The Band Recommendation Thread

[horns666]

Firebird are normally called a "'70s rock" band. I think the riffs are more intricate than the Spiritual Beggars, without taking away from the driving rock tempo. I would describe it as sounding like Cocaine era Cream, but with more notes per bar without taking away from the groove. Bill Steer's tone even sounds Clapton-ish, IMO. However, like Amott, I'm biased as I always loved Steer's playing.

There's some live stuff on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I278RkF3TZ4

Great call..and don't forget Grand Magus or the Quill. The singer doe SP fronts GM and the drummer from SP plays with the Quill..or used to.

Personally I prefer Grand Magus..they're a bit more "metal" I guess. I have all four of theirs as well as Firebird. My fave is still SP because I been listening to them first..I picked up one of there's about 11 years ago..so that has deep roots with me.

But my fave is Chris Amott's Armegeddon!!!

[ken]

Thanks for the suggestions Bill. I'll check out Grand Magus, the Quill and Chris Amott's Armegeddon.

Mordred - the original bay area thrash metal meets funk band from the late 80s to early 90s. Not for everybody, but I love them. I'd recommend "In this life" over their other releases. Check out the heavy as hell "Falling Away" or the funk-o-licious "Esse Quam Videri" (how quick did he come ).

It's a brilliant album, in my opinion. They were rockin' live. And yes, you've guessed it, they played Jacksons and were in one of the guitar catalogues back in the day.

[thebeggar]

Good thread idea !

Brainstorm kicks ass. Power metal with a great singer. I recommend their cd "Soul Temptation"

Recommendation duly noted.

When I get a chance I tune into a bit of HARD RADIO over the net. More than once I've had to stop what I was doing and run to the computer to check out who the fuck was playing. The couple of songs I've heard sounded great.

[savage]

I embrace ANYTHING that has any musical value. Stuff that actually inpires me to keep playing myself. I appreciate talent, song craft, and skilled musicianship.

Same here!
If it makes me either bang my head or want to pick up the axe then i like it

[tarddad]

dissection- black/death- check out storm of the lights bane, the somberlain. awesome but the singer killed himself in 2006

lividity-death/gore grind- local band, just sick stuff.

athiest- everyone already knows them im sure

just a few i like

[sonicsamurai]

Blue Murder (John Sykes!!)

House of Lords

Evile

Gamma Bomb

[sonicsamurai]

(If you don't like it, keep your 80's glam metal listening pussified ass QUIET and move the fuck on. )

more like QUIET RIOT

and btw most of it stuill kicks the shit out of todays music...and the guitarists still own anything thats come out since...they don't make them like they used to

[horns666]

Recommendation duly noted.

When I get a chance I tune into a bit of HARD RADIO over the net. More than once I've had to stop what I was doing and run to the computer to check out who the fuck was playing. The couple of songs I've heard sounded great.

Brainstorm Rules..I have all their stuff including their first two releases that we just reissued. Andy B Frank..also sings for Symphorce and Ivanhoe..

[GodOfRhythm]

more like QUIET RIOT

and btw most of it stuill kicks the shit out of todays music...and the guitarists still own anything thats come out since...they don't make them like they used to

Bullshit.

Guthrie Govan

[/thread]

[Ben...]

Bill, I complete agree with you on the Crystal Eyes vocalist thing. It just doesn't sound without Dahl. Good call on Lost Horizon, I'm really digging what I've heard so far. This is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for giving me a starting point!

[Ben...]

Dude, the Lost Horizon song "Sworn in the Metal Wind" is so awesome. Galloping bass drums and the oh-so-epic spoken/sung parts not to mention awesome guitar. You're so right about that singer. He's a beast! It's mind blowing!

Oh and to GOR, Guthrie's such an amazing guitar player.

[GodOfRhythm]

Oh, another recommendation:

ABBA


I've been listening to my mom's old records again, and damn these guys still rock my boat!

