Epic/Symphonic/Concept Metal

I feel like I'm in the minority on this issue, but bands who move more and more into this direction (Savatage, Kamelot, Symphony X, Iced Earth) tend to lose me. I can tell it's more difficult & takes a LOT of talent for bands to pull this off, and the bands I listed do it well, but I just can't get as into it. Once bands start adding all these layers & choirs & symphonies & detailed concepts/storylines, I lose interest.

Maybe it's my attention span, I don't know.

But, just give me 2 guitars, screaming vocals & 4 minute songs & I'm all !!

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I feel like I'm in the minority on this issue, but bands who move more and more into this direction (Savatage, Kamelot, Symphony X, Iced Earth) tend to lose me. I can tell it's more difficult & takes a LOT of talent for bands to pull this off, and the bands I listed do it well, but I just can't get as into it. Once bands start adding all these layers & choirs & symphonies & detailed concepts/storylines, I lose interest.

Maybe it's my attention span, I don't know.

But, just give me 2 guitars, screaming vocals & 4 minute songs & I'm all !!

I'm with you Shawn. I can appreciate the talent and usually can enjoy those releases, but I don't find myself really "getting into them" like I do a more straight forward release.

Case in point, I love Dream Theater's "Images and Words". When that album came out I thought I would be a DT fan for life. With "Awake" and "Change of Season" I continued to enjoy the band. They had a great mixture of progressive tendencies and technical prowess, while at the same time keeping the songs somewhat simple and certainly catchy. As they progressed they got more and more technical to the point of boredom for me. I never could get into another DT release like I did "Images and Words" or "Awake". They lost that simplicity of songwriting and focused too much on being the kings of "look how complex we can write and play".

That's the way I feel about a lot of progressive bands any more. The new Kamelot is just boring and far to mellow. The new Symphony X is at least heavy, although I have a feeling I will get bored with it easy too.

Yeah, with DT, once they hit 'Scenes From A Memory', they started to lose me...I've not been too into their releases since that one...'Awake' is still my favorite.

I liked Kamelot quite a bit up through 'The Fourth Legacy'...with 'Epica' they began to lose me...after that, I can appreciate it, but can't get into it. Same with Symphony X starting with 'The Odessey' and Savatage starting with 'Dead Winter Dead'...

Quote :

Once bands start adding all these layers & choirs & symphonies & detailed concepts/storylines, I lose interest.

Maybe it's my attention span, I don't know.

But, just give me 2 guitars, screaming vocals & 4 minute songs & I'm all !!

I have a foot in each camp..... I LOVE the layered and symphonic sounds of Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle Earth and things like that.....but I LOVE just ripping like Cage, Rob Rock, Winters Bane, Warball, ect... I like both! So I don't mind when a formerly more or less conventional metal band moves into that 'epic/symphonic/concept mode as long as it still rocks along at a good pace.....just don't slow down...

This is one thing that is causing me to not be excited about the coming Judas Priest record....a symphonic concept album? I'm bored just thinking about it...LOL!

i basicly agree somewhat... although i love King Diamond stuff.

mc666 wrote:

i basicly agree somewhat... although i love King Diamond stuff.

I don't recall any KD being as symphonic & epic as what I'm talking about...I like KD a bit too...although his vocals can be a bit trying for me...

well you included "concept metal" in the title of this thread. he's definitely that.

mc666 wrote:

well you included "concept metal" in the title of this thread. he's definitely that.

Yeah, true...his songs tend to be more "separate" to me, though...maybe its cuz he's always been that way...

It's all about songs with me. If it's over the top, epic, symphonic metal or just straight forward heavy metal, the song is what matters to me. I need a hook. A lot of people love Rhapsody, but I find a lot of their stuff boring. There's a whole lot going on, and at the same time there's nothing going on, you know? But I love Avantasia. Same concept, same style, but really great, catchy songs.

That's what matters to me.

ultmetal wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I feel like I'm in the
minority on this issue, but bands who move more and more into this
direction (Savatage, Kamelot, Symphony X, Iced Earth) tend to lose me.
I can tell it's more difficult & takes a LOT of talent for bands to
pull this off, and the bands I listed do it well, but I just can't get
as into it. Once bands start adding all these layers & choirs &
symphonies & detailed concepts/storylines, I lose interest.

Maybe it's my attention span, I don't know.

But, just give me 2 guitars, screaming vocals & 4 minute songs & I'm all !!

I'm
with you Shawn. I can appreciate the talent and usually can enjoy those
releases, but I don't find myself really "getting into them" like I do
a more straight forward release.

