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sorry if theres one of these already, but I didnt see it on the first page, so here we go.

Give us your top 10, people.

Mine would be:

Pink Floyd
Death
Iron Maiden
Lamb of God
Opeth
Dave Brubeck
Necrophagist
Akercocke
Dream Theater
Kiuas

My five favorite bands of all time are...
Tool
Alice in Chains
Metallica
Arch Enemy
White Zombie

I also like:
Bolt Thrower
Cannibal Corpse
Dethklok
Sepultura
Slayer
The Melvins
Celtic Frost
Pantera
KoRn
TAD
Mudhoney
Opeth
Kyuss
Queens of the Stone Age
Dream Theater
Pearl Jam
Soundgarden
Nirvana
Rage Against the Machine
The Foo Fighters
Stone Temple Pilots
Screaming Trees
Damageplan
Vader
Behemoth
and there are many, many more that I'm simply too lazy to name.

EDIT: I forgot Celtic Frost.

a man of taste I see, thousandth son. Good to see someone who knows who vader are.

My top 10: starting with most favourite

-Red Hot Chili Peppers (everything before and including Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
-Drowning Pool (specifically their stuff with Ryan)
-Disturbed
-Nonpoint
-Sevendust
-Taproot
-Saliva
-Rammstein
-Rise Against
And finally the stuff from Iron Maiden's first few years

mine are as follows

10 theory of a dead man
9 three days grace
8 beastie boys
7 atreyu
6 seether
5 mudvayne
4 disturbed
3 slipknot
2 drowning pool
1 five finger death punch

some of the best music ever

heres my playlist:
http://www.playlist.com/user/23836481/view

let me know if you cant get to it

you want to have your speakers off when you start playing it!

nice one gamefreak. Five finger death punch are a lot better than I thought theyd be (Ive not listened to them til your playlist).

Im seeing Lamb of God & Dimmu in february & Five finger Death punch are supporting. Should be good, judging by these songs.

somecallmeJack wrote:a man of taste I see, thousandth son. Good to see someone who knows who vader are.

Aye, Vader kicks ass.

somecallmeJack wrote:Im seeing Lamb of God

I saw them open for Metallica in Seattle. 'Twas indeed awesome.

In no order.

Nickelback
Kid Rock
Metallitica
AC/DC
Alice in Chains
R.E.M.
and lots more thought I would drop some different names.

There are many more than this I listen to but I'd guess all of these are my fave bands atm, in no particular order.


Foo Fighters
Evanescence
Rammstein
Daughtry
Linkin Park
Three Doors Down
Smashing Pumpkins
Green Day
Metallica
Queen

Amon Amarth
The Sword
The Absence
Mastodon
Candlemass
Black Sabbath
Ronnie James Dio (in any incarnation)
Iron Maiden
Cake
Opeth

Nile (They're so awesome, mere mortals can't even air-guitar their stuff. Any of their songs on Guitar Hero would make your X-Box catch fire!!!)
Amon Amarth
Dimmu Borgir
Cradle of Filth
Warbringer
Job for a Cowboy
Arch Enemy
Hate Eternal
Judas Priest
Kreator
Cannibal Corpse
Debauchery (BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Suicide Silence
Moonspell
Metallica (Death Magnetic is really growing on me, especially 'Cyanide"!)

Yes, I'm back on the caffeine...

No order:

Gackt
Evanescence
Pink Floyd
Lacuna Coil
Sick Puppies(NOT Skinny Puppy, don't know how many people get the two confused when I talk about them)
Apocalyptica
Do As Infinity
Arc en Ciel

warpcrafter wrote:Nile (They're so awesome, mere mortals can't even air-guitar their stuff. Any of their songs on Guitar Hero would make your X-Box catch fire!!!)

I was listening to nile as I read that. ASFETIU!

The Thousandth Son wrote:

somecallmeJack wrote:Im seeing Lamb of God

I saw them open for Metallica in Seattle. 'Twas indeed awesome.

I caught 'em at download 07, & they were imo, one of the best bands there. blew me away.

Cool, Redneck is awesome live.

Oh yeah I forgot Monster Magnet.

