Oh man I need new music to listen to... HELP!

[Dusty Chalk]

Whatever you do, stay far far away from these suggestions:

Buckethead, Population Override
In The Nursery, Hindle Wakes
Einstürzende Neubauten, Silence is Sexy
The Gathering, Souvenirs
Blue Man Group, The Complex
Matt Elliott, The Mess We Made
Sigur Rós, ()
Notwist, Neon Golden

No seriously, just reel off like 10 disks that you would list amongst your favourites...you don't have to give a top 10, but give us a clue for pete's saki.

[Izlsnizzt]

Well here's an Idea of some of my favorite discs.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon SACD
Roger Waters - In the Flesh Live SACD
Alan Hovhaness - Mysterios Mountains SACD
Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Mr. Bungle - California
Thomas Murray - Transcribers Art (Organ)
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture SACD
Ray Brown/Monty Alexander/Russell Malone - Self Titled SACD

[Izlsnizzt]

BTW, I've got alot of your suggestions and they are all some really great listening. I feel like I'm being open up to some different music already which was my primary goal in joining this forum. Thanks guys...

[ForeverAutumn]

Well here's an Idea of some of my favorite discs.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon SACD
Roger Waters - In the Flesh Live SACD
Alan Hovhaness - Mysterios Mountains SACD
Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Mr. Bungle - California
Thomas Murray - Transcribers Art (Organ)
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture SACD
Ray Brown/Monty Alexander/Russell Malone - Self Titled SACD

Some fine disks on your list. PF and DT are two of my favourites as well. Take another look at Demetrio's list (Hey D, great to see you! You've been missed around here ). I don't know everything on his list but I'm thinking that Porcupine Tree and Marillion would be up your alley.

In addition:
Opeth - Damnation (although a little on the mellow side)
Chain - Recontruct
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
Cryptic Vision - Moments of Clarity
The Mars Volta - De-loused In the Comatorium
Queens of the Stoneage - Songs for the Deaf
Queensryche
Spock's Beard

If you haven't already, try some older DT. Scenes From a Memory is their best work IMHO. Falling Into Infinity has a bit more of a classic rock sound...probably their most commercially accessable disk. Their new disk, Train of Thought is also very good and has some technically awesome musicianship.

This is definately the place to be if you're looking for introductions to new tunes. Except for Queensryche and Cryptic Vision, every other band listed above came to me as a recommendation from someone here.

Good listening!

[mad rhetorik]

I don't know everything on his list but I'm thinking that Porcupine Tree and Marillion would be up your alley.

In addition:
Opeth - Damnation (although a little on the mellow side)
Chain - Recontruct
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
Cryptic Vision - Moments of Clarity
The Mars Volta - De-loused In the Comatorium
Queens of the Stoneage - Songs for the Deaf
Queensryche
Spock's Beard

Good choices all-around.

Opeth flat-out rule. They're one of the most unique metal outfits out there right now. Damnation is the place to start. It sticks almost entirely to their soft folky/jazzy side and there's no harsh growled vox like in their other albums which alternate between loud and soft stylings. If you have the inclination, check out Morningrise (best metal album of the '90s IMO), Deliverence, Still Life, and Blackwater Park. Be warned that it will probably take a few listens to get accustomed to the harsher parts of Opeth's sound, unless you already have a well-developed taste for this sort of thing.

Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age (a Kyuss spinoff) both have great albums. Check out Blues For The Red Sun and Rated R, respectively. Queens Of The Stone Age are no more, but Josh Homme, the guitarist of Kyuss/QOTSA, plays drums for another outfit called The Eagles Of Death Metal (who do not sound like The Eagles, nor are they death metal). Might as well check them out too.

After listening to Dave Grohl's excellent work on the skins in QOTSA's Songs For The Deaf, you should check out the other albums he has drummed on, like the latest Killing Joke disc and his metal side project Probot. The latter features a "who's-who" list of metal vocalists from various '80s underground outfits.

Mars Volta is great, and Deloused.. is a fave of mine. Also look into Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez's prior outfit, At The Drive-In, and their last album Relationship Of Command. A pretty mindblowing release if you ask me.

