Metal and Dark Music

I love metal and rock and psychedelic stuff. I must admit to being partial to bands with female opera-like singers (Nightwish, Epica, you name it) and I have a huge love of bands that incorporate classic music in their work (Therion, Haggard, Apocalyptica). Many of these bands have connections with mythology, new age, history, religion etc. in their lyrics. I feel at peace when I listen to it.

The only metal I cannot stand is the so-called black metal, because that makes me sick to my stomach. It is far too dark and negative for my liking. Metal should be offering notes of criticism concerning everyday life and society, incorporating values from many sources and wholly eclectic in the use of instruments and voices. As long as it has that, we're good..

[Deusdrum]

Originally Posted by tilia

Can you maybe recomend some D&B? I love Prodigy but also love Metallica (And Justice) Tool (10000 Days), Monster Magnet (saw them saturday.. love the 3 albums before Megalithic Baby), Sepultura (Arise).... I have a feeling I would like D&B if only I could find some that actually has some real drums and some base... not high pitched fast winy stuff!

I most certainly can *rubs hands together*

You may not like some of these, but here are some to check out or whatever on youtube, go from there.

I like the early Roni Size (not for everyone maybe) especially the album 'In the Mode' though i heard 'Reprazent' first and really liked it, was given it by highschool friend (another highschool friend gave me DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing' cause he didn't like it lol, it's not drum and bass, but i find it crazy that anyone would give that album away, this was before burnt cd's and internet downloads, anyways..)

Love London Elektricity, at least there 'Power Ballads' album quite a bit. Andy C - Nightlife series, apparently #2 is really good, i got 5 the other day and really love it, some of it isn't too special but there's like close to 40 songs and 2 continuous mixes if you get it from itunes, the longer continous mix is phenomenal.

For bit heavier darker stuff; Noisia. Dirty and Grimy, pretty bangin.

Not crazy about the new pendulum, actually don't like it besides one track or so, and get sick of it easily. It's on the emo rock side, not my style but like a track or two from it, if you are into pendulum, probably 'Hold Your Colour' their first one is the way to go. Maybe i am being snobbish though, haven't listened to it much, besides a couple tracks. not hating on anyone or anything lol

the Freestylers did Fabric Live 19 i believe it was, and my friend and i have listened to that one into the ground verrry good. There other stuff i find little too on the pop side. High Contrast is hit or miss for me, but has some really good material also in my opinion.

Sub Focus, prefer his older stuff. Culture Shock is one that ive come across lately with some really deadly material, highly recommended.

You may have heard of lot's of these, im not that well versed in the genre, so i'm still discovering stuff, ones i've mentioned are pretty mainstream.

DJ Craze maybe.. great DJ the album i have of his is alright i guess,

Commix you might like. Actually, 'Return to V' is any Roni Size album that went through the listening rotation for awhile.

Sometimes i will love some stuff by a producer but absolutely hate other stuff. My friend played me an Andy C mix, and i found it annoying and couldn't stand it, but the CD i have is some of the best i've heard in awhile.

Black Sun Empire, Evol Intent, Dieselboy,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB4jvQsv6oM (culture shock track that i love)

Oooh oh ya, The Qemists 'Join the Q' is pretty good, it has a track with Mike Patton (from 'Faith No More') that i like a lot.

Kamo and Crooked, few of their tracks i've heard and liked.. Hive is good group. Ed Rush and Optical also.

All i can think of lol hope this points you in some promising directions.

P.E.A.C.E. ~

[Deusdrum]

Originally Posted by tilia

I also, personally dislike "empty music".. songs about love that have just been churned out because they sell... they could sound high vibrational, and have lovely sentiments but because the intention when they were written was "just write another love song" they are totally ineffectual.

Another interesting example is a band called Ministry.... they are an industrial band and in their time considered VERY heavy and VERY dark sounding.. but they were writing about environmental issues, human rights, how the american government were getting it soo wrong. It sounded very bad, but it was actually quite important stuff they were saying.

I forgot about Ministry. Have an album of theirs around somewhere i think. I loved that one Bob Dylan cover they did.

Also listen to KMFDM periodically, WW3 was good pump up tune. Good kind of revolutionary/anti government-establishment music. Forgot about industrial music almost.

I completely agree with you on the overly emo music also, i feel like it encourages kids or whoever to feel sorry for themselves, too sentimental, and influences one's mood, especially those prone to depression and apathy already.

SunSister - you mentioned dark metal, or death metal.. yeah personally not a fan. Knew couple guys in highschool who were into heavy crazy death metal. To each their own i guess. Was watching a documentary death metal last year sometime, and their is this group in the Netherlands or somewhere that went around burning down churches that's taking yourself way too seriously in my opinion. Stuff like Cannibal Corpse i can stand for about 14 seconds, then it becomes too much lol.