In no order whatsoever:
The Mars Volta
Venetian Snares
Aphex Twin
The Arcade Fire
The Flaming Lips
Animal Collective
Of Montreal
The Decemberists
David Bowie
Queen
Tool
M83
Squarepusher
Mr Bungle
The Unicorns

BloodofOrks wrote:In no order whatsoever:
The Mars Volta
Venetian Snares
Aphex Twin
The Arcade Fire
The Flaming Lips
Animal Collective
Of Montreal
The Decemberists
David Bowie
Queen
Tool
M83
Squarepusher
Mr Bungle
The Unicorns

awesome choice. Sqaurepusher For The WIN! have you ever listened to DJ shadow? you might like him, judging by that list. Have a listen to 'building steam with a grain of salt'

1. The Misfits
2. Dead Kennedys
3.White Zombie
4.GWAR
5.Manson
6.G.B.H
7.Social Distortion
8.The Decendents
9.Minor Threat
10.The Ramones

I notice there seem to be plenty of Metalheads on the forum. I wonder if this is trend amongst gamers in general?

Anyway my favoritve band changes from mood to mood but here a list of the ones that I listen to most..

The Beatles
Pink Floyd
Foo Fighters
Johnny Cash
Alice in Chains
Iron Maiden
Pearl Jam
Porcupine Tree
David Bowie
Rolling Stones
The Doors
King of Leon (my favorite band of the moment, the new album was my favorite of 2008)
Incubus
The Killers
Machine Head
GnR
Metallica
Led Zeppelin
Muse
Portishead
Velvet Underground

Recently I've been in a Metal mood so in the last week

Amon Amarth
Opeth
Death (Later progressive stuff, cant get into their early work just seems a bit to much like generic DM to me)
Soilwork
Turisas
Testament
Anthrax

Amongst others have all been enjoying heavy rotation but wouldn’t make my top list. Mind you last week I was in a Prog mood so it was:

Genesis (early)
Tool
King Crimson
Elo

Who knows what mood I'll be in next week!

In absolutely no particular order, and only numbered so I know when I have my ten....

1. Skunk Anansie
2. Sex Pistols
3. Motorhead
4. Toy Dolls
5. Pulp
6. Jarvis Cocker
7. Devo
8. Saor Patrol
9. Roxy Music
10. Iron Maiden

Lets face, most modern music is gak.

Probably:

Cake
The Police
REM
Weezer

(Yes, trapped in my past)

I'm sure there are others, but I haven't been listening to much music lately.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

Lets face, most modern music is gak.

In all honestly Mad Doc I think most music is awful. We all have our favorite period but, nostalgia aside, most music in any given period is sub par and only a few bands will really be remembered 20 years from that time.

I was a teenager in the 90's and listened to most the bands of the time and there were loads, especialy in the wave of 'brit-pop'. Most of it, on reflection, was naff but a few bands shone through and its easy to judge the whole period on just the great stuff from that time we still enjoy today. Its the same with any decade. The 'noughties' will be no different.

Its just becuase the modern forgettable rubbish is being rubbed in our face via the media that the good stuff seems to vastly outnumbered by the crap. thing is Its always been this way! It's just that we've been able to forget the 95% of rubbish music from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, as no bugger ever plays it, leaving us with only the blissful memories of the good bands. There is no such escape from modern rubbish though. It will be much the same in another 10 years.

About time one of these popped up. Props for recognizing Necrophagist as one of your favorite bands. Muhammed Suicmez is incredible.

1 - Necrophagist
2 - Psyclon Nine
3 - Inferi
4 - Voice of Vision
5 - Arsis
6 - Colombine.
7 - Blotted Science
8 - The Faceless
9 - Tool
10 - Deftones

Honorable mention -

Akira Yamaoka
As Eden Burns
Enfold Darkness
A Loathing Requiem
Cyanotic
Spastic Ink
The Black Dahlia Murder
Nile
Cattle Decapitation
Through the Eyes of the Dead
Cephalic Carnage
Napalm Death
Cannibal Corpse
As Blood Runs Black
Opeth
Goatwhore
Job for a Cowboy
Origin
Sleep Terror
A Fear Called Treason
As We Fight
In Flames
Burn the Priest (Lamb of God)
God Forbid
Trivium
Mortiis
Meshuggah
Nine Inch Nails
My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult
Skinny Puppy
Ohgr
Caustic
Dyksick
Fear Factory
Between the Buried and Me
Small Town Murder
Skeletonwitch
More Machine than Man
Hanzel Und Gretyl
Velvet Acid Christ
Modular
Dying Fetus
Circle of Dead Children
Gaza
Here in the Rain
Helltrash
Malfaktor
KMFDM
Scale the Summit
Psycroptic
Dimmu Borgir
Bereavement
Dream Theater
Cynic
Jeff Loomis
Ron Jarzombek
Michael Angelo Batio
Yngwie Malmsteen
Herman Li
Aesop Rock
Deltron
The Porcupine Tree
Ulver
Led Zeppelin
Fiat
Charlie Parker
Victor Wooten
Pat Metheney
Paganini
Bach

Among many others...