Queensryche's two best albums are Operation Mindcrime and Rage For Order. They both have been recently remastered w/ bonus tracks. Don't bother with the albums after Mindcrime unless you don't mind Bon Jovi-esque cheese. Also worth considering if you like Queensryche is Fates Warning, and of course Rush (ugh, can't believe I'm the one giving a Rush recc). As a DT fan, if you enjoy prog metal with a high emphasis on technicality, try Spiral Architect--rock doesn't get more intricate than that. Also worthy in this respect is Gordian Knot, an instrumental prog metal/fusion outfit led by the excellent bassist and songwriter Sean Malone, and featuring players from King Crimson and Dream Theater among others.

Porcupine Tree is also excellent, and Steve Wilson is one of the foremost prog artists in the world today. Start with In Absentia, but look into all of their other releases as well.

If you like Todd's Converge recc, I'd check out Dillinger Escape Plan's Calculating Infinity, which is a favorite of mine (and also appears to be a fave of Jar's, as well). Blazingly fast and insane math-metal, not for the faint of heart.

There's lots of good stuff out there... here's a few other albums to try:

Metal:
Megadeth: Rust In Peace
Iron Maiden: Number Of The Beast, Powerslave
Metallica: Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, ..And Justice For All
Death: Human, Individual Thought Patterns, The Sound Of Perseverence
Meshuggah: Nothing

Prog:
Tool: Lateralus
King Crimson: Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Red, Discipline, THRAK
Frank Zappa: One Size Fits All, Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka, Apostrophe, Freak Out!
Can: Tago Mago
King's X: Gretchen Goes To Nebraska, Dogman
Radiohead: The Bends, OK Computer
Pink Floyd: Meddle, Animals, The Final Cut

Jazz/Fusion:
Miles Davis: (First quartet) Kind Of Blue, Milestones, Round Midnight (Second quartet) Miles Smiles, E.S.P., Files De Kilimanjaro (Fusion) In A Silent Way, Jack Johnson
John Coltrane: Blue Train, Giant Steps, Crescent, A Love Supreme
Ornette Coleman: The Shape Of Jazz To Come
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um
Dave Brubeck: Time Out
Mahavishnu Orchestra: Birds Of Fire
Weather Report: Heavy Weather
Jaco Pastorius' first album

Alternative Rock:
Soundgarden: Badmotorfinger, Superunknown
Jane's Addiction: Nothing's Shocking
Alice In Chains: Dirt, Jar Of Flies
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Mother's Milk, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Smashing Pumpkins: Gish, Siamese Dream, Melon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
The Pixies: Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova, Trompe Le Monde, anything else you can get yer mitts on..best band ever...

Punk/Post-punk/New Wave:
Wire: Pink Flag
Bad Brains: I Against I
Minutemen: Double Nickels On The Dime
Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
Husker Du: New Day Rising, Candy Apple Grey
Fugazi: 13 Songs
Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Substance
The Cure: Pornography, Head On The Door, Disintegration
New Order: Power, Corruption, And Lies
Elvis Costello: This Year's Model
Joe Jackson: Look Sharp!

[Izlsnizzt]

For those of you guys who like Dilenger Escape plan check out a band called Frantic Bleep. I bet it's right up your alley. Very fast technical metal with some truly Mike Patton-esque break downs in the middle.

[Izlsnizzt]

I'll get to some more of these recomendations tongiht when I get home. Just got some Sennheiser HD-555 and a Headroom Little Headphone amp to have some fun with tongiht.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yes, your tastes definitely seem to align with Demetrio's, FA's, and Dave G's -- although ignore him when he says ignore the rest of us, you had Mr. Bungle on your list, and I don't think Dave G has heard that, otherwise he would have lumped you in with the rest of us when he said that what we listen to is just plain weird.

But Demetrio is the greatest prog recommender of all time, so definitely listen to him. He's a virtual similarities engine.

And definitely check out Mars Volta -- I would think that someone who digs Mr. Bungle could handle the transitions, but it seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it proposition, so try to hear it first.

the notwist are a fantastic band. i actually prefer Shrink to Neon Golden, but both are great.

Hey, finally! Someone who's heard Shrink besides myself! Yes, all three of their most recent albums, Neon Golden, Shrink and 12 are great albums, on another board I listed all three as "masterpieces". And they're great live, too, completely different from what you'd expect if you've only heard Neon Golden. (They somehow turn into a guitar band live -- don't ask me how.)

