Any thrash metal fans on the board?

[TNFrank]

So is anyone else into Megadeth, Metalica, Iron Maiden, and stuff like that? I'm also into Prog Rock like Dream Theater and I guess you could call Rush Prog Rock as well.

[Sean Greer]

When I was much younger (16, some 23 years ago), Iron Maiden was the be-all, end-all of music for me. I still like their early music (Piece of Mind, Powerslave) and think that they were (are?) the best metal band going. Steve Harris is, by my reckoning, one of the all time great bassists and a fantastic songwriter.

Now I listen to primarily bluegrass, roots rock (Dave Alvin, James McMurtry, etc), and a very random mix of others (alt country - Neko Case!!), etc. My favorite "rock" band is a prog band, Porcupine Tree. Steven Wilson is a genius and Gavin Harrison (drums) is simply amazing.

My mando is limited to old time, bluegrass and fiddle tunes, but I like most music (exception being rap, hip hop, Nashvegas country).

[squirrelabama]

I'd like to see Yngwie play some Pagonini on a Paganoni:p

[Dave Caulkins]

Yup, I likes me some Thrash metal (Kreator are one of my absolute faves in the style)and I count Iron Maiden as one of my major mandolin influences. I'm also a fan of other metal/punk from that period of time, and I thoroughly enjoy playing twanged up versions of Misfits' tunes.

I also listen to and play Alt. Country/Old Country/Roots music primarily, with a fair number of overlaps with Chico. Hmmm... Is there a trend here?

Dave

[Austin Koerner]

Now I listen to primarily bluegrass, roots rock (Dave Alvin, James McMurtry, etc), and a very random mix of others (alt country - Neko Case!!), etc. #My favorite "rock" band is a prog band, Porcupine Tree. #Steven Wilson is a genius and Gavin Harrison (drums) is simply amazing.

Porcupine Tree is my favorite rock band too, and Gavin Harrison is probably one of my favorite drummers

[TNFrank]

You want to hear a great drummer Neal Pert from Rush is awesome. I've got there Live from Rio DVD and he plays two kits.

[Austin Koerner]

Neil Pert is good, but I like less flashy, more solid kind of players like Benny Greb, Gavin, and Tommy Igoe. I've been a drummer for about 6 years, but for a year now, I've really been into the mandolin, and now my drum playing suffers.. oh well.

[Klaus Wutscher]

No trash metal for me, just the occasional deep purple or Zep phase. I do like old school prog (how´s that for a contradiction) like King Crimson, ELP, Floyd, Tull (if it belongs in the genre at all)...didn´t check out the new wave of prog bands yet.

[Kevin Briggs]

I'm not into that kind of music, but i can appreciate it. I attended a Metallica concert back in 1992 or 1993 and it was incredible. Thet played "Seek and Destroy" for like 20 minutes, with the crowd chanting "seek and destroy!"

I really like bands like Bad religion, which is obviously much lighter, but still way heavier than my typical bluegrass music. "Don't Prey on Me" is an amazing song.

[mando_dan]

Another huge Porcupine Tree fan here. After not hearing any good new rock for years, Steve Wilson and PT are a very welcome addition to my CD rack. Amazing stuff.

[TeleMark]

Count me in. Of the new bands, I think that Shadows Fall has picked up where Metallica fell over a few years back. Good old-school thrash with some newer elements thrown in.

I can't get into a lot of the "new" metal. Rap metal was interesting (read: Anthrax and Public Enemy) until it became the next "thing," and I have a hard time with the "cookie monster" vocals of much of the black/death metal. I do like some of the Swedish bands like Soilwork.

[Austin Koerner]

If you like Porcupine Tree, you might be interested in Opeth. There is a pretty big difference, because Opeth is like.. death metal. but it is similar, in a way

[Sean Greer]

Nice to hear that there are other PT fans on the board. If you like Steve Wilson and PT, you should check out his side project Blackfield.

Another band that continues to get regular play in my CD changer is Pearl Jam, especially their first release "Ten". One of the strongest freshman albums by a rock band, IMHO.

[Dave Caulkins]

Scandinavian metal is a whole 'nother world...

Opeth is an amazing Death Metal band, to the point where I feel bad even using that moniker for them. Their album "Damnation" however is STRAIGHT prog, using clean electrics and acoustics. A very nice album for the faint of heart

(For those who dig the heavy check out Amon Amarth (Sweden), Vader (Poland), Cruachan (Irish), Blind Guardian (German), Finntroll (Finland), Iced Earth (US) - metal has definately gone global and underground at the same time... It's a shame the alternative to the "blah" corporate stuff is so buried).

