I live in the UK and over the last few weeks we've had quite a bit of snow. As per usual in the UK, snow is attributed to the apocalypse and the end of the world in general, everything breaks down, schools are all shut, work places close and general mayhem is created.
Now every time it snows I listen to Agalloch's ashes against the grain. Its a beautiful album, a real masterpiece. The whole album reminds me of snow and winter, its so cold and melancholy but awesome at the same time. I was wondering if there are any other bands/songs/genres/albums that make you think of a season or an element, like fire or autumn etc

Sure there are...If it's late November and it rains, there isn't a better album than Lake of Tears' Forever Autumn

Then, my grandparents are from Ukraine, from a village near Romania, surrounder by the Carpathians...everytime I visit them, I take a walk through the forest and the mountains...Satyricon's Dark Medieval Times is the soundtrack...last year I visited them during winter...guess what band did I listen to all those days?
And the list doesn't stop here

Edit:
If it's darkness, it's Burzum 96 or 99...if it's a rainy day, besides Lake of Tears, there's October Tide's Rain Without End or Draconian's Arcane Rain Fell...of course, Agalloch....Pale Folklore is my favourite...winter and solitude

Immortal's "At The Heart Of Winter" would be an obvious one, ice cold razor riffs, great release and the new album "All Shall Fall" has a similar sound and effect.But for a better atmosphere these two are a great listen - Drudkh's "Autumn Aurora" is a must, the album is a journey through the season's and you can hear it in the music, their best release imo which create's a wonderful atmosphere. You could also try Nargaroth's "Jahreszeiten", which also cycles through the season ending with winter, jam packed full of great melodies and a very solid, enjoyable listen.

When I listen to Sonata Arctica I tend to think I'm in a beautiful snowstorm or in an icy landscape.
Cor Scorpi's debut on the other hand, is the perfect album for an ugly snowstorm I mean, it's full of amazing, yet dark melodies and that feeling of coldness and winter. Same thing happens with Sacramentum's Far Away From The Sun.

Very rarely do I listen to black metal when it's not snowing/freezing. There's nothing quite like walking in a blizzard blasting Ceremonial Castings.

I tend to listen to really depressing doom metal during the winter. Such as Warning, Solstice, The River, etc. Though lately I've been listening to a lot of Barathrum which is black metal with some doom influences.

Basically anything ever recorded by Paysage d'Hiver and Vinterriket. I often take their albums out for long walks, it works wonderfully. There's a fuckload of other bands that try their best to come close to the mastery in conjuring a specific, chilly atmosphere those two bands have, but almost all fail miserably, ColdWorld being one of the few exceptions (yes, i know how corny that name sounds).

The aforementioned Drudkh is also something i'd consider a benchmark in creating a visceral season aura. Their copy-catty Russian colleague from Windbruch succeeded to some degree in cloning that specific feel. There's lots more, i'm sure, but those would be the most prominent examples for me.

I used to disbelieve specific settings could enhance particular atmospheres some bands are trying to create. I was a fool, a damn fool.

I always found (most) Agalloch more Autumnal.

But yes, in this ridiculous snowy English weather I'm rather partial to a some kind of black metal just for entertainment's sake. Need to acquire some more Wintery stuff so keep suggesting things people!

Pelican

One of their songs is titled "Autumn Into Summer". Their albums just give off a sense of summer's uplifting spirit for those so inclined to go out in the day. Might be because they play in major keys too.

Two years (even a year ago) I'd have said Black Metal myself, now upon discovering NWOHM i'd say Motorhead is Ideal for Winter conditions. wrapped up in a Leather Jacket, Boots and with the -5'c frost making my breath ice up its perfect with a small whiskey in hand.
Winter is personally too dark and depressing for it to be filled the same with Black Metal, thats more reserved for Autumn when nature is beginning to hibernate and the leaves are shedding.

A lot of fall/winter metal here, but what about summer? I think of Elvenking's "Heathenreel" as the most summery album I know, to the point where I "can't" listen to it in winter like many people avoid wintry BM in summer. Everything on that CD is natural-sounding and ridiculously upbeat, a great way to celebrate the warm weather and break from school (though I wonder if I'll still like it after I graduate and get a full-time job ) I usually go for a lot of other folk metal in the summer: Finntroll, Korpiklaani, early Moonsorrow and others.

The last thread like this suggested Primordial for autumn, which fits like a glove for most of their albums-particularly "Jounrey's End" with its melancholic themes. But I've found "Spirit the Earth Aflame" as being more summery, with its warmer production, laconic guitar melodies (particularly in the title track and "Gods to the Godless") and more epic style.

Insomnium is a must for my Autumn soundtrack

EDIT: Dammit I went online drunk again!



http://www.metal-archives.com/board/vie ... hp?t=60825

SPRING - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiMvzEHxfg8

Though it's quite a..."controversial" track, 'Frühling' ( = Spring) by Nargaroth from his latest album Jahreszeiten ( = Seasons) really is very fitting for the season 'Spring'.

SUMMER - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiSlvqRSY1M

Horn has brought us many wonderful songs inspired by nature. This one in particular reminds me of summer. Quite happy, though with a hint of melancholy here and there to remind me that the warmest peak of summer already has passed and autumn, inevitably, is coming.

