[Gareth (So Shall It Be)Participant]

Hey guys & gals,

I’m curious to hear from the community what everyone’s influences are. Metal and music in general is such a far-reaching and moveable thing that although we all fall under the flag of “Metal” in this forum I am sure that our influences are incredibly varied!

The band that made me pick up a guitar was Metallica. Regardless of several questionable direction changes they have made in the last couple of (Lulu) years so many of their songs still rock my world!

In the last couple of years I have really got into bands like Avenged Sevenfold. Their dedication to old style GnR type rock is really something awesome to behold (and the Zac/Syn guitar combo is awesome!)

I am also a prog nut! Be it prig metal like Dream Theater or just trad prog rock like Pink Floyd and Rush, I absolutely dig it!

No matter how I look at it all of these styles of music inform my song writing and my playing. I’m sure that all of you guys can relate to this.

I’d love to hear what bands have made you want to pick up an instrument and rock out.

God bless guys and keep bringing awesome music to the Church!

G!

[Gareth (So Shall It Be)Participant]

Sorry! Spotted the typo. Dream Theater plays PROG metal, not prig metal! (that moment when autocorrect is not there for you!)

God bless!

[DaveKeymaster]

Hey Gareth….my influences are really mixed…please keep in mind I’m a little older so some of the references might make you want to click on Google and do a search…lol!

I was influenced in the late 70s by bands like Bauhaus, the Police, U2 and Talking Heads. Blended with a big helping of Bob Marley, the Ramones, the Pistols and Kiss….like I said – kind of varied. Then I got into bands like the Cure, Love and Rockets, Peter Murphy – but what changed my musical taste was the emergence sometime in the early 90s with bands like Burzum. The northern Europe death metal scene was amazing and started me on a path for heavier music. I was a bit of a musical elitist and if you were into new wave or punk rock in the 70s/early 80s – you often thought metal (believe it or not) was commercial (ya I know…”gasp!”).

After I discovered a lot of European metal bands, as a song writer I started looking up information about them – such as their influences – that’s when i rediscovered bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica and other amazing metal bands.
It was around this point when I also rediscovered people like Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Dio, and others and really got into their music.

Right now, a band that I’m really into is Skindred – from England. They have an amazing sound that blends metal with so many other musical genres.

Anyhow – sorry to go on so long. Thanks for your contribution to the forums. I’ll add this forum question/post to the Catholic Metal Facebook page later today and see if we can get more people on this.

Thanks again – yours in Christ!!

dave

PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY!!

[DaveKeymaster]

oOOOPS….Sorry – I left out that during the 80s I played in a Rush cover band for a while….Rush is amazing and is probably the most under-rated band in the world!!

Thanks – yours in Christ!!

dave

PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY!!

[Gareth (So Shall It Be)Participant]

Totally agree with you about Rush being awesome! Amazing band that really does not get enough credit for what they have done for rock music! (Although I watched an interesting documentary the other day about how big they are in Canada – events like Rush-Con and the like!)

I have the Skindred album that came out about 18 months ago (maybe longer) and they do have that very interesting metal meets dub step meets whatever else going on. From a production point of view it is a very fascinating album!

As I type this I am listening to Ayreon’s new album (The Theory of Everything) which is an absolutely breathtaking prog album. (Eastern melodies and Celtic instrumentation) I have not heard the entire thing yet but so far it is really cool!

Thanks & God bess

Gareth

[Timothy AdamsParticipant]

Earth, Sunn O))), Burning Witch… that’d be about it for what metal I play now, but I want to make something more like early Ulver and Darkthrone… really lo-fi Norwegian stuff.  Also something like the raw and primitive Brazilian and Colombian black/death metal bands from the late 80’s/early 90’s (Sarcofago, Necrofago, Necrobutcher, Parabellum, Herpes, etc…).

[DaveKeymaster]

That’s one thing about metal – there are so many sub-genres that you can never be bored! I agree with Tim about some of the South American metal bands – if you haven’t heard them or their music – you are missing a lot! Whether you understand Portuguese or Spanish – it doesn’t matter – the passion of the music is amazing!

Yours In Christ!

dave

PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY!!

[KatholicusParticipant]

Welcome, Gareth! Great to have you here. Love this topic. I divide my influences up: 1. Guitarists, 2.Bands;

1.Guitarists: John Mclaughlin, Al De Miola, Phil Keaggy, Steve Morse, Jeff Beck,  Randy Rhoads, Ritchie Blackmoore, Vinnie Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker, Rick Emmitt;

2. Bands:  Kansas, Rush, Yes,  Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Europe, Helloween, Triumph, UFO, MSG, Hammerfall, Dream Theater, Stratovarius, Kamelot, Nightwish.

You can find elements of everyone of these artists some where in the corpus of my songs. I am a Fender body-type guitarist (Fender, Dean, Hammer, etc…), but love the humbucker pick-up sound (go figure).

All for the greater glory of God and the spread of the One True Faith on earth.

[Cradle CatholicParticipant]

Well… I’m a bit late to the party, but I think I’ll participate anyway.

 

Musical Influences: Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains, Anthrax, AC/DC, Ministry, The Misfits, Gojira, Mastodon, Satyricon, Strapping Young Lad, Primus, Ihsahn, Pantera, The Devin Townsend Project, Nine Inch Nails, Alice Cooper, High On Fire, Sleep, The Ramones, Faith No More (anything with Mike Patton really), Slayer,  Opeth, Fugazi, Discharge, Sepultura, Motorhead, Pink Floyd,  Killswitch Engage,  Shadows Fall, Lamb Of God, Fear Factory,  Dio, Queens of the Stoneage, The Sword, Fu Manchu, Priestess, Clutch, In Flames, The Toadies, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams,  Operation Ivy, Rancid, Lars Frederikson and the Bastards, Danzig, System of a Down, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Brian Setzer, The Reverend Horton Heat, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Weezer, and so much more.

 

The lyrics aren’t kosher with most of these guys, but like it or not they influenced who I am as a musician!

 

-ps. I play Fender Teles and Jazz basses almost exclusively.

[Gareth (So Shall It Be)Participant]

Thanks for your guys’ responses. I love to see the fact that so many of the bands and guitarists that I love listening to crop up in your influences as well (and that even though this is a “Metal” forum so many of them are not traditionally associated with metal.)

I agree that many of the lyrics are not fit for Catholic Consumption (quick Eucharistic reference there!) but the music has still inspired me to do a lot of what I like doing on the guitar! (or that I wish I could do on guitar!)

Oh and PS from my side: the guitars I use are a Les Paul, a 335 (yes, a bit odd but I think it worked!) and a Martin OMC1.