What are you listening to Today?

[Reckless Abandon]

Meshuggah - Future Breed Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQBv1smlQEU

Most people are going to HATE this song. It did not sound good to me the first dozen times I heard it. So why bother, right? Well, I like progressive music. I like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Rush, Tool, Mars Volta...and so on. I like music that is complex in rhythm, structure, tonality, etc. Progressive bands sound better the more you listen to them. Some of the songs can seem chaotic, but the more you get used to it, the more you see the patterns.

Anyway, Future Breed Machine...

Guitars - love the tone. Scooped mid range to make it crunchy. He uses a 7 string guitar dropped half a step (I think). Most chords are 4 note power chords in which the root and fifth are played in two different octaves.

The guitars dictate the rhythm of this song. Guitarist uses a breath controller. This device allows him to control the amplitude of his guitar-to-amplifier signal with his breath. This works kind of like a volume pedal, but it creates a different type of attack. It can also be used to chop the notes to create a staccato effect. The first part of the song highlights this effect. It is kind of like playing a guitar and wind instrument together. Many wind-instrument techniques are employed throughout the song on the guitar.

Vocals - the part I could do without. They basically copy the rhythm laid out by the guitar and makes the song more aggressive.

Drums - typical Tomas Haake. He is basically the only reason I like this band. He plays a standard 2/4 or 4/4 on the cymbals and snare, and plays an odd rhythm (in some cases the same as the guitars) on the kick drum. It creates unique polyrhythms and time signature shifts. It is very impressive to me how these guys all stay on the same page when playing something that sounds this chaotic.

Sorry, I couldn't get through the first minute.

[Guisslapp]

Sorry, I couldn't get through the first minute.

Understandable.

[Guisslapp]

Understandable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJEh0...eature=related

Here is the song stripped to the drums. Sound quality is poor, but you can see the cool polyrhythm that the song is built around.

[Guisslapp]

Old school Coheed and Cambria - Neverender

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GqZPHZJBIY

Still kicks a$$

[CChandler]

In the CD changer in the truck:

1. Willy and Merle - Pancho and Lefty
2. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
3. Tool - AEnima
4. Hank Williams Jr. - Born to Boogie
5. Some random-ass mix tape with a bunch of alternative MP3s.
6. Deftones - Around the Fur

[Guisslapp]

In the CD changer in the truck:

1. Willy and Merle - Pancho and Lefty
2. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
3. Tool - AEnima
4. Hank Williams Jr. - Born to Boogie
5. Some random-ass mix tape with a bunch of alternative MP3s.
6. Deftones - Around the Fur

Two of my all-time favorites.

[sik-m-boi]

Two of my all-time favorites.

listen to any king's x?

[Guisslapp]

listen to any king's x?

No. Got a recommendation on a song or two?

[GonzoDawg]

Meshuggah - Future Breed Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQBv1smlQEU

Most people are going to HATE this song. It did not sound good to me the first dozen times I heard it. So why bother, right? Well, I like progressive music. I like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Rush, Tool, Mars Volta...and so on. I like music that is complex in rhythm, structure, tonality, etc. Progressive bands sound better the more you listen to them. Some of the songs can seem chaotic, but the more you get used to it, the more you see the patterns.

Anyway, Future Breed Machine...

Guitars - love the tone. Scooped mid range to make it crunchy. He uses a 7 string guitar dropped half a step (I think). Most chords are 4 note power chords in which the root and fifth are played in two different octaves.

The guitars dictate the rhythm of this song. Guitarist uses a breath controller. This device allows him to control the amplitude of his guitar-to-amplifier signal with his breath. This works kind of like a volume pedal, but it creates a different type of attack. It can also be used to chop the notes to create a staccato effect. The first part of the song highlights this effect. It is kind of like playing a guitar and wind instrument together. Many wind-instrument techniques are employed throughout the song on the guitar.

Vocals - the part I could do without. They basically copy the rhythm laid out by the guitar and makes the song more aggressive.

Drums - typical Tomas Haake. He is basically the only reason I like this band. He plays a standard 2/4 or 4/4 on the cymbals and snare, and plays an odd rhythm (in some cases the same as the guitars) on the kick drum. It creates unique polyrhythms and time signature shifts. It is very impressive to me how these guys all stay on the same page when playing something that sounds this chaotic.

I just can't get past that type of vocal. I love Floyd, Rush, I like most of what I have heard of Tool, just listened to The Mars Volta recently, but when someone starts that throaty scream I just cannot hear any other part of the music. It's an immediate turn off for me. I'm trying to stretch my boundaries but I really have to have more melody to enjoy the music. I love Be Bop jazz for the rhythmic so I'm sure that I could enjoy these more progressive bands but that one is not for me.

[GonzoDawg]

No. Got a recommendation on a song or two?

Get the album Ear Candy.

[GonzoDawg]

Old school Coheed and Cambria - Neverender

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GqZPHZJBIY

Still kicks a$$

OK that I can get into.

[sik-m-boi]

No. Got a recommendation on a song or two?

anything off the 'dogman' cd is pretty good...although that is probably the least progressive of all their albums. some of my favorites are 'dogman' and 'cigarettes'...there 'welcome home mr bulbous' cd is pretty interesting. they make me think 'this is what the beatles would have sounded like if they were a metal band.'

it's not quite the same genre as the other bands you listed, but the high level of musicianship is there along with the mixing in of odd time...you may like it. let me know your opinion.

[sik-m-boi]

Get the album Ear Candy.

that's a good one too.

[Guisslapp]

I just can't get past that type of vocal. I love Floyd, Rush, I like most of what I have heard of Tool, just listened to The Mars Volta recently, but when someone starts that throaty scream I just cannot hear any other part of the music. It's an immediate turn off for me. I'm trying to stretch my boundaries but I really have to have more melody to enjoy the music. I love Be Bop jazz for the rhythmic so I'm sure that I could enjoy these more progressive bands but that one is not for me.

I understand. I actually dislike the screaming part of it. And the screaming is at the forefront with this band. I can handle these guys only one song at a time. I certainly could not listen to a whole album in one sitting. It has taken me a long time to get past the screaming - it is incredibly dissonant and aggressive, and IMO overpowers everything else in the song. I would prefer to listen to Haake drum solos, but this is the closest think I have found.

[sik-m-boi]

I just can't get past that type of vocal. I love Floyd, Rush, I like most of what I have heard of Tool, just listened to The Mars Volta recently, but when someone starts that throaty scream I just cannot hear any other part of the music. It's an immediate turn off for me. I'm trying to stretch my boundaries but I really have to have more melody to enjoy the music. I love Be Bop jazz for the rhythmic so I'm sure that I could enjoy these more progressive bands but that one is not for me.

thats how i feel about killswitch engage. i dig it til the guy starts screaming and then i lose interest.