Damn search engines hate me. Either that or I was looking with the wrong hand :(
It probably heard of my constant arguments with google.

There is absolutely a ton of great metal constantly coming out. It seems like every couple of weeks I'm introduced to another great band that I hadn't heard of before, whether it's a band that's been around for quite a while that I just never heard of (just recently got introduced to ), or a fairly new band that's still reasonably obscure (such as [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGcoHRAhMCk]Myrkgrav or Wolfheart). Great time to be a fan of metal.

And is it just me, or do there seem to be a disproportionate number of badass metal bands coming out of the Nordic countries? Something in the water up there?

For Iron Maiden an obvious choice (if you haven't already heard it) is Bruce Dickinson's solo work. Then there's the other NWOBHM bands like Judas Priest, Motorhead, etc, although all those are 80s/early 90s bands; not a whole lot of recent stuff comes to mind that really revisited Iron Maiden's style.

For Blind Guardian, a few bands I'd recommend checking out are , [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs5727QFhtw]Wintersun, and Rhapsody of Fire.

SABATON...Carolus Rex...amazing recordMost metal bands write songs about either ancient, barely-historical times, fantasy worlds, they write a record about the history of Sveden from the high middle ages to the 19th century:)

False, these guys are not there. That's like saying "if it isn't on Wikipedia, it doesn't exist", a notion I don't quite agree with.

Exactly. And no, I'm too lazy for even filling out what little information I do have. Maybe later.

My first true metal show would have to have been Metallica at Charlevoix, Michigan back in 1990 on the black album tour. Metalchurch opened for them if I remember correctly. I saw Megadeth at The Government in Toronto circa 1999 and caught one of Marty Friedmann's Cryptic Writings guitar picks - great souvenir!

I'm a big fan of Metallica of course (what metal head can call themselves that without being so), Megadeth, Pantera, Annihilator, and progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater, Symphony X, and Rhapsody / Rhapsody of Fire.

I'm going to be the bad guy in this thread and say that metal heads are probably the most boring and predictable fanboys in the world. It is a hipster-like affliction. Pick everything apart and accept only that which fits an 80's or 90's template as if integrity and authenticity means listening to the same albums every day for 30+ years. I too grew up on Metallica's thrash albums (ride the lightning up to and justice for all) but guess what, Metallica have always been updating their sound to be ultramodern which was true in the 80's, through the 90's and horrifically true in the 00's and 10's. As I have later in life been listening to bands and artists that do not care about being labeled by "metal heads" my taste in music has grown quite wide. I shoot things down on an individual band basis now, not a genre classification basis.

I've grown out of thrash, death, 90's melo-death and most of the typical metal heads' metal. I do however like bands that are identified as "groove metal", which is Pantera and beyond, which is also what I love to write and play as a guitarist. I also love what Meshuggah has done for metal in the present day, even though Meshuggah fans tend to be rabidly against anything that is remotely inspired by Meshuggah. I'm talking about "Djent" of course.

Sabaton... they are from my neck of the woods and some of them went to the same school as me. I thought they were a bit of a joke, but I guess the laugh is on me because they are putting out albums, videos, touring and smashing their way into absolute stardom among nerds and metal heads. The singer is 100% metal, he never goes out of character even in real life.

If I have to single out a metal act that is closest to my heart however, it is 'Vildhjärta'. Their lyrics are dumb and rudimentary, but wow, they play the heaviest riffs I've ever heard. See if self-professed metal heads can see past their haircuts and lack of leather and judge the music alone...

Seriously, if you keep a long mane and wear jeans both on top and below raving about authenticity, how can I not think you're a hipster douche?

I saw them on that tour, but in Houston. I think my actual first metal show was just a local battle of the bands that was full of metal bands...except for one hippie group that played stuff like Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog. The crowd was absolutely brutal to them and booed them off the stage. The girl singing for them started crying. They were actually pretty good and didn't deserve that treatment.

To Sufyan, for some reason when I tried to quote part of your post it kept loading and wouldn't ever post so...

I know this is cheesy, cliched, and probably could be said by anyone in any musical subculture but...

Metal isn't what you wear, it's what you are. If you saw me in rl you wouldn't expect me to be a metal fan. I dress in plaid shirts and jeans mostly, have a normal haircut, wear glasses and new balance tennies. Yes I have a big beard but that's the only stereotypically metal thing about my appearance generally.

I used to wear lots of band t-shirts and black jeans and Vans shoes back when I identified more as a punk/metal/crust kid (in the sense that I actively took part in the DIY scene by helping touring bands get shows in my hometown, roadied with friend's bands, wrote zine articles and all that bit) but most people wouldn't look at me and immediately peg me as a Primordial and Bolt Thrower fan.And I've found I prefer it that way.


Edit:Generally I think, and have always thought the "Trve Kvlt Metal!" people were fucking hilarious, whether it's Les Legiones Noire from France or the Pantera lovers who insist that Dimebag was a god(he wasn't) so while I may say things like "If you don't like metal you are not my friend" it's always tongue-in-cheek. Heck, one of my favorite metal bands is called Bloodhag, a bunch of librarians who play death metal songs about science fiction and fantasy authors, so I am anything but a typical metalhead.

No real metal concerts to speak of. I suppose the closest I got was watching Steve Vai on the first David Lee Roth solo tour! I guess I'm just a bigger fan of studio cd's. I would be happy if I never heard anything live by Metallica again.

I agree with those who say "metal" is so sub-divided it's almost become like what "alternative" morphed into. It used to mean "weird stuff you'll never hear on radio", and now it seems to include every mopey joe with a badly tuned guitar.

A few favorite "metal" bands: Amon Amarth, Satyricon, Overkill, Slayer, Exodus, Arch Enemy, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Svartsot.

A new metal thread. Sounds like a good idea to me. My favorites are the standard American Metalhead fare:
Slayer, Pre-Black Album Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden. I like a few death metal bands, but I prefer thrash metal.
As for concerts I haven't been to one nor will I probably ever go to one. I have heard live bands at some Metal Bars, but I prefer studio albums...I can pick the music playing, the volume I am listening to it at, and I don't have to put up with other fans.

Metal concerts...... does Trans-Siberian Orchestra count? I'm really not a huge fan of concerts, studio albums just generally sound better.

Thanks for the link, I loved the first eight Malazan books, and Summoning, gonna have to check these guys out when I can listen to it properly

The only REAL metal in this world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQpolAiof8A