And you listen to Mice Parade, too! Dude! :thumbs-up:

and here we have our first disagreement, Dusty. this happens to be among the worst "people said it was great" albums i've ever heard. her voice is amazing, but it can't save this band or their lame compositions. IMO, of course.

Well, you're welcome. To your opinion, that is. Even though it's wrong.

No, seriously, different strokes for different folks. You like to listen to stuff that's "different", I'm guessing...? See, I listen to everything, and I like what I like, including more song-oriented stuff (L, I even listen to Pop). I think the Gathering are simply fabulous, especially once Anneke joined, and everything they do is magical. Try giving them one more chance and find a copy of the Black Light District EP. But that's the only thing I'm guessing you will like by them. The rest will probably be too song-oriented for you. But BLD is almost post-rock.

Morcean Worker [A very good cd]

I think you mean Mocean Worker (no first 'r'), and yes, it is very good and enjoyable.

[Izlsnizzt]

Anyone out there like the Blues? If so check out Ronnie Earl he's a Telarc recording artist. He does some real nice instrumental Blues with guitar and piano...Mike Patton is the genrally considered by me to be "The Man" along with Frank Zappa. MY favorite song by Zappa would have to be Rubber hirt (Anyone?).

[mad rhetorik]

Mike Patton is the genrally considered by me to be "The Man"..

You too, huh? I own California as well, along with Faith No More's The Real Thing. Both albums contain some fave tracks of mine ("Ars Moriendi!" !!!!!!). I've also heard the Irony Is A Dead Scene EP that Patton cut with the Dillinger Escape Plan, and Fantomas' first album. That Fantomas album is some weird-ass shit--what else would you expect from an album featuring members from Slayer, The Melvins, and two members of Mr. Bungle? It's like muzak for asylum escapees or something.

...along with Frank Zappa.

Oh man, I can tell I probably like over half of what you own already...you're into classical, right? What do you think of Zappa's Yellow Shark? I think it's pretty damn good and I don't even like classical much.

Favorite Zappa song: Either "Willie The Pimp" or "San Ber'dino"

[Toady]

Hey, finally! Someone who's heard Shrink besides myself! Yes, all three of their most recent albums, Neon Golden, Shrink and 12 are great albums, on another board I listed all three as "masterpieces". And they're great live, too, completely different from what you'd expect if you've only heard Neon Golden. (They somehow turn into a guitar band live -- don't ask me how.)

i've seen them (i've seen just about everyone!)

And you listen to Mice Parade, too! Dude! :thumbs-up:

of course! i think adam pierce is a genius. he played on a recent Mum track, didn't he?

Well, you're welcome. To your opinion, that is. Even though it's wrong.

No, seriously, different strokes for different folks. You like to listen to stuff that's "different", I'm guessing...? See, I listen to everything, and I like what I like, including more song-oriented stuff (L, I even listen to Pop). I think the Gathering are simply fabulous, especially once Anneke joined, and everything they do is magical. Try giving them one more chance and find a copy of the Black Light District EP. But that's the only thing I'm guessing you will like by them. The rest will probably be too song-oriented for you.

i listen to a lot of different things. lots of post-rock, lots of ambient stuff lately... but i still LOVE straight up rock bands like the wrens and others.

i've given the gathering their chance and i feel confident in my hatred towards them . even made a point of seeing them live. left after 3 songs...

it just ain't happening

[-Jar-]

i listen to a lot of different things. lots of post-rock, lots of ambient stuff lately... but i still LOVE straight up rock bands like the wrens and others.

Have you heard Katatonia? Man, I dig their last few albums, but I haven't gotten the new one yet... though it's not really new anymore. I just love their deep heavy almost-shoegazer riffing and the depressed Cureish vocals.

Ever heard Acid Bath? They're one of my favorite metal bands of the 90's.. Dax Riggs has got to be one of the most amazing death metal singers.. though he use his entire range..

You should name some of your favorite concerts..

a few of the hundreds that I've seen jump out at me:

Ride/Slowdive
Teenage Fanclub/Uncle Tupelo
Skinny Puppy (Too Dark Park & Last Rites tours)
Butthole Surfers/Ed Hall
Jesus Lizard (like 9 times or something)
Helmet/Rollins Band
Monster Magnet/COC/Season to Risk
Sonic Youth/Sun Ra (Central Park NYC)
Primus/Fishbone
Primus/Melvins
Rodan/Craw
Entombed/Unsane

ok I'll stop..

