Black Metal?

I listen to it. I find the genre fascinating. Probably half the music I purchase now has BM elements to it. There is an intensity to it that isn't matched.

Bands that I have been listening to recently are:

Xasthur
Wolves in the Throne Room
Watain
Summoning

Perhaps the greatest piece of music I have purchased in the past year has been Amesoeurs. they have a 3 song EP out that I once listened to for 3 1/2 hours in one day. I am borderline obsessed with them. It has BM vocals with a more straight up metal music delivery. The fucked up thing is that the 3rd song could fit nicely on a Cranberries CD. they some how made this all fit together.

This is their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/amesoeurs

I don't expect anybody to go there however this 3rd track (Faiblesse Des Sens) will play once you get there. If one listens to that (the scream she gives at the 3:50 mark and ends at 3:56? fuck yes) and then their other track up there Ruines Humaines you will see the contrast I am talking about. This shit gives me chills.

It's DM, not BM, but I'm really getting into Opeth, as of late. And that backs up the whole DM isn't evil enough, because none of Opeth's lyrics are about anger and hate. Mostly, they're about sorrow and pain:

Bleak (Song Title)

Beating
Heart still beating for the cause
Feeding
Soul still feeding from the loss
Aching
Limbs are aching from the rush
Fading
You are fading from my sight

Break of morning, coldness lingers on
Shroud me into nightmares of the sun
Moving
I am moving closer to your side
Luring
You are luring me into the night
Crying
Who is crying for you here
Dying
I am dying fast inside your tears
Plunging towards bereavement faster yet
Clearing thoughts, my mind is set

Devious movements in your eyes
Moved me from relief
Breath comes out white clouds with your lies
And filters through me
You're close to the final word
You're staring right past me in dismay
A liquid seeps from your chest
And drains me away
Mist ripples round your thin white neck
And draws me a line
Cold fingers mark this dying wreck
This moment is mine

Help me cure you
Atone for all you've done
Help me leave you
As all the days are gone
Night fall again
Taking what's left of me
Slight twist, shivering corpse
Ornated with water, fills the cracks
Clasped in my lims by tradition
This is all you need

Amazing song.
But, besides that, I don't indulge into either genre- the growling bugs me (and Opeth does both Growling and Clean, and does it damn well, so it's okay). I'm into the almighty Progressive Metal- Dream Theater and Evergrey (and Opeth, actually. They're Progressive Death Metal) for the win!

All hail the Valnøtt!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WcsV7hQ1V4

transplant wrote:

cool

there is no chance Faiblesse Des Sans will, if you love anything by The Cure/Joy Division, you will love this. In addition it has a bass line to die for (think Love Song). This doesn't fit into metal at all which is why I find this EP so fascinating.

Now Ruines Humaines may, it has a harsh vocal delivery, try to think of it as another instrument. But the music is not over the top by any stretch.

Opeth is actually a very good introductory band into this genre as it combines plenty of various metal genres (this band is mindboggling good).

This documentary is pretty cool.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=i4U33U_UyzQ
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KSUmKubFIUY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VNN-ZnYg1Vo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dRTHzR2Pxro
http://youtube.com/watch?v=avnsgYvHPK8

If looks could kill, the last part (part 5) the final 2 minutes would do the trick.

I concur you were absolutely right, Faiblesse Des Sans is a nice little track BUT then Ruines Humaines has a horrible noise/singer on it, Eurgh!

I know i will probably never be able to understand BUT why do people like that gorgoroth thing? It just sounds like a horrible noise to me, perhaps someone could explain why they find it to be particularly appealing? Is it just people who are into devil worship and all crazy shit like that who are into it?

I mean no offence to people who do like it, i just cant get my head round WHY they like it?

Oh and I forgot to mention that Tomhet by Burzum is the best ambient song ever.

Eno can go and bite a steer's arse as far as I'm concerned.

. . . Into the Woods is pretty great also. Black metal with pagan/heathen, prog, and psychedelic elements.

Yefa wrote:

Alcest is a band that is related to Amesoeurs.
http://www.myspace.com/alcestmusic

I put Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde as my favorite CD of 2007. Just a couple days ago I finally got to listen to Le Secret and their 2001 demo Treistesse Hivernale.

I need to listen to Deathspell Omega, have heard nothing but great things.

These guys are essentially Vikings, having a cultural heritage that is very different to the familiar Judeo-Christian one. They live in cold remote places, and have fewer outlets for their adolescent anger. The church burnings etc were pretty normal for a bunch of Viking lads. Not everyone goes for the whole Jesus/heaven thing. Some of them, will be just plain old sociopaths, giving the whole genre a bad name. In the US they would be in a street or bike gang, or be quiet serial killers, in Ireland, they would join the IRA, the UK footie thugs, in Oz they would be bikies, druggies or politicians.
There are nutters in every society.
Not excusing, just explaining.
Personally I love Opeth, getting into them over the last few months. Akerveldt is a pretty mellow guy, just totally ionto his music. generally I don't like cookie monster vocals much, but he uses it so effectively, it really works. He does sing as well. "Ghost Reveries" is probably my favourite, Blackwater Park, Still Life, it's all good.
Haen't gotteninto anything else, but the guitar heavy, rhythmic Viking warrior vibe to the whole thing is right up my alley. If I was a kid today, that would be my scene through and through. There sure ain't much else out there to love.