Metal Reviews

So what interests you outside of the Metal phase?

Well, all sorts of stuff, but my other main love outside of metal is prog.

I have a prog collection almost as huge as my metal collection (many hundreds of albums in both cases). I listen to all the classics, the 70s giants of course, but also I like to keep a keen eye on the contemporary prog scene.

I also like heaps of other things. I own and listen to classic rock, downtempo electronica and psychedelic electronica/ambience (another big love of mine), pop, indie, modern rock...whatever's good.

I used to write reviews for an online magazine called music universe, where I found myself reviewing synth-pop and hipster music that I never would have dreamed of listening to in my own time, but I was able to find the positives. I think it is a lot more fun to see the positives in styles of music that are not familiar to you rather than looking for the negatives. With that said, however, I still find it difficult to listen to the usual top 40 garbage. I expect there to be at least some modicum of talent on display.

Prog Rock and downtempo electronica are phenomenal. Excellent! I don't know how many albums I own in the prog rock department but I think it would be around 50-60 at least. Outside of the beloved Metal genre, Classical, Progressive Rock and Downtempo Electronica are always on my playlist. Jazz has also found a new place and I'm always adding new classic Jazz albums to my collection, too.

EDIT:

Try Ultimae Records for some tremendous electronic music.

That pretty much sums me up as well (though I am only 28). I found that once I started taking metal in smaller more concentrated doses, I came to appreciate it more. The same as anything in life I suppose.

Yeah, I own heaps of Ultimae records! I have albums by Carbon Based Lifeforms, Asura, Aes Dana, Solar Fields, Cell, H.U.V.A Network....at least 1 album from most of the catalogue actually!

That kind of psychedelic downtempo is my favourite electronic genre by far. If you don't already know them, check out Aleph Zero records, they have probably even more releases I like than Ultimae....those are the two most important record companies in the genre in my opinion...but then you've got some others like Beats and Pieces and Interchill which also release quality stuff.

The german online shop Psyshop.com has got heaps of amazing stuff if you're interested.

With all that said, I'm back on a metal binge at the moment so downtempo electronica, as much as I adore it, is the furthest thing from my mind right now!

I have not heard of Aleph Zero, but I will definitely check it out. I too own most of what Ultimae records has released. Cheers for the recommendation. I have, however, visited psyshop on several occasions.

The guy who owns Aleph Zero, Yaniv Shulman, has his own act called Shulman.

Definitely check out the Shulman albums first. They are unique and brilliant. After Shulman, I recommend Bluetech and Krusseldorf, but like Ultimae, almost all of the stuff on the label is quality so don't fear to explore.

Oh, and if you've never heard any Shpongle (which is on neither of those labels) then that is a MUST! All 4 Shpongle albums are classics of the genre.

I will look into them. Cheers!

A lot of metal has fallen out of favor with me, to the point where I only listen to a few bands that I really like, but I still dig the fuck out of those bands.

I guess I would say that bands that thrive on heaviness and atonality are pretty uninteresting to me now, with the exception of Converge because they do it better than everyone else. Lately, I mostly have been digging stuff like the new Torche and Slough Feg (will always luv them)...that's it really. Haven't been listening to a ton of music lately. But I'll never lose my love for Mastodon, Iron Maiden, Protest the Hero, Cynic, etc.

But I was never really part of the "metal" scene in real life, so it's easy to just slip out of it. I don't see metal really becoming my primary taste ever again, unless I get a nasty set of speakers and discover that metal sounds really awesome blasted loud (I've almost always used headphones).

Get a pair of high-end Sennheiser headphones. Then, You'll love Metal once again.

Yes, have always enjoyed a variety of music and am still as likely to listen to Bob Dylan as I am Bolt Thrower. Mixing the playlist certainly helps to keep tastes fresh...

I was going to make a thread about this exciting topic. Then, I thought, there might indeed be an already existing topic about this; and there it was, one of which I created and had a strong suspension that I had one a couple years ago. Anyhow, what's new in terms of your listening habits and diet in music? What are you listening to these days in terms of non-metal albums? Still going full force with the heavy or have you introduced new and exciting genres into your musical taste buds. I am very interested in hearing what has changed in past two years or so!

Pretty much the same, heh. Current top artists on Last.Fm from the past week are Belphegor, The Who, Jethro Tull, Amorphis, and X-Japan. Variety is the spice of life, etc...

I listen to less jazz than I used to, hardly ever in the mood for it these days. Prefer classic/prog rock.

The thing with me and jazz is that I've always yearned for heavier music whenever I've listened to it. However, it appears that the last week or so I've felt for more mellow and earthly music. Miles Davis does the trick... And also a variety of down-tempo electronica. You're absolutely right, variety is key in anything and everything.

I found marijuana and all its glory (a few years ago now), so even though I still thrash with the best of them and still enjoy lots of death metal, I really have mellowed out in my tastes. Much more doom/stoner/70s stuff in my playlists nowadays. I can see that progressing even more so over time, as I find myself getting into blues or more prog rock/70s shit.

Still, thrash til death! As long as my favourite 80s bands still release and still tour, I'll still buy theirs CDs and go to their concerts.

In terms of my metal listening goes, I still listen heavily to bands such as Absu, Inquisition, Emperor, Windir, Behemoth, Immolation, Atheist, Enslaved, Insomnium, Sigh, King Diamond/Mercyful Fate, Dark Tranquillity, etc...

I've found classical music to be the epitome of creativity and musical value, especially composers such as Respighi, Bartók and Stravinsky. I've strayed away from more ancient composers such as Bach and Vivaldi. In terms prog rock goes, I have been unfaithful. Although I still play King Crimson's debut quite frequently, and have great affinity for Yes's Relayer.

Thrash. Til. Death.

Metalwise my tastes are still towards the doom/trad/sludge/hardcore side of things. Otherwise I've been into singer/songwriter, jazz, and classical... bit of a "boo electricity" bent these days. Also vocal harmonies/duets tickle me pink.

Metal still comprises 80-90% of what I listen to most of the time. I've just added tons more goth, hardcore, and post punk to my library.

Agreed with this. I guess I listen to less music than a lot of you overall so I get less tired of it.

The other 10-20% is prog rock, classical, 60s--90s rock, or real oddballs for me like Nero or Weather Report.

I've given up for the most part on neo-folk, it can be interesting in moments but it usually just goes nowhere. Stuff like Swans is still pretty good every now and then.