One of my favorite bands at the moment is Dallas based Ghoultown - a sort of Gothabilly Danzig meets Marty Robbins. Quite heavy at points, very country through-out. These guys aren't alone in trying to bring a rougher edge to twang, folks like Hank III and Unknown Hinson are definately pushing envelopes while paying respect to the traditions that Nashville forgot... An attitude which, by the way, has made The Drive By Truckers a pretty hot live act.

Now if these bands would just get some mandolin...

Dave

[Bigtuna]

An attitude which, by the way, has made The Drive By Truckers a pretty hot live act.

Now if these bands would just get some mandolin...

Patterson Hood of the Drive by Truckers plays mandolin on the first two albums, Gangstabilly & Pizza Deliverence (my all time favorite DBT's album). "Bulldozers and Dirts" off of the Pizza Deliverence kicks off with some mandolin. Go see Patterson if he does any solo shows anytime soon, he played a Mandobird on several songs the last time I saw him.

Back to the topic, kinda... I dig more old school punk like Minnor Threat, Black Flag, etc. Me and one of my guitar buddies do a few Minnor Threat covers. Punk and bluegrass are very similar in some ways, minus the solos/breaks. I want to say in one of the last Fretboard Journals, they had an article relating punk and bluegrass. I want to even say the guitar player for Minnor Threat even has a string/bluegrass band now. One of the Ramones plays in a bluegrass band as well, Uncle Monk ( http://www.unclemonk.com/bio.html ).

[TNFrank]

I don't like Cookie Monster vocals either. Much rather hear Bruce Dickenson or Geoff Tate(Queensryche) then a bunch of lyrics I can't understand. I guess listening to KISS "Destroyer" when I was 14 totally warped my brain,LOL. I even like some Slayer and I like Rob Zombie, don't care for Marilyn Manson though, that's just way too strange for me, even Alice Cooper wasn't that strange.
As I get older I guess I'm getting a little(notice I said "a LITTLE") more mellow. Still, some Bluegrass like Cheeryholmes can really kick butt and get you pumped up just like a good Metal song will.

[Keith Erickson]

Scandinavian metal is a whole 'nother world...

Yes they are Therion is an amazing band. I had a buddy of mine that saw them down in Chihuahua, Mexico and that's all he talked about for a month after that concert.

[Alex Orr]

I had a roommate a while back who only listened to death metal,and Iron Maiden. I could tolerate the Maiden, but as far as I'm concerned, the stuff that Cannibal Corpse and their ilk play is arguably not even music. Inherent in music should be melody...of some sort. From what I can tell death metal is intentionally violent, brutal, torturous, and graphic noise set to a high BPM.

[Dave Caulkins]

I listen to Death Metal like I watch horror films... I'm not looking for fine art there

(I'm not a Cannibal Corpse fan either, or many of the Florida based DM bands in America... In fact, there is VERY little metal in the US I dig. The Cookie Monster vocals definately fall into the "acquired taste" category).

I actually have the Truckers' album in question, and remember there being mandolin... The tag line on my last E-Mail was more a reference to the other groups above. Shoulda placed it better

Dave

[lmartnla]

There's a bar in New Orleans that hosts this kind of music on weekends but has red beans and a bluegrass jam on Monday nights. #My ears can't stand the weird stuff but I applaud that kind of juxtaposition. Quite a scene and some good pickers---

[tkdboyd]

I used to listen and try to emulate metal guitarists(20+ yrs ago), it has left me with a decent tremolo, but I would give up my left hand finger speed for taste any day(not saying all metal guitarists are tasteless!). A lesson learned too late in life I am a afraid. I have the same problem when I try to play blues, I end up playing way too fast. I remember hearing some one say "The space between the notes are the most important", I understand the concept but for some reason the "shredder" of my youth constantly gets in my way.

For the youth on this board don't get to caught up in speed, taste is more important!

[delsbrother]

Cookie Corpse on Youtube

And then there's this: HARD CORE!

[fstylemb1]

this could be a scary thread! okay, I was a huge fan of Metallica, Iron Maden, etc... I played in a band in the 80s a la Misftis/Black Flag/Black Sabbath. I was more into the punk/hardcore of the late 70s-early 80s. I still revisit a lot of those records when I'm not pickin my mando!

[TNFrank]

I guess I pretty much LOVE intensity in my music, be it Metal, Classic Rock, Bluegrass or whatever. The Cherryholmes bunch have a song called "The Nine Yards" that's as hard and fast and ANY Metal song I've ever heard. I guess I just love fast music. LOL

[JeffD]

I never got the whole metal thing. I am not angry enough to relate.