An album that i would consider on the dark side, it is break beat/ big beat with sort of punk mentality that i listened to a ton is 'How to Operate with a Blown Mind' by the Lo - Fidelity Allstars. I listen to this sometimes when i am in an angry/somewhat dark mood, and it fits like a glove.

I think with any dark music, there is a fine line between being comforted and dwelling upon the feeling for too long.

I used to listen to 'Downward Spiral' quite a bit for awhile, now i do not listen to any Nine Inch Nails ever. It's not that i don't think Reznor is a bad musician or anything, but just find the influence quite contrary to what im going for lately. Plus downward spiral i later learnt was recorded in the house where the Tate murder took place, so there is no way i can support that in any sense of the word.

from wikipedia;

To record the album, Reznor rented the house located at 10050 Cielo Drive in Beverly Hills, California where actress Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family in 1969. Reznor built a studio space in the house which he named Le Pig, after the message that was scrawled on the front door with Tate's blood by her murderers. Reznor told Entertainment Weekly that despite the notoriety attached to the house, he chose to record there because, "I looked at a lot of places, and this just happened to be the one I liked most." Reznor moved out of the house in December 1993, after he said "there was too much history in that house for me to handle." After the album's recording, Reznor moved out and the house was demolished shortly thereafter.[8] Reznor made a statement about working in the Tate house during a 1997 interview with Rolling Stone:

While I was working on Downward Spiral, I was living in the house where Sharon Tate was killed. Then one day I met her sister. It was a random thing, just a brief encounter. And she said: 'Are you exploiting my sister's death by living in her house?' For the first time, the whole thing kind of slapped me in the face. I said, 'No, it's just sort of my own interest in American folklore. I'm in this place where a weird part of history occurred.' I guess it never really struck me before, but it did then. She lost her sister from a senseless, ignorant situation that I don't want to support. When she was talking to me, I realized for the first time, 'What if it was my sister?' I thought, ' *bleep* Charlie Manson.' I went home and cried that night. It made me see there's another side to things, you know?[9]

Make of that what you will..

There is another whole area of dark music, namely, hip hop, that hasn't been addressed yet. Would be curious to hear opinions on that as well. Some great though dark, hip hop out there. Whole big boatload of controversy lol if anyone wishes to go there.

[Deusdrum]

actually come to think of it, DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing' is a great example of 'good' dark instrumental hip hop. Noisia and Black Sun Empire example of good dark drum n bass.

i used to be a metal head. soulfly, white zombie, otep, and red chord were some of my favs but i grew bord of it. i like stuff like quantic and spongle and indie rap like el-p and lightheaded. metal just is not poetic and deep enough. its a bit repetitive. im really extreme with my music though, i dont like many things, it has to be mind blowing for me to rock it out.
if you love metal heres the metal of underground hip hop. some el-p lyrics, this guys a mad genius:


Everything must go

I wanna sell you the dream
I wanna watch you come apart at the seams

Excuse me, little child, why the devious smile?
Well, I've become what I've forsaken and the irony's wild
Are you in charge of this outfit? Nah, not me, cousin
I wrestle with distinction from the chompers of a buzzard

Horse hooves and meat i'm glued to the beat grindin'
Stolen hovercraft draggin' a bass stab behind it
Every little phrase is designed for y'all to rewind it
Every brittle phase has an expiration assignment

See cop smile, peep cops gun
Now see little juvenile me in Reeboks run
Through the projected transformation of the catacombs, son
Makin' it home's so fun

If you're alone, don't sweat 'cause you're alone with the best
The underrated phrase mason who's leakin' pain to cassette
If you hate lies, don't fret 'cause I can't lie about this
At least I'm honest when I tell you that my mind's full of $#*+
(mods don't kill me please)

Originally Posted by Deusdrum

SunSister - you mentioned dark metal, or death metal.. yeah personally not a fan. Knew couple guys in highschool who were into heavy crazy death metal. To each their own i guess. Was watching a documentary death metal last year sometime, and their is this group in the Netherlands or somewhere that went around burning down churches that's taking yourself way too seriously in my opinion. Stuff like Cannibal Corpse i can stand for about 14 seconds, then it becomes too much lol.

That wasn't in my country, but happened mostly in Norway. The ones that go around burning down churches are usually connected with black metal, which is (in my opinion) much worse than anything death metal can throw at you. I do listen to death metal every once in a while, but although it is not a favourite it doesn't make me feel sick either. Black metal, on the other hand, has built up a pretty bad name for itself over the years. There have been murders, church burnings, suicides (one of which was depicted on the cover of a black metal album), national socialism, cases of insanity and so on and so forth connected with this particular stream within metal music.

Some take themselves far too seriously. Others take it as a big joke. Whatever it is, though.. it's not something I want to spend my energy on/with. Death metal might have the icky death-name, but black metal has the deeds to show for it.

