Best unfamous HEAVY bands

Looking for your top three heavy acts that missed the boat to success and should have been more when compared to other bands of the day. Looking for technical ability, composition strength, originality and overall sound. List them under Death, Thrash, Speed metal etc.

Seeing as I used to be into death metal, the three in that genre that come to mind are:

Nocturnus - Thresholds album
THE best death metal album ever, way ahead of its time, included a keyboard player and guitarists that could shred amazing solos. Crap vocalist though, just a regular death grunt but the lyrics are a brilliant mix of sci-fi and horror. I just focus on the guitar playing and shut him out. The riffs range from really cool heavy grooves to extremely technical neo-classical and the solos are pure genius. If you think Children of Bodom are good, these guys outclass them on every front. Forget their other albums though, this is the one that they spent time on the music and forgot the stupid satanic lyrics.

Sentenced - Amok album
Really catchy riffs, abrasive yet original vocals, great guitar playing - nice solos and an overall classic rock feel.

Cynic - Focus album
Think Death meets jazz guitar. Brilliant mix of two opposing styles, very technical and complicated compositions. Extremely original vocals, sounds like Chuck Schuldiner in one ear and a robot singing through a voice box in the other. Production was a little tinny though, the only slight fault on this otherwise must have cd.

I think it would be Venom - a death metal band who allegedly made a pact with the devil for fame and superstardom but to no avail. :D

Seriously the best would be Children of Bodom, I think they will make it big time like Metalica if just given the right exposure.

Originally Posted by: FretfireSeriously the best would be Children of Bodom, I think they will make it big time like Metalica if just given the right exposure.

Bodom hasn't made it big time? I mean, if Bodom is an UNfamous metal band, let's go ahead and talk about Dream Theater, Shadows Fall, and Black Label Society in this thread as well.

Umphrey's McGee- (WARNING: doesn't count as unfamous if you're a hippie) So these two metal guitarists one day decided to form a jam band. I'm not completely sure why, but the results really weren't that bad.

Originally Posted by: FretfireI think it would be Venom - a death metal band who allegedly made a pact with the devil for fame and superstardom but to no avail. :D [/QUOTE]
Venom is no where near death metal. They came out way before death metal was even thought of back in 78. Death metal didn't begin until a decade later.

[QUOTE=Fretfire]
Seriously the best would be Children of Bodom, I think they will make it big time like Metalica if just given the right exposure.

Check the news, they are as big as Metallica and worse yet, they're turning into a crappy band like Metallica.

Most bands I listen to are relatively "famous," even Cynic is known by many. But I have to agree that their album is one of the best to come along in metal. Though, I never understood the "jazz metal" label, I don't hear anything that reminds me of jazz in their music.
Check out the re-release of the album though, they remixed some songs, and re-mastered the whole thing. It sounds much better. They even added some Portal demo tracks, which are just as good as the Cynic tracks.

Originally Posted by: Cryptic ExcretionsCheck the news, they are as big as Metallica and worse yet, they're turning into a crappy band like Metallica.

As a lyricist and as somebody who listens to more than the solos, I have to disagree.

By far, Are You Dead Yet? is BY FAR their most interesting work from a rhythmic perspective and I think the toned down guitar and keyboard work was necessary to complement that.

Stuck Mojo

Originally Posted by: RaskolnikovAs a lyricist and as somebody who listens to more than the solos, I have to disagree.

By far, Are You Dead Yet? is BY FAR their most interesting work from a rhythmic perspective and I think the toned down guitar and keyboard work was necessary to complement that.

Personally I prefer their earlier stuff...the rhythm work of Are You Dead Yet? just doesn't grab me. For me it feels awkward coming from COB, like it's not quite right.

Like, if you handed me "Follow the Reaper" and then handed me "Are You Dead Yet?" I would say, "Excuse me sir, but I believe you'll be wanting 'Are You Dead Yet?' back. I'll keep the other."

speed metal
Destruction
Helstar
Motorhead.......ok they are known :rolleyes: but they are better than alot of crap that gets airplay

Originally Posted by: RaskolnikovAs a lyricist and as somebody who listens to more than the solos, I have to disagree.

By far, Are You Dead Yet? is BY FAR their most interesting work from a rhythmic perspective and I think the toned down guitar and keyboard work was necessary to complement that.

Perhaps you didn't mean this, but I've gathered the idea that you're assuming that all I care about in music are solos, which is far from true. If you really want, I can name bands that I like that don't even do guitar solos... since that's not the point of this topic I'll spare yout though.

By far, Are you dead yet is the least innovative and least creative thing they've released. Like Jolly, I too adhere to their older stuff since there was far more thought and care about the musical value involved. Now all they have is watered down, easily digested, chunky power chords. And being "interesting" doesn't mean it's good or remotely exciting and toned down guitars and keyboards (as well as every other instrument in the given band) tend to cause that as a side effect.

Originally Posted by: z0s0_jpspeed metal
Destruction
Helstar
Motorhead.......ok they are known :rolleyes: but they are better than alot of crap that gets airplay

Helstar, now that's a good band. Nosferatu is my personal favorite of theirs.

