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Heavy Metal - Where to begin???

foxybox [Edit] [Delete] 31 replies 12:18 November 14th, 2009

I've been listening to the Paranoid album, and was wondering where to start.

I'm a complete heavy metal virgin, so any advice would be appreciated.

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Dunno, but this book is really enjoyable.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hell-Bent-Leather-Confessions-Addict/dp/000716176X

FuzzFoxx | 14 Nov '09, 12:39 | X | ^ This | Reply
- it's a bit too glam to be 'true' metal
  
  but it's very enjoyable
  
  soapy @FuzzFoxx | 14 Nov '09, 15:16 | X | ^ This | Reply
Hi

if you're after the more classic 70's/80's heavy metal stuff like sabbath and priest and maiden and so on I can't help you that much, as I'm not that familiar with that stuff, although you should probably get Slayer's Reign in Blood because that's pretty great,as well as the other early sabbath albums. However, if you want more broadly metal stuff and want to be a bit more adventurous, here's a list of just some of my favourite things (not all of these are exactly metal by a strict definition of the term, but they're all heavy. And good):

Baroness - Blue Record
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Napalm Death - Scum
Isis - Panopticon
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley
Melvins - Stoner Witch
Refused - The Shape Of Punk To Come
Boris - Pink
Mastodon - Leviathan
Burzum - Filosofem

ContentToPlayVillain | 14 Nov '09, 12:52 | X | ^ This | Reply
Anthrax - Among the Living

CallHimRita | 14 Nov '09, 13:27 | X | ^ This | Reply
Iron Maiden - Powerslave

Sepultura - Arise / Chaos A.D
Slayer - Decade of aggression / Reign in blood
W.A.S.P - Inside the Electric Circus / The Crimson Idol
Metallica - Master of Puppets / And Justice for all / Black Album
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power / Cowboys from Hell

Teepee_uk | 14 Nov '09, 13:40 | X | ^ This | Reply
Depends what type of metal you want.

Some AMAZING black metal albums are:

Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Thorns - Thorns
Mayhem - Chimera
Emperor - Prometheus
Satyricon - Volcano

Other reccomendations:

Tool - Lateralus
Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe
Baroness - Red Album
SikTh - The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait For Something Wild
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
Protest The Hero - Fortress
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Will Haven - el Diablo / WHVN

medulla | 14 Nov '09, 14:33 | X | ^ This | Reply
- All of this barring the black metal stuff
  
  Not that I don't like it, just not too familair,
  
  And for PTH I'd buy Keiza before Fortress
  
  Mr_Mills @medulla | 14 Nov '09, 18:43 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Strong listing
  
  cyberdemon @medulla | 15 Nov '09, 10:37 | X | ^ This | Reply
As in Black Sabbath?

You've started at the right place. Next get Master of Reality and Black Sabbath.

lemonbrickcombo | 14 Nov '09, 15:13 | X | ^ This | Reply
as a complete novice i'd tell you to start with 'essentials' before wandering off into some of the niche stuff above

Sabbath's Paranoid
Metallica's Master of Puppets
Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast
Judas Priest's British Steel
Slayer's Reign in Blood

soapy | 14 Nov '09, 15:14 | X | ^ This | Reply

soapy and ScreamingJay this'd this
- I'd echo this
  
  But personally not a huge Maiden fan.
  
  lemonbrickcombo @soapy | 14 Nov '09, 15:19 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - sub in
    
    Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power
    for a more up to date and aggro classic
    
    soapy @lemonbrickcombo | 14 Nov '09, 15:24 | X | ^ This | Reply
    
    Mr_Mills this'd this
- Megadeth Rust In Peace too!
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT8n3r2WnkA
  
  mug_mug_mug @soapy | 14 Nov '09, 15:23 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  stormcrow this'd this
  - innit!
    
    this is my favourite though...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wtdutc5pU8
    
    stormcrow @mug_mug_mug | 14 Nov '09, 21:31 | X | ^ This | Reply
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

basically where blues turned into metal rather than going into rock territory (like Led Zep and co.)

