Be Gone is their masterpiece, and a true modern classic at that. I doubt they'll be able to top it easily, though Bury the Light is within a hair of being as good.

Can't say I agree with that at all. I'd say they clearly peaked with The Longest Night. Be Gone is alright, though not nearly as good on the whole it has its moments. Bury the Light is wanky and clunky and boring as fuck.

Yep, TLN is their best.

Hmm, I don't know. I listened through some tracks from Voyager, and now I'm checking out some stuff from The Deluge, and I just don't know if I'm gonna be able to get into this. This stuff is weird as hell, haha. I just want something a little more straight forward, and with somewhat more gruff vocals. I'm also noticing that I'm missing some faster riffs here, and I didn't really like the production on either of these albums.

Maybe I'm just not getting it or something...

Shades: Try the album "Open the Gates", the riffs and such are a bit more straight-forward. Mark does his gruff vocals and it's cool. If you want something a bit faster and thrashier, try "Out of the Abyss". The production on "Open the Gates" is pretty murky.

Don't give up just yet.

For me, I recommend the 1983-1987 albums mostly. That would be: Crystal Logic, Open The Gates, The Deluge, Mystification. Mystification is actually my favorite, tied with Crystal Logic.

Here is my preferred mix:

1. Prologue
2. Necropolis
3. Flaming Metal System
4. The Riddle Master
5. The Ram
6. Metalström
7. Astronomica
8. Witches Brew
9. Dementia
10. Shadows In Black
11. Divine Victim
12. Haunted Place
13. Spirits Of The Dead
14. Mystification
15. Masque Of The Red Death
16. Death By The Hammer
17. Dragon Star

Today I bought Angel Dust's Of Human Bondage. I'm a happy little camper

Thanks guys! I'll be sure to check it out tomorrow, and get back to you on this.

Ok there was a band I was looking at a while back that had a skeleton wearing a Native American Headdress on one of the album covers. Anyone know the band? I thought I wrote the name down but I cant seem to find it.

Meliah Rage?

Yeah that was it. Thanks!

Got the new Arkham Witch in last night (next day shipping from SKR) and I'm pretty thrilled with it, although obviously it's brand new and all opinions are subject to change. It honestly sounds like The Lamp of Thoth playing a little drunker and faster. If that sounds appealing to you in any way you're probably gonna want to snag this one. Iron Shadows in the Moon is definitely my favorite track so far. That chorus is drool-worthy.

Any opinions on Witch Cross' Fit For Fight? Every review I can find seems laudatory. Been eyeing it up in the SKR shop.

Speaking of The Lamp of Thoth and being drunk, did you happen to laugh uncontrollably during the final, untitled track, too?

Maaaan that's one of their all-time greatest songs, I thought re-recording it as an acoustic/solo track was pretty hilarious. I was actually in the car on the way back from lunch when it came on. Very pleased.

Alright guys. I have tried to get into Manilla Road for I guess 2 days now, and I'm sorry, but I just can't do it. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I feel that MR is kind of a "smart metal" band. Not necessarily that technical, but smart nonetheless. I will remember this for a later time though, and I'm pretty sure I'll get into them one day, but for now, I need something more straight-forward, and more simple in a way. I wish I could explain that better, but it's hard to put my finger on it.

Manilla Road definitely aren't "smart metal". They have a few different sounds, so I'd advise Voyager, as it's one of their "thickest" and epic sounding albums.

Here's a couple of other choice songs from their discog:

The Fires Of Mars from Open The Gates

The Deluge from... The Deluge.

Nah, don't like it. I don't want epic stuff like this, I want stuff similar to the likes of Grave Digger and Paragon. That's the kind of stuff I am looking for, and also keep in mind that I've looked through the similar artist pages for a good deal of these bands, including the two aforementioned, as well as Running Wild and Rage I believe. I can't remember if I did it with Iron Savior or not, but oh well. That's at least the stuff I want, not this...

Doesn't sound like they're what you're looking for at all, then.

What about France's Nightmare?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqWh4VtxI2I

Has a similar sound to latter day Grave Digger.

So, this thread needs more Powersurge. Awesome overlooked USPM with some nice speed touches - very polished, high-octane stuff.

Also Graven Image because that's what I was just listening to. Those vocals are fucking over-the-top in the best way.

Surprised you're just now jumping on Powersurge, they were one I somehow stumbled upon years ago here. Great stuff for the most part, even Gutterscream approves! I thought I had a review up for that album but maybe it was one of my ancient ones I took down. That along with Cloven Hoof I associate with FEAR quite a bit... I have no idea why but I played that game like 20 times back to back blasting metal to it years back, haha.

But holy hell this Graven Image song is new to me, is that demo collection floating around? That song definitely isn't on their 2005 compilation.

Well, I'm not just now jumping on Powersurge. I've known about them for years, it's just nobody else seems to mention them around here, so I thought I'd drop their name. Yeah, the Graven Image song is from a different demo that doesn't appear in their demo compilation. I'm not sure where you can download it these days but Strappado probably has it. Excellent for sure.

