Dr. DTVT's 50 Underappriciated bands v. Better than the Loch Ness Monster

[Dr. DTVT]

11. Tetrafusion - Absolute Zero, Altered State, Horizons

   

Genre: Progressive Metal
For fans of: People who aren’t fans of high-pitched singers, balanced music.   
What makes this special: Very talented up-and-coming band that writes great music and blends influences and originality seamlessly.

Tetrafusion has grown a lot with each release, and considering how solid their debut album is, that in itself is remarkable.  If they continue to grow and develop, they and are probably one break from having a significant fan base as I’m sure all these guys need is exposure.  Their debut album Absolute Zero is a very solid instrumental album.  The instrumentals are not the short and catchy songs that Scale the Summit (who have hired Tetrafusion’s bass player) plays, and are on the more complex side, showcasing the band’s sense of rhythm, melody, and feel while maintaining a busy, engaging sound.  Altered State saw keyboardist Gary Tubbs show off his pipes, and his unique baritone added a whole new level to their sound.  This is where Tetrafusion really set themselves apart from other bands sonically, as Gary’s vocals are hard to compare because it seems like other bands have eschewed baritone vocalists.  Check out their video for “Monologue” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAM8iFMWWmw

Altered State had me primed for whatever came next.  That “next” was a Indigogo funded EP called Horizons that I am damn proud of contributing funding for.  Even if I didn’t have that personal connection to this EP, Horizons takes everything Tetrafusion did well on Altered State, and took it to heights that I couldn’t have imagined.  When the record company gave them flak for having an EP, Tetrafusion turned around and gave it away for free, because they wanted their fans to have it.  So you can legally go get it right now.  What are you waiting for, GO GET IT NOW.  Horizons sees the Tetrafusion sound continue to evolve and morph into something they just are completely owning.  It is very well produced and has a crispness in the tone that is refreshing.  They did virtually nothing wrong on this album.  It left me wanting more and excited for whatever lies ahead for this batch of college students from Louisiana.  I’m ready to drop a sizeable sum of money if they go to crowdsourcing again, and I hope you check them out and will join me.

Tracks to try: The Beginning, Dark Matter, Collage of the Present, Monologue (video link above), Tears of the Past, Impetus, Cloudless, Spider Silk

[WindMaster]

Well, that was abrupt. Glad to see this back!!!!!! 

[ColdFireYYZ]

I have Tetrafusion's first album and the EP - they're both great. Still need to check out the second album. If the EP is any indicator of what's to come then this band is going to have a great musical career.

[jingle.boy]

(Insert Macho Man voice) Oooooohhh YEEAAHHHH!!!!

Let this be a lesson to ya kids, pester someone long and hard enough, and they eventually fold like a cheap pair of slacks. 

I have the EP (thanks to Doc), and Altered State. Both are excellent.

PS, don't tease is Doc!  Hope you're gonna finish this!

[senecadawg2]

Nice to see this list back. I'll have to check out Tetrafusion!

[wolfking]

Nice to see this list back. I'll have to check out Tetrafusion!

[Scorpion]

Yay it's back! Your write-up has me intrigued.

[Elite]

Sounds good, that video. Back, it is, nice, which is.

[Nick]

I know it's been cold, but I didn't truly expect hell to freeze over...

[jingle.boy]

I know it's been cold, but I didn't truly expect hell to freeze over...

 

+ :flying:

[Dr. DTVT]

I know it's been cold, but I didn't truly expect hell to freeze over...

It's 72^o F (22^o C) here.  Absolutely beautiful.

Also, I'm getting th hang of my job and I don't work from home as much anymore.

[lonestar]

+ :flying:

Maybe this is needed...

[Dr. DTVT]

Sounds good, that video. Back, it is, nice, which is.

Cool!  Yoda is following my thread!

[TAC]

I know it's been cold, but I didn't truly expect hell to freeze over...

Yeah, what's next, Indiscipline resurreects his thread?

[Dr. DTVT]

10. The Lord Weird Slough Feg (aka Slough Feg) - Twilight of the Idols, Down Among the Deadmen, Traveler, Atavism, Hardworlder, Ape Uprising!, Animal Spirits

           


Genre: Metal with flashes of progressive and folk influences
For fans of: People who want to rock out, people who like short fun instrumental bits, people who want the prog but not the wankery
What makes this special: All of their albums are just fun to listen to.  Always energetic, sometimes playful, sometimes complex, sometimes folky, sometimes spacey, sometimes aggressive, but always fun.

