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Unusual Instruments in Metal

Parker

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Parker Explorer

Parker

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Almost all metal is made by electric guitar and base, drums, and sometimes keyboards. While I appreciate the challenge of coming up with something new within established parameters, there's loads of other instruments out there that could be used to bring completely new dynamics to metal. I'd love to hear metal with an alphorn, a hurdy-gurdy, or gamelan gongs. I know of Apocalyptica, and they're cool, but I'd like to hear something really exotic. Here's a good example of a sitar used in metal, even if he's just playing along to a pre-recorded song:

 

And this cover of One on Guzheng is cool too:

 

But, I'd like to hear original metal with some exotic/unusual instrumentation. Any suggestions?

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Requiem Newbie

Requiem

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Eluveitie had a lot of hurdy gurdy, accordion, tin whistles and other folk instruments.

Moonsorrow use folk instruments sometimes like the mouth harp.

Rotting Christ occasionally use Greek pipes and things like that.

The first time I heard My Dying Bride with a violin back in 1996 I was awestruck. Common now of course.

Nile and Behemoth have some cool eastern instruments, but only really as intros and interludes.

Amorphis sometimes use Finnish instruments like the kantele.

Then there are the full orchestras found in recent Septicflesh and Fleshgod Apocalypse. Basically any band with 'flesh' in their title.

I love metal mixed with these types of instruments. 

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Fraser Community Regular

Fraser

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3 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Do you listen to Saor? Lots of pipe and tin whistle melodies on their latest album.

Guardians 2016, I liked it a lot. Being Scottish Saor is a band that connects with me. Very highland orientated. 

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Guardians 2016, I liked it a lot. Being Scottish Saor is a band that connects with me. Very highland orientated. 
Absu had a highland themed trilogy that's pretty great, but the only bagpipes I remember were on the intro and outro on Tara. Still, they're excellent if you like black/thrash.

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Fraser Community Regular

Fraser

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4 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Absu had a highland themed trilogy that's pretty great, but the only bagpipes I remember were on the intro and outro on Tara. Still, they're excellent if you like black/thrash.

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Cheers will have a listen as always happy to listen to bands I never have, but not a massive Black metal fan no. 

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Cheers will have a listen as always happy to listen to bands I never have, but not a massive Black metal fan no. 
They're a lot more thrashy and riff oriented than most black metal bands, so maybe that would change things. The first page of the black metal suggestions thread that's stickied to the top of the section has a link to their song Stone of Destiny, that would be a good place to start.

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Fraser Community Regular

Fraser

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On 3/9/2018 at 4:02 PM, FatherAlabaster said:

I've warmed up to it a lot over the past few months. I also enjoyed what I heard of Fuath. Anything else along those lines that you'd recommend?

Could give Mael Mordha a go, or Waylander. Classed more as Gealic/Pagan folk metal but have that similar sound. 

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Fraser Community Regular

Fraser

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10 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Mael Mordha is great, but Primordial would probably be more in line with what else is being discussed.

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Never could get into Primordial, has always lacked something for me. More Extreme metal than Doom such as Saor.

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Never could get into Primordial, has always lacked something for me. 
Really? I think they're great. I have all of their albums but the latest and enjoy them all. Theirs is a unique sound that they've honed and evolved really well over the years. What do you think it's missing?

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Fraser Community Regular

Fraser

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1 minute ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Really? I think they're great. I have all of their albums but the latest and enjoy them all. Theirs is a unique sound that they've honed and evolved really well over the years. What do you think it's missing?

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Sorry I edited my post above. It lacks structure for me, have always sounded messy with less than average vocals. Gives no feeling whatsoever for me. That is only my opinion though. 

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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53 minutes ago, Fraser said:

Sorry I edited my post above. It lacks structure for me, have always sounded messy with less than average vocals. Gives no feeling whatsoever for me. That is only my opinion though. 

Gotta say I feel somewhat the same about Primordial. Their songs have never quite clicked for me. I'll put them on occasionally, but I really have to be in the mood. I don't think I've listened to Mael Mordha and I've definitely never heard Waylander, so I'll check them out, thank you.

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Sorry I edited my post above. It lacks structure for me, have always sounded messy with less than average vocals. Gives no feeling whatsoever for me. That is only my opinion though. 
That's surprising. The vocals alone convey tremendous emotion to me, and I love the way the music is arranged. To each their own.

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Fraser Community Regular

Fraser

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6 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

That's surprising. The vocals alone convey tremendous emotion to me, and I love the way the music is arranged. To each their own.

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The absolute beauty and power of music, has that ability to reach different emotions and outcomes for everyone. 

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Gotta say I feel somewhat the same about Primordial. Their songs have never quite clicked for me. I'll put them on occasionally, but I really have to be in the mood. I don't think I've listened to Mael Mordha and I've definitely never heard Waylander, so I'll check them out, thank you.
That surprises me. Which albums have you tried?

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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9 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

That surprises me. Which albums have you tried?

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Spirit The Earth Aflame was my intro to them, I've also heard Storm Before Calm and The Gathering Wilderness. You and I have talked about them before but it's been a while. I have several friends who love them, so I revisit them occasionally out of curiosity, but it never sticks.

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Spirit The Earth Aflame was my intro to them, I've also heard Storm Before Calm and The Gathering Wilderness. You and I have talked about them before but it's been a while. I have several friends who love them, so I revisit them occasionally out of curiosity, but it never sticks.
It must have been a while, I'm having a hard time recalling that. I wonder if you would like their darker black metal material more, their Dark Romanticism demo is epic.

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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18 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

It must have been a while, I'm having a hard time recalling that. I wonder if you would like their darker black metal material more, their Dark Romanticism demo is epic.

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I'll check it out in a few. Talking with Macabre got me in the mood to listen to Wardruna, so I'm currently rowing a longship or sitting around a campfire or something. I also listened to Mael Mordha, and they're not my flavor but I did like some of the melodies.

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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I'll check it out in a few. Talking with Macabre got me in the mood to listen to Wardruna, so I'm currently rowing a longship or sitting around a campfire or something. I also listened to Mael Mordha, and they're not my flavor but I did like some of the melodies.
I didn't think Mael Mordha would do much for you, you don't seem to spin a lot of epic doom metal. I was going to include a link, but then got drawn back into work, and I always like to listen to make sure that the link isn't a shitty rip.

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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9 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

I didn't think Mael Mordha would do much for you, you don't seem to spin a lot of epic doom metal. I was going to include a link, but then got drawn back into work, and I always like to listen to make sure that the link isn't a shitty rip.

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Isole is the only band along those lines that I've really connected with. I'm sure I'm missing out but the style in general hasn't ever been very compelling to me.

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