Last weekend an old friend said some of the sweetest words a person can hear:

“What should I be listening to? I’m in a rut!”

Gonna make a thread of my recommendations to a complete metal noob. 😍

Starting off with a live album from local stoner/doom heroes Holy Grove. I can’t even remember who we saw them open for a few years back, but they absolutely blew us away.

https://holygrove.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-world-famous-kenton-club

Live From The World Famous Kenton Club, by Holy Grove

5 track album

Holy Grove

This collaboration between Emma Ruth Rundle and(sludge? doom? post-metal?) band THOU was the talk of a corner of the metal world a couple years ago. A couple of these tracks have a PJ Harvey vibe…

https://thou.bandcamp.com/album/may-our-chambers-be-full

May Our Chambers Be Full, by Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou

7 track album

Thou

An “instant classic” black metal record from a Native American kid back east. And a terrific headphones record. #blackbraid

(I realized that I never asked him what his tolerance for “Cookie Monster vocals” is, so we’ll see)

https://blackbraid.bandcamp.com/album/blackbraid-i

Blackbraid I, by Blackbraid

6 track album

Blackbraid

Flawless OSDM from Oakland… #Necrot
LOVE this rekkid.

https://necrot.bandcamp.com/album/blood-offerings

Blood Offerings, by Necrot

8 track album

Necrot

So long as we’re listening to the devil’s music, this one is absolutely /chef’s kiss/. Ripping speed metal from Portland, so damn good and catchy as hell. Don’t listen if you hate fun! #Bewitcher

https://bewitcher.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-witching-cross

Under the Witching Cross, by Bewitcher

8 track album

Bewitcher

American black metal day.

A whole separate branch of this genre has taken root here – it’s more atmospheric, leavened with American folk roots, and almost always grounded in a kind of nature worship.

This is perhaps my favorite flavor of metal, and this particular record is an acknowledged classic. Went to a #Panopticon show last summer, and it was something of a spiritual experience. 🖤

https://thetruepanopticon.bandcamp.com/album/autumn-eternal

Autumn Eternal, by Panopticon

8 track album

Panopticon

OK, continuing the “sending my friend metal recommendations“ thread

#Allfather are lefty, hardcore-inflected metal best described by their official slogan: “fucking riffs, mate!” Love this band – I’ve interacted with some of the members on Twitter, and on top of kicking ass, they just seem cool as hell. 🖤

https://allfather1.bandcamp.com/album/and-all-will-be-desolation

And All Will Be Desolation, by Allfather

7 track album

Allfather

#BodyVoid – another band made up of awesome people. Incredibly heavy sludge/noise/doom. I believe there’s a Bay Area connection with this one, and I’m kicking myself that I missed a rare tour date in Portland early this year.

https://bodyvoid.bandcamp.com/album/bury-me-beneath-this-rotting-earth-3

Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth, by Body Void

4 track album

Body Void

Throwing these guys from British Columbia in because – as one reviewer described it – this record sounds like it’s made people who are in love with metal, mixing a bunch of different styles and sounding like they’re having a blast doing it. #Wormwitch

https://wormwitch.bandcamp.com/album/heaven-that-dwells-within

Heaven That Dwells Within, by Wormwitch

10 track album

Wormwitch

OK, one more today, then back to work:

Maybe my favorite death metal band of recent times, #TombMold are hardcore kids who met at a metal show and decided to form a band! My personal ideal of #deathmetal sounds like the monsters from “where the wild things are” stomping around and bellowing, and that is 100% what’s happening here. 🖤

https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/manor-of-infinite-forms

Manor Of Infinite Forms, by Tomb Mold

7 track album

20 Buck Spin

My friend is someone I would call a connoisseur of “weird music”.

What’s the weirdest metal (in a good way) that you can think of?

#metal #weirdmetal #keepmetalweird

I did send him a handful of your “weird metal” suggestions. 😌

@CalyxWorks

Pirate Metal: Alestorm
Folk Metal: Korpiklaani, Trollfest
Flanders Metal: Okilly Dokilly

Seven Candles For An Empty Altar, by Book of Sand

7 track album

Fiadh Productions

@CalyxWorks I'd go for Gnome. They are brilliant.

https://youtu.be/LzG-qji05Lc

Gnome - Wenceslas (Official Video)

YouTube
DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - Juular (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

YouTube

@mndflayr Devon! 🖤 That reminds me of my favorite episode of this genre. ☺️

https://youtu.be/y6p9mwA3OCg

Vocal Coach/Opera Singer FIRST TIME REACTION & ANALYSIS Devin Townsend "Kingdom"

YouTube
Ländäë by Öxxö Xööx

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@CalyxWorks Arcturus is pretty fitting I think: https://youtu.be/Z-Y9RTcPHZo
Arcturus - Evacuation Code Deciphered

YouTube

@CalyxWorks and the brilliant but defunct since Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

https://song.link/s/4wv4mYGR4R1e3Scp3Ri1cf

The Donkey-Headed Adversary Of Humanity Opens The Discussion by Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

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@CalyxWorks Maybe give Iwrestledabearonce a try? Especially “Ulrich Firelord: Breaker of Mountains”, “Alaskan Flounder Basket” and “Corey Feldman Holocaust”.
@opendev they don’t exist on Bandcamp, booooo
@CalyxWorks Sorry. :-( Only using Apple Music and CDs at the moment.
@opendev oh, I am blaming them, not you. :)
@CalyxWorks heilung? korpiklaani? not especially weird, frankly a lot of heilung i wouldn't necessarily call metal. that rhapsody song done with the music of antonin dvoraks's new world symphony? https://youtu.be/rJeBuEjQeoI
The Wizard's Last Rhymes

YouTube
@William_Butler_Yeets I like both of those bands, which by definition (my own, ha) means they’re not weird. not familiar with that symphony interpretation, though – I’ll definitely be checking that out today!

@CalyxWorks there's also this entire album about stephen king's dark tower books

https://youtu.be/9vVe9TITFXI

Crimson King (Remaster 2019)

YouTube