Technical Death Metal

[Iceni]

Not quite. Their technical prowess is indisputable' date=' but it's used in a much more subtle way than any tech-death band I can think of. Their focus is more on crushing grooves than using more overtly technical patterns.[/quote'] That is sort of a weird trend that seems to crop up every now and then - referring to basically any death metal band with a modicum of talent as a 'technical death metal' band. On occasion people will refer to Cannibal Corpse as tech-death, which I find a bit baffling. Wikipedia even had Oceano on their list of tech-death groups at one point.

[RelentlessOblivion]

part of me wants to put Sympathy in this category but the more I listen to them the more confused I become I mean seriously they aren't hard to define in the sense that they are clearly death metal but where in the DM spectrum they fit I have no idea

[H34VYM3T4LD4V3]

Re: Technical Death Metal Listening to Atheist (POT album) thanks to NTNR and they are pretty awesome! \m/

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Technical Death Metal

Listening to Atheist (POT album) thanks to NTNR and they are pretty awesome! \m/

Their second album Unquestionable Presence is even better. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[RelentlessOblivion]

indeed it is, very good stuff

[Iceni]

Their second album Unquestionable Presence is even better.

I took some time a couple of months ago to listen to Atheist, and weirdly enough I was actually less wowed by them that I was previously. One odd thing I noticed is that they sounded a lot like progressive thrash rather than death metal specifically, so that is interesting in that they almost serve as one 'bridge' band between thrash and the death metal that (I think, not good on my dates) was emerging at that time.

[H34VYM3T4LD4V3]

Re: Technical Death Metal I really like Malevolent Creation too

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Technical Death Metal

I took some time a couple of months ago to listen to Atheist' date=' and weirdly enough I was actually less wowed by them that I was previously. One odd thing I noticed is that they sounded a lot like progressive thrash rather than death metal specifically, so that is interesting in that they almost serve as one 'bridge' band between thrash and the death metal that (I think, not good on my dates) was emerging at that time.[/quote'] They were definitely on the thrashy side of death metal, but all death metal was in the 80's. Most things don't evolve fully formed out of their influences overnight, but that does not make those bands less death metal. Remember, you can't judge the past based on what is happening right now, listen with a frame of reference and context, as the modern wouldn't exist without the old. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[Iceni]

They were definitely on the thrashy side of death metal' date=' but all death metal was in the 80's. Most things don't evolve fully formed out of their influences overnight, but that does not make those bands less death metal. Remember, you can't judge the past based on what is happening right now, listen with a frame of reference and context, as the modern wouldn't exist without the old.[/quote'] OK, but I said they were more of a bridge band. I could hear the death metal very easily on some tracks, and the actual instrumentation itself was death metal, but I focused mainly on the vocals, which sounded like a sort of pre-Schuldiner screaming that alternated between harsh and sort of clean.

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Technical Death Metal

OK' date=' but I said they were more of a bridge band. I could hear the death metal very easily on some tracks, and the actual instrumentation itself was death metal, but I focused mainly on the vocals, which sounded like a sort of pre-Schuldiner screaming that alternated between harsh and sort of clean.[/quote'] Early death metal vocals, like early black metal vocals didn't have a "set format" like modern bands do. Check out the vocal differences between other early death metal bands, Deicide, Dismember, Grave, Pestilence, Carcass, Morbid Angel, Nocturnus, Order From Chaos, Bolt Thrower, all had very different styles. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[Iceni]

I know Carcass and Obituary from what I've heard had higher-pitched vocals and I do listen to a handful of higher-pitched vocal DM bands like Illogicist. I also did listen to a bit of Nocturnus recently and I think I just didn't get it because the first few times I heard them I thought they were crazy good but this most recent time they seemed a little weaker. My main point is that Atheist seemed to have cleaner vocals that many of those bands. I haven't heard them all so I can't say.

[Metalhead Steve]

We really need to get this thread running again. I need some more tech death bands.

[RelentlessOblivion]

hmmm let's see if I can be of assistance Alethian, Centaurus-A, Gorod, Miseration, Sickening Horror, Nile (maybe but really more brutal DM), Sympathy (maybe but they're a fucked up hybrid of many things and I mean fucked up in a good way), Kronos (again more brutal then tech), Element (see Kronos) and Death from Individual Thought Patterns onwards is all I can think of from the top of my head

[BlutAusNerd]

We really need to get this thread running again. I need some more tech death bands.