LuciusAR wrote:

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

Lets face, most modern music is gak.

In all honestly Mad Doc I think most music is awful. We all have our favorite period but, nostalgia aside, most music in any given period is sub par and only a few bands will really be remembered 20 years from that time.

I was a teenager in the 90's and listened to most the bands of the time and there were loads, especialy in the wave of 'brit-pop'. Most of it, on reflection, was naff but a few bands shone through and its easy to judge the whole period on just the great stuff from that time we still enjoy today. Its the same with any decade. The 'noughties' will be no different.

Its just becuase the modern forgettable rubbish is being rubbed in our face via the media that the good stuff seems to vastly outnumbered by the crap. thing is Its always been this way! It's just that we've been able to forget the 95% of rubbish music from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, as no bugger ever plays it, leaving us with only the blissful memories of the good bands. There is no such escape from modern rubbish though. It will be much the same in another 10 years.

But it's particularly bad these days. A bunch of wishywashy Indy tripe, Metal bands more obsessed with their look than their music, Hip Hop is frankly laughable, Punk is not so much dead, as spinning in it's grave (I mean...Good Charlotte. Come on. Punk? Please.) Dance music has been cack since the KLF packed it in, and there is just nothing even vaguely interesting coming onto the scene.

And I am a man mainy of Metal and Punk. Yet I look in Kerrang, and they are gibbering about crap like 'Grindcore' or 'Goregrind' just stupid, idiot poncy names tacked on to a band low on talent. The state of modern music is bloody pathetic. For example one of this years biggest selling artists was Duffy, who isn't doing anything that wasn't done better, MUCH better in the 60's.

I think there is a far wider problem in soceity where the mediocre is worshipped as the exceptional, due to the genuine lack of exceptional talent breaking through. It's all been homogenised and sanitised by the big money, and has ruined itself.

Does that make you more of an Indy Steve from Diesel Sweeties or
Marty from questionable content?

Thing your parents probably said the same about your music, and the kids these days obviously like it so fair play to them.

Having said that music these days is gak

I am very eclectic in my tastes, one minute Im listening to Ladytron then its Bruce Springsteen then Amon Amarth then Tori Amos then Cradle of Filth followed up with a bit of classical

Then more metal

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:But [music is] particularly bad these days.

For the most part, agreed.

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:A bunch of wishwashy Indy tripe

Amen. Few "Indy" bands are worth their salt, and the entire genre is forsaking it's namesake. Indy comes from the word independant. With all this mainstream crap, where did that go?

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:Metal bands more obsessed with their look than their music

This opinion is probably due to all the sad Black Metal crap, like Gorgoroth and Cradle of Filth, or perhaps the crap that's been clogging up the mainstream, like Slipknot and Mudvayne, which were barely "Metal" to begin with. For the most part, "image" for a metal band hardly goes beyond wearing T-shirts that depict the member's favorite bands. Though I'm guilty of listening to plenty of Industrial, which is about half image and half music, I respect it because not very many people know exactly how difficult it is to pull off. As for Metal, I'd say about 80% of the whole scene is not concerned with their image whatsoever.

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:Hip Hop is frankly laughable

Though for the most part this is true, there are still a few underground hip hop acts out there that are actually worth listening to. Try looking up Aesop Rock, and you might be pleasantly surprised. Unless of course your hatred goes beyond all of the image that rap normally glorifies. Though I have to look at Hip Hop in a different way than other forms of music (I barely consider it music, for the most part), there's a small sliver of it that's actually worth devoting my time to.

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:Punk is not so much dead, as spinning in it's grave (I mean...Good Charlotte. Come on. Punk? Please.)

Thank you. I cannot argue with that whatsoever.

