..just asking what would you pick to be the greatest band that formed after 1998?...I would asume not too many
It is true that after, say, 1994, things have been looking pretty bleak for metal as a developing artistic movement. However, there have indeed been some excellent bands to arise after 1998 during a period of relative drought as far as metal is concerned. So here are some bands, that carry one the spirit of the original creative minds and innovators in Extreme and Non-extreme metal. These are all more than a set of aesthetics; each carries a thought, or a fragment of inspiration, that has been transposed into the sonic medium, tapping into the inherent ideological underpinnings of all Romanticist and Neo-Classical music:
Socier Des Glaces: very interesting black metal from Quebec, semi-droning ambient riffs formed around basic melodic narrative standpoint in each song, with a disseperate but conclusive aesthetic in each song, though some betray their simplicity when they tapir out… Much more “progressive” than most bands who bear the label; as they explore new dynamics for black metal songwriting in an otherwise non-innovation friendly scene. Very recommended. Recommended recordings: Snowland
NME: Basically Venom meets Mayhem halfway; stadium Black Metal with punk-rock sensibilities but a very strong sense of the constructively destructive riff, as it were. Songs are short, simple, and savage. Recommended recordings: Unholy Death
Noenum: A Burzum (Burzum/Aske era) worship band of the best caliber. Whereas most Burzum clones attempt to capture the spellbinding essence of Varg’s music by imitating the simple droning ambiance and repetitive chord progressions, most are simply incapable of creating a central melody, powerful, or transposable or functional enough to carry a song, and end up filling in long songs (often 10-20 minutes) with Sunn O))) style static and drones, and thus end up sounding more like each other than that which the seek to copy. Noenum avoids this trap by finding what did make Burzum so powerful (the organic and thought-diffusive folk “medley” melodies) and applying that to interesting, if not wholly innovative black metal song constructs; an excellent ‘rainy day’ album. A pleasurable bonus: the singer has a rather respectable Varg-esqe hoarse shriek, which so many seek, but so few can seem to achieve. Recommended recordings: Black Esoteric Evangelium
AOC: Emperor Styled neo-classical romanticist Black Metal. Powerful but unobtrusive and revolving narrative vaguely ‘folksy’ melodies wrapped in an organic wash of Immortal style ambient drumming and clear guitar tone. Occasional mechanically croaked vocals and synthetic flutes allow themselves to work as novelty items in various songs on more than a superficial level, both accentuating and distracting from the central motives of the songs. A journey in a moment, and a single moment observed over the course of many. Much recommended. Recommended recordings: AOC Split with Lunar Reign
Gordian Knot: Progressive Heavy Metal arising from the ashes of fallen progressive death metal band Cynic. Combining the best of both classical and metal narrative song structuring, a sensible and power application of free-jazz styled musical technique and theory based technicality and a willingness to delve deep into the realms of creative electronic instrumentation lends this band all of the good connotations of the term progressive and none of the negative. Being of traditional heavy metal aesthetic styling’s, also gives it the economic advantage of being readily digestible by metalheads not versed of accustomed to the harshness of extreme metal, but seeking the rhythmic, narrative and melodic intricacies of the best artists in these fields. Extremely recommended. Recommended recordings: Gordian Knot, Emergent
There are more to be found, I’m sure.
As to other matters, Haloofthesun, read what I said about Wintersun and then dragonforce, my points are there. They remain valid whether you choose to accept them or not.
Zypher, quit being so touchy or quit listening to metal, you're like a woman. You can either accept the inherent idealogical underpinnings of Metal music and culture, which includes elitism or you can accept your possition as a hipster-metal fan, ei: a False Metalhead.
[Edit after seeing new posts] no, scratch that: Zypher, please choke on cock.
Fu, I may just get banned, many of my ways are at odds with the groupthink on this board, including my refusal to accept mediocre metal bands, or accept ignorant (or hopefully merely uninformed) oppinions of others less well versed in these maters, on these matters.
Discord
Light Style