i am the heir of this damned kingdom
born into a life of regret
searching for the promise thats
no longer kept

/incomprehensible my ass :P

If you think they're incomprehensible, you've never listened to death metal.

FTA: Melding full-on thrash power with melodic, pulverizing hooks, Shadows Fall is without question the preeminent metal band of its day.

Wrong.
Opeth destroys these chumps. F)cking destroys them!

I think there's quite a few better than them but they're still pretty farking kick ass.

I don't get the headline. What's Jethro Tull got to do with incomprehensible lyrics?

RagingLeonard: Opeth destroys these chumps. F)cking destroys them!

Probably the best metal band to come around in a long time... It really speaks to the politics of the music industry/Grammys that they aren't recognized. It's not like they are unknowns...

While Shadows Fall doesn't do much for me (much like a lot of the newer bands around, can't put my finger on why they don't) it is good to see an actual metal band rather than Jethro Tull. Don't get me wrong, JT have some great music, metal, not so much.

So, i got a couple of their albums, and it appears their songs all follow the same formula. Awesome bone crushing intro, then pure suck. For instance:

Act of Contrition - turns to suck right at 0:24
Enlightened by the Cold - turns to suck right at 0:11
The Light that Blinds - turns to complete suck right at 1:08
The Power of I and I - turns to suck right at 0:28

Its like they consciously say "man, that beginning was farking awesome, ok, lets grab a riff from 1991 and totally, you know, have that be the rest of the song"

And no, these guys arent worthy enough to carry Opeth's jock strap.

The Grammys should issue a letter of apology to Jethro Tull for tarnishing their legacy by giving them that award. They had some classic albums in the 70s, but now they are always known as the hard rock band that beat Metallica for a the heavy metal award.

i'm pulling for king diamond. i think his latest album is fantastic start to finish. currently very bummed the north american tour is canceled because of his slow recovery from a herniated disc. get well soon, king.

That header is as Thick as a Brick

galleech: The Grammys should issue a letter of apology to Jethro Tull for tarnishing their legacy by giving them that award. They had some classic albums in the 70s, but now they are always known as the hard rock band that beat Metallica for a the heavy metal award.

It was Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental. Tull qualified.

I was big into Shadows Fall when The Art Of Balance came out and still think that's a good album but is starting to show it's age. They haven't done anything worthwhile since that. The last three albums have just been worse than the last. Their nomination for a grammy only confirms that.

Meh, I'm going to continue liking them and Lamb of God, if it's okay with all the music snobs out there.

If they have a vocalist that doesn't sound like an asthmatic german shepherd horking up a bone fragment (like most metal bands these days) I'm willing to check them out. Seriously why do I hear so many awesome sounding metal bands that have sucktacular vocalists? Is it some sort of 180 turn around reaction from the pussy "hair" metal of the 80s-90s to make sure THAT never happens again (which isn't a bad idea)? Where are the Dickinsons, Dios, Halfords, and Diamonds of today?

marcpen: I don't get the headline. What's Jethro Tull got to do with incomprehensible lyrics?

In 1989 Jethro Tull beat Metallica and Maiden for the first ever Heavy Metal Grammy. People were pissed aparently

mooseyfate: Meh, I'm going to continue liking them and Lamb of God, if it's okay with all the music snobs out there.

You are allowed to like Lamb of God. That's ok with me.

The Red Chord.

amindtat: If they have a vocalist that doesn't sound like an asthmatic german shepherd horking up a bone fragment (like most metal bands these days) I'm willing to check them out. Seriously why do I hear so many awesome sounding metal bands that have sucktacular vocalists? Is it some sort of 180 turn around reaction from the pussy "hair" metal of the 80s-90s to make sure THAT never happens again (which isn't a bad idea)? Where are the Dickinsons, Dios, Halfords, and Diamonds of today?

There is also the great intro terrible song. Too many bands will have a really cool symphonic intro then the guitars kick in and its all overly distorted power chords. Even metal bands with clean vocals can fall into this trap (ManOwaR's last album comes to mind).

-OPETH-

These guys opened for GWAR and THEY SUCKED!!!

amindtat: If they have a vocalist that doesn't sound like an asthmatic german shepherd horking up a bone fragment (like most metal bands these days) I'm willing to check them out. Seriously why do I hear so many awesome sounding metal bands that have sucktacular vocalists?

Go back to your codpiece-wearing soprano divas, Grandpa.

Machine Head shall own this. I worship Slayer, and Shadows Fall is great, but..... Since Flynn brought Phil Demmel from his old band Vio-lence into MH, they have recorded 2 of the best albums in metal history.

Nope. Shadows Fall sucks. Real bad.

/much like your mom
//for bus fare
///then subsequently walking home

I Like Bread

Go back to your codpiece-wearing soprano divas, Grandpa.


Back in my day, metal singers wore codpieces full of staples, broken glass and kerosene that FORCED them to sing soprano AND WE LIKED IT!!!!

/now get off my lawn and take your Abortednecrocephalicpostmortempestilencestench Angel with you

I bought the Shadows Fall CD. It's...good. Not great, but good. A little repetitive. Opeth, I like. Nothing though, gets my blood rushing like Dragonforce.

It's been said, but definitely bears repeating

Opeth!

Opeth would be fantastic if not for the cookie-monster vocals. it's so farking cliche

Shadows Fall sucks balls. I'd love a real metal band to get a nod.


