What are the new metal classics?

[Devamitra]

If we're worth anything at this forum, it would be finding acts worthy of being new classics and promoting the living hell out of them everywhere we go.

It's the needle in a haystack problem. Lists are too long and they contain too much shit.

On one hand, there is the pleasure of finding a new work that refreshes your interest in metal, such as recently have been: "The King of Snakes", "Muspells Synir" and "Profanatitas De Domolatria". On the other hand, there is the constant sadness of the awareness that they are not the second coming of "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" or "Transilvanian Hunger", but something else.

For example, I listened to two tracks on the Metal Muxtape and lost interest to listen further because they did not hold up. I know someone meant well compiling it but had I been ignorant of what I was promoting earlier, I would skip all new metal at this point.

[K. Sear]

In an attempt to provide a category (c) suggestion, and upon further reflection, Gorgasm present themselves as a rare death metal act of recent vintage that has consistently impressed me.

[anthropoid sarcophagus]

Newer quality acts are very difficult to make a list of. There are a few that show,or have shown,potential like Darkspace or Peste Noire for example. But they quickly degenerate into being stagnant bullshit. Likely due to the fact that it's all too easy to just record an album when you want,distribute it quickly through the net,be praised for it,tons of people eat it up and etc. There have been newer bands with good ideas  and bands that incorporate new elements into the existing framework successfully..but often without fully appreciating or recognizing what they're doing. At least that is what it seems like to me. So you obviously have to look at who is consistently growing better..Averse Sefira comes to mind. Martyr perhaps? Or are they already repeating "Hopeless Hopes" with extra parts,super technical time changes and stuff? I haven't heard "Feeding the Abscess" yet.
Bands that I have a little bit of hope for are few...
Stargazer MIGHT be better far down the road,Abhorrent could develop into a real quality act..they seem to be moving slowly,aware of themselves.

[Chains]

So you obviously have to look at who is consistently growing better.

Looking at what's come before, that seems pretty fruitless. Darkthrone, Emperor, Immortal, Gorgoroth, Graveland etc. all had their best works amongst their first couple of albums.

A more interesting question would be "are there any quality acts that emerged post-1995?", and I suspect that was the spirit of the original post. 

Indeed it was.

The question is: what newer bands are so good we can hold them up as the spirit of underground metal?

This topic has been here many times, and it always gets obliterated because imbeciles start doing the cow-eyed black metal hipster fan thing, which is to post a list of incomprehensible names that turn out to be shitty bands, like Branikald, Aarni, Horna, Weakling, etc.

If we're worth anything at this forum, it would be finding acts worthy of being new classics and promoting the living hell out of them everywhere we go.

Well, Averse certainly can't be complaining.

Posting this topic with a warning "don't post stuff that sucks" is probably not going to be the solution, as I very much doubt 'cow-eyed black metal hipsters' think their favorite band of the week is just that.

[desidia]

Maybe in threads like this limit each poster to one band and make them explain why that band is good, with commentary on individual works?

[Pro Abortion]

^^^  I agree.  I was going to suggest a limit of one or two albums, as well.

[Forbinator]

Interesting, I've just seen Horna listed as a band that became rubbish. I think they're a rare example of a band that has continued to get better, and getting the new vocalist is the best move they've made. Yep, I'll say that Horna is one band that is genuinely carrying on the spirit of black metal and continuing to grow.

[anthropoid sarcophagus]

So you obviously have to look at who is consistently growing better.

Looking at what's come before, that seems pretty fruitless. Darkthrone, Emperor, Immortal, Gorgoroth, Graveland etc. all had their best works amongst their first couple of albums.

