[FireGuy]

Ok, here is an unusual recommendation from me, as I typically don't really dig black metal on the whole (some exceptions).  This band is "cosmic black metal".  It has a symphonic element to it and is spacey, electro at times, but definitely the black metal vocals.   And it has a DR of 11!  That means it is highly dynamic, not compressed to hell.  It is 1 20 minute EP but costs $1.

https://mesarthim.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-filter-e-p

I'll check it out tonight.  Keep the recommendations coming.  Devin Townsend Project recently posted has been an awesome discovery.  One of those bands where you can say "Where the heck have I been?"  And JoshK, I'm sure most would not mind you bringing back your previous avatar.

[milford3]

Listening to Ordos - House of the Dead now on my newly acquired Senn HD 800's.  It's dark and up my alley music.  Now back to March madness.

[gregcss]

Buckethead - Soothsayer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adV8-_hgL4g

[JoshK]

For those of you who like Tool style proggie hard rock/alt metal, AMG pointed out a good album by Vangough.    I think it is pretty good, cleaning singing.  I pretty much agree with the review on the whole of the album, but not necessarily the same nitpicks.   Good enough that I will likely buy it.  I like it better than SOEN that everyone is raving about. 

http://www.angrymetalguy.com/vangough-warpaint-review/

I don't always agree with their reviews 100%, but I usually find when they really like an album it is definitely worth checking out. 

An old album that I recently 'found' is Immortal's At the Heart of Winter.   I had heard of Immortal but wrote them off as another satanic Norwegian Black Metal band.  That was a mistake.  Yes they have a huge black metal styling, but it would be a shame to sum them up like that.   Worth a serious spin if you don't know of them.

https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-heart-of-winter

Venenum - Trance of Death is really good if you like death metal.  They have an interesting spin on the subgenre which I find interesting. 

Entombed - Left Hand Path  is another old school swedish death metal record that I came upon long after the hey day, but this record is a gem.

That is a bit all over the map in terms of recommendations.

[FireGuy]

Up for tomorrow night in Cleveland... Delain and Hammerfall.  I got a small taste of Delain when they opened for Nightwish couple years ago.  Charlotte's vocal is spectacular.  Looking forward to a much longer set.  First time to see Hammerfall.

[jarcher]

Power trip / Nightmare Logic - got to be one of the best thrash albums I've heard since I can remember. Executioners Tax is especially good!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kPwPwSQE9bs

[FireGuy]

Up for tomorrow night in Cleveland... Delain and Hammerfall.  I got a small taste of Delain when they opened for Nightwish couple years ago.  Charlotte's vocal is spectacular.  Looking forward to a much longer set.  First time to see Hammerfall.

Most excellent concert trip to Cleveland last week.   This is a relatively long tour for both bands as their sets were concise and structured.   That was just fine... and playing in a smaller venue (Agora Theater) gave you that intimacy larger arenas just can't match.   Delain was extremely impressive on all accounts.  They have become one the top Symphonic Metal bands in the world and if they come anywhere near the northeast again, I'm there.

[FireGuy]

Finally got booking information on the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise Feb 1st 2018.  Here are the bands so far.  Way more to come.  It's going to be insane.  Looking forward to Insomnium, Wolfheart and October Tide.

The following 21 of 60 bands have been announced: AETERNAM, ALESTORM, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DARK TRANQUILLITY, ENSLAVED, GOATWHORE, GYZE, IN EXTREMO, INSOMNIUM, KORPIKLAANI, KREATOR, MESHUGGAH, NECROPHOBIC, OBSCURA, OCTOBER TIDE, PRIMAL FEAR, RHAPSODY, SEPTICFLESH, SEPULTURA and SONATA ARCTICA and WOLFHEART.

[milford3]

Finally got booking information on the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise Feb 1st 2018.  Here are the bands so far.  Way more to come.  It's going to be insane.  Looking forward to Insomnium, Wolfheart and October Tide.

