So. I'm a huge fan of a lot of types of metal, but I find that the stuff that really gets me going tends to be the much darker, slower, thicker, atmospheric stuff. Sunn O))), Ahab, Thergothon, Evoken, Rigor Sardonicous, Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine, Khanate (Khanate is...well, if you like darker stuff, they are mandatory. One of the most unique bands I've yet come across, inb4examples), Mourning Beloveth, Earth, Buried at Sea, Funeral, I love it. Especially Funeral Doom and dark ambient stuff. If it's slow, if it's dark, if it creates atmosphere, if it creates a soundscape, something about it makes me go "oooooh yeah" on the inside.
So, the two points of this thread. One, anyone have any bands they'd recommend me? And two: for the rest of the Escapist who may not be as avid fans of the darker brands of music, what are your thoughts on it? I tend to be unable to ask people I know offline, since they stay more in the pop/rock/alternative realms, so they don't know what I'm talking about when I say things like "funeral doom metal" or even just "doom metal".
I'll start with some bands not everyone might know. Link to one of their better songs with each name.
Mandatory stop first, though. Sunn O))). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG97k6DMNVM] Widely considered "the" drone-doom metal band. They've done a lot of compilations with the likes of Xasthur, Leviathan, Atila Csihar (of Mayhem), and Boris (who I could make an entire topic about, but not today). Their stuff is the kind that either you'll like it it you won't after listening to it for a bit (and not in the background while you do something else; then it loses a lot of its effect), and that pretty much won't change. If you're gonna like it you'll like it, and if you're not gonna like it you won't.
Funeral. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCtVmczLZg] One of the best doom/doom-ish bands I've ever heard. Gone through more vocalists than most other bands, but their work with Frode Forsmo ("This Barren Skin" and "As The Light Does The Shadow") is amazing, especially "This Barren Skin." It's got its moments of reprieve and almost joy, but the whole album is, if you think about some of the lyrics, incredibly depressing. Linked song is the first track on the album.
Thergothon. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3L0O7xlZj4] If you like Evoken, Ahab, etc, then check these guys out. Considered the fathers of funeral doom. They only lasted for one album, and it's a lot more barebones and a bit less produced or refined than most of their successors, but it's still great. At the least, it's interesting to see the roots of the sub-genre (sub-sub-genre?).
Khanate. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2Ag4B4m0Cs] One of the more unique bands I've heard. They try really hard (too hard, somtimes) to sound dark and depressing, but I can get a good effect by not thinking of the lyrics as being something coherent in any way, but just as another instrument. Warning, this band is prone to being labeled "pretentious," so if you're the kind of person who thinks of certain types of music as pretentious, be forewarned.
Sink. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlrOptp8Xg&feature=related] Some of their stuff, like this song, is wonderfully droney and atmospheric. Some of it's much rougher sounding black metal. Worth checking out if you like Sunn O))) and gregorian chanting/buddhist chanting.
Sabazius. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVb8J_42H5I] I'll admit I'm not sure what genre these guys best fit in. But, if you like Sunn O))), check them out. Their stuff is up for free download, links on their MySpace page.
Zaraza. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9dNt3bNGSo] Industrial doom. I don't really know how to describe them beyond that, and it'll probably make sense when you hear it (I hope). Just listen to a few minutes of the song if you're curious.
Last one. Ataraxie. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI7GtARLaXs] Probably the most accessible band behind Funeral('s most recent stuff) on this list. Closer to Evoken/Ahab in style than the rest of these, but with much longer songs overall. Evoken averages around ten minutes, Ataraxie around fifteen or more. They're latest album, the shortest song was 13:48, longest as 24:00. On this list, only Sunn O))) and Sabazius top that consistently. Khanate comes close. But, Ataraxie doesn't do a lot of droney passages, so they kinda win in the "long song" category.
