Ludo

'Sujetanac' / 'The Vanitist' (piano version).

Preview of the new song 'Lonewalker'.

Scotland - Alestorm and Gloryhammer. The first of which have about 6 albums and are in the Scottish Pirate Metal genre, or at least that's what I call them. They are definitely more understood from a Scottish citizen's point of view. But they are fun
Have you heard Bulletbelt? A sort of thrashy death metal band.  I'm sure they are from Australia. Rise Of The Banshee and Nine Centuries are great albums but are with a now former singer. Not too hot on their new lineup. I discovered them on the soundtrack to the indie movie Deathgasm

Australian bands:
Amagon - thrashy death metal. (I'm vocalist)
Miazma - death metal
Earth Rot - deathened black metal
Idle Ruin - blackened thrash
Vexation - thrash / death metal
Eternal Rest - death metal
The Plague - Swedish death metal
Werewolves - grind/black/death
Rise Of Avernus - gothic/doom/death
Odius - thrash
Damaged - grind

From the town I grew up in iron maidens  Bruce Dickinson went to the private school there and even legend has it played a gig at the ship pub there. So that's pretty cool. I'm not the biggest dickenson fan but obviously respect his singing  

Dear Brothers,
this topic is self-explanatory. Metal (and metal-related) bands (famous, obscure, unknown...) in your country/region/area that you feel like recommending to other fellow Metalheads!
I'm Italian so here's my list divided per decades as concerns Italy, along with some personal anedoctes where possible ? Hope you enjoy it!
- 1960s-70s
Jacula - Progressive Rock, Occult Rock (Italy - Milan?)
Always been mysterious, their leader and founder Antonio Bartoccetti seems to have passed away recently, thus bringing with him the secret. They are indicated by many as the first act ever to deal with esoteric and occult themes and to bring a dark gothic doom sound into the world of late 60's rock and progressive. Their first album "In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum" seems to have been released in the second half of the sixties only to be played during esoteric and messianic gatherings, unfortunately today only the 2001 reissue seems to be available. Be truth or fantasy, I always felt proud of the fact that Jacula is a project conceived and developed in Italy, perhaps the country at that time less suitable for this type of sound and subjects.
A similar project in the late 60s can only be found in my opinion in the US band Coven with their debut album 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls' (it also contains probably the first Black Mass ever recorded on disc), but the sound of Jacula looks much darker and gothic and with extensive use of organ. By the way, little digression, the first song of Coven's debut album is entitled Black Sabbath, the bassist's name was Greg 'Oz' Osborne ... coincidences?
Le Orme - Progressive Rock (Italy - Venice)
Fantastic Progressive Rock band from Venice (my town) in the late 60s and early 70s, at the time much more famous and appreciated abroad than in Italy, the same fate that PFM had years later (they were the first Italian rock band to tour extensively the United States). The great Peter Hammil of Van Der Graf Generator adored Le Orme and translated in English their lyrics. I'm a lover but I admit not a big connoisseur of the progressive scene, but I consider Le Orme's 1973 album 'Felona and Sorona', one of the highest peaks of the entire prog rock genre. Le Orme is a band still active.
Always in the 70s Italian Prog Rock scene, but with heavier sounds, I recommend you to check out Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Museo Rosembach and Il Rovescio della Medaglia (their 1973 song "Alzo un Muro Elettrico" is really Heavy Metal!).

- 1970s.
Death SS - Heavy Metal, Horror Metal (Italy - Florence)
Going back to esotericism, occult and why not, satanism, Death SS from Florence and Le Marche region is an Italian band that I absolutely recommend. They were already doing in 1977 what many bands do nowadays in terms of music, lyrics and show, something really unbelievable for Italy at the time! Definitely among the creators of horror / shock metal and of shows and stage performances (face painting, skulls, blood etc...) we can see today in the Black Metal scene. 'The Story of Death SS 1977-1984' was the first Italian Metal record I bought back in 1988. I definetely prefer this one which contians their early rough works, and refer to the years of the satanic occult dualism of band members and mastermind Steve Silvester / Paul Chain. They changed a lot in following years but are still today a fantastic live act anyway!