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:And I am a man mainy of Metal and Punk.

Correction: 80's Metal, 70's Punk. Metal, in it's current form, has evolved so much that I can't even begin to consider it the same as it was twenty years ago. Though we've both conceded that Punk is basically a dead genre, it hasn't truly existed for thirty years. Though I do find it funny that you insult metal for being too concerned with it's own image, when that's basically 80% of the Punk formula. Ever heard of a punk band that refused to go onstage because they couldn't get their mohawks to stand up straight? I have. The rest of the formula? 15% hatred of government, 5% actual musical talent (in fact, I'm very surprised you can't stand grindcore. They're both about as virtuostic).

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:Yet I look in Kerrang, and they are gibbering about crap like 'Grindcore' or 'Goregrind' just stupid, idiot poncy names tacked on to a band low on talent.

Ah, Grindcore. The Genre that's been giving Metal a bad name since the onset of Cannibal Corpse. Out of the few true Grindcore bands I actually listen to (I.E. Cattle Decapitation, Dying Fetus), they actually have much more of a cause than any other musician. Their purpose transcends music entirely. For instance, Cattle Decapitation gives regular donations to PETA and other organizations, and are perhaps the most extreme supporters of any pro-vegan movement. Though their recording quality and musical talent (sans lyrics) suck, you really don't see other bands doing anything remotely like that.

Other than that, I stay away from Grindcore entirely, other than to pay my dues to bands like Cephalic Carnage and Napalm Death, who perhaps made people accept that music can be heavy and still enjoyable (Sorry, but there's no way Iron Maiden was responsible for that one). It just kind of looks to me like you're not digging deep enough into the scene, because your initial recommendations come from idiot metalheads who are just looking for some excuse to be angry. Try Progressive Death Metal (Necrophagist, Arsis, Blotted Science) or Metalcore/Thrashcore (Inferi, As Eden Burns) on for size. This is where true musical talent and a disregaurd for image can really be found.

Mad Dok Grotsnik wrote:I think there is a far wider problem in soceity where the mediocre is worshipped as the exceptional, due to the genuine lack of exceptional talent breaking through. It's all been homogenised and sanitised by the big money, and has ruined itself.

I concede.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

But it's particularly bad these days. A bunch of wishywashy Indy tripe, Metal bands more obsessed with their look than their music, Hip Hop is frankly laughable, Punk is not so much dead, as spinning in it's grave (I mean...Good Charlotte. Come on. Punk? Please.) Dance music has been cack since the KLF packed it in, and there is just nothing even vaguely interesting coming onto the scene.

And I am a man mainy of Metal and Punk. Yet I look in Kerrang, and they are gibbering about crap like 'Grindcore' or 'Goregrind' just stupid, idiot poncy names tacked on to a band low on talent. The state of modern music is bloody pathetic. For example one of this years biggest selling artists was Duffy, who isn't doing anything that wasn't done better, MUCH better in the 60's.

I think there is a far wider problem in soceity where the mediocre is worshipped as the exceptional, due to the genuine lack of exceptional talent breaking through. It's all been homogenised and sanitised by the big money, and has ruined itself.

To an extent I agree. I'll admit the Metal scene fell out of favour with me several years ago when I realised that there really was almost nothing new. Virtually every new band was rehashing the same stuff from circa 1986, worse thing was that when bands came along that tried to do something new they were all stuffed into a sub-genre and the hard core 'troo-metlallers' would simply dismiss them as posers. Sub-genres annoy me as well am I really supposed to care about the difference between 50 different types of punk/metal, all convinced they're more hardcore that the rest? Also there seems to be far to many bands far to obsessed with being 'brutal' and 'technical' and not enough interested actually writing a song or creating a harmony. There is nothing wrong with Metal being catchy!

Needless to say I don't really bother anymore. I'll keep an ear to the ground for a new metal band but the majority are terrible and I couldn't care less for the 'scene'. The only Metal bands I've discovered in 2008 are Turisas and Amon Amarth, both by accident and both of them have been going for while.

Anyway outside the metal scene I hear allot of dross but occasionally I do hear something I love. Muse continue to impress me with each new release. I love the new Killers Album, to me it's the best example of catchy infexious pop ive heard in ages, and as I said in an earlier post I love the Kings of Leon and think the new album is both catchy and has great guitar work. I also like Coheed and Cambria (Insane American prog rockers, top stuff!)