Originally Posted by: z0s0_jpspeed metal
Destruction
Helstar
Motorhead.......ok they are known :rolleyes: but they are better than alot of crap that gets airplay

Motorhead is speed metal?

I've only got two:

#Prong (thrash metal): They were far ahead of their time in blending punk and metal. Their 1993 album, "Cleansing", is one of my favourite heavy metal albums ever. Unfortunately, it was a case of the student out-performing the master as younger bands which followed their formula caught all the limelight. Prong are still soldiering on though, and are currently working on a new album.

#Diamond Head (NWOBHM): Excellent, blues-based, riff-heavy fantasy metal - think Deep Purple meets Motorhead, plus a sense of fun. Largely eclipsed by Iron Maiden and Saxon - superior bands, in my opinion, but nonetheless not quite the same. One of Metallica's best songs, "Am I Evil?", is a Diamond Head cover.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonMotorhead is speed metal?

Mmm, yeah, I guess you could say they were sort of "proto-thrash" - turning heavy metal up to 11 and playing it very exuberantly and aggressively. A lot of early Metallica seems to echo Motorhead. I never liked 'em, though; their sound is too muddy for my taste, and Lemmy just can't sing to save his life.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonMotorhead is speed metal?

no....but they did speed :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by: Cryptic ExcretionsHelstar, now that's a good band. Nosferatu is my personal favorite of theirs.

i liked "rising star" wish i could buy it.... :mad:

Originally Posted by: Cryptic ExcretionsBy far, Are you dead yet is the least innovative and least creative thing they've released. Like Jolly, I too adhere to their older stuff since there was far more thought and care about the musical value involved. Now all they have is watered down, easily digested, chunky power chords. And being "interesting" doesn't mean it's good or remotely exciting and toned down guitars and keyboards (as well as every other instrument in the given band) tend to cause that as a side effect.

In the end, I'm sure you and Jolly and I are going to have to agree to disagree, but I can tell you that (with a few highlights here and there), the bass and drum parts for Something Wild, Hatebreeder and Follow the Reaper are utterly boring. They're there... they're solid and they serve their purpose but in no way do they contribute anything extra to the songs. I still love those albums, but it's the guitar and keys that are maintaining my interest, not the rhythm section.

Of course, the bass still isn't stepping out much on Are You Dead Yet?, but for the first time their riffs are something I could play and stay entertained and the drums are finally adding a lot to the songs.

Again and again with this album, I'm finding guitarists feeling the way you guys do and bassists and drummers who love it to death -- go figure.

Originally Posted by: RaskolnikovIn the end, I'm sure you and Jolly and I are going to have to agree to disagree, but I can tell you that (with a few highlights here and there), the bass and drum parts for Something Wild, Hatebreeder and Follow the Reaper are utterly boring. They're there... they're solid and they serve their purpose but in no way do they contribute anything extra to the songs. I still love those albums, but it's the guitar and keys that are maintaining my interest, not the rhythm section.

Of course, the bass still isn't stepping out much on Are You Dead Yet?, but for the first time their riffs are something I could play and stay entertained and the drums are finally adding a lot to the songs.

Again and again with this album, I'm finding guitarists feeling the way you guys do and bassists and drummers who love it to death -- go figure.

Children of Bodom has never really been reknowned for their overly exciting rhythm department. The keys and guitars have always pretty much been their main driving force, and when you tone that down what do you get? To me that's just missing the point of music. Music (be it extreme metal, jazz, celtic, rock, whatever) is supposed to challenge. It's supposed to take things to new levels. Save the watered down **** for the musical idiots in the world that couldn't care less to even know what compensates for quality listening material, but if you're going to put all that time and dedication into honing your craft to the best you can, then to tone it down is to throw everything you've put your life into and throw it out the window. It's not really drummers and bassists in particular that seem to obsess about newer children of bodom. Not that I've noticed anyway. The ones I typically catch obsessing over it are scene following douches that turn on the radio/tv and listen to what's handed to them. I dunno, as far as opinions go, mine says that's settling and I've made a promise to myself to never settle. Naturally, though, I won't deny I've got my guilty pleasures. And these are just my opinionated thoughts on the topic. I"ve got a clear idea on what I expect from the music world and I know that what I think the business should be isn't what it is, so I cope with it the best I can... which isn't always too well.

See, to me, they're not watering anything down, they're going for a different asthetic. The lyrics are a little less "hokey" and a little more sober; the production isn't as polished and is much more raw... there's a visceral feel to the entire album.

Maybe it's just me, but I've never considered CoB "groundbreaking"-- just really goddamn good at what they do. So to me, this album is no different... they're just branching out a bit; expressing something a little different and I'm honestly enjoying the Hell out of it.

But you also have to consider that I come from a background of having played in a band where some of the songs were "supposed" to be really tight and really solid while others were "supposed" to be rushed to the point of a manic frenzy.

There is a band that caught my attention a while back and I kept listening to this one song. The band is called 12 stones and they are actually a christian band but it took me a while to figure it out. Actually someone had to tell me. :D