- 1980s.
Necrodeath - Thrash, Speed, Black (Italy - Genoa).
One day in the previous life (early July 2019) I was at Rock The Castle, one of the most important summer Metal Festivals in Italy. By mid-afternoon we were all waiting for Phil Anselmo & The Illegals, following on stage Necrodeath, Onslaught and Overkill who played before. Old good Phil Anselmo shows up, greets everyone and says the following words: "I feel honored to play after Necrodeath, Black Metal before Black Metal".
I must say that I had never listened to Necrodeath with due attention before last July, but thinking about what they did in 1987 ("Into The Macabre" album) and above all where they did it (Italy) made me shiver and made me proud! How proud we all were that day, after the words of Phil Anselmo!
After this special mention for Necrodeath, I also recently re-discovered and recommend other great Italian extreme bands of the 80s such as Schizo and Bulldozer, widely considered seminal all over Europe.
As concerns the 80s check out also Raw Power (hardcore punk, crossover), Strana Officina (Heavy Metal), Dark Quarterer (Heavy Metal, Epic Metal, Progressive).

Alex Masi - Guitar Hero (Italy - Venice).
In the eighties while overseas Hard Rock and Heavy Metal were exploding in all their sub-genres and becoming mainstream, in Italy Metal was exclusively underground. Here in Venice there was a band that emerged above all the others: Dark Lord, they played pure Heavy Metal, they released some acclaimed demo tapes and singles, some you can now find on Youtube. Dark Lord guitarist was Alex Masi, an incredible talent! In 1986 he left friends and band mates and moved to Los Angeles, one of the few Italian musicians to do it and the only one I can recall... who actually made it!
In a few years he became a guitar hero in the hard rock and heavy metal scene, like his contemporaries Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen, Impellitteri, Kuni etc.
Today Alex Masi still lives and works in Los Angeles and is considered one of the best guitarists in the world, he can play anything at the highest levels, from metal to fusion, from classical music to blues ... I see him a lot and when he's back in Venice for visiting, he lives 10 minutes walk from my house!!!
I can't say we are friends, but we have common acquaintances and we often meet around town as we basically go to the same places. Highly recommended anyway if you love guitar or you are a guitarist!
 
- 1990s.
Lacuna Coil - Gothic Metal (Italy - Milan).
I lived in Milan for all the nineties, the number 1 city in Italy if you loved Heavy Metal!
At the time I used to attend all the places for the true metal fans in town: the Midnight, the Revenge, the Transilvanya, the Rock Planet, the Factory, the glorious Rock FM (first Hard & Heavy radio in Italy). Among those who frequented these places there were also them, the members of Lacuna Coil who I saw countless times in the 90s.
I must confess that I don't follow them much, but I know that today Lacuna Coil is the most famous Italian Heavy Metal band in the world! So I cannot but recommend them if you love the genre, in particular their first albums in the 90s. Glad to have known them and to have witnessed their birth and rise in those days! We were young and wild and free ?
As concerns the 90s check out also Extrema (Thrash/Groove Metal) and our "holy trinity" of Power Metal Rhapsody of Fire, Domine, Labyrinth.
 
- Today.

Messa - Doom Metal (Italy - Venice - Padua).
I strongly believe Messa is in this moment one of the biggest Doom Metal bands around, with a future that can only be radiant. I always thought of a legendary line that united the first Black Sabbath (at least until Sabbath Bloody Sabbath) with the first Candlemass (up to Nightfall).
Today Messa is added to this line (of mine), which now tells:
Black Sabbath - Candlemass - Messa.
Highly recommended!
P.s. Check out on Youtube their fantastic 11 minutes video they made in 2019 here in Venice for their song "She Knows" !
As concerns 2000s check out the fantastic parody band Nanowar of Steel (Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Folk Metal and many other things...) and our "holy trinity" of Death Metal Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour of Penance, Sadist.
Ciao!

