Please guide me into the world of metal

[Fiberfar]

Originally Posted by Malta Soron

Manowar - The Triumph Of Steel: kinda boring.
Hope you can see some pattern in that

You evil, evil man! It should be Superb!

It's your taste, I can't help it that I've been a Manowar-fan since I was 10

[Gilliatt]

Originally Posted by Malta Soron

I'm not really good at explaining my opinions, though, so I'll be a bit brief. I'll do my best to convey my emotions to you, though.

Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond; Tokyo Tales; Imaginations From The Other Side: still cool.
Death - Symbolic: relaxed-cool.
Manowar - The Triumph Of Steel: kinda boring.

I am glad you mentioned these Blind Guardian albums and not the latest ones where BG have become a parody of themselves IMO.

This is the first time in my life that I hear someone saying Death is relaxed.

About Manowar, if you do like I do and listen to your favorite songs 5-6 times a year, you should not find them too boring. We have to admit that the guy has an incredible voice before Fiberfar start complaining again.

I think you'll appreciate Iron Maiden and Symphony X more after some time.

I did not like King Diamond very much in the beginning because of his voice, but loved it more and more after a couple of listenings because the music is so great. You still have the right not to love it.

About Helloween, IMO they have never done something else that comes even close to the Keepers I and II. Their first album Walls of Jericho is pretty good, it is heavier than the Keepers, but the sound is disappointing. You might want to consider it. You should also consider Gamma Ray's Greatest Hits.

[Grimar]

i'd like to suggest the band testament. great band, but their vocal aint that superior.

got no album titles tho..

sample: YouTube - Testament - Into The Pit

[Malta Soron]

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

About Helloween, IMO they have never done something else that comes even close to the Keepers I and II. Their first album Walls of Jericho is pretty good, it is heavier than the Keepers, but the sound is disappointing. You might want to consider it.

I found a 2006 remastered edition. It's very good

[Moonbiter]

@Malta Soron:

You really need to get into Gamma Ray, the band of former Helloween guitarist, songwriter and singer Kai Hansen. You're gonna love it. Check out the albums "Somewhere Out In Space" and "Powerplant" for starters.

[Fiberfar]

Originally Posted by Moonbiter

@Malta Soron:

You really need to get into Gamma Ray, the band of former Helloween guitarist, songwriter and singer Kai Hansen. You're gonna love it. Check out the albums "Somewhere Out In Space" and "Powerplant" for starters.

I agree. I also found Majestic to be very good.

Oh and I wonder if I mentioned Savatage? If you're interested, get hold off Gutter Ballet and Edge of Thorns.

[Gilliatt]

Yes, these are 3 good Gamma Ray albums. I know you already have Somewhere out in Space, maybe you also have the other two. They also have a double album Greatest Hits.

I was also holding Savatage for later. I love that band, but I do not consider them essential to begin with. When you'll want to buy new albums, I also recommend Gutter Ballet and Edge of Thorns (The singer on Edge of Thorns, Zak Stevens is one of my favorite singers). Hall of the Mountain King is a good album also.

[Fiberfar]

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

I was also holding Savatage for later. I love that band, but I do not consider them essential to begin with. When you'll want to buy new albums, I also recommend Gutter Ballet and Edge of Thorns (The singer on Edge of Thorns, Zak Stevens is one of my favorite singers). Hall of the Mountain King is a good album also.

Hall of the Mountain King is indeed a good album, but I don't think Jon Oliva's voice fits every listener. Zak's voice has a more smooth approach than Jon's voice has. Of the two, I like Jon better.

If you figure that you like Savatage and Jon Oliva's voice, get hold of Jon Oliva's Pain as well.

[Gilliatt]

Originally Posted by Fiberfar

Zak's voice has a more smooth approach than Jon's voice has. Of the two, I like Jon better.

I can understand that. While Stevens is much more gifted, Oliva compensates with much more passion and emotion. Zak Stevens is one of my favorite singers when he sings with passion, but I have no problem admitting that he can also be boring as hell. I don't know who writes the melodies in Savatage, but I guess the singers play a great part in it because the melodies were generally better when Oliva was singing.

BTW, I quit buying Savatage albums after Dead Winter Dead because Handful of Rain and Dead Winter Dead disappointed me a lot. Do you (or anyone else) have Wake of Magellan and Poets and Madmen? Are they worth it? How is Oliva's voice on Poets and Madmen? In the few songs he sang on Dead Winter Dead it looked like he had no more voice and was finished.

