rust. They are so very different...

DISCLAIMER: I personally don't believe in categorizing music in genres and zillions of subgenres, if it sounds good, listen to it. But if you want the definitions for the bands you mentioned, I will help you with that.


Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden belong to the elusive "New Wave Of British Metal" genre, whatever that means. I consider them as regular Heavy Metal, or possibly Hard Rock. GNR is glam rock.

Black Sabbath's and Iron Maiden's influence towards any modern metal music is so very strong that they should and they do get all of the respect from all metal music nowadays.

Metallica is sometimes considered as Trash Metal instead of Heavy Metal because of the differences in style. Today's MTV "nu-metal" basically rips Metallica with the morse code style riffs and palm-muted power chord structures.

Can you see the irony that nowadays Metallica rips nu-metal bands



Those are all very good bands. As an interesting side note, Therion started as brutal Death Metal, but later on included the choir and started playing some very melodic Hard Rock (Iron Maiden) -style riffs. In terms of musical prowess, modern Therion can be considered as classical music. If some techno or pop rock boy starts babbling about metal's horrible guttural vocals and simple two-note riffs, play them some Therion.

BTW, have you already heard the Summer Night City cover by Therion? Proves that Abba did make some pretty technical music



Death metal. Alastis belongs to the "melodic death metal", or Gothenburg-style genre started by In Flames. Paradise Lost started as Death Metal, but changed their style to regular pop rock later on.

Other extremely good Gothenburg-style bands include:

In Flames (obviously)
Amorphis (early)
Arch Enemy (all)
Dark Tranquillity (later)

The early productions of Samael, one of my favourites, can be considered as Black Metal, although musically they were Death Metal. Nowadays they have their own genre, probably Industrial Metal, as well as Rammstein.

Edit:

Typos

For some very extreme Death Metal, try these:

Eternal Gray. The Unbelievers Die is an excellent song, IMO.

Betzefer. Rinse:Repeat is worth a listen.

Lehavoth. More brutality...