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Funeral_Shadow
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:07 pm
Posts: 558
Location: Zimbabwe
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:15 am 
 

Inspired by the "favorite opening riffs" thread, what is your favorite intro track onto a CD. Not interludes, or outro's, but intros. I'm talking about those either 30 second tid-bits that sound completely different from the actual music on the CD, or maybe they're a spoken word intro that then leads to track #2 which is a song. They're always track #1 on a CD and are not an actual song on the CD.

Something about an intro track is special because usually when you buy a CD, that's the first track you would hear... or at least intended to be heard first. Sometimes, they seem pointless, or serve a major purpose that tells the whole story or sets the mood for a CD.

EDIT: for the sake of not being so anal, the intro track can be attached to the song if it's still a track #1 because I know most intro tracks can be listed on the packaging as a separate track than track #2 but usually isn't when played on a CD.



One I always loved is "Silvester Anfang" by Mayhem off of "Deathcrush". I've been too lazy to research the meaning behind the title meaning, but something about this track is awfully mysterious to me and strange. Yet it's a catchy intro with a nice dub-style snare beat done through rough production. I never skip this track when playing the "Deathcrush" EP.

Also, another off the top of my head, "Kawazu" off of Morbid Angel's "Gateway to Annihilation." It's creepy-crawly insect-whatever-it-is sounding intro has always served interesting; makes me feel like I'm in the scenery depicted in the artwork for the CD.

And of course, "Human" by Celtic Frost on the "Morbid Tales" album. Total classic... just haunting screams... and done right, not like other's attempt at a screaming person intro.
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Snowgrave
Under The Plaintive Sky

Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:31 pm
Posts: 2336
Location: U.S.
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:20 am 
 

Insomnium's "The Gale" on Above the Weeping World. - "When it rains, it pours like hell" :metal::metal::metal:

Also, Skyfire's "Intro" from their debut Timeless Departure. An epic orchestral orgasm of a song.

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CHRISTI_NS_ANITY8
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:46 am
Posts: 968
Location: Italy
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:22 am 
 

We cannot forget the intro to Schizophrenia album by Sepultura and "The Curse" for Bestial Devastation EP. They belong to history!!
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~Guest 153339
Metalhead

Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 1:09 am
Posts: 497
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:34 am 
 

Snowgrave wrote:
Insomnium's "The Gale" on Above the Weeping World. - "When it rains, it pours like hell" :metal::metal::metal:

Also, Skyfire's "Intro" from their debut Timeless Departure. An epic orchestral orgasm of a song.


Reminds me a little of Opeth's prologue to "My Arms, Your Hearse".

Agalloch's "A Celebration..." works it's way perfectly to the preceding song.

The opening for Pathogen's "Bloodine" is also great and works it's way perfectly into the progression of the second song, "Identity Theft".

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Ulflesh
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:01 am
Posts: 265
Location: Romania
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:34 am 
 

the intro of negura bunget - om is fvcking remarcable.

...în cerc deschis...
...şi-n mijloc şad...

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MikeyC
Official Greeter of Broken Hills

Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:16 am
Posts: 14215
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:46 am 
 

This exact thread was done less than 2 months ago, although it's now locked.

http://www.metal-archives.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=43679

EDIT: Okay, I'm a fucking idiot. Carry on.
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The
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:20 am
Posts: 33
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:01 am 
 

Black Moon Overture on Pagan Horns from Nokturnal Mortum.
Simply an epic opening and one of the best instrumentals ever.

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mentalselfmutilation
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:39 pm
Posts: 1362
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:46 am 
 

not really one who is particular to intros, however the intro to Svartsyn's Timeless Reign album is one my fiance and I were listening to recently, great piano stuff.
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Kerpak
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:48 am
Posts: 201
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:53 am 
 

Prelude from Bathory's Nordland I is perfect.
It sets the atmosphere of the album perfectly and then goes to the song Nordland.

