Hi, I have been frequenting these forums for a little while now, and seen so many bands mentioned I have no idea where to start. The biggest problem for me is finding actual songs, the only way in which I can download is by searching on google. Therefore, I require a few bands who have quite a bit of material I might be able to find a bit easier, rather than a few hundred bands who only released one good EP or something.

I havent been into metal for a terribly long time, but I like to think im above the drooling Metallica/Slayer/Slipknot/Dimmu/CoF fanboys in terms of musical taste. Here is a detailed synopsis of the bands I enjoy.

Power Metal:

Dragonforce (Valley of the Damned only)
Edguy
Elvenking
Gamma Ray
Sonata Arctica
Stratovarius
Blind Guardian
Demons and Wizards
Kamelot

Thrash Metal:

Testament
Annihilator
Death Angel
Kreator
Exodus (BOTH new and old)
Overkill

Death/Melo-death type bands:

Amon Amarth
Behemoth
Cryptopsy
Carcass
Dark Tranquility
Death
Decapitated
Deicide
Divine Heresy
Ensiferum
Into Eternity
Kalmah
Kataklysm
Morbid Angel
Obituary
Opeth
Scar Symmetry

Other:

Wintersun
Turisas
Aerosmith
ACDC
Judas Priest
Jamiroquai
SYL
Nevermore
Symphony x

Although there are obviously lots I havent mentioned, those make up about 70% of my music collection. They are usually the most popular/flagship bands within their sub-genre, and I would like some band suggestions for my "next steps". I do buy albums sometimes, but am short of money a lot and like to download a couple tracks first anyway.

I would mostly like to discover more Melodic Death Metal bands, both the more obvious melodic kind with clean singing and the variety that is actually Death Metal. A couple of power metal bands would be nice too, and some thrash or death.

You may notice a distinct lack of black metal in here, and that's because i have little interest in the genre, having only liked Early Satyricon and Behemoth.

A few characteristics I enjoy in my music include: vocalists with high vocal ranges and who do a lot of changes with their voice, such as Nevermore, Into Eternity, Symphony x and Scar Symmetry, but also with some anger like with Amon Amarth. Powerful, driving riffs such as ones off Cryptopsy's None so Vile and Exodus's later work I enjoy. I also love a bit of technical wankery, I dont mind if theres loads of it, I just like a lot of things going on so I dont get bored. Examples of this include Death's Sound of Perserverance, Wintersun, Ensiferum, Symphony x, Kalmah and Nevermore. Fun factor is also good. Catchy, happy tunes that bands like Sonata Arctica and Death Angel create would be nice.F

My final qualm is production. I have visited the band-sanctioned download links thread, and found many of the bands in there quite unlistenable due to terrible production. I can't listen to albums like Blasphemy Made Flesh, and am put off Altars of Madness just because I like the sounds to be a little clearer. So I would prefer SLIGHTLY more recent metal because of this.

Apologies for the long post, and any mistakes I made that might contribute to it being a bitch to read.

Fire away with your reccomendations

Judging by the title, I thought this thread was going to recommend the Phil Collins song of the same name.

Thrash -
Forbidden (Quite progressive and technical)
Holy Terror (Production may be a tad thin for you but vocalist has a fantastic range)
Vendetta (specifically the album Brain Damage. A lot more tempo changes than the usual thrash and the vocalist s really good. You may like their more recent material to since you like Exodus)
National suicide (New band that sounds like Tempo of the Damned with Bobby Blitz from Overkill on vocals)
Ultimatum (Been around a while and Into the Pit is a fantastic album with an up to date production. Vocalist has a great range to.)

And since you like Nevermore then you have to listen to Communic.

If you want to try something different, but excellent:
Dissection, slightly blackened melodic death
In Extremo, medieval metal
Eluveitie, medieval folk + melodic death

Stuff you may or may not have heard but that is along the lines of other bands you listen to:

God Dethroned
Grave
Fleshcrawl
Unearth
In Flames
Total Devastation
Vital Remains
Suffocation
Desultory
Exhorder

Thanks for the help guys, I shall check out some bands.



Sorry to pick you out, but this is the kinda post I dont want. A little extra information with reccomendations on why I should take time looking at them would be appreciated. I love Eluveitie, and despise In flames. The others i havent heard or am apathetic towards.

Death/Melo-Death
The Absence from the US are brilliant Melodic Death metal with two stellar CDs released to their name so far. I would recommend either as they are both great albums but their second album "Riders Of The Plague" may appeal to you more as the production values are better than the first. Oh and their solos fucking own.

