[SanguaLuna]

This is for all the head bangers and metal heads out there. Please list all your favorite metal and hard rock acts or add you tube videos as well. Talk about local bands and acts you think should be made known or popular.

The reason I say Metal and Hard Rock is to prevent all arguments on what is metal and what is not meta. So, instead this thread is dedicated to two genres that go hand and hand with head bangers.

Here is my list of favorite acts:

Epica
Nightwish
Behemoth
Dark Throne
Blind Guardian
Symphony X
Epiclore
Kamelot
Rhapsody of Fire
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Nile
Demons and Wizards
Manowar
Fairyland
Hammerfall
Helloween
Opeth
Tristinia
Dark Princess
X Japan
and many others.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

I know most of those you listed to one degree or another. I actively listen to Nightwish, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, Demons and Wizards, Hammerfall, Opeth and Tristania.

I used to listen to Behemoth and Nile but grew out of the whole black/death metal scene for the most part. I'm really into doom metal lately, especially My Dying Bride and Draconian. Anathema is good, too, though more rock than metal.

Also, Eluveitie and Battlelore, when it comes to folk metal.

I also like several gothic metal bands, The Foreshadowing, How Like a Winter, Sirenia, Octavia Sperati.

I listen to a lot of power metal, too, but I don't actively seek it on anymore. I'm partial to those mentioned above, plus Celesty, Dragonland, Stormwarrior, and a few others.

Don't really listen to any black or death anymore, besides Amon Amarth, who are one of my favorites. Oh, and Tales of Dark, which is sort of death/doom/gothic or something. :p

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I've heard of most of those on that list but only actively listen to Nightwish and Hammerfall, those being the only groups I actually have CD's for. I pick up the odd Dragonforce song too. I'm not to wise in the ways of music.

HIM (His Infernal Majesty to do it the long way) is a favourite of mine but what would be considered hard rock and metal does vary with his stuff as he can sound almost boy-bandy at times when he goes falsetto. Sorta.

I'd classify Apocalyptica as metal as well, even if it's played on cellos ;). Since the original four cellos they've added a dummer and occasional guitar players.

[SanguaLuna]

HIM is kind of a pet peeve favorite lol... A band I wish I hated but can't help but like the band. lol... One song sounded so much like The Mission UK (which is a Goth Rock band). It was kind of odd cause The Mission UK is more of a hard rock inspired Goth band, and hearing some of HIM's songs remind me of them. They probably were inspired by the early Goth Rock bands.

I grew out of most of the Black and Death Metal, besides a handful of bands. I also like Amon Amarth.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I now HIM is often referred to as being 'Goth Rock' so maybe that's in npart where the similarity is comeing from. Not that I know all that much about the genre except for the fact that HIM happens to be in it.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

Heh, ever since the LOKI came out here last month, I've been listening to Amon Amarth a lot more. Especially Hermod's Ride to Hel. :p

I've never listened to HIM (beyond what you showed me, Quiet) but they didn't sound much like most of the gothic bands I know. I remember hearing somewhere that gothic metal and goth rock are two rather different sub-genres. I've always found such distinctions facile, but I suppose they do work to at least help point you in the right direction sometimes.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

His CD's vary a lot. The first one that I have is 1996 or 98, and the newest that I own is 2006? Not sure, but over a decade is a fair amount of time to shift. His older stuff sounds more typical goth I would say, it's been getting softer and leaning a little away from that in the newer albums I think, unless you consider the lyrics. Death, love, god, darkness, hearts, soul, all feature rather heavily.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

Well, I think it might be more that all the goth metal bands I know are following in the same tradition and they just approach the same theme from a different angle.

Theatre of Tragedy is probably the oldest goth band I listen to. Their older stuff is more "literary gothic" than "Hot Topic gothic" which is cool. A lot of their lyrics are in Shakespearean English. My favorite song of theirs is "And When He Falleth" based on the Masque of the Red Death by Poe. They actually have a rather unique sound compared to all the bands that followed on their coat-tails.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I've been wanting to read that. I actually had no idea it was anything but a Ravenloft adventure until I caught the old Vincent Price movie late night and it mentioned the short story by Poe at the end.

[ShaylaSakura]

I love Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold. ^_^

[SanguaLuna]

Goth Rock and Gothic Metal are two different genres completely. I know, cause I listen to both lol... HIM is more rock based then metal base and they are influenced by Goth Rock, but not generally associated with the genre or not to my knowledge. I listen to bands like Bauhaus, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, The Cult, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Virgin Prunes, The Mission UK, and so on.

Gothic Metal leans more towards heavier sounds and less influence by the post punk and more influence by the traditional heavy metal sounds. Tristinia is a good example of a Gothic Metal Band.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

And here I tended to assume it depended on how many different little genre tags the store had. ;)

We listed to a lot of older stuff here, given that my brother is the "stereo-master" so to speak, and we just pile everone's music into his system. Depending on who's around, there can be a fair bit of 80's and glam rock, or hair metal as I've heard some stuff called. My brother is a big Rush fan, and there's usually a fair bit of Def Leppard going on, among other things. Metallica is in there of course, and Apocalyptica for a good alternative ;). I'm the only one who really brings in the heavier stuff (minus my friend's love of Marilyn Manson) so the more heavy metal end is pitifully small.

I've picked up a couple Swedish bands from research for a class project. Not CD's, but the odd song from bands like Vintersorg and Svartsot. Not quite as fond of the growling vocals in their songs though.

I do like System of a Down too, but I'm not entirely sure where one would catagorize them. They seem to be all over the place.

[Matt the Merciless]

I tend to stick to a few core bands and don't branch out often, but here are ones I like:

GWAR
Devin Townsend (and all associated bands)
Metallica
Megadeth
Rammstein
Eisbrecher
Bloodbath
3 Inches of Blood
System of a Down
Scars on Broadway
Dream Theater
Symphony X
Mastodon
Amon Amarth
Alice Cooper (Though he's not very heavy)
Cradle of Filth
Dimmu Borgir
Nine Inch Nails (not sure if you'd count them)
Sonata Arctica

[Alexander Linden]

My tastes vary. It depends on the mood I am in when I am going to listen to music, however, on your list, I would put Nightwish, Epica and Hammerfall up there for me too. I love Nightwish, preferably when Tarja was still with them though. The other singer has a nice voice, but she doesn't share the same presence as Tarja, nor the same range. Tarja could fit right in at a dark opera.


/doesn't really feel like going into detail about all the bands I like, since my taste goes way beyond just metal and hard rock. For example, one of my favorite bands, other than Nightwish, is a German band called "And One".

[Matt the Merciless]

So there are a bunch of new albums coming out from some pretty good bands this month.
Alice Cooper, Dream Theater, Mastodon, Primus, and Opeth.
Anyone else excited for any of these?
I'm very anxious for the Opeth album.

[Wicked]

Originally Posted by Matt the Merciless

So there are a bunch of new albums coming out from some pretty good bands this month.
Alice Cooper, Dream Theater, Mastodon, Primus, and Opeth.
Anyone else excited for any of these?
I'm very anxious for the Opeth album.

I had no idea Alice Cooper had a new album coming out. So thanks for telling me!

I'm just going to rattle off the first few bands that come to mind. I really like Amon Amarth, Burzum, Bathory, Cannibal Corpse, Dissection, Finntroll, Gorgoroth, Graveland, Krisium, Nokturnal Mortum, Turisas