Butt,
How would you catagorize The Mars Volta?

the only category they truly fit in is "one of the best bands ever"

Its not because it wasn't about metal, Bounty, its because well... I hate the Cranberries, lol, so better that I don't say anything.

Progressive music is supposed to progress though.

As for the Mars Volta, alternative rock? not terribly familiar with them tbh. Link me to some favorites?

Mars volta really cool but only like half their work is worth listening too. Tremulant EP, De-loused, Francis, and imo Bedlam is good too but I don't know what other people think of it. Octahedron and Noctournquiet are not great, amputecture has its moments (THE KIOSK IN MY TEMPORAL LOBE IS SHAPED LIKE ROSALYN CARTER)

also i think they're solidly prog rock (add on alt/experimental/whatever jazz fusion you think they are), other than a guitar fetish and great drumming nothing about their music is really metal.

Heavy Metal: The first form of metal. Known for loud distorted guitar riffs and long solos.

Thrash Metal: High speed riffs combined with loud percussive drums. Includes such bands as Metallic, Nevermore, etc.

Death Metal: Again, uses distorted guitar riffs. It also uses either high pitched screams or growls, and morbid lyrics. Drums contain blast beats. Examples are Death, Morbid Angel etc.

Power Metal: Similar to speed metal, often characterized by video-game-ish guitar sounds. Bands include Firewind, Kamelot

Speed Metal: Draws much influence from early metal bands, but basically just faster. Motorhead is a classic example.

Prog Metal: If you know what progressive rock is (which I'm sure you do) it's basically progressive rock combined with a metal sound. Harder riffs, etc. Opeth is a classic example.

Metalcore: Not technically metal, but draws influence from post-hardcore and heavy metal. Examples are Bullet for My Valentine which is not considered metal, and Lamb of God which is considered metal.

Deathcore: Combination of Metalcore and Death metal. Generally known for extreme vocals such as pig squealing, etc. Job for a Cowboy is Deathcore.

Sludge Metal: Combines Doom Metal and hardcore punk. Isis is a good example. Or The Ocean.

Doom Metal: Slow tempos combined with low-tuned guitars. Black Sabbath is often considered Doom.

Stoner Metal: Again fairly slow tempos with low tuned guitars that is very bass heavy. Kyuss is the first stoner metal band. Stoner, Doom, and Sludge are very closely related.

Mathcore: Two types of mathcore- Techincal metalcore, or progressive metalcore. Basically just really frekin hard technical metal. Bands include Protest the Hero and Embrace the End.

Technical Death Metal: Death Metal that is very technical. Often is extremely fast, and guitarists are always wicked talented. Bands include Origin and Decapitated.

Melodic Death Metal: Death Metal that features melodies that are very clear. Combines the melodies of heavy metal with the vocals of death metal. Bands include In Flames and Norther.

Black Metal: Uses high tuned guitars and shrieking vocals. Often has anti-christian lyrics. Examples are Cradle of Filth and Enslaved.

Symphonic Metal: Metal that uses classical elements, similar to what a symphony would use. Bands include Nightwish and Epica.

Goth Metal: Combines the aggression and sometimes speed of heavy metal with the darkness of gothic rock. Evanescense is often considered goth metal.

Industrial Metal: Uses repetitive guitar riffs with synthesizer often. Very boring IMO. Bands include Fear Factory.

Van, I can't see that mobile.
Did you post Drunkship by chance?

Cradle of Filth was only black metal on their second and maybe third albums. After that its straight symphonic.

Also for the sake of introducing people to metal bands, melodic death metal is death metal in name only, its basically power metal with harsh vocals.

I know it makes me seem like a metal elitist, but I am so no shame.

http://rosalyncarter.ytmnd.com/

RIP in peace The Mars Volta

EDIT: Here's my rankings of TMV albums:

De-loused in the Comatorium - B+
Frances the Mute - A+
Amputechture - B-
The Bedlam in Goliath - A
Octahedron - +
Noctourniquet - C

I agree FtM was the best.
The Widow, Il Via...

Cicatriz ESP. Drunkship is cool but I think Cicatriz emphasizes a lot of what makes TMV good and is coincidentally one of their most accessible songs.

Does it have to, though? Amorphis and Gojira's (just naming 2 bands I actually listen to) lyrics are as far away from morbid you can be while they are still considered Death Metal.


"Half" is unfair imo. Personally, everything they have ever done is at least worth listening to me, but I do agree Octahedron and Noctourniquet have a noticeable quality drop.


Don't remind me I'm still in half-denial. It was very unexpected to me, even though after Noctourniquet all the signs were there and I sort of knew it.


how can you not give deloused A++++? In my humble opinion it is THE best music album ever released.

Anyway, my rankings:

De-loused in the Comatorium - A+
Frances the Mute - A
Amputechture - A+
The Bedlam in Goliath - B+
Octahedron - C
Noctourniquet - C

Musically, Amputechture is probably their tightest work. It doesn't get enough love, and I think that might be because the album seems just like a mash of songs in no particular order, transitions are ugly and very abrupt too. But it does have their most technical moments.


I agree. Whenever I want to introduce TMV to someone, I make them listen to the Son et Lumiere + Cicatriz ESP combo. That, or this clip from Get Him to the Greek

i never understood the appeal of the mars volta

Roulette Dares!!!!!

Anyway here's the Rush from the Clockwork Angels tour with MUCH better sound and video.
Headlong Flight - Drums - Guitar- Halo Effect.
Old Prog Farts Rule!

It seems strange to me that you wouldn't include Blind Guardian, I thought they were more or less the leaders of the power metal genre? I would say that Power metal focuses on the melody and story-driven lyrical content more than the instrumentalists. It's characterized by a diverse bland of sounds, two guitars and keyboards are necessary, classical guitar and excotic instruments like bagpipes are common.



Again, I find it strange that you pick Opeth as your primary example. Most fans of progressive metal consider Opeth more death metal than prog. Better examples are Fates Warning, Dream Theater, Seventh Wonder, Ayreon, and Haken, which really exploded onto the scene with a brilliant album this year.

They're one of the few bands that successfully worship at the altar of The Riff while also being noisy, experimental, and fun.

They're Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Charles Mingus, and Sun Ra rolled into one, with a dash of Aleister Crowley and Siddhartha Gautama. If that promise doesn't make you fully erect then I just don't know what could.

EDIT: De-loused is kind of boring and sterile sounding, particularly compared to Amputechture and Bedlam. Frances is technically an awful album because Omar was a really crappy producer, but the Shakespearean/Greek tragedy thing just drives me wild so I can't not rate it as my favorite, because it is. Plus, come on, a 32 minute opera about atavism? COME ON HOW IS THAT NOT AMAZING

Nope, doesn't sound awesome to me.

Only the styling of Jeff Mangum can do that for me!

sure, if you're into time-traveling pedophiles

Enough metal, on to other music. Anyone around here a fan of ska?

~SE++

oh man, Krippendorf's Tribe came on the other day and that song is featured heavily in it

Which naturally reminded me of THPS and...