I’m going to be honest.  I don’t expect to get anywhere with this band I love dearly.  I get the feeling they aren’t too progressive, complex, and wonky for the prog crowd, not folky enough for the folk metal crowd, or too metal for the non-metal crowd.  Whatever it is, I’ve tried a few times to introduce them to people and if just hasn’t taken, so here I am again.  Sadly, the two people who I think would really enjoy this band probably don’t tread in this thread and will miss it, and I’m not going to be a jerk and call them out.

Slough Feg’s sound has evolved over time.  Twilight of the Idols and Down Among the Deadmen are two of the folkier-metal albums, and are clearly influenced by Scottish history and fantasy elements.  They aren’t all demons and fairytales though, as their live staple Traders and Gunboats is a spiritual prelude to their next album, and probably my favorite, the story album Traveler.  Traveler is a concept/story album based in the 70s space RPG of the same name.  Quite simply, Traveler is in my top 5 concept albums.  The story is exciting and unique, the instrumental sections are hard, fast, and exciting.   The album never wanders off course, and is a concise 44 minutes, and it is 44 minutes full of excitement, riffage, and story that grabs you by the short and curlies and doesn’t let go.

Atavism sonically is more like Traveler, but doesn’t stick to a theme.  Following the same plan, Atavism doesn’t stick around any longer than it needs to, clocking in at just over 38 minutes with no song being longer than 4:13.  But each song is a ride unto itself.  Catchy instrumental tracks like “Portcullis” pepper the album as songs like “I Will Kill You/You Will Die” and “Hiberno-Latin Invasion” have you head banging in time to some killer hooks and toe-tapping to the bass line.  Again, this album is just fun and energetic.

Hardworlder improves upon everything the band accomplished in Atavism, and is easily my second favorite Slough Feg album.  The formula is the same – short, catchy, fun songs and powerful short instrumentals.

Ape Uprising! is a slight departure in that the band tries their hand at a longer song and is the gloomiest and darkest sounding album, and thankfully pull it off quite well. Ape Uprising! is a concept album that is a homage to “The Planet of the Apes”.  Sonically, it’s still the same fun riffs, lyrical silliness, and attention grapping music.

The Animal Spirits is a return to the short, rapid-fire songs and probably the most humor laden album.  These write-ups are getting shorter because I’m sure your attention is waning, but the music doesn’t.  The Animal Spirits is an excellent album that gets routine spins from me.

In summary, check these guys out.  They are the perfect remedy if you like prog metal but are burnt out on it.  If you’re not, you’ll still appreciate the instrumental madness and catchy hooks.

Tracks to Try (sorted by album):
Twilight of the Idols: Highlander, The Wickerman, Life in the Dark Age
Down Among the Deadmen: Sky Chariots, Traders and Gunboats, Walls of Shame
Traveler: THE WHOLE DAMN ALBUM
Atavism:  I Will Kill You/You Will Die, Portcullis, Hiberno-Latin Invasion
Hardworlder: Tiger! Tiger!, Hardworlder, Whirling Vortex
Ape Uprising!: Overborne, Ape Uprising, Simian Manifesto
The Animal Spirits: The 95 Thesis, Free Market Barbarian, Lycanthropic Fantasies

[jingle.boy]

Ok, gonna try them tomorrow for ya bud.  Grooveshark has Animal Spirits, Hardworlder and Atavism.  Which do you recommend?

Who are the two people you think would enjoy this that aren't paying attention?

[Dr. DTVT]

Hardworlder would be my first choice among those, but I'd cherry pick the songs I suggest first.  Try to find Traveler first though.

And not saying.  Not going to call people out though.

[Elite]

This sounds right for me. Trying them, definitely.

[wolfking]

I've heard quite a few Slough Feg songs, (I think from your personal recommendations some time again) and they were excellent, but never got around to checking out full albums.  Another band to the list.

[jingle.boy]

Ok, tried all the tracks you suggested from those three albums.  Nothing wrong with the tunes, but I can't say I was wow'd by them.

[PixelDream]

The album covers in this thread 

Nice write ups though, I'm going to check out everything besides the 'standard' progressive metal affairs. Looking forward to Alcest (pretty album covers too!  )

[SoundscapeMN]

26. Kevin Gilbert / Toy Matinee - Thud, The Shaming of the True / Toy Matinee



Genre: Cross-over prog with some pop sensibilities
For fans of:  The Dear Hunter, mid-80s Peter Gabriel
What makes this special:  Kevin is one of the most talented songwriters ever.

