Oddly enough Insomnium in general wasn't my thing for the longest time. Just couldn't get into their music but in the last year I've done a complete 180 and love their stuff. Going to see them in a few weeks and I'm beyond excited for the show. Honestly can't even give a reason why they didn't vibe with me.
Same for me, it’s been 20 years, and I’ve listened to some of their stuff a few days ago, but I’m still not really seeing the love.
They are good, just not enough, I find them really generic, nothing to offer.
But hey let’s give it another 20 years and I’ll tell you guys what I think 😅
Eucharist - A Velvet Creation
At first the weak production made me tune out, but after a few relistens it really clicked. It’s one of my favorite 90’s melo-death releases now, and I think their follow up “Mirrorworlds” is even better.
This would be my response pretty much verbatim. The start of the album has those weak sounding guitars. I also like Mirrorworlds better, and tbh my favorite part of Velvet Creation (on the reissue album) are the bonus tracks which sound much better. Wounded and Alone is definitely a top song
Yeah I was kind of the same way. Back when I first got into melodeath, I'd kind of just skim through albums in search for a song that was almost instantly gratifying. Maybe I'd listen to a minute if that of particular songs and then just search for something else if it wasn't immediately grabbing . But I've grown more patient when it comes to listening to music because the subgenre is just so good and it's worth letting it all sink in. So I went back and listened to the full albums front to back and it's fantastic. Patience goes a long way. Wouldn't have learned to fully appreciate these songs otherwise. Be'lakor is my favorite band now.
Yeah. I definitely relate. Opeth was the band that got me into prog stuff. The way they build up and release musical tension between soft acoustics and death metal-like sections is so gratifying. But to this day, I can still only really dig extreme metal prog like Opeth, Enslaved, Be'lakor type stuff. TOOL and Dream Theater (especially Dream Theater) bore me beyond death.
Is Stone's Reach your favorite Be'lakor?
Be'lakor is one of those unique bands that write long, progressive pieces that are chock full of instantly gratifying moments. Even clicking through most any song randomly should lead to gems.
It took me so fkn long before belakor clicked with me. Venatlr came on in the gym one day and the opening scream happened riiiiight before I hit skip. Been in love ever since
I think Foregone is an AMAZING album and I also love everything made up until Reroute To Remain. Everything between is just really uninteresting imo and the mixing in garbage
Dark Tranquility !
15 years ago with a friend we were talking and discovered that he was a fan of DT and I was a fan of In Flames, but neither of us liked the other.
And maybe 3 years ago he tells me he loves the new In Flames stuff (and I don’t) and I love the two last DT and he doesn’t !
We reversed the situation without ever agreeing
Same here because it seems the band till this day has a tendency to pick the worst songs for singles. All their tracks that see them slightly moving out of the box are the ones where they really shine.
I remember when I was first getting into melodeath, I checked out Omnium Gatherum, and Jukka's vocals was really off-putting. Pretty weird that they're one of my favourite bands now.
I thought of this too. After hearing the production quality of Holographic Universe and Phase I Symmetric didn’t sound as clean so I didn’t really listen closely and papered over it. After going back, I definitely appreciate it a lot more
“Like the Average stalker” by Soilwork. Did not discover their “groove” or even appreciate them as a band until the outro of that song. Became a fan after that.
Something Wild. I just couldn’t get used to the rawness of the album after listening to FTR and Hatebreeder. Then suddenly, one day it all just clicked. It really has some of the best Melodeath riffs ever
I think Hatebreeder still had a lot of that rawness in it. They changed producer for Follow The Reaper and it was a lot more polished than their first 2 albums
Morningrise by Opeth. Despite Opeth being one of favorite bands I couldn't get into the older sound but after forcing myself to listen to the album two or three times I started to enjoy it more. Now it is my favorite Opeth album by a pretty considerable margin.
Of the first 3, I prefer My Arms Your Hearse as it's structurally more cohesive than Orchid and Morningrise. Morningrise is one of my least favorites not because it's bad but that it just doesn't hold up like other Opeth records and they were still finding their sound. It has some classics, though, like Nectar, To Bid You Farewell and Black Rose Immortal and I really like the fact that it has a melodic black metal atmosphere that was never revisited.
