Hi, I'm looking to get into metal. My friend told me to join this site and ask for some things to listen to so I might find some songs I like. As a background to other music I'm into, mostly 70's-90's rock, techno, as well as some nice jazz thrown in. Which leads to the trouble I'm having with getting into metal, the vocals. I can't understand what they are saying most of the time, so tips on understanding the words would help me out a lot. As well as I'd probably enjoy more transitional songs until I ease into the genre more. However, it's really up to your line of thought as to how I should proceed so, make any recommendations you feel are right.

wanna post a few youtube links of songs you like? maybe point out 'I like the vocals here' or 'I like this kind of riffing' etc.?

Dream On - Aerosmith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txlXcJDtDwM
My favourite song at the moment. Like the vocals and the tone of the guitar sounds amazing for me.

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in The Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sio3ZWMeQIM
1:44 - 2:00 Love it

Toto - Hold the Line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsoiXy-EHEE
Lyrics are solid. Love the instrumentals, they add a nice umph to the song.

Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpn8MANhdLU
Kick ass lyrics. Badass instrumentals.

The Rolling Stones - I Can't Get No Satisfaction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpZ3dVpE_pY
Instrumentals are nice and alive. Lyrics are great.

Thats gives a decent spectrum on what I listen to in terms of rock. However I can list some bands that frequently appear on my ipod.

ACDC, Aerosmith, Beetles, Bon Jovi, Finger Eleven, Journey, KISS, Queen, Team America (for the luls), Three Days Grace, Tom Petty, Van Halen, The Who, Weird Al. As well as some other random songs that are just funny, or are for bugging other people (or both) ie. Trololol, Being a Royal Sperm

Theres probably a bunch I'm forgeting but thats the basic line of music I listen to for the most part. I do know how extreme metal can be by the way, as my friend listens to songs with some pretty "neat" names so I'm not worried about being unable to handle it.

If you like Black Sabbath, check out the genre doom metal. Some notable bands: Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble, Witchfinder General, Pagan Altar, Candlemass.

Thanks, for the help. Thats actually metal I can understand. My friend listens to metal full of death screams or w/e they are called. Thought it would be mostly like that honestly. Glad theres some middle ground haha! (Yes I'm this new to metal)

If you're looking to get into the death metal that your friend listens to some good transitional stuff between whats already been suggested and death metal would be stuff like this. You might not be ready for it now but later you can try bands like

Agalloch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlVzgAsVI4I
Swallow the Sun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXgE96mV ... re=related
Insomnium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSJX3Vf8pBU

There's also the whole folk metal genre, i know you didn't mention folk in your OP but its the genre I usually use to get people into metal.

Falkenbach: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFtDA9T9gw
Finntroll: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpeEmUwrznc (one of my favorite bands, incredibly unique sound)
Skyforger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyTNdiHZ ... re=related

I could think of so many more, but I'm far too tired. See what you think of those.

Well if your only qualm with metal is harsh vocals why not give power metal a shot. Power metal is almost exclusively clean or operatic vocals.
Examples (even though it's a subgenre it still varies quite a bit, you may like some but not others)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goE_FADJKUE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W4pVgaX6CU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDqeurLa1Lw

Also I second Falkenbach, incredible stuff.

Folk is fine, I didn't even realize that was a thing LOL. So thanks for your input, I'll check that stuff out.

Well after seeing some of the stuff you guys have shown me, as well as my friend feeding me videos through facebook I guess it was just his death metal that was really insanly hard to understand. Thats what he usually showcases as he loves to freak the shit out of anybody else who is nearby LMAO. So most metal I won't have a problem with understanding and honestly I'd listen to death metal if I could understand it because the lyrics are just so fucked up they make me laugh. Thanks for the help appreciate it alot.

Folk is so awesome. OMG I love bagpipes so much and every other part about it just kicks ass too. Doom fits my foul moods and is a fun ride. Power metal is certainly amazing in it own right, and I've found some stoner music that just blows me away (no pun intended). Thank you to everybody who had helped me find my niche. I'm sure I'll only branch out from here. Have a good day people.

Welcome to the world of metal!
If you like bagpipes, check out Skiltron ! A bonus: They sing with clean vocals.