AUTUMN - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bm-kdLwBVc

'Dunkelheit' from Burzum for me is a song about the oncoming winter. As the days are getting shorter, darkness creeps closer, bringing along colder temperatures...

WINTER - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGlnhtH3ym0

Oh this just oozes winter in so many ways.


EDIT: didnt spot STORMMs comment already advising Nargaroth's latest release. Still, worth checking!

Very, very much.. the best examples would be;

Agalloch - Of Stone, Wind and Pillor (=Autumn)

Lake of Tears - Forever Autumn (=Autumn)

Dissection - Where Dead Angels Lie (=Winter)

Swallow the Sun - Decending Winters (=Winter)

Freedom Call - Land of Light (=Summer)

+ much more.. but in general, most of black metal goes to Winter, most folk to Autumn, power to summer or winter...

Totally second Pasage D'Hiver dont know how I forgot about them, for me the winter effect is best on the ambient only album "Die Festing", stunning.Another band I will throw in that create a very dark, evil, winter music would be Poland's Evilfeast, very overlooked, grimm stuff indeed check them out here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5ybQ-ap ... re=related

Also very overlooked guys check out Lustre, excellent stuff for a winters day, black ambient and well worth a listen -

http://www.myspace.com/lustresweden

Most of Melechesh's work (most notably Sphinx and Emissaries) reminds me of a massive desert under a relentlessly scorching sun, while a blistering sandstorm in the distance prepares to engulf the listener.

Nothing better than walking in the hills around my home. Listening to Agalloch, admiring whoever originally carved out the excellence that is the woodlands.

I feel there is no better time to listen to Agalloch, during the cold, harsh winter. Their music beautifully compliments the ice grasping the landscape. I get a particularly wonderful shiver up my back when I listen to Pale Folklore around this one gigantic, grand, very aged gnarled oak tree, it lies behind the tree line directly behind my house. Leaves never grow on it, but it's natural beauty is remarkable. Twisted and warped over time, it remains as a prominent landmark for me around these parts. My words cannot do it justice, truly a serene sight.

Nature and great Tunes, how thrilling it can be A match made in the bowels of Satan's Cavern.

There's a bunch that really work well for winter. Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger, Agalloch's Pale Folklore... I could go on, but there's a lot.

Summer is definitely a great season for Alcest, but the one song that really reminds me of summer is Burzum's "Rundtgåing Av Den Transcendentale Egenhetens Støtte". The simplicity of it and its clarity just reminds me of the beauty of summer.

Well it's summer over here in Australia, and lately I've found myself listening to a lot of Atheist and Sepultura as they both remind me of hot, summer weather. I must have listened to Beneath the Remains about 10 times yesterday.

Hell yeah! I mean, many (good) thrash album remind me of a hot summer day. Especially the Bay Area thrashers.

Old Wainds anyone? When I need some icy riffing and atmosphere this is one of the first bands I turn to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMiiaIcLKls

When I listen to Immortal Souls I always get a feeling of it being in the middle of the winter. They can create such an amazing atmosphere behind their songs and they even have lyrics about winter. For example, "Welcome to North", "Edge of the Frost" and "Everwinter."

Whenever I hear Opeth I always think of the Fall seasons.

Who doesn't like to listen to Black/Thrash/Crust during an ash storm?

Psychedelic Drone/Doom during a monsoon.

Progressive/Black/Industrial Metal during a meteor shower.

W.A.S.P.'s Still Not Black Enough is definitely a rainy, foggy autumn morning.

When I listen to Rhapsody's Power of the Dragonflame, Symphony X's Paradise Lost, and Helloween's Keeper of the Seven Keys, I kinda get a feeling of spring.

Summer, I tend to listen to Equilibrium's Sagas and Warbringer's Waking Into Nightmares

Fall, Eluveitie's Slania, Kroda's Fimbulvinter , and Agalloch's Ashes Against The Grain.

And finally winter, I tend to play alot of Kroda's Cry to me River, Crowbar's Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form, and Mayhem's Deathcrush

Arcknum when its summer and in a mid-day forest









HAILZ

I think that Summoning is best music for summer. It's hard for me to listen to Summoning in winter because their music creates a picture of old green forests to my mind.
Emperor's In the Nigthside Eclipse is best music for winter along with Paysage d'hiver. It's amazing experience to walk in a forest when it's cold and the moon shines and listen to these bands.

Same, Nile has a similar effect as well. For some reason I always think of summer when I listen to Soulfly (Prophecy mainly).

And as people have said Black Metal tends to work better for Winter.

quoted for truth.. Summoning reminds me of summer for sure. But hell, it's so awesome I listen to it in winter too..

Well yeah you speak the truth. I listen to it in winter too but it has far more greater affect on me in summer.

Winter Madness by Wintersun... I'm sure you can figure out what season that song makes me think of.

But for a song without the season in the name, Victoria's Secret by Sonata Arctica has a wintery feeling to me, especially the beginning melody.

Battles in the North by Immortal unfailingly reminds me of a winter blizzard. The Mantle by Agalloch reminds me of november i would say.