Porters New Metal Topic....you will LISTEN!

[EmperorJeramyu]

Oh well, take everything Wikipedia says with a grain of salt. After all, it considers Sonata Artica Power Metal, and not Prog.

[Porter]

Power Metal tickles my fancy, as well as my privates.

[Porter]

Porter's Top Ten Epic Tracks of All Time!

An epic track is one that blows past 8 or 9 minutes. An epic track includes great lyrics, thoughtful melodies and a building storyline type structure. Such as a climax and a rising action type deal. Only then can you have a successful epic.

1. Edguy - Theater Of Salvation: 14:12 - Forget about it, Edguy makes a perfect 14 minutes and 12 seconds with this one. Booming choruses, speeding riffs, catchy vocal lines. ENOUGH! It's a perfect song. Big ol' climax with a choir of Tobius Hammott singing praise. Not to mention the ridiculous ending. The lyrics are perfect also, what the fuck is this 'God' thing about anything. Remember, if you do anything wrong you will BURN IN HELL, but God still loves you.

2. Sonata Arctica - White Pearl, Black Oceans: 8:47 - Among the shorter epics, but those who have heard this song knows this song plays out like a perfect epic. A wall of Tony Kakko voice and some of the best lyrics written to boot. Such a great story. Forget about it. 8 minutes and 47 seconds of brilliance.

3. Threshold - Narcissus: 11:14 - Ending the album Hypothetical, this song is killer. Great chorus, GREAT LYRICS. Powerfull! The middle of the song features a haunting piano riff with a vox vocoder lyric line. Great lyriccs written here too. Brings you back for more every time. Don't be a jack off, or Threshold will get you obviously.

4. Queensryche - Suite Sister Mary: 10:39 - Operation: Mindcrime, thought to be one of the best metal albums of all time and how can you complain with an evil storyline, sexual misconduct and a brainwashing Dr. X? Geoff Tate and Pamela Moore trade off vocals in the story as Sister Mary is supposed to be killed. Sounds dated, but powerful none the less.

5. Dream Theater - Learning To Live: 11:30 - One of the only good epics out of this outfits inconsistant discography features great lyrics, some virt guitar and keyboard work, lots of song changes and a great guitar riff at the end.

6. Royal Hunt - Time Will Tell: 9:31 - From the crunching opening , the psychedelic chorus, Time Will Tell, and you will like this song. Although it's long, it seems short because it's so damn good.

7. Ivory Tower - Treehouse: 8:29 - Ahhh, a story about a treehouse, and respecting the small little creatures. Lucky the chorus is great enough to save the kind of cheesy story, but a story none the less. Let this song guide your WAYYYYYYYYY.

8. Lost Horizon - Highlander: 11:58 - I don't know what's better, the metal scream or the metal WHOAS. Doesn't matter, because this song is just a metal epic masterpiece. Speedy ending, cool middle singing, get it, now!

9. Stratovarius - Visions (Southern Cross): 10:15 - This band isn't known for long pretentious songs, mostly short speedy songs. This one on the other hand is a very good ending to Visions. Starts fast, middle is slow, picks up a bit and then boom, a great sunset warrior ending! Oh yeah, a reading at the end, wheeee! I like the swords and shields songs.

10. Symphony X - The Odyssey: 24:07 - Yes, 24 minutes here of great Odyssey like music travel. One of the only good tracks from the title album, and it's definatly worth it. Download it, listen, and find out for yourself.


Epic artists to avoid:
Dream Theater - What the fuck is up with these guys? It's like obligatory for them to write a shitty long song every other song now adays to make people see they are prog. Avoid these cocksuckers epic songs at all costs.

[Porter]

Porter's Top Ten Opening Tracks

remember, this is a metal topic, also, opening tracks that are just fillers don't count as opening tracks

Opening tracks are key to a good album, if you don't grab your listener at the first track, they will lose interest immediatly, here are the best!

1. Threshold - Phenomenon - Yep, download it and find out why this opening track gets you pumped for the rest of the album. Too bad the rest don't live up to it.