You've probably heard a few songs Kevin Gilbert wrote even if you didn't know who he was before this moment.  Ever hear of Sheryl Crow?  Thought so.  What's her best selling album?  The one Kevin helped write.  While Kevin obviously had a flair for writing songs that would be accessible to a wide audience, he also had his own things going on as well.  Toy Matinee was one of his first successful projects, and much less progressive than his work under his own name.  Toy Matinee features a mix fun, bittersweet, and sad songs that showcase Kevin's ability to write memorable, radio friendly songs.  The albums released under his name are noticeably more progressive.  Thud is a very powerful album that Kevin seemingly reached deep into the recesses of his soul to write.  The biting sarcasm of "Joytown" and the loneliness of "Tea for One" come across very clearly to the listener, and as I have stated many times here at DTF, "Song for a Dead Friend" is the saddest song I've ever heard and I can't listen to it without breaking down because it's so personal, and I've been in the same position myself.  For The Shaming of the True, Kevin went the other direction, making this a concept album about the fictitious musician Johnny Virgil, no doubt drawing upon his experience.  The album features a mix of songs about soul-searching, struggling with fame, and the music business using hilarious biting commentary and sarcasm, all the while showcasing Kevin's ability to tell a story through song and have it get across to the listener.  Sadly, Kevin died way to young, appearently of autoerotic asphyxiation.  Fortunately, a lot of his work that was partially complete was completed posthumously by his estate and long time collaborator Nick D'Virgilio.

Tracks to try: Joytown, Tea for One, Shadow Self, Imagemaker, Water Under the Bridge, Certifiable #1 Smash*, Last Plane Out, Turn It On Salvador, Things She Said

great to see all the comments about getting into his work.

It probably is worth noting that not only was he a brilliant recording artist, but he was quite adept in the studio, among others, working on the 1st 2 Spock's Beard albums, and had he not died, Kevin likely would have produced the album that eventually was Falling Into Infinity.

[Lowdz]

I really like Traveller by LWSF- not heard any of the others.

[Big Hath]

26. Kevin Gilbert / Toy Matinee - Thud, The Shaming of the True / Toy Matinee



Genre: Cross-over prog with some pop sensibilities
For fans of:  The Dear Hunter, mid-80s Peter Gabriel
What makes this special:  Kevin is one of the most talented songwriters ever.

You've probably heard a few songs Kevin Gilbert wrote even if you didn't know who he was before this moment.  Ever hear of Sheryl Crow?  Thought so.  What's her best selling album?  The one Kevin helped write.  While Kevin obviously had a flair for writing songs that would be accessible to a wide audience, he also had his own things going on as well.  Toy Matinee was one of his first successful projects, and much less progressive than his work under his own name.  Toy Matinee features a mix fun, bittersweet, and sad songs that showcase Kevin's ability to write memorable, radio friendly songs.  The albums released under his name are noticeably more progressive.  Thud is a very powerful album that Kevin seemingly reached deep into the recesses of his soul to write.  The biting sarcasm of "Joytown" and the loneliness of "Tea for One" come across very clearly to the listener, and as I have stated many times here at DTF, "Song for a Dead Friend" is the saddest song I've ever heard and I can't listen to it without breaking down because it's so personal, and I've been in the same position myself.  For The Shaming of the True, Kevin went the other direction, making this a concept album about the fictitious musician Johnny Virgil, no doubt drawing upon his experience.  The album features a mix of songs about soul-searching, struggling with fame, and the music business using hilarious biting commentary and sarcasm, all the while showcasing Kevin's ability to tell a story through song and have it get across to the listener.  Sadly, Kevin died way to young, appearently of autoerotic asphyxiation.  Fortunately, a lot of his work that was partially complete was completed posthumously by his estate and long time collaborator Nick D'Virgilio.

Tracks to try: Joytown, Tea for One, Shadow Self, Imagemaker, Water Under the Bridge, Certifiable #1 Smash*, Last Plane Out, Turn It On Salvador, Things She Said

great to see all the comments about getting into his work.

It probably is worth noting that not only was he a brilliant recording artist, but he was quite adept in the studio, among others, working on the 1st 2 Spock's Beard albums, and had he not died, Kevin likely would have produced the album that eventually was Falling Into Infinity.

I also like the stuff he did with Giraffe.

[Dr. DTVT]

I also really like Kevin's work on Kaviar, but that album is more about humor.  I think people would check out Kaviar after these albums, but might not look past Kaviar if I included that album.

[SoundscapeMN]

given you were only suggesting 3 albums, the 3 you chose make the most sense. But the Giraffe records, Kaviar Sessions, Nuts and Bolts compilations, NRG and even the live stuff are all well worth checking out for those who find they want to get to know Kevin Gilbert's music more in-depth.