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Kathaar
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:12 pm
Posts: 32
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:02 am 
 

Deathspell Omega - Diabolus Absconditus

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Bezerko
Vladimir Poopin

Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:50 am
Posts: 4370
Location: Venestraya
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:08 am 
 

Kerpak wrote:
Prelude from Bathory's Nordland I is perfect.
It sets the atmosphere of the album perfectly and then goes to the song Nordland.


Both of the Nordland albums are defined by brilliant intros that are just as good as the following metal.

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cahuich
Chemical Sexican

Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:31 am
Posts: 678
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:51 am 
 

Judas Priest's The Hellion on Screaming For Vengeance, that's a fucking masterpiece. :headbang:
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spoonhead
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:01 pm
Posts: 209
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:27 am 
 

Ive always loved "Audhumla; Birth Of The Worlds" on Enslaved's Blodhemn

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MM86
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 12:56 am
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:20 am 
 

Carpathian wolves intro by graveland, Darken knows how to really create some great music with a synth.

Sounds like your marching out of hell with an army of skull men banging on war drums, best intro EVER

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_Aargh
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2005 2:11 pm
Posts: 415
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:39 am 
 

cahuich wrote:
Judas Priest's The Hellion on Screaming For Vengeance, that's a fucking masterpiece. :headbang:

Agreed.

Bathory's "Odens Ride over Nordland" is another obvious one. It's just so atmospheric and sets the tone for the album perfectly. However, my favorite would probably be "Innocence and Wrath" from To Mega Therion. So epic, powerful and kind of unique as well. Sadistik Exekution also have a few great intro tracks.

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immortalshadow666
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:58 pm
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Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:46 am 
 

The intro (and title track) to V znameni Perunovho Kruhu by Immortal Hammer is legendary, great drums, keyboard and wind reminding you of spending time in the forest in the middle of a brutal, harsh Slovak winter.

About the only one I can think of right now.
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diabolikon
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Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:33 pm
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Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:46 am 
 

I love the intro of Inpropagation by Carcass on their Necroticism album. It's a wonderful opener.

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RageW
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Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:44 am
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Location: Colombia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:47 am 
 

Invitation by Helloween.

Because it has trains.
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Aquarius
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:17 am
Posts: 572
Location: Czech Republic
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:14 pm 
 

I like a lot these intros:
1.Dark Embrace from German Black/Death band Violation (album Beyond the Graves).
2.The Search Goes by Lunatica (album Fables & Dreams)
I have heard many interesting songs on the first track.
But momentarily i remembered only of the two.

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mrchris
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 7:32 pm
Posts: 873
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:14 pm 
 

To be honest, I don't like these little intros and outros because 1) they're usually stupid, 2) waste of my time and 3) waste of disc space since I have to uncheck them when I rip CDs with Audiograbber.
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DGYDP
Leather Lion

Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:19 pm
Posts: 1047
Location: Belgium
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:39 pm 
 

Artillery's 7:00 From Tashkent, which was written when the band got stuck in the USSR (they got banned from ever playing again) and spent days on a train where Middle-Eastern music was being played 24/7.
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OneRodeToAsaBay
Unangeschnallt den Bullen reingefahren

Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:49 pm
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:40 pm 
 

Both of the ones I thought of were already taken--'Odens Ride Over Nordland' (Blood Fire Death) and 'Ceasuri Rele' (Om). Also, the first bit of 'Into the Catacombs' on Ghoul's Splatterthrash. Hey, people organizing Maryland Deathfest, get Ghoul onto the bill if you haven't yet! I have to see them live at least once, seriously!

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MikeyC
Official Greeter of Broken Hills

Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:16 am
Posts: 14215
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:45 pm 
 

mrchris wrote:
To be honest, I don't like these little intros and outros because 1) they're usually stupid, 2) waste of my time and 3) waste of disc space since I have to uncheck them when I rip CDs with Audiograbber.