Dear Brothers,
this topic is self-explanatory. Metal (and metal-related) bands (famous, obscure, unknown...) in your country/region/area that you feel like recommending to other fellow Metalheads!
I'm Italian so here's my list divided per decades as concerns Italy, along with some personal anedoctes where possible ? Hope you enjoy it!
- 1960s-70s
Jacula - Progressive Rock, Occult Rock (Italy - Milan?)
Always been mysterious, their leader and founder Antonio Bartoccetti seems to have passed away recently, thus bringing with him the secret. They are indicated by many as the first act ever to deal with esoteric and occult themes and to bring a dark gothic doom sound into the world of late 60's rock and progressive. Their first album "In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum" seems to have been released in the second half of the sixties only to be played during esoteric and messianic gatherings, unfortunately today only the 2001 reissue seems to be available. Be truth or fantasy, I always felt proud of the fact that Jacula is a project conceived and developed in Italy, perhaps the country at that time less suitable for this type of sound and subjects.
A similar project in the late 60s can only be found in my opinion in the US band Coven with their debut album 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls' (it also contains probably the first Black Mass ever recorded on disc), but the sound of Jacula looks much darker and gothic and with extensive use of organ. By the way, little digression, the first song of Coven's debut album is entitled Black Sabbath, the bassist's name was Greg 'Oz' Osborne ... coincidences?
Le Orme - Progressive Rock (Italy - Venice)
Fantastic Progressive Rock band from Venice (my town) in the late 60s and early 70s, at the time much more famous and appreciated abroad than in Italy, the same fate that PFM had years later (they were the first Italian rock band to tour extensively the United States). The great Peter Hammil of Van Der Graf Generator adored Le Orme and translated in English their lyrics. I'm a lover but I admit not a big connoisseur of the progressive scene, but I consider Le Orme's 1973 album 'Felona and Sorona', one of the highest peaks of the entire prog rock genre. Le Orme is a band still active.
Always in the 70s Italian Prog Rock scene, but with heavier sounds, I recommend you to check out Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Museo Rosembach and Il Rovescio della Medaglia (their 1973 song "Alzo un Muro Elettrico" is really Heavy Metal!).

- 1970s.
Death SS - Heavy Metal, Horror Metal (Italy - Florence)
Going back to esotericism, occult and why not, satanism, Death SS from Florence and Le Marche region is an Italian band that I absolutely recommend. They were already doing in 1977 what many bands do nowadays in terms of music, lyrics and show, something really unbelievable for Italy at the time! Definitely among the creators of horror / shock metal and of shows and stage performances (face painting, skulls, blood etc...) we can see today in the Black Metal scene. 'The Story of Death SS 1977-1984' was the first Italian Metal record I bought back in 1988. I definetely prefer this one which contians their early rough works, and refer to the years of the satanic occult dualism of band members and mastermind Steve Silvester / Paul Chain. They changed a lot in following years but are still today a fantastic live act anyway!

- 1980s.
Necrodeath - Thrash, Speed, Black (Italy - Genoa).
One day in the previous life (early July 2019) I was at Rock The Castle, one of the most important summer Metal Festivals in Italy. By mid-afternoon we were all waiting for Phil Anselmo & The Illegals, following on stage Necrodeath, Onslaught and Overkill who played before. Old good Phil Anselmo shows up, greets everyone and says the following words: "I feel honored to play after Necrodeath, Black Metal before Black Metal".
I must say that I had never listened to Necrodeath with due attention before last July, but thinking about what they did in 1987 ("Into The Macabre" album) and above all where they did it (Italy) made me shiver and made me proud! How proud we all were that day, after the words of Phil Anselmo!
After this special mention for Necrodeath, I also recently re-discovered and recommend other great Italian extreme bands of the 80s such as Schizo and Bulldozer, widely considered seminal all over Europe.
As concerns the 80s check out also Raw Power (hardcore punk, crossover), Strana Officina (Heavy Metal), Dark Quarterer (Heavy Metal, Epic Metal, Progressive).