[psychoslice]

Gee, I like Marilyn Manson and Eminem, AC/DC, it doesn't bother my spiritual side at all, I think in some ways it enhancers it, but that's me.

[Deusdrum]

El-p is good for sure. Have 'Cannibal Ox' which is what i would consider dark hip-hop. Or cLOUDDEAD which is pretty good in parts, think he is on that as well.

Not a huge fan of some of El-p's flows; some of the more on point lyricists that fall on the darker side, imo, would be Jedi Mind Tricks, Styles of Beyond, Immortal Technique, Vinnie Paz, the first Swollen Members album. I don't listen to any of these guys much anymore, but lyrically they are sickly insane. I love El-p's production though, some really good stuff. Unique, original. He is pioneer of sorts, one of the few doing his own thing, gotta respect that. And his lyrics are fitting to his style. He sort of reminds me of MF Doom or Kool Keith in that his flow is unorthodox. Or Aesop Rock (who is better lyricist IMO) in that the weirdness sort of stumbles out overtop itself in the delivery or something.

Odd Nosdam album 'Burner' is kind of dark, or just unsettling and weird, but good.

Far as other dark hip hop; Like a lot of DJ Spooky's stuff. Gravediggaz - '6 Feet Deep' lot's of early Wu-tang in fact, mainly GZA's Liquid Swords of course, First Method Man album (only one i liked) first Ol' Dirty as well.

One of the more in your face aggressive lyricists (RIP) was Eyedea. Insane flow. Out of Minnesota.

Canibus, like him or not, is a sick lyricist, angry, dark, spits about many metaphysical subjects. He looks like an alien to me as well lol. One of the best, for sure. Don't listen to him much, but must give respect where due. On point.

DMX also. both are too dark personally for my tastes for listening to anymore most of the time, though i have an album from each, but if we are talking bout 'dark' they should be included in the discussion. Then there is Eminem..

The Mars Volta is another band that i like. Not sure if they are dark, but can be pretty heavy. They are kind of emo i guess, but in a good way IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z16-L...eature=related (for example)

[Deusdrum]

Originally Posted by SunSister

That wasn't in my country, but happened mostly in Norway. The ones that go around burning down churches are usually connected with black metal, which is (in my opinion) much worse than anything death metal can throw at you. I do listen to death metal every once in a while, but although it is not a favourite it doesn't make me feel sick either. Black metal, on the other hand, has built up a pretty bad name for itself over the years. There have been murders, church burnings, suicides (one of which was depicted on the cover of a black metal album), national socialism, cases of insanity and so on and so forth connected with this particular stream within metal music.

Some take themselves far too seriously. Others take it as a big joke. Whatever it is, though.. it's not something I want to spend my energy on/with. Death metal might have the icky death-name, but black metal has the deeds to show for it.

wasn't aware that there was a distinction between death metal and black metal.. actually wasn't aware there was a genre called black metal at all. Some of those nordic countries really love there metal. I can barely stand death metal, black metal though is a whole nother level of wrong, by the sounds of it. I like Nightwish a lot, with the first singer anyways.

[Deusdrum]

I heard this from the Sway and Tech album, and it blew my mind. It was the Canibus verse in a freestyle... let me repeat *freestyle*

There are very few if any that could come up with anything that even comes close to this if they took a lifetime to write it, in my opinion.

Yo, I'm a nuclear warhead
Right now you're provokin my detonation
Never test me without proper authorization
My lack of patience has cause me to get mad
And explode right in front of your face like a airbag
Your rhyme is fake, your brain is child's play to manipulate
I create lyrics too intricate to imitate
Movin at a velocity
That'll break your stop-watch if you're clockin me
My concrete jungle is like Jumanji
But iller than what you seen in the cinema
A five foot eight ___ wit more horsepower than twelve cylinders
My brain consists of twin pentium chips
That's double the clock speeds of a 5-86
And nuttin about my physical matrix is basic
I kick flavor beyond what your tongue is capable of tastin
You'll be so surprised you won't believe your own eyes
It's like explainin color to a man that was born blind
One of a kind, I got divine chromosomes in me
My sperm'll scramble the eggs in a women's ovaries
Cuz I'm as original as it gets
And I can't respect, ____ that copy like double-decks
I get vexed, when crab punks bite my style
Cuz I'm sellin a thousand records per day, per square mile
Breakin the laws of phsyics, wit metaphors and lyrics
Speakin to dead poets by conjuring up they spirits
From Shakespeare to Edgar Allen
Yo, the whole Dead Poets Society couldn't mess around wit the talent
Much less understand it
I make type-rope walkers in the circus
lose they balance when I kick the planet

ok, i need to step away from this thread now, lol ikeep coming back obsessively. Time for sleep.