Bloodbath's excellent album "Nightmares Made Flesh" is a death metal album that you would probably enjoy and if you like Opeth you might wanna check out their EP "Unblessing The Purity" in which Mikael Åkerfeldt does the vocals.

Nile is always a good death metal bet too. If you don't know them by now check out their album "Annihilation of the Wicked" as its probably a good place to start for them.

Never hurts to check out Dying Fetus either. They have a few great albums here and there. You could start with their most recent "War of Attrition" which is a good slab of brutal and technical death metal or you could look at some older classics like their excellent EP "Grotesque Impalement"

Severe Torture is pretty freaking sweet. I love their album Fall Of The Despised so check that out as its a good slab of unadulterated brutal death.

Black Metal

Naglfar (Sweden) are a pretty excellent melodic black metal band. But don't let the melodic part confuse you as it still remains heavy stuff and its got great power to it. You may enjoy the albums 'Pariah' and 'Harvest'

Cobalt (US) are a much lesser known black metal band but are equally good. Somewhat folky in influence they pack a real punch with their debut "War Metal" and their second album is a brilliant but much subtler work.

Katatonia's album Dance Of December Souls may appeal if you like doom/black/death metal rolled into one and their album Brave Murder Day is more death doom that is as good as it gets. The death metal vocals performed on Brave Murder Day were also by Mikael Åkerfeldt.

Other:
Can't go wrong with Electric Wizard's doom metal expertise. Try their album "Witchcult today"

Anaal Nathrakh are a brilliant band. Death metal mixed with black metal mixed with grindcore mixed with industrial mixed with several other genres. Theres nothing else like them. Try them out.

If you want to check out bands who have quite a bit of material, you should check out Hellveto, he has quite a few albums. One-man project of L.O.N. and he uses orchestral instruments throughout. I believe it is pagan/folk metal with slavonic blackish vocals later on. (he sounds more and more slavonic as time passes by )

I believe you can also check out Sear Bliss, they have quite a few albums (black metal and a trombone, heheh) their best materials are their first two albums (Phantoms / The Haunting) and the last album (The Arcane Odyssey) but you can check out the others as well, though the vocals aren't as great in the middle-era. Even though you mentioned you aren't interested in black so much, this isn't that old-school death like Burzum and Blut Aus Nord, because I don't like those either.

If you like Katatonia's Brave Murder Day and Sounds of Decay as the post above mentioned, then you should check out October Tide's Rain Without End, of the same vein.

You could also check out Agalloch's full-lengths, because they're pretty good. I don't really know how to put them in a genre, though. -.- Their EPs are bad, however.

For technical wankery, you can check out Arsis... Technical death. I don't like that genre, but it seems to me that you might.

You will love old 'In Flames'.

Get their 'Colony' album.

I also recommend Suidakra who are a speed metal esq melo death band.

EDIT:

Anyways, to the original poster:

If you like thrash, check out Vio-Lence, Forbidden, Sabbat, and Heathen.



You do know that you can blog search for download links, right? Because searching for links directly through google is very, very, hard

And the point is? If he despises them, he can't love their stuff, old and new alike.

Well, he didn't specify which era of In Flames he hated

But seriously, how can someone love Eluvitei and hate In Flames? Both are of the same breed, Eluvitei just have some strange foreign instruments with them.

Dunno, I don't listen to that kind of music anyway.

I despise In Flames yet their older stuff is godly. If I listen to only material from their past 4 albums I would think they where shit all the way through.

Its like if someone says they dont like Bathory, well they band has different eras and a hugely different sound. You may not like both, but in the case of In Flames if you like Dark Tranquility, Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, there is no way in hell In Flames are to be despised.

In flames had bad vocals, atleast when Anders was the vocalist. Bathory, Dark tranquillity, Amon amarth and Arch enemy atleast have decent vocals, In flames is another story.

What if I think AA and AE are OK, and DT and IF are utter garbage?

No offense man, but no one is going to hand you all of metal on a silver platter; you're going to have to do some exploring on your own. I suggest reading the mountains of reviews that have been written for the bands you listed, and checking other positive reviews written by people whose reviews you identify with; if you want specific recommendations for specific genres, go to the appropriate help thread.

Here are some links to a few genre surveys we did a while back, which should give you some ideas of what's well-liked around here:
http://www.metal-archives.com/board/vie ... hp?t=31932
http://www.metal-archives.com/board/vie ... hp?t=32135
http://www.metal-archives.com/board/vie ... hp?t=31207