-jar

[Izlsnizzt]

If you haven't already, try some older DT. Scenes From a Memory is their best work IMHO. Falling Into Infinity has a bit more of a classic rock sound...probably their most commercially accessable disk. Their new disk, Train of Thought is also very good and has some technically awesome musicianship.

I have pretty much all the Albums by DT...they're just so damn good....

[-Jar-]

Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley

you like this?

Wow.

[ForeverAutumn]

you like this?

Wow.

Is that a good wow, like "Wow, I can't believe that you have such fantastic taste in music"?

Or a bad wow, like "Wow, how could anyone like this crap"?

[mad rhetorik]

Is that a good wow, like "Wow, I can't believe that you have such fantastic taste in music"?

Or a bad wow, like "Wow, how could anyone like this crap"?

Shut Up And Play...This Comp

I recommended it to you, so of course it rules! ; P

[-Jar-]

Is that a good wow, like "Wow, I can't believe that you have such fantastic taste in music"?

Or a bad wow, like "Wow, how could anyone like this crap"?

hehe.. well its just one of my favorite albums.. I just didn't know you were "down" with them. Now i want to send you a stoner rock comp. Though when it comes down to it, most of those bands are just imitators of Kyuss. Though I must ask if you've heard SPINE OF GOD by Monster Magnet.. I think you'd dig 'em.

-jar

[ForeverAutumn]

hehe.. well its just one of my favorite albums.. I just didn't know you were "down" with them. Now i want to send you a stoner rock comp. Though when it comes down to it, most of those bands are just imitators of Kyuss. Though I must ask if you've heard SPINE OF GOD by Monster Magnet.. I think you'd dig 'em.

-jar

Well bring it on my friend. The stoner comp that is.

As Mad R pointed out, he turned me on to Kyuss earlier this year. And I can't thank him enough (thanks!). I grew up listening to a lot of stuff like Sabbath, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. Along with the proggier stuff like Yes, Kansas and Floyd. I took a break from the metal scene in the late 80's and 90's so I never really got into bands like Metallica and the like. My tastes have mellowed more to the proggy side as I've grown older, I guess that's why most folks around here think of me as a progger. But I still love a good head banging album as much as the next guy/gal. Bands like Kyuss, QOTSA, and Mars Volta have renewed my taste for metal. As long as the vocals are clean. I love a good distorted guitar, but I can't stomach the growls of death vocals.

I haven't heard of Monster Magnet, but after looking them up on AMG, I'm very interested. Let me know if you need my addy.

and....thanks for the offer!

P.S. While we're on the topic....what do you guys know about Masters of Reality? If I wanted to test the waters, what's a good disk to start with?

[Stone]

If you haven't heard it, I recommend this.

[Toady]

Sigur Rós, ()
Notwist, Neon Golden

sigur ros is wonderfully new for most people. great recommendation there.

the notwist are a fantastic band. i actually prefer Shrink to Neon Golden, but both are great.

The Gathering, Souvenirs

and here we have our first disagreement, Dusty. this happens to be among the worst "people said it was great" albums i've ever heard. her voice is amazing, but it can't save this band or their lame compositions. IMO, of course.

todd

[Toady]

oops, i should offer some as well...

pinback - blue screen life (i've talked it up a lot in my short time here)

the 6 parts 7

explosions in the sky

califone - quicksand/cradlesnakes

broken social scene

the wrens

mice parade

converge

if you've heard of any of these and care for them, i'll be happy to venture deeper into whatever genre they fit into for more picks...

todd

[mad rhetorik]

and here we have our first disagreement, Dusty. this happens to be among the worst "people said it was great" albums i've ever heard. her voice is amazing, but it can't save this band or their lame compositions. IMO, of course.

Yeah, Souvenirs isn't too great. However, dig around a little bit into their back catalog and you'll find Mandylion and Nighttime Birds. They lean more on the heavier side, check 'em out. Also worth investigating is Laguna Coil. Comalies has been one of my more frequently spun discs lately.