I enjoy most kinds of intro's, actually. A lot of people have the same view as you do, but I like them. It gets me more in the zone of an album, somehow.
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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
Posts: 9311
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:51 pm 
 

I really like the intro to Vulpecula's "Fons Immortalis" EP ... really spacey and absolutely great echoing synth tones, including a deep sort of oscilating drone that just sounds superb. The leading melody is a simple but really evocative harmony and the patch used is a kind of semi-brassy but quite electronic sound. The whole thing makes me feel like I'm floating in a void.

I'm also very partial to some of Graveland's intros. MMM88 already mentioned this, but The one on "Carpathian Wolvs" isparticularly strong. You can hear a sort of percussive sound that is a bit like either the marching of boots in the distance or maybe an animalistic padding .. and that, along with the eerie synthh melody that sounds very threatening, continues to grow louder and louder, all accompanied by the sound of an unforgiving wind.
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Last edited by Abominatrix on Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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_Aargh
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2005 2:11 pm
Posts: 415
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:52 pm 
 

MikeyC wrote:
I enjoy most kinds of intro's, actually. A lot of people have the same view as you do, but I like them. It gets me more in the zone of an album, somehow.

Too bad most bands just rip off Bathory nowadays when it comes to intros.

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CrimsonPower
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:23 pm
Posts: 74
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:50 pm 
 

Ensiferum's "Ferrum Aeternum" is a really good first song. Somehow it reminds me of Ennio Morricone's work in the spaghetti westerns. You can really get the picture of Clint Eastwood riding through the dust. Thats the best way to open an album, wonderful melodies on top of an acoustic rhythm guitar with some distant drums backing it up. The following galloping part is great, thats where the image of Eastwood springs to mind. After this you just need a wonderful riff. Unfortunately Iron, the next song doesnt have a good enough riff, its just too basic.

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RageW
Marisa's Harlot

Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:44 am
Posts: 743
Location: Colombia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:00 pm 
 

Some intros are very good, specially when they continue into the first seconds of the album like the Intro of In the Nightside Eclipse. But when they feel like they're a separate, short instrumental song, well they're pointless then.
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JohnGalt
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:35 pm
Posts: 126
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:30 pm 
 

Reign_of_Praine wrote:
Agalloch's "A Celebration..." works it's way perfectly to the preceding song.


Definitely.

I really enjoy an intro when it segues into the opening track of the album, as is the case with this Agalloch song.

Another awesome intro is "Bauglir" from Summoning's "Oath Bound." Extremely epic, and it really sets the tone for the rest of the album.

The only other great intro that I can think of right now is Slough Feg's "The Return of Dr. Universe" from Hardworlder. Again, it sets the tone for the album, and that stop/start riff is so great that I could probably listen to just that song all day.

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jesusbathe
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:58 pm
Posts: 128
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:26 pm 
 

Ulflesh wrote:
the intro of negura bunget - om is fvcking remarcable.

...în cerc deschis...
...şi-n mijloc şad...


Fuck..that intro is fucking remarkable. The first time I spun that album it gave me the chills just listening to the opening. That inhaling noise that the vocalist does made me jump out of my seat! Another good intro is the intro track on Ahab's album. Very spooky but also quite epic.

I also want to point out two closing tracks just for kicks as they deserve some special attention. These are the closing tracks on Horn's "Die Kraft Der Szenarien" and Gris' "Il Etait Une Foret." The latter of the two is particularly amazing.
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Nolan_B
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 10:05 pm
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:31 pm 
 

Winds of the Black Gods - Blasphemy on Fallen Angel of Doom. This intro definitely sets up the atmosphere for this monolith of an album.
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Morbid89
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:07 pm
Posts: 471
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:43 pm 
 

Darkness Our Bride from Cradle of Filth's Principle of Evil Made Flesh is really beautiful and haunting, and really sets the mood for the album quite well. Cradle tend to have excellent intro tracks in general, sometimes better than some of the "proper" songs on their albums haha. I also really like the little bit before Behemoth's Horns Of Baphomet starts, sounds very evil and fits very well.