I don't want to start a squabble but I would have to disagree with that list of bands somewhat. Furthermore, almost every black metal band nowadays is simply building upon the worn out foundation of 2nd and 3rd wave black metal,adding their own ideas and gimmicks,trying to pump life into the genre. I was pointing out how many bands will harness a particular sound or inject an out of place element into their black metal band..but it doesn't really stimulate the mind in the long term. Consider Peste Noire who appeared somewhat promising to me when I discovered them. I enjoyed the classical guitar stylings and solos a lot..hoping they would mature with future releases after their long awaited full length. However there was nothing more to them..just like almost every other current band I can think of. Either repeat a stale idea over and over again(make as many releases as possible) or try and make each release incredibly different by adding more strange ingredients,new gimmicks. I realize now that this is the norm. Averse Sefira have seemed to grow consistently better with time,while sticking to one type of sound,adding to it gradually/carefully and not doing so with the black metal scene's likes or dislikes on their mind. But when it comes to black metal I have very little interest in new releases,new bands. I think new death metal releases pique my interest more often. Hopefully this wasn't too much of a mouthful for a response. I haven't done too much conversing in forums.

[desidia]

I don't want to start a squabble but I would have to disagree with that list of bands somewhat.

Which of those bands do you think didn't peak early?

[JewishPhysics]

I realize they aren't a new band but I feel Necromantia's latest LP, The Sound of Lucifer Storming Heaven, is woefully under appreciated.  Whether it will ever be considered a classic I can't say, but I haven't grown bored of it at all and it's clearly miles ahead of the vast sea of shit that is most modern metal.

[anthropoid sarcophagus]

I don't want to start a squabble but I would have to disagree with that list of bands somewhat.

Which of those bands do you think didn't peak early?

Well, I regard "Transilvanian Hunger" as the very best album from Darkthrone's black metal period..and best out of Darkthrone's whole catalog. I like "Panzerfaust" a lot as well but after that album I lose interest. I'm also a fan of 2000 era Graveland,though it's getting quite redundant. I realize "Thousand Swords" is a great album but I don't find myself wanting to listen to it as much. When it comes to "Carpathian Wolves" I'm not a fan..the songs are there but they just aren't put together very well. The clumsy drumming can really get on my nerves too.

[Chains]

So you obviously have to look at who is consistently growing better.

Looking at what's come before, that seems pretty fruitless. Darkthrone, Emperor, Immortal, Gorgoroth, Graveland etc. all had their best works amongst their first couple of albums.

I don't want to start a squabble but I would have to disagree with that list of bands somewhat. Furthermore, almost every black metal band nowadays is simply building upon the worn out foundation of 2nd and 3rd wave black metal,adding their own ideas and gimmicks,trying to pump life into the genre. I was pointing out how many bands will harness a particular sound or inject an out of place element into their black metal band..but it doesn't really stimulate the mind in the long term. Consider Peste Noire who appeared somewhat promising to me when I discovered them. I enjoyed the classical guitar stylings and solos a lot..hoping they would mature with future releases after their long awaited full length. However there was nothing more to them..just like almost every other current band I can think of. Either repeat a stale idea over and over again(make as many releases as possible) or try and make each release incredibly different by adding more strange ingredients,new gimmicks. I realize now that this is the norm. Averse Sefira have seemed to grow consistently better with time,while sticking to one type of sound,adding to it gradually/carefully and not doing so with the black metal scene's likes or dislikes on their mind. But when it comes to black metal I have very little interest in new releases,new bands. I think new death metal releases pique my interest more often. Hopefully this wasn't too much of a mouthful for a response. I haven't done too much conversing in forums.

Eh, I agree with you on Transilvanian Hunger being the highlight for them, but seeing how they have something like 15 albums now, I'd consider the 4th one among the first.  Anyway, I totally understand your point about those albums that sound full of potential but are just too unfocused, and if only they could their act straight their next album would be so wonderful......but somehow that just almost never happens. Apart from Averse Sefira, Nokturnal Mortum's Nechrist is the only one I can think of, and I believe I'm in the minority here when I say I really like it.

[Septicemia]

Doesn't "classics" imply work that emanated from a certain formative period of time, opposed to newness? I can't think of any genre of popular music that has had to-the-point music outside of the culture that spawned it.

That being said, I enjoy PROFANITY - Slaughtering Thoughts (2001/2) and NAGELFAR - Hunengrab im Herbst (1997) as compositionally solid works built on pre-'96 metal idioms.