then Paranoid was where heavy metal became a genre in its own right.

i'm writing an essay for uni about this in the upcoming months.

iamwiggy | 14 Nov '09, 16:01 | X | ^ This | Reply
Skid Row

Pale-eyedBadger | 14 Nov '09, 16:24 | X | ^ This | Reply
Sleep's Dopesmoker is pretty rad.

while I think about it and listen back to their ATP set.

lemonbrickcombo | 14 Nov '09, 18:46 | X | ^ This | Reply
Wot, no Dog Eat Dog?

Alex-in-Ciderland | 14 Nov '09, 18:51 | X | ^ This | Reply
- All boro' kings fo sho!
  
  cyberdemon @Alex-in-Ciderland | 15 Nov '09, 10:40 | X | ^ This | Reply
Megadeth - peace sells but who's buying

is very good indeed

stormcrow | 14 Nov '09, 19:05 | X | ^ This | Reply
A good place to start is the documentary 'Metal: A Headbangers Journey.'

It basically takes you through the development of metal music from Sabbath through all the major genres (thrash, NWOBM, glam, prog, death, black, nu etc.) You should be able to pick it up for a fiver.

Also, the film is presented by an anthropologist/fan who produced a handy map of the bands & genres to help structure the film which you might find useful.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Metal_Genealogy.jpg

ScreamingJay | 14 Nov '09, 19:54 | X | ^ This | Reply
- that map is a bit suspect
  
  lots of over pigeon-holing, mislabelling and just being a bit wrong
  
  soapy @ScreamingJay | 14 Nov '09, 21:01 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - well, by its nature, the map of genres
    
    is going to be subjective so there will always be things people disagree on (e.g. I'm not convinced that Faith No More should really be in the same category as Smashing Pumpkins) but it's still pretty useful for a beginner, no?
    
    The guy who made the film also came up with his own list of albums he would recommend to heavy metal virgins (which just so happens to be very similar to soapy's) so I would second/third those recommendations:
    
    Black Sabbath Paranoid(1970)
    Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast (1982)
    Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
    Metallica Master of Puppets (1986)
    Slayer Reign in Blood (1986)
    
    http://www.metalhistory.com/metal101.html
    
    ScreamingJay @soapy | 14 Nov '09, 21:27 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - of course it's close to my list
      
      my list is perfect
      
      british steel has breaking the law on it.
      me > him
      
      soapy @ScreamingJay | 14 Nov '09, 21:49 | X | ^ This | Reply
disregard everything you've read so far

as a heavy metal virgin, you'll need to approach this in terms of accessibility or it'll scare you off and you'll never listen again.

So go through these things in the following order:

Black Sabbath
(early) Metallica
(early) Anthrax
(early) Slayer
Emperor
Cannibal Corpse

Each represent a particular thing in metal. You probably wont like the one after if you don't like the one before.

Mehodor | 14 Nov '09, 21:43 | X | ^ This | Reply
- no priest or maiden = inadequate
  
  soapy @Mehodor | 14 Nov '09, 21:50 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - my list is meant to be a quick progression
    
    but fine, put either maiden or priest in the place of anthrax
    
    Mehodor @soapy | 14 Nov '09, 22:53 | X | ^ This | Reply
Don't bother.

Life's too short.

kissinginkansas | 14 Nov '09, 22:00 | X | ^ This | Reply
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5SL2b4B664
  
  soapy @kissinginkansas | 14 Nov '09, 22:11 | X | ^ This | Reply
everyone in this thread is an idiot.

start with this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD6TkI5waA0

then it's eponymous album. then end.

harru | 14 Nov '09, 22:06 | X | ^ This | Reply
This thread has made me listen to Steve Vai for the first time in about 15 years

Fuck me! Good work

stormcrow | 14 Nov '09, 22:06 | X | ^ This | Reply