Edit: I just realize how funny or injust it is that we are talking about Savatage singers and have not even said a word about Criss Oliva (R.I.P.). What a guitarist he was!

[Krank The Tank]

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

So far, the only ones I have seen that can reproduce live what they do in the studio are Gene Hoglan (ex-Death)

I thought his name was Gen, not Gene? Or maybe it's just pronounced Gen...

Anyhow, yes, Gene Hoglan certainly can reporudce what he does in the studio. If you've ever watched him live with Strapping Young Lad (Devy rules, btw) then you'd know. Lots of really fast drumming on those tracks.

I do recommend SYL if you like fast songs, as long as you can withstand some parts of the tracks where they descend into white noise for a few seconds from the multiple layers of guitar that the Dev so often likes to use. I can recommend SYL (the album by the band, this isn't their debut though) and The New Black (the newest, and final album). SYL is a lot heavier with more screaming and such, whereas The New Black is more melodic (not to say it's not heavy and fast, though) with more singing, but both albums are good.

And if you like prog metal, Synchestra by Devin Townsend (that's the same frontman from SYL) is a good album. Pretty cheerful on most tracks, except probably Vampira and Pixillate, which are darker simply so there can be a little more variety. The songs sound fairly similar in most cases, but that's more on the actual style than the tune and melody itself.

(if you haven't guessed, I have no clue about any of the technical aspects of anything, just know what sounds good lol)

[Gilliatt]

Even though I am still a rookie and it is not really my place to do so, I welcome you to the forum, Krank the Tank, fellow countryman.

I have 3 albums with Hoglan (2 Death and 1 Dark Angel) and his name is written Gene Hoglan on the 3.

Personally, I am not a big SYL fan. I have seen them live once, and the sound was so loud, I heard absolutely nothing else than an undinstinctive noise. But I have a friend who is a big fan, so I can understand that you like it and won't disapprove your recommendation. (As I said before, we cannot all love the same things.)

Thanks and congratulations for taking the time to read all the replies before you sent yours!

[Malta Soron]

Thanks for the tips A friend pointed me towards Agent Steel; I really like their early albums

[Fiberfar]

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

I can understand that. While Stevens is much more gifted, Oliva compensates with much more passion and emotion. Zak Stevens is one of my favorite singers when he sings with passion, but I have no problem admitting that he can also be boring as hell. I don't know who writes the melodies in Savatage, but I guess the singers play a great part in it because the melodies were generally better when Oliva was singing.

BTW, I quit buying Savatage albums after Dead Winter Dead because Handful of Rain and Dead Winter Dead disappointed me a lot. Do you (or anyone else) have Wake of Magellan and Poets and Madmen? Are they worth it? How is Oliva's voice on Poets and Madmen? In the few songs he sang on Dead Winter Dead it looked like he had no more voice and was finished.

Edit: I just realize how funny or injust it is that we are talking about Savatage singers and have not even said a word about Criss Oliva (R.I.P.). What a guitarist he was!

I know that Criss and Jon where the one writing the lyrics along with their bass player. Zak also wrote a few songs if I'm not wrong. I'm going to have a look at Poets and Madmen, since the last Jon Oliva's Pain album, Maniacal Renderings was a very good album. If it sounds anything like that, I'll definitively buy it. I'll let you know how it sounds.

Yeah... I thought about that too. We forgot about Criss. He's up to date one of the best guitarist I've heard. So much passion and emotion. It's sad that he had to go so early. R.I.P

[Krank The Tank]

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

Personally, I am not a big SYL fan. I have seen them live once, and the sound was so loud, I heard absolutely nothing else than an undinstinctive noise. But I have a friend who is a big fan, so I can understand that you like it and won't disapprove your recommendation. (As I said before, we cannot all love the same things.)

I have never seen SYL live, but if you were to watch the whole 40 minutes they were on at Download 2006 on the HDR Website (I hope that's not advertising ) it sounds crystal clear there. But maybe that's just something to do with that it's not actually live.

SYL is pretty good if you listen to it on speakers or headphones. But they do tend to be pretty loud so it makes sense that you may have just heard white noise.

And thanks for the welcome

[Kipi]

Moonsorrow could also be very interesting experience to everyone of you...
if it doesn't bother that they sing in finnish...

Their music is rather interesting, as in latest "album" contains only 2 songs, but the total playing time of the album is a bit less than one hour...
So, that means those two tracks are veeeeery long...