2. Stratovarius - Hunting High and Low - Killer opening riff, pounding drums, soaring vocals. This track is undeniable as one of the best opening tracks ever.

3. Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy - The beginning of Kamelot's incredible consistancy, this song will blow you away. You will raise your hand into the air and yell for your allegiance even though you have none!!!

4. Angra - Nova Era - Who doesn't like a speedy chorus that is catchy as all hell? Did I mention the song is bouncy and fun? Listen to it and be amazed!

5. Anathema - Deep - Are you depressed? Want to wallow in it? Don't worry, Anathema are the masters of the emotion, so take a listen to this one while you contemplate your suicide. Lucky (or maybe not) for you, you will want to live to listen to it a couple more times.

6. Secret Sphere - Legend - An epic-like opening? Believe it, and this one captures everything you love about metal, pounding guitars and drums, building vocals, and a catchy as hell chorus.

7. Dream Theater - Pull Me Under - From Dream Theaters ONLY good album, this one grabs you from the start. Great verses, good chorus, great lyrics, and kick ass guitar. Soon after, DT sold their souls to the shit doctor.

8. The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP - So why do punk fag skateboards like this band? They completely wreck how great The Mars Volta really is, high energy, catchy, hang banging metal!!!!! This is the only bang under a major record label that has talent. This opening track is no exception to how great the band is.

9. Human Fortress - The Dragons Lair - Jioti is one of the best vocalists out there, and this track will probably make my list of best vocal performances of new metal! (not 'nu' you fags) This track is kick ass, the rest of the album follows just as good.

10. Vox Tempus - For Every Life - Awesome vocals, catchy, and a head banger. The singer is very unique, finally. This opening track is better than every song on popular radio today......wait, every song on this list is.......fuck Green Day and Hilary Duff. Long live European metal!

Note: Stratovarius and Threshold should have been on this list more, because they have this thing for writing AWESOME opening tracks, but I like showing everyone a few more bands. So, honorable mentions because this list was so hard to write.

Threshold - Mission Profile
Threshold - Light and Space
Stratovarius - Eagleheart
Stratovarius - Father Time
Sonata Arctica - Abandonned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited
Everon - Across the Land
Voyager - To The Morning Light
Nightwish - Bless The Child

[Porter]

Metal's Most Unique Vocalists

These are metal's most unique vocalists, skill level doesn't matter, it means their voice is unique. The recommended listening is one I think shows the singers most capability.

Roland Stoll - Dreamscape - A bit of a scratchy voice, he can be very soft at some points, but still belt out hard tunes whenever. When he hits high notes, he may sound the best of all of these.
Recommended listening: Clockwork

Oliver Philipps - Everon - A completely honest delivery from this guy. May be the most mature of all the singers. He has a deep full voice that wavers a bit, and his accent may be a bit over expressed, it's still great.
Recommended listening: Across The Land

Jioti Parcharidis - Human Fortress - Who cares what anyone says, the effort Jioti makes on every song is admirable. Some singers can't do what Jioti does, and that is make every note count. Every Human Fortress song is stamped with emotion.
Recommended listening: Gladiator Of Rome

Andre Fischer - Ivory Tower - Some call this guy a James Labrie from Dream Theater rip off. It's just that they forget that James Labrie absolutly sucks. This guy is no professional singer, his voice wavers a lot, and he can't hit every note, but his delivery is always powerful and honest.
Recommended listening: Treehouse

Roy Khan - Kamelot - Hands down one of the most unique singers of all-time. His voice can be full at some points, then others he lets loose into higher scratchy tones without a fault. Not to mention his live performances are flawless.
Recommended listening: The Fourth Legacy

Ramon Messina - Secret Sphere - Probably the most whiney voice in metal, but why do you like it so much? His full blown Italian accent is very unique and the guy knows how to do vocal harmonies. He hits the high notes without going falsetto, probably since his normal voice usually is right up there.
Recommended listening: Legend

Tony Kakko - Sonata Arctica - Do I have to say more? This guy has never had a vocal lesson in his life, yet he belts out completely honestly without a flaw. Layers on layers of Tony Kakko voice is like an orgasm of music. He also hits high notes without waver, even live.
Recommended listening: Full Moon