The following 21 of 60 bands have been announced: AETERNAM, ALESTORM, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DARK TRANQUILLITY, ENSLAVED, GOATWHORE, GYZE, IN EXTREMO, INSOMNIUM, KORPIKLAANI, KREATOR, MESHUGGAH, NECROPHOBIC, OBSCURA, OCTOBER TIDE, PRIMAL FEAR, RHAPSODY, SEPTICFLESH, SEPULTURA and SONATA ARCTICA and WOLFHEART.

I'm looking forward to Wolfheart and October Tide.  This will be my first cruise.  Insane indeed!

[JoshK]

I want to try to go this year.  The lineup looks great. 

For me, I've seen Meshuggah twice and both times they were insanely good, so I won't miss seeing them again.   I saw Dark Tranquility once but honestly I got a bit hammered and don't remember that much of the show (oops), but I love that band!  I've seen Enslaved once and loved them.

Really looking forwards to seeing Wolfheart and Insomnium, neither of which I've seen before.  Goatwhore should be great to see, same with Korpiklaani, Obscura, Septicflesh, Kreator.  I'll have to check out October Tide, don't know them.

[JoshK]

Oh I know October Tide.  That is the problem with so many albums and bands

[Ericus Rex]

Went to pick up the new and long-awaited Akercocke album and Newbury Comics was sold out! Bet they didn't plan for that.

 Been enjoying Cobalt, Voices and Antichrist Imperium lately too.

[JoshK]

I know who Akercocke are...french black metal band right?

The others are new to me. 

I've been listening to a lot of stuff, but recently found Goatwhore.  Listening to a lot of Dissection, Vinterland, Sacrementum, Unaminated, and other blackened melodic death.

[JoshK]

Need a kick start to this thread again....

How about this topic?   (my degrees were in stats/applied math and I am a metalhead)

http://www.degeneratestate.org/posts/2016/Apr/20/heavy-metal-and-natural-language-processing-part-1/


I just got back from cottage country in the north of Ontario, hiking in the super warm fall and drinking scotch on the deck of a cottage on the lake.  This is my mood now:

Wolfheart - Winterborn

[HAL]

Elder : Lore

[FireGuy]

Very well done (melodic death/doom) by Cold Insight.  I've seen written they echo of the band Rapture.  I so agree.   Vocal is spot on too; given the genre. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFI1f0qxHGo&t=2226s

[simoon]

The new Contortionist, Clairvoyant,  is pretty amazing!

Not quite as good as their previous, Language, but still great.

Great, complex melodies, some nice atmospheres, chops galore, and emotion.


http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=post;topic=97938.600;last_msg=1645193

[kingdeezie]

+1.

I think I am starting to like it more than Language however. It took a while to grow on me, but it just flows so well from start to finish. Monochrome (Pensive) is an excellent closing track.

[HAL]

Black Sabbath : Sabbath Bloody Sabbath in HiRez

[JoshK]

So I imagine you guys that are going on the Cruise are getting super stoked right now!!  I tried to get a last minute ticket, but no luck so far.  I was going to try to pull it off last minute.   The lineup is insane!

If I were to make it, this is my must see list (haven't seen before, an many are European bands that don't tour NA much):
Aeternam
Benighted
In Mourning
Septic Flesh
Naglfar
Necrophobic
Wolfheart
Obscura
Voivod
October Tide

Plus bands I absolutely love, but have seen before, still want to see again:
Dark Tranquillity (seen twice)
Meshuggah (seen twice and they are insane)
Enslaved (seen once before opening for Amon Amarth and seeing them again on the 20th of Feb)
Goatwhore (once before, excellent live)
Insomnium (seen once and am seeing in May again)
Beyond Creation (seen once in tiny venue, fantastic)
Swallow the Sun  (seen twice and they are fantastic live)

Then there are bands I probably would like to see like:
Sepultura
Aborted
Exhumed
Alestorm could be fun even though it isn't my style
Cannibal Corpse just because
Kreator is worth seeing
Witchery
Gyze

That would be pretty hard to pull off I think.  No sleep.

Who are you guys absolutely seeing?