Alex Masi - Guitar Hero (Italy - Venice).
In the eighties while overseas Hard Rock and Heavy Metal were exploding in all their sub-genres and becoming mainstream, in Italy Metal was exclusively underground. Here in Venice there was a band that emerged above all the others: Dark Lord, they played pure Heavy Metal, they released some acclaimed demo tapes and singles, some you can now find on Youtube. Dark Lord guitarist was Alex Masi, an incredible talent! In 1986 he left friends and band mates and moved to Los Angeles, one of the few Italian musicians to do it and the only one I can recall... who actually made it!
In a few years he became a guitar hero in the hard rock and heavy metal scene, like his contemporaries Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen, Impellitteri, Kuni etc.
Today Alex Masi still lives and works in Los Angeles and is considered one of the best guitarists in the world, he can play anything at the highest levels, from metal to fusion, from classical music to blues ... I see him a lot and when he's back in Venice for visiting, he lives 10 minutes walk from my house!!!
I can't say we are friends, but we have common acquaintances and we often meet around town as we basically go to the same places. Highly recommended anyway if you love guitar or you are a guitarist!
 
- 1990s.
Lacuna Coil - Gothic Metal (Italy - Milan).
I lived in Milan for all the nineties, the number 1 city in Italy if you loved Heavy Metal!
At the time I used to attend all the places for the true metal fans in town: the Midnight, the Revenge, the Transilvanya, the Rock Planet, the Factory, the glorious Rock FM (first Hard & Heavy radio in Italy). Among those who frequented these places there were also them, the members of Lacuna Coil who I saw countless times in the 90s.
I must confess that I don't follow them much, but I know that today Lacuna Coil is the most famous Italian Heavy Metal band in the world! So I cannot but recommend them if you love the genre, in particular their first albums in the 90s. Glad to have known them and to have witnessed their birth and rise in those days! We were young and wild and free ?
As concerns the 90s check out also Extrema (Thrash/Groove Metal) and our "holy trinity" of Power Metal Rhapsody of Fire, Domine, Labyrinth.
 
- Today.

Messa - Doom Metal (Italy - Venice - Padua).
I strongly believe Messa is in this moment one of the biggest Doom Metal bands around, with a future that can only be radiant. I always thought of a legendary line that united the first Black Sabbath (at least until Sabbath Bloody Sabbath) with the first Candlemass (up to Nightfall).
Today Messa is added to this line (of mine), which now tells:
Black Sabbath - Candlemass - Messa.
Highly recommended!
P.s. Check out on Youtube their fantastic 11 minutes video they made in 2019 here in Venice for their song "She Knows" !
As concerns 2000s check out the fantastic parody band Nanowar of Steel (Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Folk Metal and many other things...) and our "holy trinity" of Death Metal Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour of Penance, Sadist.
Ciao!

Why hasn't this thread been started?? ? Lol. For those of you not familiar with Peter (shame on you, lol j/k), he was the singer/song-writer/bassist for the band Type O Negative. To me he was a poet, lyrical genius, and amazing musician. He also had a great sense of humor. Absolute legend. Some videos:
Stay Negative x

Purple Skies just released our debut album, "A Picture of Our Fate". Epic, melodic, doomy, groovy, heavy, riffy, emotive, and everywhere in between. Standard tuning, clean vocals, a bit old school but not overtly trying to be retro.

Two singles off the album have a music video and lyric video:
"The Messenger" music video: https://youtu.be/OPIMKQG9SIo
"Cave of Fear" lyric video: https://youtu.be/aDmL7rw9otg

The full album is available to listen to or purchase on Bandcamp: https://purpleskies.bandcamp.com/album/a-picture-of-our-fate
Thanks for checking it out, guys!