Skiltron:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1hnAZmZx68

I recommend starting with this album from them:
http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Sk ... ited/77079

Another band that uses clean vocals is Heidevolk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ls_ydHstU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEmdvChp ... re=related

In regards to moving into the world of death metal, you could start off with Dark Tranquillity. Yes, the vocals are mostly harsh, but for the most part they're very clear and decipherable. They make a great bridge between what's been given to you already and the death metal that's initially turned you off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9rPu4tD86A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFEOelTOzkc

Also seconding Agalloch and Insomnium, when you're ready for those.

Hah, maybe we will make a full-fledged metalhead out of my friend, would be nice! I've already recommended to him Midnight(USA), Eluveitie and Blind Guardian which he seemed to really like, if anybody wants to branch off of that. Seems Korpiklaani, toxic holocaust and iron maiden would be some easy next steps.

isn't iron maiden the first logical choice?

and of course similar stuff such as hell

You'll never train yourself to understand the lyrics of bands with harsh vocals, so if that's important to you, don't even bother with death metal, black metal, and "harsh" thrash.

So I'm just going to recommend you my favorite band... The vocals are raspy and can be hard to understand, but it's not growling or anything. Might actually help ease you into harsher vocals. The band is Overkill. Enjoy. You surely will.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPZBH_CLwic

Glad you liked the folk, here are a couple more if you want:

Irminsul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ0Zt-Em ... re=related
Ensiferum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV83Af_lLy8
Turisas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdkBs0VCSX0 (This is a cover of the disco band Boney M, you might find that interesting)

Seconding Dark Tranquility as a death metal band with understandable lyrics. Another good one like that would be Amon Amarth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3WJX1cIuY4

You also might like Alcest, I dunno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8g9QncPOk0

I just saw your list.

You need Circus Maximus so bad.

Really.

Last Goodbye: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFzb50KbCgI
From Childhood's Hour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8SJgoPH69Y
Reach Within: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UxKxSzG8l0
Alive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEa4ikAHMgs
Silence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5G-HRXJSPA

Iron Maiden, Judas Priest...

have you checked out Nightwish? They're latest album is brilliant. no growls.

that's not necessarily true, I've gotten wayyy better at it. I still miss a lot of words, but I'm definitely not lost, unless of course the vocalist can't friggin' enunciate.

there's plenty of growled vocals that are completely intelligible - immolation comes to mind

Yeah, the whole Maiden/Priest/NWoBHM -> Thrash -> everything else route would've been easy enough...

But really, if you want your friend to get into death metal, there's only one way in...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75kpnAFzag

Start him on Willetts, and he'll be singing along with Lord Worm by tea time.

Oh, you would just looove Anaal Nathrakh....
But more seriously, Amorphis might be a good gateway band for the harsher stuff, they don't use many growls and there's a nice folk influence in a lot of their music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRsNZarFGxA

Another band with even less harsh vocals and a lot more Extreme metal-y would be Thy Catafalque. There's a big folk influence in the vocals besides an interesting amount of electronics. Oh, and they're Avant-Garde
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEHiYfrB77o

For the sake of expanding your musical knowledge, I also recommend Les Discrets even if they're not related to what you've said you enjoy so far. There are absolutely no harsh vocals, but apparently they aren't considered metal enough for the MA (They're very related to Alcest which someone mentioned already, but Les Discrets has a less obvious Black metal influence)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ej7Ukjd ... re=related

I definitely second Agalloch, Dark Tranquillity, Swallow the Sun, and Insomnium. And once you get more accustomed to metal, you absolutely must listen to Unexpect.

Folk Doom (Doom in the 'Doom/Death' crossover sense, not the old school Candlemass/Black Sabbath sense)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhIhsZP7MgM

Folk Power
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U4bDH8rchc

If you want to move into death metal, I would recommend looking up In Flames, Soilwork, and Sonic Syndicate. All their recent stuff is really easy, and when you like that, you can move to their older stuff which is a lot more "harsh." Also, all of their material is melodic death metal, so it is much more digestible than brutal or technical death metal.

I just love to walk around the halls and blast Hour of Penance, or when some kid looks through my Ipod.

You could also try The Monolith Deathcult as a gateway death metal band - a lot of their vocals are pretty intelligible, and they have a lot of various influences in their music, e.g. electronics in this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFQdvaU-JlY

Good death metal gateway albums:

Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
Death - Scream Bloody Gore
Entombed - Clandestine