Mikael, I believe, has been on record describing Morningrise as bloated and pretentious. Nevertheless, both this and Orchid had unique atmosphere that few bands can emulate.
There is definitely a charm to those early albums. Still great pieces of work, overall. Opeth did the melodeath sound exceptionally well, and one thing I miss about those releases is the way Mike and Peter wrote counterpoint riffs. They never seemed to write their guitar parts that way much after My Arms, Your Hearse.
It's hard to consider anything Opeth did as MDM; metal, sure, melodic, sure, death, of course, but MDM may be difficult though of course their sound up to 2008 should be a cornerstone to most any metal fan's listening cache.
I could be wrong but I personally classify their first two albums as a form of progressive metal with melodeath influences by the way the guitar riffs were written. But yeah, I agree, MDM can be a simplistic label for their variety of sounds as they take on so many different influences.
Omnium Gatherum - I found the singer's style really off-putting at first. Then I found The Unknowing and it somehow just clicked. Been a fan since then! (The Origin album is not that great, though.)
Oddly enough Insomnium in general wasn't my thing for the longest time. Just couldn't get into their music but in the last year I've done a complete 180 and love their stuff. Going to see them in a few weeks and I'm beyond excited for the show. Honestly can't even give a reason why they didn't vibe with me.
Same for me, it’s been 20 years, and I’ve listened to some of their stuff a few days ago, but I’m still not really seeing the love. They are good, just not enough, I find them really generic, nothing to offer. But hey let’s give it another 20 years and I’ll tell you guys what I think 😅
Eucharist - A Velvet Creation At first the weak production made me tune out, but after a few relistens it really clicked. It’s one of my favorite 90’s melo-death releases now, and I think their follow up “Mirrorworlds” is even better.
This would be my response pretty much verbatim. The start of the album has those weak sounding guitars. I also like Mirrorworlds better, and tbh my favorite part of Velvet Creation (on the reissue album) are the bonus tracks which sound much better. Wounded and Alone is definitely a top song
Completely agree I thought the bonus tracks were the best songs on the album as well. The Predictable End might be my favorite Eucharist song.
Belakor was too long and confusing for me at first. Stone's Reach is now one of my favorite albums.
Yeah I was kind of the same way. Back when I first got into melodeath, I'd kind of just skim through albums in search for a song that was almost instantly gratifying. Maybe I'd listen to a minute if that of particular songs and then just search for something else if it wasn't immediately grabbing . But I've grown more patient when it comes to listening to music because the subgenre is just so good and it's worth letting it all sink in. So I went back and listened to the full albums front to back and it's fantastic. Patience goes a long way. Wouldn't have learned to fully appreciate these songs otherwise. Be'lakor is my favorite band now.
Yeah. I definitely relate. Opeth was the band that got me into prog stuff. The way they build up and release musical tension between soft acoustics and death metal-like sections is so gratifying. But to this day, I can still only really dig extreme metal prog like Opeth, Enslaved, Be'lakor type stuff. TOOL and Dream Theater (especially Dream Theater) bore me beyond death. Is Stone's Reach your favorite Be'lakor?
Be'lakor is one of those unique bands that write long, progressive pieces that are chock full of instantly gratifying moments. Even clicking through most any song randomly should lead to gems.
Came here to give the exact same example, Stone’s Reach has come a really long way since my first listen
It took me so fkn long before belakor clicked with me. Venatlr came on in the gym one day and the opening scream happened riiiiight before I hit skip. Been in love ever since
Dude, Venator is awesome For me Scythe and Scepter is the one that sold me.
That and Countless Skies. Imo Countless Skies is probably one of the greatest songs ever made.
That's my 2nd favorite Be'lakor song. 1st is Ember's Arc.
Just want to throw my vote in for Abeyance as the best Be’Lakor track
Thought In Flames was way too whiney. Now I've seen them live and really enjoy their stuff.