[Robert Burns]

Here I'll throw a few more names out:

Ensiferum - a power/death metal band with Jari Maenpaa from Wintersun. So far I can recommend the album Iron and especially it's title track. Screechy vocals (there you go savage)

Crystal Eyes - This amazing Swedish power metal band is one of my favourites. I highly suggest power metalheads check out the album "World Of Black and Silver". some songs to check out include "Interstellar War"(one of my personal favourites) and "Winds of the Free". Clean Vocals

Stratovarius - This Finnish power metal with Jens Johansson, one of my favourite keyboard players, has a sizeable amount of classical influenced goodness. I find thier older material to be much better than their newer efforts. Some of my favourites include "Speed of Light", "Black Diamond", "Freedom", and "Hunting High and Low". Clean vocals

Kalmah - This band is one strange Melo-death band. They, like Stratovarius and Wintersun, are Finnish. The only album of theirs I've heard is "Black Waltz" and I quite enjoyed it. Recommended songs: "Man of the King", "Mindrust", and "Svieri Doroga/Black Waltz". Growly vocals

Rhapsody(of Fire) - This is easily one of my favourite bands. These Italian beasts can put out some amazing power metal, including a symphony and a choir and all that jazz. The singer is also a personal favourite though his pronunciations can be quite funny due to his thick accent. Some may find this band similar to Dragonforce, but unlike that band, these guys are actually good. I recommend everything from these guys but especially "Emerald Sword", "Dawn of Victory" and "Holy Thunderforce". Clean vocals

Outworld - If you can get over the corny vocals this texan power metal band is actually pretty decent. The guitarist for the band is ubershredmeister Rusty Cooley. Recommended songs are "Riders" and "City of the Dead". Cleanish vocals

Rob Halford's solo work - I wasn't so sure about this stuff until I heard "Resururrection" and "Into the Pit". It's decent and it has Jackson Endorsee Metal Mike in one of his bands.. It's Rob, so clean but super high up at times

Racer X - Paul Gilbert's old, ultra amazing shred band. "Scarified" is the greatest song of all time. Clean vocals

Kamelot - Haven't heard much of these guys but they seem okay. Kinda remind me of Dream Theater. Can only really recommend "Ghost Opera" so far. Clean vocals

David Lee Roth - His solo stuff with his stunt band is okay, with Steve Vai and Billy (the bore) Sheehan in all his speediness. Recommended songs include "The Bottom Line"(the vocals make no sense), "Elephant Gun", and "Shyboy". Clean vocals

Iron Maiden - It's Iron Maiden. I don't need to say anything because you already know about them.

Judas Priest - One of my favourites. Not including the stuff with Ripper Owen of course. I especially like the old stuff and the 80's stuff. Some recommended include "Hell Bent For Leather", "Painkiller", "The Hellion/Electric Eye", "Starbreaker", "Beyond the Realms of Death", Better By You, Better Than Me", and of course, "Victim of Changes". see Rob Halford

Shawn Lane - For all you jazz fusion people. Considered to be one of the fastest guitarists of all time, the late Shawn Lane made an interesting album called "Powers of Ten". I highly recommend the song "Gray Pianos Flying". It will seem corny at first with all the synth stuff but then you hear Shawn rip, and by rip I mean jaw-dropping speed. No vocals

I'll find more later. I would write stuff about Nevermore and Symphony X but they've already been mentioned by Spivonious.

**** Powers of Ten !! What a brilliant album... Im so shallow that
i didnt really like it, until i heard it for about the 5th time..then it started
to grow on me, and finally i became aware of true brilliant music writing
and WHY i should pay closer attention! Shawn was the "Mozart" of our
time imo.

[Mr.C]

Oh, another recommendation:

ABBA


I've been listening to my mom's old records again, and damn these guys still rock my boat!

you wuss :ROTF::ROTF::ROTF:

[VitaminG]

Brainstorm Rules..I have all their stuff including their first two releases that we just reissued. Andy B Frank..also sings for Symphorce and Ivanhoe..

Brainstorm are great. So are Symphorce. Andy B has a hell of voice.

Dude, the Lost Horizon song "Sworn in the Metal Wind" is so awesome. Galloping bass drums and the oh-so-epic spoken/sung parts not to mention awesome guitar. You're so right about that singer. He's a beast! It's mind blowing! .

Lost Horizon are very very good. I'm not so into the war paint & oiled torso thing but the music stands alone. I just don't read the album notes while I'm listening to it

more like QUIET RIOT

and btw most of it stuill kicks the shit out of todays music...and the guitarists still own anything thats come out since...they don't make them like they used to

you really need to get out more, man. I could list a dozen incredible guitarists off the top of my head that are equal to or way beyond what the best of the hair metal shredder were doing back in the day. Most of the hair metal guys weren't all that anyway, after you took out the top echelon of players (Lynch, Malmsteen, Bratta, Beach, DeMartini, etc)

And I'm not talking about your "world's fastest guitarist" types, YouTube bedroom shredders or stunt guitarists. I'm talking about guys with control, taste, speed to burn, strong vibrato, dynamics, a sense of melody. Guys obviously influenced by those 80s guitarists who you admire, who've taken that style to another level.