Hello There,
 
we are Death Receipt from Germany, Bavaria.
We would like to promote our newly released (28.12.2020) Album Written In Blood
Our YouTube Playlist of the Album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F274rfD-xbQ&list=PLjp1w9iWeU2POTs0N15jSYUn1hOy5LU4m
Our Streaming link of the Album:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/deathreceipt/written-in-blood
Feel free to comment about what you think and feel regarding our songs.
 
 

oh sorry for that, ok understood

It wasn't usual to call this music style "heavy metal" back in the 70s. To the best of my knowledge, nor did any bands call themselves heavy metal until Judas Priest in 1975. However, what got the whole NWOBHM thing started was Motörhead's album Overkill, first released im March of 1979. You can't possibly overstate what kind of impact that album had on rock fans of all genres, even the punk rockers ... who would routinely dismiss all "heavy" music as decadent burgeoise nonsense. I mean ... I remember how I couldn't believe my own fucking ears. What is this? It was like having a religious experience or something. Or at least, it was as OMG as anything can get. Video gamers would probably call this "the boss level". 
The next thing that happened was that the now opened ears were receptive to "more of this stuff" ... which sure enough started pouring in from all over the place. 
This is how I remember it. I'm not saying it's the "right" way to see things, only that it's my way. There was no denying the musical authority of Motörhead. They pretty much united everyone in a state of awe. Us old geezers call this the "pre-fragmentation era" and it lasted until 1981. Then tastes (and opinions) started to differ and genres came into play. I guess it's how you can't ever really get over the feeling ever after, when you've experienced a time when "it all made sense".

I'm not sure how often the label was slung around in the early 70's, but "heavy metal" is a term that goes back to the 60's. 1970 is probably the best point to look at for the year of its birth, but a lot of the progenitors died off in the early 70's. Priest came along aping up the Deep Purple template for heavy metal and adding a new dimension of class and technicality to heavy metal, whereas Motörhead pushed it into a more rough and dirty direction. They, like Priest, pre-dated the NWOBHM movement by a couple of years, as most bands were in the demo/first album recording phase by 1979, whereas Motörhead was dropping their 3rd (and 4th) albums. As the acronym stands for New Wave of British Heavy Metal, it seems that be indicative of just the new bands at the time.

That said, Motörhead's influence can't be overstated. They approached heavy metal from a rock and roll angle and with a punkish attitude, so they were one of the few unifying bands that fans from all across the spectrum could agree on. I also have immense respect for their career, in that they never sold out or compromised to try to be anything other than what they were, and continued to release solid albums until their end. They're one of the legends, that's for sure.