I might have been too quick to judge Morgana Lefay, as Grand Materia is beating the ever loving crap out of me right now. I'm still not completely used to Rytkönen's vocals, but he does sound more like a higher pitched, crazier Chris Boltendhal to me now than the laryngitic hack I used to hear him as, so there's been some improvement on that department too.

Speaking of bands I usually dislike strongly, Evergrey's In Search of Truth seems to be a pretty cool album. Now, Evergrey is a band that has always rubbed me the wrong way, what with their non-riffs, boring songwriting and stupid lyrics, but ISOT seems to be different. The hooks are abound, vocals are powerful and energetic, and the atmosphere, while still retaining a somber and dark theme, it's more of a "strange things lurk in the dark, and my mind is slowly collapsing" feeling than the "life is bad and I'm a whino" tone that pervades their other releases. The fact that the record is a concept album about alien abductions must have something to do with it.

I hate Evergrey so much. You're basically touching on all the stuff I did when I got into these bands years ago, Xlxlx.

Morgana Lefay's music was heavier than I expected when I first heard them, since the power metal angle threw me off. The first album I heard was Sanctified and yeah the vocals were not my thing at all on the first few listens. Somewhere down the line they clicked and that album really sold me on the band's chops.

Every time I listen to Stratovarius's s/t I can't figure out why people hate it so much. I mean, it's corny as hell, and melodramatic, and it does suffer from some generic-isms, all that shit, but I think just about every song is pretty much as catchy as the herp.

I feel weird for it but it might be my number 2 Strato album after Episode. I dunno, maybe I heard it at a specific time and this is just rose-tinted glasses.

Oh hell yeah! Now this is what I'm talking about! This band is amazing! I had already heard some stuff by them, but have not checked out the Cosmovision album, and I gotta say, from what I'm hearing, this is fucking great!

Its production is ass, Timo Koplsiskwqjeqesdajanqiq gives the worst vocal performances of his life, the songs have no flow and seem to meander forever...actually, this could all be summed up by saying it's Stratovarius' St. Anger.

Evergrey usually grates on my nerves too, but In Search of Truth seems to be an exception to the rule for me. And hey, our tastes are rather similar, so I'm not that surprised

Yeah, it seems like I didn't give them enough opportunities at first, but now I'm starting to like them. I'm not crazy about them, but they're unique and fun, and that's more than enough for me.

Also, I've been listening to Strato's Elysium sporadically for the past few days, and I'm seriously digging it right now, not to mention that Kotipelto's voice has grown on me a lot. You're right Emp; his ear for melody is quite impressive, and when he's at his best, Timo is a rock solid singer. Their new guitar player rips too, and I much prefer his chunkier guitar tone and more modern playing style over Tolkki's, and I actually even get a few Symphony X vibes from the riffing.

Elysium was an improvement over the somewhat boring Polaris, but still could have been better, some tracks are plain pointless. I hope the next album Nemesis will be better.

sup guys?

Where should I start with Blind Gaurdian? I LOVE this band, but up till now I've hardly ever listened to em. I plan to change that lol.

and If you guys could gimme stuff like this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDVPLDppvE
thatd be awesome

Start from "Nightfall in Middle Earth" and work backwards, mate. All of their 90's stuff is like gold to me. You might have to ease yourself into their earlier material, it's much more raw and the vocals aren't as refined. Less keyboards etc etc.

sweet thats what i was thinking.

anything like Sonata Arctica but more.. idk masculine like Blind Gaurdian is?

Symphony X - The Odyssey, Rage - Unity, Tad Morose - Modus Vivendi, Angel Dust - Border of Reality, Conception - In Your Multitude...just some good power/europower albums.

I'll check em out when I can thanks
I'm no stranger to the genre, but I've never taken the time to explore it at all.

This is a new project from former Blacksword guitarist Alex Avdeev. He is joined here by Blacksword vocalist Serge Konev for some Siberian steel that sounds quite promising. I hope Alex gets a full length out of this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBq-UoF-Stoha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQQRxBgreP0

Lunatic Asylum will be glad that you posted that here, I'll let him know

I think the vocals are mediocre and obnoxious, the riffs are cool though.

The vocals remind me a little of Tecchio on Watchtower's "Control And Resistance" album. That is one of my favorite albums, so I like the vocals on this.

So I noticed Zouille & Hantson as a band in the band queue and it got me to check out a couple of songs, looks like mostly re-recorded songs though.

Sortilège

Zouille is still sounding great, obviously not as good as he did 30 years ago but It's good to see him getting back into recording some tunes. Looks like he has retained a decent part of his range, only really can't hit the super highs.

Cryptic Ones sounds nice. Is it just me or do you guys hear a slight black metal influence on riffing? I agree with Cauldron_Born in that the vocals (especially when the singer lose the falsetto) sound somewhat like Tecchio's. Cool stuff.