My music is better

It is easy to understand the confidence you possess with regard to your musical sensibilities. I had never heard of Woods of Ypres before. But now that I have, I am impressed by their skill and interested in learning more about them. The doom metal bands that I listen to from time to time are Third and the Mortal [1] and Green Carnation [2], among others. As I contemplate my selection from my own catalog as my response, I have to say I am at a bit of a loss with which band to respond. Within metal there are so many subgenres that it's difficult to respond with just one. But I will choose one song to respond with. Metal is a subgenre of hard rock, which is in turn comprised of a number of subgenres itself. I am a huge fan of progressive metal, from bands like Porcupine Tree that explore the darker side of the human condition, to bands that make no use of vocals, rather letting their stratospheric, frenetically-paced music speak for them. Such bands are Animals As Leaders [3] and Scale The Summit [4]. Metal is typified by a number of elements. Complexity of chord progressions, odd time signatures, use of at least one guitar that may or not be tuned down, sometimes blistering guitar solos, blast beats, heavy bass lines and even keyboards. But metal digs much deeper into the human psyche, embracing the negative aspects of humanity. Rebellion, hate, fear, betrayal, anger, loss, unrequited love, despair, death, and on a more negative level, topics like necrophilia, torture, and cannibalism, all can be found in the lyrics by metal musicians as they forge their craft. Vocalists may use clean, soaring vocals, like Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson [5], or they may employ death vox, the primal, guttural sound that is often used by vocalists like Cannibal Corpses', George Fisher [6]. Or sometimes, the vocalist may choose to employ combine both singing styles into their music. This is often the case of Opeth's, Mikael Akerfeldt [7]. I have been a massive Opeth [8] fan for the past three years. Until I began listening to Opeth, I considered my favorite band to be the progressive legends, Rush. Although I still consider Rush to be my all-time favorite band, Opeth is currently my top pick. For me, Opeth filled a hole in my musical life that I had been missing for a very long time. Their music is light and dark, beautiful and grotesque, sacred and profane. Forged with elements of jazz, folk, and classical, their music has broad appeal and depth. I am tempted to go with Animals As Leaders or Scale The Summit as my choice for response, but their music can sometimes be overwhelming to a new listener. After all, Animals As Leaders employ two 8-string guitars in the music, that affords them to the ability to forego the need for a bassist. But I think I will stick with a selection from Opeth's formidable arsenal of songs as my choice of response. A song that is representative of their music and metal overall. A song of pain, hatred, and unrequited love. I offer a live performance of their song, The Moor, from their 1999 album, Still Life, as my response to Pro. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com... SOURCES [1] The Third and the Mortal, http://en.wikipedia.org... [2] Green Carnation, http://en.wikipedia.org... [3] Animals As Leaders, http://en.wikipedia.org... [4] Scale the Summit, http://www.scalethesummit.com... [5] Bruce Dickinson, http://en.wikipedia.org... [6] George Fisher, http://en.wikipedia.org...(musician) [7] Mikael Akerfeldt, http://en.wikipedia.org... [8] Opeth, http://en.wikipedia.org...