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Immolation - I have been going through their discography a lot of late and although I can't fight the fact that some dips in form occur I still think that they are one of the most consistent performers over the past 30 years of death metal.  They have a unique sound that is instantly identifiable and can drop in some really angular leads into any track at any point to add that sense of haunting atmosphere.  I would go as far as saying that any death metal fan needs to own Dawn of Possession, Here In After and Close to a World Below with nods towards Failures for Gods and Unholy Cult.
Gorguts - yep, I am still banging on about how good Gorguts are (my last gushing outburst here).  Looking at the band they were in the 90s and how they have developed their sound since and simultaneously (almost organically) pushed the boundaries of death metal as a genre into a whole new space, I can't help but be excited by the prospect of new music by these guys at any point.  Colored Sands is my top album of the 2010's, it was a huge release after such a long lay off (12 fucking years!) and they came back with every last drop of the skill of each musician poured into that album.
Ulcerate - more technical brilliance in this discography than you wave a shitty stick at!  Except that they aren't just a technical death metal band.  That genre tag does not cover the plethora of territory that Ulcerate occupy within the metal world.  Stare Into Death and Be Still is an atmospheric triumph, beyond just being an album of technical and progressive structures drowning in atmosphere it is an album that lets every riff, every string, every strike and every vocal pull, push, twist and contort the atmospherics they are shrouded in to deliver an auditory experience unlike much of anything else out there.  My only question now is, where next???  Looking at where they started out from, their development over the past seventeen years is astonishing and the thought of there being yet more in the tank is as frightening as it is intriguing.
Faith No More - my college years had this band so intertwined into them through the listening habits of peers that I have only realised in recent months (some 25+ years after my time in education) how influential they were to me if only on a sub-conscious level.  I can't pretend to like all of their stuff and if honest I think I like the approach often more than the whole of the content it produces, but an album like Angel Dust is like a theme tune to the blackest of comedies.  It is equal part accessible as it is obnoxious.  For all its tongue-in-cheek delivery there's a seedy and sordid undertone that makes it a proper "adult" alternative metal record.
Atramentus - finally, I am currentlly intrigued by the debut 3 track full-length, death doom metal release from Atramentus.  I don't go too mad for death doom but when it gets done right I do go weak at the knees.  Phillipe Tougas (of multiple band fame including Chthe'ilist) wrote this album himself in 2012 but only got round to releasing this year - now with a full band in tow.  It is journey akin to a Bell Witch record (well, the first two albums at least) in terms of length and the depths of atmosphere it generates in just over forty minutes.  I am about five or six listens in and still feel there's so much more to learn about the record.  Proper, lights out and volume up stuff.

I dont listen to modern metal..but here is my all time favourite bands list
1.Pantera
2.Pantera
3.Pantera
4.Pantera
5.Pantera

I guess that depends on what you mean by a "True Satanist."  I think most of the supposedly "Satanic" bands just like the image of Satanism and the rebellion that it seems to represent in society. 
I cannot speak about Watain or Inquisition, as I do not listen to either of them, but I want to push back on the idea that Behemoth somehow represents something truly Satanic.  To me, they focus too much on their image and making money to be anything other than just another popular/successful band.  I find that a little difficult to reconcile with the anti-social/transgressive image of Satanism.  That being said, they do have some great music!

Just how many black-metal bands out there do you think are "true" to their satanic beliefs? How many of them just do it for the imagery ,and like slayer, did it for the money? The only  3  "successful" bands I believe are "true" to their beliefs are behemoth ,watain, and inquisition.

Once these vaccines that have recently been mentioned get approved, and a bunch of people get them, it'll be safer to have large gatherings again. If it works out well, I'm hoping/guessing mid to late 2021 for things to start picking back up. A lot of places will be closed permanently. A lot of professional musicians will have had to move on. That sucks, but most of the bands I know of and care about are doing what they can in the downtime and looking forward to picking up where they left off. I think we'll see a recovery.

Does anyone else have any confidence that we'll be able to go to live shows anytime soon? Here in the US, I'm starting to have my doubts. I'm wondering how these movie theaters and music venues are going to stay in business after  all of this. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of them will never re-open. How bad is it in Europe and the UK? A lot of bands are probably never going to come back. This really sucks!

Thank You for your welcome !
Yes, Venice is of course full of Renaissance art. I come from the Dolomites where Tiziano (one of the best Renaissance painters) was born, he worked all his life in Venice so there are many of his paintings and frescoes all over the city, along with many other artist of the time.
If you get the chance to come over, I can be your host for sure
I just posted some info about me in the Promote Yourself section!
And yes I love Gentle Giant too, they are in my opinion the most classy and elegant prog rock of the time along with Genesis, Camel and Van der Graaf Generator and some Italian bands... I also have a prog rock playlist in progress in my channel, so I don't forget what I find out digging in the past
I'll definetely enjoy this place !
Ciao
 

Welcome to the forum. I've always wanted to visit Venice, and Italy in general. I was obsessed with Italian Renaissance art when I was a kid and I dream of seeing some of the murals and statues in person someday. I've been digging into older music for the past few years as well - lately I can't stop listening to Gentle Giant. 
It's been pretty slow here for a while, but I hope you enjoy the place.