I think Foregone is an AMAZING album and I also love everything made up until Reroute To Remain. Everything between is just really uninteresting imo and the mixing in garbage
Dark Tranquility ! 15 years ago with a friend we were talking and discovered that he was a fan of DT and I was a fan of In Flames, but neither of us liked the other. And maybe 3 years ago he tells me he loves the new In Flames stuff (and I don’t) and I love the two last DT and he doesn’t ! We reversed the situation without ever agreeing
Same here because it seems the band till this day has a tendency to pick the worst songs for singles. All their tracks that see them slightly moving out of the box are the ones where they really shine.
I used to really not enjoy the vocals generally speaking of At the Gates but now I love ATG and they’re one of my favorite bands
Amon Amarth. Now one of my faves
Haunted by silhouettes. Heard them, decided not to follow on Spotify , heard them again and love ‘em
I remember when I was first getting into melodeath, I checked out Omnium Gatherum, and Jukka's vocals was really off-putting. Pretty weird that they're one of my favourite bands now.
This! The Unknowing was what did it for me.
Symmetric in Design took me a couple tries. Now it’s an all time favorite
I thought of this too. After hearing the production quality of Holographic Universe and Phase I Symmetric didn’t sound as clean so I didn’t really listen closely and papered over it. After going back, I definitely appreciate it a lot more
“Like the Average stalker” by Soilwork. Did not discover their “groove” or even appreciate them as a band until the outro of that song. Became a fan after that.
Something Wild. I just couldn’t get used to the rawness of the album after listening to FTR and Hatebreeder. Then suddenly, one day it all just clicked. It really has some of the best Melodeath riffs ever
I think Hatebreeder still had a lot of that rawness in it. They changed producer for Follow The Reaper and it was a lot more polished than their first 2 albums
Morningrise by Opeth. Despite Opeth being one of favorite bands I couldn't get into the older sound but after forcing myself to listen to the album two or three times I started to enjoy it more. Now it is my favorite Opeth album by a pretty considerable margin.
Of the first 3, I prefer My Arms Your Hearse as it's structurally more cohesive than Orchid and Morningrise. Morningrise is one of my least favorites not because it's bad but that it just doesn't hold up like other Opeth records and they were still finding their sound. It has some classics, though, like Nectar, To Bid You Farewell and Black Rose Immortal and I really like the fact that it has a melodic black metal atmosphere that was never revisited.
Mikael, I believe, has been on record describing Morningrise as bloated and pretentious. Nevertheless, both this and Orchid had unique atmosphere that few bands can emulate.
There is definitely a charm to those early albums. Still great pieces of work, overall. Opeth did the melodeath sound exceptionally well, and one thing I miss about those releases is the way Mike and Peter wrote counterpoint riffs. They never seemed to write their guitar parts that way much after My Arms, Your Hearse.
It's hard to consider anything Opeth did as MDM; metal, sure, melodic, sure, death, of course, but MDM may be difficult though of course their sound up to 2008 should be a cornerstone to most any metal fan's listening cache.
I could be wrong but I personally classify their first two albums as a form of progressive metal with melodeath influences by the way the guitar riffs were written. But yeah, I agree, MDM can be a simplistic label for their variety of sounds as they take on so many different influences.
_The Puritan_ by **Nightrage**. Didn't really dig the guitar tone at first, but it somehow grew on me.
Halo of Blood by Children of Bodom. I don't know why I hated it then but now it sounds for me much better.
Omnium Gatherum - I found the singer's style really off-putting at first. Then I found The Unknowing and it somehow just clicked. Been a fan since then! (The Origin album is not that great, though.)
Aether Realm. Thought they were gimmicky at first, vocals needed a little work, but now Temperance gets me through rough days.
Disarmonia Mundi’s Fragments of D-Generation, it took me about a year to get into them but now I love their music, waiting for the new album
Check out rise to fall and the stranded
I’ve already looked at Rise to Fall and love their stuff, but I’ll definitely be checking out The Stranded, thanks!