You need some fucking Anata dude, they're one of my favorites of the newer crop of tech-death: lIqPbZ20EXI

[FatherAlabaster]

That song is fucking cool, though I wouldn't call them newer, they've been around for something like 20 years. I don't remember their old stuff anymore.

[FatherAlabaster]

Just looked through the rest of the thread, I had never heard of Pavor before! That was good stuff. Also I don't think I saw Cephalic Carnage mentioned here, though I know we talked about them in the grindcore thread. Of their more mature stuff, I still like Lucid Interval the best. A lot of tech-for-tech's-sake bands, I just really can't get into, like Neuraxis, Psycroptic, most Psyopus (I can't help but like some of that stuff for being so weird)... even Necrophagist to be honest. If I want musicianship and fragmentary song structures, I'll go for grind or even some hardcore like Converge's "When Forever Comes Crashing" before I'll listen to most tech death.

[BlutAusNerd]

That song is fucking cool' date=' though I wouldn't call them newer, they've been around for something like 20 years. I don't remember their old stuff anymore.[/quote'] As in newer than the old school of tech-death, Gorguts, Atheist, Hellwitch, Atrocity, Pestilence, Cryptopsy, etc... They didn't start releasing albums until 1998, well after death metal's golden age had died off, and were not quite as technical early on as they ended up. That song was from their last album (supposedly they're working on a new one though), and I think these guys are top shelf. I tend to not be into the newer school of tech-death (or newer school of death metal in general), so finding a band that I enjoyed that much was a big deal for me. Decapitated was another, but they sort of sputtered after their magnificent debut, releasing only good to decent albums since then. I like Necrophagist, but I have to be in the right mood, and their sound definitely works better in the live setting. Give their debut a shot if you haven't, it's not quite as overwhelming as Epitaph.

[FatherAlabaster]

I'll go back and check it out.I have it on a computer but haven't listened to it in years. I was giving all of that stuff a chance around the same time that I tried listening to Despised Icon, Job For A Cowboy, Faceless, etc, and just dropped them all indiscriminately after a few weeks.

[BlutAusNerd]

I can't believe I forgot to mention these guys here, totally weird and original tech death/grind: 0JGr4lxrGeQ

[Metalhead Steve]

You need some fucking Anata dude, they're one of my favorites of the newer crop of tech-death: lIqPbZ20EXI

Yeah, I discovered them about a month ago. It's getting hard to find more tech-death considering that not many people have the talent to play it...

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Technical Death Metal There's a ton around, especially if you get into more brutal death metal. Having the talent to play a bunch of notes and having the talent to play music at that level of complexity are two different things though, with many unfortunately falling into the former camp. Also, have you tried Darkane? Check out their Layers of Lies album, it's pretty awesome technical melodeath/thrash. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[Metalhead Steve]

Eh, Darkane is alright. I've had them in my collection for a while. The problem with what you said is that I don't like super brutal shit. I don't like gore (though sometimes it's alright, if it's filled with hate) or rape or whatever the usual topics they choose. Reasons that I don't really listen to Infant Annihilator, Carcass, or Cannibal Corpse.

[FatherAlabaster]

Having seen Cannibal Corpse live a few times, I can say that if you don't like their lyrics, well hey it's no problem, because George Fisher doesn't actually know them. He sings on rhythm with some made up bullshit half the time. As I care more and more about lyrics, I listen to less and less bands.

[FatherAlabaster]

As regards "technical" music and the "talent" to play it - it's very easy to get pulled down the "technical" rabbit hole, especially now with computers. You can write all kinds of shit, splice it together, and then learn how to play it. Once you can tremolo pick, palm mute, do a bit of tapping, and switch between them, all it takes is practice. I kind of think it's too bad, because so many people are getting into that sound and writing shit music for the simple reason that they learned to run before they could walk. Maybe it's good that new musicians are challenging themselves with difficult material, but there doesn't seem to be much discipline as far as song structure, or really being able to play your riffs cleanly when it counts. I can't tell you how many local acts I've seen over the past few years trotting out "brutal technical death grind" garbage with zero feel and fifty percent attention to detail. Getting tired of that crap was what got me listening to Portishead and Jerry Cantrell again.

[RelentlessOblivion]

being technical for the sole purpose of playing technical music leads to sterility and boring crap. Spawn Of Possession are a great example of that. But there are tech bands that actually craft music that whilst technical isn't just cold and bland. Arsis for example (though I'm basing that on 'United In Regret, A Celebration Of Guilt and the Diamond For Disease EP)