I Like Bread: The Red Chord.

Now were on the right track.

Derwood: Opeth would be fantastic if not for the cookie-monster vocalscrappy guitarists. it's so farking cliche

FTFY

Mastodon obliterates these guys, they don't deserve to be in the same genre as Meshuggah, and I'm pretty sure each member of Cephalic Carnage individually destroys SF as a band.

/resumes salivating for oBZen
//and Portishead's next record the same week

Fark's taste in heavy metal is depressing.

Listen, I will say this only once.

Shadows Fall are the heir apparent to Anthrax. They've made 4 albums at this point with this lineup, and you can hear the influence in their music.

Anthrax was a GREAT band in the 80's. Shadows fall is one of the best mainstream (when I say mainstream, although no one outside of my metal head friends have heard them, they're one of the more popular metal bands and every metal head knows their songs) bands out there that does what they do.

Its the same damn thing with killswitch engage. People love to hate those two bands, but they're both awesome metal bands. the only difference is, once they put out a couple great releases and a few people start agreeing that they rock, all of a sudden all the "hard" metal guys say they suck. Im sick of every time anyone bringing up one band, someone else counters with "they're not Opeth/Cannibal Corpse/Slayer" etc.

Well screw that. I guarantee the same guys that are saying they suck, heard them a few years ago and were jamming those albums out.


/

phedex: Shadows Fall are the heir apparent to Anthrax. They've made 4 albums at this point with this lineup, and you can hear the influence in their music.

Shadows Fall isn't the greatest, but I like their music. One thing I have noticed, and a couple of people have mentioned, is the 80's influence. Especially in their lead guitar riffs. I swear I was listening to Vivian Campbell during a couple of solos.

"Gee, since the majority don't seem to like SF, I won't bother listening to it so I can decide for myself," said the man with no spine and a potato for a brain.

/as long as it isn't country, I'll listen to it!!!

phedex: all of a sudden all the "hard" metal guys say they suck. Im sick of every time anyone bringing up one band, someone else counters with "they're not Opeth/Cannibal Corpse/Slayer" etc.

Don't worry, those three bands suck too. Doom forever doomed!

Approve.

/Aye aye aye aye aye

eh, I was disappointed with Threads of Life especially compared to The War Within, but it had its moments.

And now for the obligatory band name drop: IN FLAMES

Opeth is also quite good

Between the Buried and Me

I cant wait for Pagan Metalfest to come to the US next year


Ensiferum, Tyr, Turisas and Eluveitie!!!!!!

Shadows Fall, one of those bands that just makes me want to scream and throw things, in a bad way. The lyrics aren't incomprehensible, they just don't make sense.

If there were any justice Machine Head would win this year... But they won't. Christ, Slayer just won their first album last year.

Fark the Grammys

Gunny Highway: marcpen: I don't get the headline. What's Jethro Tull got to do with incomprehensible lyrics?

In 1989 Jethro Tull beat Metallica and Maiden for the first ever Heavy Metal Grammy. People were pissed aparently

I love Maiden, but unfortunately, they weren't nominated in 1989.

Jethro Tull's Crest of a Knave won over:

AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Iggy Pop - Cold Metal

(insert Farkers' opinions on the aforementioned albums)

As a somewhat former "extreme" metal aficionado, I think I kind of got out of it because a lot of my favorite bands from my late-teens/early 20's have gone downhill now that I'm a couple years off from having to kick kids off my lawn.

Shadows Fall - meh after the first album
Machine Head - love Burn My Eyes, love The Blackening even more
Opeth - meh after Morningrise
Slayer - meh after Undisputed Attitude
Cannibal Corpse - they're only good when Rob Barrett is in the band (The Bleeding, Vile, Kill)
In Flames - HORRIBLE after Clayman
Lamb of God - meh, just give me Meshuggah
Meshuggah - everything since None has been awesome, can't wait for obZen
Cephalic Carnage - haven't listened to the albums much, but have enjoyed what I've heard
The Red Chord - liked an instrumental of theirs, didn't like any of the songs with vocals
Mastodon - don't like 'em at all, don't get the hype - they just sound like a poor rehash of a bunch of other better bands

I don't know the rest of the bands mentioned, but I'm seriously loving Enslaved right now. Together for ~15 years and kicking ass even harder than they used to - especially live.

/this is not a flame on anyone's tastes
//just an old jaded farker's opinion

No Dragonforce or Avenged Sevenfold love on this thread?

Kodiak Attack: Machine Head - love Burn My Eyes, love The Blackening even more

So long as we agree that The Burning Red and Supercharger were aberrations, agreed.

Cephalic Carnage - haven't listened to the albums much, but have enjoyed what I've heard

They have actually managed to get better each record. Xenosapien might be the best extreme metal album I've ever listened to.

Mastodon - don't like 'em at all, don't get the hype - they just sound like a poor rehash of a bunch of other better bands

I feel the need to qualify this. Blood Mountain is a brilliant heavy record, but I do not care for any of their previous work, and I wouldn't be surprised if I disliked their future work.

wholedamnshow: No Dragonforce or Avenged Sevenfold love on this thread?

I see what you did there.

wholedamnshow: No Dragonforce or Avenged Sevenfold love on this thread?

Your kidding right?

Why is there even debate.