The bands that inspire me.

Sleater-Kinney are the ascendant goddesses of the rock guitar.

Sleater-Kinney, "Modern Girl"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOM107PIxV8

I'd say they are easily one of my all around favorite bands. I could listen to any SK album all day and never want for anything else.

---

Ultimately, though, I'm a metal head and I'm learning the guitar to learn to play the kind of music that I truly love.

Augury isn't very well known, but they are absolutely stunning technical performers. They are one of those bands that nobody knows, but everyone applauds at the end of the show. They blow your mind with the tones they pull from their instruments and they do it with stirring, epic technical death metal.

Augury, "Jupiter to Ignite"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-_NsAKNeao
(No keyboards here folks. Those tones are all guitar.)

---

The Faceless are a new bunch of kids playing death metal with a sort of blues inspiration. Their music is fairly straightforward, but they avoid some of the mistakes that other young death metal bands make: they actually do a decent job at song writing. I mean...as far as a death metal song goes. :D

The Faceless, "Prison Born"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRF0cPnw0A0&feature=related

---

Obscura have been around for a long time and they have a ton of skill. Their technical abilities are beyond reproach and their presentation is VERY fun to watch live. They _love_ playing music. While other bands are trying hard to look evil and mean, when these guys play live they have wide grins on their faces.

Obscura, "Anticosmic Overload"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mesr2siegRg

---

Protest the Hero...I don't know if these guys are considered prog metal or nu-metal or what, but I love it. I love the lyrics, the vocals, the presentation, and particularly the guitar work.

Protest the Hero, "Palms Read"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10r_oNn5-wc&feature=channel

I have the PtH Fortress tab book, but it's way too complex for me to start on.

---

Gorod...I'll let the video do the talking.

Gorod, "Programmers of Decline"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OsgvvmkqJg

Gorod are insane. So much fun to listen to.

---

So those are some of the bands whose music inspires me to practice and study the guitar. :P

You listen to some stuff that is in my realm. Although I appreciate the technical, sometimes I feel bands are way overdoing it. As if they are solely doing it just to be technical, like a competition amongst the technical bands of who is more technical kind of thing.

Protest The Hero is one of my favs (well, only their latest album, not a fan of the first). I think they are a good example of a band that is technical but isnt overdoing it. As for their genre, In my opinion they would be more of a neo-classical for the most part, with a blues touch to some of their riffs. And even some thrash/speed/power metal elements here and there. Although the intro to Spoils is very progressive. Thats awesome you have the tab book, I probably should get that. So far Im pretty close to playing along with Palms Read, Limb From Limb, and Wretch. Some riffs though I have to turn down the tempo:p

Im surprised I never heard of Augury, they are ones I can probably get into, thanks :)

As for the Sleater-Kinney, sounds very Indie-rock-esque; Pinback (a fav), Modest Mouse (another fav), etc. Maybe youll like this:

Margot & The Nuclear So & So's (outrageous name!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPoaox5JYqI


Ever heard The Project Hate? Fun to listen to. Its not technical necessarily, I would call them Industrial/Symphonic Death Metal I guess. The vocalist has one of the best guttural vocals when it comes to death metal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtTFyKM7xw&feature=related

I cant stand most folk/viking metal, but this band is simply just awesome, especially live. My friends joke around and call it "Broadway Metal", because it sounds like it would be the theme music for some Epic Adventure Broadway play, Robin Hood or something lol.

Turisas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-tyhelg6KU


For the most part, Opeth is still my personal all around fav. Been listening to them and loving every second of every listen since 2002. Especially the Still Life album.

Originally Posted by: Jarsew
I cant stand most folk/viking metal, but this band is simply just awesome, especially live. My friends joke around and call it "Broadway Metal", because it sounds like it would be the theme music for some Epic Adventure Broadway play, Robin Hood or something lol.

Turisas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-tyhelg6KU

If not for the singing, I could get into this. Why does everyone think it sounds so cool to sing like they are taking a huge crap? Too bad for me because I really Really REALLY like it musically, but the vocals just kill it for me.

Originally Posted by: RickBlackerWhy does everyone think it sounds so cool to sing like they are taking a huge crap?

Ah! Can I put this in my sig?? :D

Originally Posted by: RazboAh! Can I put this in my sig?? :D

You have my permission.

Originally Posted by: RickBlackerIf not for the singing, I could get into this. Why does everyone think it sounds so cool to sing like they are taking a huge crap? Too bad for me because I really Really REALLY like it musically, but the vocals just kill it for me.

Haha thats ridiculous.

Its interesting though isnt it, that he also sings clean within the same song he growls?

That tells me hes using his vocals for whatever fits the theme the best. On this album, they utilize clean singing, choir-esque singing, simply talking/yelling, and growling. They all provide the song with a different mood. I wouldnt like it nearly as much if he solely sang clean, it wouldn't flow with the song and I would get bored honestly. Although I would like to hear them doing a straight acoustic folk album where he only sings clean, because then it would fit better with the theme, and sound awful if he growled.

I know this may be odd to hear, but when one listens to alot of the metal where they are growling, you start hearing how well they are doing it or not. In the instance with the Turisas band, he does really well. His rhythm is perfect, and he is singing , hes doing a melody believe it or not. And yes, the "raspiness" is perfect for the music.

The ones who do it badly have crap rhythm and they cant perform with melody, very monotone. Or the ones where they cant control the melody and are off key with the music.

Try out this song, he only sings clear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFBIr3Vx16w

Here is another where its mainly clear/choir singing, but when it comes to 2:07, listen to the music; its very distraught, chaotic. It suits the mood/theme for him to growl then sing clear. Dont worry it only last 20 seconds :D. And then a last segment of growling at 3:57 is probably the best he does on the whole album. Listen to how well the rhythm and melody is performed. Its also the climax of the song. Its sounds huge, epic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIwBsL4KrFw&feature=related

Not bad... Better. :)
maybe you're right, I dunno... I'm just not a fan of the cookie monster stuff.

Originally Posted by: RickBlackerNot bad... Better. :)
maybe you're right, I dunno... I'm just not a fan of the cookie monster stuff.

Yea I dont expect to "convert" you or anything like that. Just trying to give ya more perspective I suppose. That it can be used wisely, while others can completely butcher it and give the good metal growlers a bad name.

Would you agree that bands like Linkin Park just don't need to use it? Several LP songs are decent until they start with the cookie monster.

Originally Posted by: RickBlackerWould you agree that bands like Linkin Park just don't need to use it? Several LP songs are decent until they start with the cookie monster.

Im personally not a fan, but they can surprise me sometimes. Saw him sing live on TV and I was quite impressed.

Somebody who is a die hard LP fan could probably argue the same argument I have; That the cookie monster is used to to help deliver a theme.

Personally I dont hear that with LP, they do well without screaming, and I think they do it merely to try and appeal to as many people as possible. Just how they used to use a rapper-esque style on some of their songs. The more genres they leech into, the more their fan base grows, the more cash.

Originally Posted by: Jarsew The more genres they leech into, the more their fan base grows, the more cash.

Music Prostitution.