[ColdFireYYZ]

Kevin Gilbert was great; too bad he died so young. I have The Shaming of the True, Thud, and Toy Matinee and all three are killer albums. Still need the stuff with Giraffe and all the posthumous releases.

[Dr. DTVT]

9.  Orphaned Land - Sahara, El Norra Alila, Mabool, The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR

         

Genre: Middle-Eastern influenced metal
For fans of: People who want something completely different, but not too unfamiliar.  People who want peace.
What makes them special:  Israeli band who uses a blend of traditional instruments and sounds along with modern instruments to make metal that clearly has its roots in middle-eastern music.  The band’s message of wanting peace and unity with all cultures and religions comes off as very sincere both on the albums and live performances.

Orphaned Land first came to my attention in the Sam Dunn documentary Global Metal, which I wrote a review for here that got buried and ignored because…well the review section gets largely ignored.  Traditional Jewish music fused with heavy metal?  I was certainly intrigued.  The themes of their songs, finding peace within yourself, defining your own spiritual relationship with god, the need for people to unite and get past religious differences – told me that this was a not just a front, the band cares about its message.  There are occasional harsh vocals, so I expect some of you to just write this off, but as with Enslaved, I ask you to plunge in and find the greatness of this band.

Their first two albums, Sahara and El Norra Alila were made in the mid 90s and focus on one’s relationship with God, finding peace personally, embracing other cultures, and the like.  It’s no hippy love fest though.  The music ranges from dark and brooding to bright and folky.  The first two albums are a product of their time in history, as metal music was transitioning into darker tones, and while very good, left no indication of what was to come.

Nearly 8 years passed until Orphaned Land released their watershed album, Mabool, whose proper title is Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven.  As you can probably guess from the proper title, this is a concept album.  A short synopsis is that three angels who are sons of God, one representing Judism, one representing Islam, and one representing Christianity, who are forbidden from uniting because God feared they would be too powerful.  After uniting and going to heaven, there were split up by God and cast down to Earth, where each try to warn their people that their continued sinning will cause a flood (Mabool) to be summoned.  If you want spoilers, read Wikipedia, but I highly suggest listening to the album repeatedly.  My adoration of this album is not alone, Metal Storm has currently as the 32nd best album of all time.  Pretty damn good for a band most people have been ignoring, right?  I’d easily put this in my top 50 as well.  I try not to throw around terms like “five star” or “A+” too often because I don’t want to cheapen the meaning of those phrases, but Mabool is easily “five star” or an A+.  Listening to it the first time was almost like hearing Dream Theater for the first time – it’s like nothing you have heard before and it is going to rock your world.

How do you follow up one of the best albums ever?  By releasing a longer, more intense concept album.   The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR is a slight step down from Mabool, but to be honest Mabool set the bar way to high.  ORwarriOR, is more about the struggle of good and evil in modern society, while musically blending the old with the new, much like modern Israel.  ORwarriOR is harder and heavier than Mabool, and it’s best songs can go toe to toe with Mabool’s.

The only way to really learn about the band is to jump right in, so here are some starting points, but I suggest starting with Mabool and The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR.  Also, the DVD “The Road to OR Shalem” is one of the three best concert DVD’s I’ve ever seen.

Tracks to try:
Sahara – Ornaments of Gold, The Beloved’s Cry, My Requiem
El Norra Alila – Find Yourself Discover God, Like Fire to Water, The Evil Urge
Mabool – Birth of the Three, Ocean Land, The Kiss of Babylon Halo Dies (but really, just trust me and buy the album, it is best taken as a whole)
The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR – Sapari, Disciples of the Sacred Oath II, Barakah

[adace]

I love Orphaned Land. One of my favorite bands. 

[WindMaster]

I love Orphaned Land. One of my favorite bands. 

This. LOVE this band to death.

[Lowdz]

Listened to some OL but found the vocals not to be to my taste. The music was excellent though. I do like the Eastern sound, for which I blame listening to too much Richie Blackmore at a young age.

[Elite]

Great band

Probably not too underrated on these boards though

[Scorpion]

Great band

Probably not too underrated on these boards though

I thought you hated them?

[Dr. DTVT]

If they were not underrated, then people would know them an be discussing them.  The lack of acknowledgement, good or bad, shows that more people need to get on this train.  And if Elite was taking a jab at the band, the WPAPU regulars know his tastes are of the most non-Elite.

[TAC]

I've tried Orphaned Land, but It them to stick.