This new stuff aint half that bad

Squonk

I been trying to listen to all the stuff you guys are suggesting and I am enjoying it
I am listening to Killswitch Engage - The end of heartache, Opeth - Deliverance - interesting that they do a song called "for absent friends" inspired by an early Genesis song on their Album Nursery Cryme. The vocals take a bit of getting used to.
I am also listening to John Mayer - Continuum, quite a talented singer and guitarist, I never new he got this bluesy.
I have 2 "Dream Theatre" albums Awake and Train of thought, not too impressed so far.

What else?

AlanRatcliffe

Squonk (where on earth did you get that, BTW? I like it! - sounds almost like a Don Martin noise!) I went through this recently, and from what I've seen, you and I have similar tastes in many areas.

Have you tried Porcupine Tree? Think of an amalgamation of a lot of classic prog bands with a heavy Floyd influence and a little NuMetal thrown in. Lots of Mellotron ?

The vocals take a bit of getting used to.

No shit!

I have 2 "Dream Theatre" albums Awake and Train of thought, not too impressed so far.

I know what you mean. All the prog technique in the world, but none of the boundary pushing.

Also check out Bumblefoot if you haven't already - specifically the albums Forgotten Anthology, Hands and Hermit.

John Mayer is pretty good, but kind of pales in comparison to Joe Bonamassa.

Explorerlover

Alan...Who and what is Bumblefoot, you've mentioned it quite a bit but I've had no exposure to it....

MiKeZilLA

Squonk wrote I am also listening to John Mayer - Continuum, quite a talented singer and guitarist, I never new he got this bluesy.

His trio stuff with Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan on "Try!" and "Where the light is" are a touch bluesier

AlanRatcliffe

Ron Thal, a NY guitarist who goes by the name Bumblefoot as people just started calling him that after his first CD The Adventures of Bumblefoot (Shrapnel). He's best known as the latest guitarist in GnR, but please don't judge him by that ?. Thanks to his first CD being on Shrapnel, he got an early rep as a shredder, but he's actually way more song and composition oriented than that - which is why he left Shrapnel.

His music is... umm... eclectic to say the least, with influences ranging from Kiss through van Halen to Tom Jones, Ramones through Hendrix to Barry White, and more... all with a healthy dose of humour and some major league guitar playing, some of it quite off-the-wall. He's probably the best fretless guitar player (listen to his CD 911, which is mostly fretless). If you've heard Guthrie Govan's Rhode Island Shred (on Erotic Cakes), BBF is playing the second (fretless) guitar that comes in at 1:12.

He's one of those players who you cannot define from one album, as his style changes with his mood. He's often been compared with Zappa, although he doesn't like the comparison. He often plays with a thimble on his RH pinkie as a pseudo slide to get notes right up at the bridge of the guitar.

Take a listen to his fretless version of Hendrix's Fire (posted with permission):
http://ratcliffe.co.za/sundry/Fire.mp3

Also, here's a fretless lesson from guitar techniques mag, which includes the full track of Mafalda, a lesson on how to play it from BBF and a transcription by Guthrie Govan:
http://ratcliffe.co.za/sundry/Mafalda.rar

He gave me some of his solo tracks (without backing) to post a while back. Theoretically, I was going to work on them, but damn they're difficult:
http://ratcliffe.co.za/sundry/IHateMe.mp3

http://ratcliffe.co.za/sundry/Mine.mp3

http://ratcliffe.co.za/sundry/R2.mp3

http://ratcliffe.co.za/sundry/SwattingFlies.mp3

http://www.bumblefoot.com

Explorerlover

Mmmmm...I think it's gonna be me and Look & Listen this weekend... Squonk, have you tried Tool at all?

tubby

Squonk dude, try get the Dream Theater album "Octavarium". Amazing, absolutely amazing. Also im not sure what album the song is from but get hold of "Metropolis". You will be sold!!!!!!!!

tubby

Also, if you are getting into KSE, then get hold of the album "life to lifeless".. My personal favorite.

Another band similar to KSE is "Dry Kill Logic" Also takes a bit of time getting used to the vocals

tubby

Oh yeah and Mr Ratcliffe, I recently got hold of some Porcupine Tree. Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!

AlanRatcliffe

Explorerlover wrote Mmmmm...I think it's gonna be me and Look & Listen this weekend...

Last time I looked, they didn't carry any BBF - best place to get it is online at www.baldfreak.com

tubby wrote Oh yeah and Mr Ratcliffe, I recently got hold of some Porcupine Tree. Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!

Darkwing? Awesome album.

Hmm... now I'm going to have to check out these Killswitch Engage boys...

tubby

Explorerlover wrote Mmmmm...I think it's gonna be me and Look & Listen this weekend... Squonk, have you tried Tool at all?

Tool rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Martyr

Just to warn you(i'm sure Tubby knows this aswell ?) Life to Lifeless is their old singer Jesse Leach(he sings for the band Seemless now),so the vocals aren't near the same...i prefer Howard Jones's voice(IMO)...but i'm afraid to say The Heart of Heartache and As Daylight Dies sound way to much the same for me so i got bored of it quickly(IMO)...but i still listen to 'em,i love Howard's voice ? ? ?

Explorerlover

Tool.....the only reason my ESP gets drop tuned. At first I wasn't impressed, but thank goodness I was persistant.

Thanks for the heads up with Bumblefoot...I think I'll have a go at some more Porcupine tree aswell. Gonna try the banjo stuff on "Trains".

deanBailey

@ Squonk: I think Mikael Akerfeld (guitarist/vocalist of Opeth) admits to use song names from older bands. He does it often and there are more then that song with an old songs name lol I dunno why though.

I've been meaning to listen to Porcupine Tree just never had the chance. Steven Wilson (Guitarist/Vocalist of PT) produced Opeths Deliverance and Damnation albums.

LMinnie

Wow guys....

Just had a look at Porcupine Tree's video for "Fear of a blank planet"

Hectic imagery and the song is pretty awesome too!!!

Gonna see if I can track down some more of their stuff...

Squonk

Porcupine Tree. I will check it out. Mailed my brother in the UK and says they are very tight live and have a huge following.
Thanks for all the INFO Alan.
Anyone heard of Carl Verheyen? was a session guitarist with supertramp.
I have a DVD and and an acoustic cd, Can do the Tuck thing as well, Rhythm, lead , bass ,percussion as well. But he also has incredible electric tone, bluesy in the Eric Johnson style, Also cant sing like Eric as well.
Can you buy Porcupine Tree at local Shops, or would you have to order online?

Riaan-Combrink

[quote author=Alan Ratcliffe link=topic=1173.msg10716#msg10716 date=1221808832] Squonk (where on earth did you get that, BTW? I like it! - sounds almost like a Don Martin noise!) [/quote] Alan, you like Don Martin! :) How's this for Don Martin noises (and a bit of a music tie-in to be relevant):

AlanRatcliffe

Alan, you like Don Martin!

What's not to like? I see he was also the first person to design an eight-string guitar ? (yes, I notice things like that, even in cartoons)

@squonk - I have a huge avi file of PT playing Rockpalast in Germany - not an official release AFAICT, but they are tight and pretty much get their recorded sound live.