Dance. Well I've never been a big dance fan, and the last Dance album I enjoyed was the last Prodigy one which was what 4 years ago? In fact as I peruse my IPod I notice that most of the dance tracks I love (Orbital, Chemical Bros, Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, Matrix film scores) are generally from the mid-late 90's. Hmm you may be onto something MDK.

In fact the majority of 'new' bands I listen to are in fact older bands which I've started listening to recently. For example this year I've started listening to allot of older 'Dad Rock' bands like Early Fleetwood Mac, early Genesis, Dire Straits and older Punk banks like The Dead Kennedys.

As for Hip-Hop the only Hip-Hop act of the last 5 years I like is Outkast, mind you I get the impression that they are more influenced by soul singers than Hip-Hop scene. When Rap was about life on the streets it was an interesting genre. As soon as it became obsessed with Ho's and Bling it turned dreadful.

So I'll agree that the majority of new bands are crap, but certainly not all. Either that or now I'm 30 im just too old to get new music? Style over substance is nothing new though. Its been going on since the 50's.

Incidentally MDK having Skunk Anansie at the top of your list has given me a yearning to dig their albums out. Not listened to them in years. I loved the lead singers (Skin?) voice.

LuciusAR wrote:To an extent I agree. I'll admit the Metal scene fell out of favour with me several years ago when I realised that there really was almost nothing new. Virtually every new band was rehashing the same stuff from circa 1986, worse thing was that when bands came along that tried to do something new they were all stuffed into a sub-genre and the hard core 'troo-metlallers' would simply dismiss them as posers. Sub-genres annoy me as well am I really supposed to care about the difference between 50 different types of punk/metal, all convinced they're more hardcore that the rest? Also there seems to be far to many bands far to obsessed with being 'brutal' and 'technical' and not enough interested actually writing a song or creating a harmony. There is nothing wrong with Metal being catchy!

Oooh, that "rehashing from 1986" comment stung a little bit. You really don't see very many pseudo-80's metal bands anymore at all, so I don't know where this came from.

I think the reason you have a problem with Metal nowadays is because you entirely missed the purpose of "stuffing every single band into 50 different sub-genres". Genres have nothing to do with which is better, simply what you're looking for in metal. Sure, if you want technical, you'll listen to Technical Death Metal. If you want brutal, you'll listen to Grindcore. Beyond that, genres vary in melodic content, simplicity, progressions, and nearly everything else you can think of. It's truly a science, though I can understand why you wouldn't want to bother with it.

Metal is really not as competetive as you've been led to believe (again by those idiotic metalheads that need a good excuse to be angry). No one's really trying to be any heavier or more hardcore than anyone else. Just like any other form of music, you're simply trying to carve your own niche (or not).

Back to the purpose of Genres. If you want melody in your metal, try Metalcore. Truly the most melodic and "catchiest" of all the true metal genres, though it basically forsakes all speed to be so. Thrashcore is an offshoot of this that involves a bit more speed (as well as impressive displays of syncronized guitar work). If you're looking for extremely impressive melodic metal, go for any form of Progressive Metal. True Progressive Metal is a bit of a nod to the 80's. Progressive Death Metal, my personal favorite, loses the 80's hyper-melody in favor of a heavier edge (without dropping the melodic element...basically, adding in more muted chords and harmonics). Progressive Metal is a bit more difficult to access right away, due to the oft strange time signature changes (some notes might seem randomly "thrown in" to the untrained ear), but once it grows on you, it can be truly incredible.

In keeping your ear to the ground, try anything involving Ron Jarzombek (Blotted Science, Spastic Ink, Solo Project). Both extremely melodic and extremely technical, though it's easy to see that he knows that metal doesn't always have to be about ridiculous speed (he knows when to slow down and catch the listener's ear, and then when he's got you, he'll earf*** you with his ludicrous talent). As a bonus, there's no lyrics to wade through in any of his stuff, excluding his work with 80's Progressive band Watchtower (My least favorite thing about Metal, or even music in general. Lyrics).

Blotted Science is a bit heavier (may not like it straight off), Spastic Ink is totally 80's-inspired melodies, and his solo stuff kind of treads the line. All of his music has a vibe to it, though, that is totally unique to Ron Jarzombek.