Andrew 'Mac' McDermott - Threshold- This guy usually delivers his straight forward voice without a lot of changes, but luckily for him, no one sounds like him, giving Threshold their unique sound.
Recommended listening: Light and Space

Michele Luppi - Vision Divine - This guy is full pro, never makes a mistake, and his voice is as warm and fluffy and toasted marshmallows. No wonder Vision Divine did a complete 180 degree turn on their most recent album, Stream Of Consciousness
Recommended listening: The Fallen Father

Daniel Estrin - Voyager - Is this guy an opera singer? He's not afraid to do a deep solo or bring it up into a falsetto or whisper evily. The mixes up his voice all the time, just take a listen.
Recommended listening: To The Morning Light

[Porter]

So pretty much 2006 is already an amazing year for metal after the mostly shitty 2005.

Just to pick everyone up on the albums released this year already.

Andromeda - Chimera - Their best so far in their history.


Cloudscape - Crimson Skies - Cloudscape returns on this one decently. It's not a bad album, but it's not particularly amazing. The songs are strong, but it can't match the debut album. Worth the download and keeping it, but not going to be the album of 2006.


Devin Townsend - Synchestra - Classic Townsend here, easily among the best of his works.


Dragonforce - Inhumane Rampage - No where near as good as Sonic Firestorm, but if you want really fucking fast metal, with great vocals and guitar and such, this one is great.


Edguy - Rocket Ride - Edguy's new album is following their trend of stripping down their sound. They haven't recaptured the legendary Theater Of Salvation here, but there are many amazing songs from the fast and furious to the soft and tender 'Save Me.' Great album.


Ivory Tower - IT - A HUGE step in the right direction for Ivory Tower. This album is easily the most creative and so far the BEST album of 2006.


Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime II - Well, a total dissapointment. Not even worthy to carry the title 'Operation Mindcrime' because of its total failure as a sequel. It is though better than the shit they've turned out for the better part of the last decade.


Vanden Plas - Christ. 0 - Singer Andy has matured a lot on this album. It follows traditional Plas stylings, but what's wrong with that, the entire album is their best, and their first new release in YEARS.

Already 7 strong albums (more good albums than last year!) What's yet to come this year?
Everon - North
Sun Caged - ??
Voyager - uniVerse (august 2006)

[Telephalsion]

Personally I love Rocket Ride, the lyrics might be a bit silly, but it's just so awesome.

Get it now!

[Teenr0cker]

I wanted to get the special collection edition of the DVD pack for "For the sake of revenge", but I didn't preorder it before it sold out preorders. There are only 3000 specials with the awesome looking pendant, which I guess I could always get at a local metallurgy shop of some sort. Oh well, so it goes.


Definitely looking for the DVD-CD combo soon.

[Porter]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... ta+arctica

pretty amazing 44 minute Sonata concert.

[Teenr0cker]

I can assure you that it was at least 3 hours total then. Unless they were the one and only band there, which I doubt, there were a few openers.

There were at the LA show. There was first "BONE ROTT", whose drummer sang and whose lyrics seemed to consist soley about the system, spatulas (?), and the words "Fuck" and "you" quite often. They threw merchandise and picks and even some drum sticks to the crowd....we threw them back promptly, aiming for the face or crotch.

Another band came on. They were like...Sonata solos with Helloween's singer (I'm told he sings for gamma ray now, that right Porter?) and dream theatre's melodies, which arent 'ZOMG' good, but still pretty nice, seeing as the solos compensated for the rest of the song.

Another band after that (T_T)...I kinda zoned out on that one, paying more attention to a certain fellow fan

Ah, Porter, thank you for linking the vid...It's been too long since I've heard that new 8th commandment solo, that one was, to use one of your terms, a 'prime' solo.

[Porter]

Update!

Look up to see the new album released. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime II

[Porter]

Just listened to Sonata Arctica's "For The Sake Of Revenge" album version.


They cheated. Lots of Tony's when I know there's only one of him.

[Porter]

Yay UPDATE, look up at the list!