Case in point, I love Dream Theater's
"Images and Words". When that album came out I thought I would be a DT
fan for life. With "Awake" and "Change of Season" I continued to enjoy
the band. They had a great mixture of progressive tendencies and
technical prowess, while at the same time keeping the songs somewhat
simple and certainly catchy. As they progressed they got more and more
technical to the point of boredom for me. I never could get into
another DT release like I did "Images and Words" or "Awake". They lost
that simplicity of songwriting and focused too much on being the kings
of "look how complex we can write and play".

That's the way I feel about a lot of progressive bands any more. The new Kamelot is just boring and far to mellow. The new Symphony X is at least heavy, although I have a feeling I will get bored with it easy too.

I'm with you guys too, never cared for it. I may here that style and
like that certain song......but then alas, all the fire and passion
fades. Tourniquet some times takes that approach like on the new WMRD,
the violin is cool at first, now I skip that track. Next thing you
know, there touring with Yanni. Now, am I incorrect in labeling Queen
under that style...at least sometimes? One reason I NEVER could stand
them. I just don't like their style and music, and lyrics, and vocals. I
know, these kids, no respect for the classics!



Now, where's my John Tesh CD...

I seem to generally really like over the top epic symphonic stuff myself. When I discovered Heavenly two weeks ago for instance, I was hooked.

I really like the epic keyboardy type bands, but I prefer the albums that just contain good songs without trying to make a theme out of it. Favorites would be Tad Morose, Royal Hunt, (old) Kamelot, some Rhapsody, etc.
However bands that crank out concept album after concept album always lose me. Jag Panzer, Dream Theatre, Virgin Steele, etc. I was a fan of them all at one time, but got bored. I never even listen to Mindcrime anymore. I think what I dislike about concept albums is that they have dialogue and sound effect tracks, and also a lot of pathos necessary to storytelling, which unfortunately results in a lot of whiney overly dramatic songs.
But that's just me. I'm really not a lyric guy at all, which is also why most of the great storytelling songwriters are lost on me.

Sometimes I just listen, spins the tunes and not try to get in to deep. Though I really enjoyed both Mindcrime albums!-TJ

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Quote :

When I discovered Heavenly two weeks ago for instance, I was hooked.

I just discovered them myself a little while ago!! They are impressive!

Weird because I was just listening to the Bathory song Blood, Fire, Death and it is 10 1/2 minutes long and it was a pretty epic Viking metal song.

I'm with Eyesore, it's all about the song.  Rhapsody bore me for the most part, but Symphony X, DT, Devy (Ziltoid), Avantasia... oh man!  I love going on an adventure when I listen to music.  I know that sounds nerdy and lame, but I love getting lost in the world these musicians have created.

metalness wrote:

I'm with Eyesore, it's all about the song. Rhapsody
bore me for the most part, but Symphony X, DT, Devy (Ziltoid),
Avantasia... oh man! I love going on an adventure when I listen to
music. I know that sounds nerdy and lame, but I love getting lost in
the world these musicians have created.

Smeegle is seriously creepin' me out!

SAHB Healer wrote:

I really like the epic keyboardy type bands, but I
prefer the albums that just contain good songs without trying to make a
theme out of it. Favorites would be Tad Morose, Royal Hunt, (old)
Kamelot, some Rhapsody, etc.
However bands that crank out concept
album after concept album always lose me. Jag Panzer, Dream Theatre,
Virgin Steele, etc. I was a fan of them all at one time, but got bored.
I never even listen to Mindcrime anymore. I think what I dislike about
concept albums is that they have dialogue and sound effect tracks, and
also a lot of pathos necessary to storytelling, which unfortunately
results in a lot of whiney overly dramatic songs.
But that's just
me. I'm really not a lyric guy at all, which is also why most of the
great storytelling songwriters are lost on me.

Case-in-point, Pink Floyd (not metal by any stretch of course)

scottmitchell74 wrote:

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Quote :

When I discovered Heavenly two weeks ago for instance, I was hooked.

I just discovered them myself a little while ago!! They are impressive!

Have you heard the album Dust to Dust? It's actually the best power metal album I've heard in a long time. So fantastic.

Smindas wrote:

scottmitchell74 wrote:

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Quote :

When I discovered Heavenly two weeks ago for instance, I was hooked.

I just discovered them myself a little while ago!! They are impressive!

Have you heard the album Dust to Dust? It's actually the best power metal album I've heard in a long time. So fantastic.

I have Dust To Dust and Sign Of The Winner.
Like Heavenly alot, but their singer is not among my favourites.
Their latest is on my want list