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Funeral_Shadow
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:07 pm
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Location: Zimbabwe
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:38 pm 
 

Ah, I always loved Dissections intro to the album "Storm of the Lights Bane". The intro is "At The Fathomless Depths", which is a eerie opener with nice dual guitar harmonies that sound like some hi-pitched organ. That is a great synopsis for the rest of the album.
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gomorro
Too Slow to Owl

Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:54 pm
Posts: 964
Location: Peru
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:44 pm 
 

CrimsonPower wrote:
Ensiferum's "Ferrum Aeternum" is a really good first song. Somehow it reminds me of Ennio Morricone's work in the spaghetti westerns. You can really get the picture of Clint Eastwood riding through the dust. Thats the best way to open an album, wonderful melodies on top of an acoustic rhythm guitar with some distant drums backing it up. The following galloping part is great, thats where the image of Eastwood springs to mind. After this you just need a wonderful riff. Unfortunately Iron, the next song doesnt have a good enough riff, its just too basic.
I second you dude... That intro is awesome and it fits perfect with Iron

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KingVold
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:05 am
Posts: 1081
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:49 pm 
 

"Bring Back The Bomb" by Gwar, ont he Album War Party
It sets off the album extremely well. It starts off so suddenly and goes the whole time relentlessly thrashing away. Great song.
Gwar in general ahs always been good at opening (and closing) there albums. Other good album openers from them are "Salamanizer" "Meat Sandwhich" and "Ham on the Bone."

Another good opener is "Chief rebel Angel" by Entombed, ont he Album Mornign Star. In my opinion, that album should ahev been a metal classic, and this song is one of the best cuts from it.
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KingVold
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:05 am
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:51 pm 
 

OneRodeToAsaBay wrote:
Also, the first bit of 'Into the Catacombs' on Ghoul's Splatterthrash.

Agreed. its a great intro. it brings perfectly to mind the kind of festering crypts they sing about. The organ is cool also. i wish more metal used organs.
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SpiritOfTheForest
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:02 pm
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Location: Glasgow, Scotland
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:53 pm 
 

I'm also a fan of Ferrum Aeternum.

Another one that came to mind is the intro track to Turisas' debut, "Battle Metal". It really succeeds in setting the scene for the ridiculously high energy fun to come and fits in really well with "As Torches Rise".
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Seraphlaim
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 2:23 am
Posts: 26
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:54 pm 
 

Buried Dreams off Heartwork (Carcass) and Embers Fire off Icon (Paradise Lost) would have to be near the top of the list.

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Call_From_The_Tower
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:31 am
Posts: 491
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:16 am 
 

Abominatrix wrote:
I'm also very partial to some of Graveland's intros. MMM88 already mentioned this, but The one on "Carpathian Wolvs" isparticularly strong. You can hear a sort of percussive sound that is a bit like either the marching of boots in the distance or maybe an animalistic padding .. and that, along with the eerie synthh melody that sounds very threatening, continues to grow louder and louder, all accompanied by the sound of an unforgiving wind.

That intro is outstanding. Darken is probably my favourite artist when it comes to crafting really appropriate, effective and moody intros. The one on The Celtic Winter is just about perfect to me; slowly building up with synths, the rhythmic pounding of distant sounding drums and the sounds of battle. The one on Immortal Pride, Day of Fury, is also magnificent. Sets the tone for that album brilliantly.

And basically every intro ever written by Summoning has been fantastic, especially Angbands Schmieden, Bauglir, and A New Power is Rising. They're just so epic inspiring.

Definitely support the mention of Ceasuri Rele too. The vocals on that track are just heart-wrenching in their emotion.

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whiplash50
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 9:05 pm
Posts: 143
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:52 am 
 

That growling, rabid dog in the beginning of HYDROPHOBIA from demolition hammer's Necrology demo is pretty awesome.

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Minoxin
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:50 pm
Posts: 11
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:55 am 
 

The 'Prolog' to Sade et Masoch by Fjoergyn. Great atmosphere and reflects the rest of the album. This is one intro that never gets skipped.

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