Also: for people into this kind of stuff and the less dark/more conventional doom metal, check out Doom Metal Front's free download albums. Some great stuff there, but you do have to wade through a lot of crap to get to the gems. They've currently got 5 free compilations up for download, just over a day's worth of music between them and about 2.3 gigs. I'd check it out if you can, though.
So, the two points of this thread. One, anyone have any bands they'd recommend me? And two: for the rest of the Escapist who may not be as avid fans of the darker brands of music, what are your thoughts on it? I tend to be unable to ask people I know offline, since they stay more in the pop/rock/alternative realms, so they don't know what I'm talking about when I say things like "funeral doom metal" or even just "doom metal".
I'll start with some bands not everyone might know. Link to one of their better songs with each name.
Mandatory stop first, though. Sunn O))). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG97k6DMNVM] Widely considered "the" drone-doom metal band. They've done a lot of compilations with the likes of Xasthur, Leviathan, Atila Csihar (of Mayhem), and Boris (who I could make an entire topic about, but not today). Their stuff is the kind that either you'll like it it you won't after listening to it for a bit (and not in the background while you do something else; then it loses a lot of its effect), and that pretty much won't change. If you're gonna like it you'll like it, and if you're not gonna like it you won't.
Funeral. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCtVmczLZg] One of the best doom/doom-ish bands I've ever heard. Gone through more vocalists than most other bands, but their work with Frode Forsmo ("This Barren Skin" and "As The Light Does The Shadow") is amazing, especially "This Barren Skin." It's got its moments of reprieve and almost joy, but the whole album is, if you think about some of the lyrics, incredibly depressing. Linked song is the first track on the album.
Thergothon. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3L0O7xlZj4] If you like Evoken, Ahab, etc, then check these guys out. Considered the fathers of funeral doom. They only lasted for one album, and it's a lot more barebones and a bit less produced or refined than most of their successors, but it's still great. At the least, it's interesting to see the roots of the sub-genre (sub-sub-genre?).
Khanate. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2Ag4B4m0Cs] One of the more unique bands I've heard. They try really hard (too hard, somtimes) to sound dark and depressing, but I can get a good effect by not thinking of the lyrics as being something coherent in any way, but just as another instrument. Warning, this band is prone to being labeled "pretentious," so if you're the kind of person who thinks of certain types of music as pretentious, be forewarned.
Sink. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlrOptp8Xg&feature=related] Some of their stuff, like this song, is wonderfully droney and atmospheric. Some of it's much rougher sounding black metal. Worth checking out if you like Sunn O))) and gregorian chanting/buddhist chanting.
Sabazius. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVb8J_42H5I] I'll admit I'm not sure what genre these guys best fit in. But, if you like Sunn O))), check them out. Their stuff is up for free download, links on their MySpace page.
Zaraza. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9dNt3bNGSo] Industrial doom. I don't really know how to describe them beyond that, and it'll probably make sense when you hear it (I hope). Just listen to a few minutes of the song if you're curious.
Last one. Ataraxie. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI7GtARLaXs] Probably the most accessible band behind Funeral('s most recent stuff) on this list. Closer to Evoken/Ahab in style than the rest of these, but with much longer songs overall. Evoken averages around ten minutes, Ataraxie around fifteen or more. They're latest album, the shortest song was 13:48, longest as 24:00. On this list, only Sunn O))) and Sabazius top that consistently. Khanate comes close. But, Ataraxie doesn't do a lot of droney passages, so they kinda win in the "long song" category.
Also: for people into this kind of stuff and the less dark/more conventional doom metal, check out Doom Metal Front's free download albums. Some great stuff there, but you do have to wade through a lot of crap to get to the gems. They've currently got 5 free compilations up for download, just over a day's worth of music between them and about 2.3 gigs. I'd check it out if you can, though.
(see the 300 Johnny Cash songs on iTunes, teehee). Oh, and as for the first song, pretty good but oddly didn't grab at me. Seems like it should have. Ah well, some things don't make sense. 
