Jernlov

Heh I'm listening to Bon Iver too. Bon Iver - Lump Sum

Merzbow for all categories.

... What? Have you listened to any of their songs? Yes, I used to be a big fan of Undertow and Lateralus before I realised I was wasting my time on that "spiritually enlightening" garbage. 65daysofstatic - The Last Home Recording

What is it with all the Tool fanatics on here anyway? Tool is horrendous. Cult of Luna - Owlwood

When metal was forming in the late 1970's and early 1980's, a lot of bands used Satanic imagery. However, this is not so prevalent in the mainstream of metal these days. There are few truly Satanic metal bands in the underground; not the type of bands that would make any significant impact on the mainstream. Also, underground metal is largely horrible and I can't understand why people would subject themselves to such tripe other than for Internet "kvlt points" and e-peen. The more mainstream bands are successful because they're rewarding to listen to; but that goes without saying. My fascination with metal has waned though. I listen to a very small amount nowadays. Also, Marilyn Manson is not in the slightest way a metal band. The more you know.

For budget Internet, it's pretty decent. My speeds have increased dramatically recently.

Loveless remastered is out in a couple of weeks. No new material as far as I know, but I'm pretty [bleep]ing stoked for it.

I use RateYourMusic for things like this. Hahaha.

MoodJuice - My Bloody Valentine How2PK - Sigur Rós Intriguing - Radiohead/of Montreal AdioLovesSquall - Dead Can Dance

ObZen and Destroy Erase Improve are great albums by them as well, the former probably being their easiest to find. obZen was good apart from Combustion, which sounded like a groove metal Tool song. Can't stand Tool. And thrash metal generally isn't that heavy, just fast. If you're looking in that direction then you can't go wrong with Hell Awaits or Reign in Blood by Slayer.

Architecture in Helsinki = very [bleep]ing yes. Also: DCfC and Bloc Party are well talked about where I live too. [hide=Artists]My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Coheed and Cambria, Iron Maiden, Fates Warning, Agalloch, Manilla Road, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Sunny Day Real Estate, Arcade Fire, Efterklang, Fugazi, maudlin of the Well, 65daysofstatic, Tangerine Dream. Not so much "favourites" (it sounds pretentious, but I don't have any favourites) as stuff that represents my current taste in music. It should keep you going for a while.[/hide]

Hmm. It's decent, but I prefer their first 3 to anything else they ever did. It's all pretty pretentious stuff but I like to chill with Fragile once a month or so. Coheed and Cambria - Hearshot Kid Disaster As much of a fan as I am of Coheed, I can't seem to get my head around their two latest releases. I find them impossible to get through due to a lack of: a) listening pleasure and B) rewarding moments in the music that In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 had.

INSERT REBUTTAL HERE. But seriously, I never got my head around the incredible amount of [cabbage] drama in CG. It moves too fast for me; causing me to rage, rage, rage and call it [cabbage]. It's not the worst thing ever (Love Hina is), but in my opinion it was nothing more than a melodramatic trainwreck. The episodes I've seen of Geass R2 were dreadful; it was instantly forgettable. Not to try and pick a fight with you or condemn your tastes (Clannad is pretty good bro), but myself and my anime-watching friend agree that it was a pretty forgettable watch. I'm not really into action stuff though; I like my anime to be beautiful (Haibane Renmei), or just downright weird and surreal (Serial Experiments Lain). I can't go into how much I love those series without going into fanboy overdrive though. :\ Edit: [bleep]ing quotes.

code geass was full of gay by the end of it. Far to many fangirls. It's still a terrible anime. TTGL is passable.

Hüsker Dü - get Zen Arcade, Everything Falls Apart and More and New Day Rising.

Meshuggah fit your description. (I'm not American, so I have no idea what Best Buy stocks - but you could find it at most record stores) Get Catch 33 or Chaosphere.

Oh wow, I feel stupid. Wasn't aware that Bath and Leaving Your Body Map made a concept album. I still have yt to hear Leaving Your Body Map, actually >_<. I don't think that Dark Side of the Moon is a concept album, though. Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Pt 1 Dream Theater - Scenes From a Memory Ayreon - The Human Equation Yeah I had no idea that Bath was a concept album too. Def putting that down. Bath and Leaving Your Body Map are meant to be listened to back-to-back. The lyrics are rather ambiguous but there's definitely some kind of "opposite connection" between the two, i.e., one being lighter and one being heavier and darker. And I don't think DSotM is actually a concept album, but it is sacrilege to listen to it out of its intended order in my opnion.

Code Geass and Gurren-Lagann are far too manly for me.

Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon maudlin of the Well - Bath and Leaving Your Body Map

1920x1200 on a 17" screen is ridiculous. Too many pixels on a screen that's too small for them all. But if it works, it works, and that's how I'm going to answer. Go with what works best for you.

Just wondering, have you heard their newish album, Turning Season Within? It's the only album I have by them, but it was one of my favorites of '08. Anathema - Judgement (album) Freaking amazing... I really should have listened to these guys earlier. No, I haven't heard that one yet - but I really liked Where Lovers Mourn, so I'll give it a listen. Anathema is pretty amazing, yeah. I would say A Fine Day to Exit is my favourite album. It's also their least accessible [even compared to their gothic doom metal releases] but when it hits you, it's a moving experience. Fates Warning - Pirates of the Underground Fates Warning = great prog/power that doesn't suck.

I'm checking them out too, same album. Never heard of them before now. Sounds very interesting and unique. Yeah it's incredible. Listened through it without many distractions, it's a wonderful album. I think it will still take a good long while until I fully understand it though. It's otherworldly in my opinion. Listening to Bath and Leaving Your Body Map back to back is an amazing experience. The two "halves" contrast in such a perfect way; Bath being the soft, spiritual, uplifting album and Leaving Your Body Map being the dark and down-to-earth doom album. Draconian - Silent Winter Sounds like Opeth, but more bleak and less pretentious.

This, and this goes for just about everyone I know. Some people find meaning in music that others find mundane.

Animal Collective is terrible, bar Strawberry Jam. What I have heard of Merriweather isn't too great. Porcupine Tree and Anathema have new albums lined up for '09 according to my friend, so I guess those.

On the topic of PT, yeah, the releases after Steve was influenced by Opeth and Meshuggah (among others) are solid stuff. I like Fear of a Blank Planet the best out of that period I think, followed by Deadwing and then In Absentia; not because In Absentia is bad - it's the fact that it was the first album of that style and it seemed somewhat immature compared to Deadwing and FoaBP. I do, however, really love Signify/Stupid Dream era Porcupine Tree. They had an excellent psych/prog sound back then, and I would like an album that blends that style with metal rather than another "heavy" record. If you're into Signify/Stupid Dream era Porcupine Tree then check out Pineapple Thief. OT; I haven't ordered anything new in a while, but I have about £150 to spend so I'll buy something soon.