#Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

ℜ𝔬𝔫𝔫𝔦𝔢 𝔍𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰 𝔇𝔦𝔬, յգԴՏ

[joesbandmerch]

Ghost

genre: heavy metal, hard rock

listen on spotify, apple music

buy it here

[metal-music-quiz]

Hello, everyone!

Some of you may know my main blog @lightineventide where I seem to never shut up about certain bands, musicians and metal genres as a whole. Combine that with my love for quizzes and you have this sideblog. I hope you'll have as much fun as I have while creating these!

The technical details are in the blog description, so I won't repeat them here. Just know that my ask box is always open and if you discover some new music here that you really like, you can also message me for further recommendations! I'll be veeery glad to help and I promise to answer everyone's messages!

To learn a bit about my specific music taste, read this post.

A weekly one-song challenge: Melodic Metal Thursday (with a playlist) - featuring old and new songs by various artists in these genres; can you guess the band's name? 😉 And one that's updated randomly - Guess The Ballad (both are featured tags, along with the Album Anniversary Song Challenges).

Everyone is welcome, just be kind to each other - we're here to have fun!

[sunmontuewrites]

Hubs: There's a lot of country on this playlist. Me: *side eyes him* Me: Might be because it's my country playlist.

[jezebel-spirit]

I may be obsessed with Halloween at the moment.

[colors-of-my-heart]

i really hope ghost wins the Grammy for best metal performance, not because I think they deserve it more than the other nominees but because it would piss off a lot of metalheads and I think that would be really funny

[bbybluemochi]

can you drop sinner’s lore or just more information about this oc?👀 you probably already wrote about this somewhere, but I can't find it(

No, I haven't posted much about her story (or any OC story) anywhere. With my original characters I tend to take a very relaxed approach; they're something I draw for fun, and their stories/personalities are revealed to me slowly, almost as if I'm getting to know them rather than creating them. That's why their story is subject to constant change, and I'm reluctant to post about them outside of my irl circle, because what if I change my mind about something, yk?

I recently found these two moodboards I made a long time ago of Sinner and Frankie from my Band AU, so I'm leaving them here! (more about sinner below↴)

For Sinner in particular, I was heavily inspired by 80s music (glam rock, hair metal, heavy metal, etc.). Each of my fictional band members is based on different musical genres, depending on what kind of music I'm obsessed with at the time. The 5 band members are at different stages of the design process (Frankie, Sinner, and the drummer (who doesn't have a name yet!) are the ones I finished; the leader and singer are still in the works).

It's taking me a while because I want to give them all a personal/distinctive aesthetic, but also keep their designs somewhat consistent - I want them to look like they could be in a band together (and in the same decade!) while being inspired by different eras and genres ranging from 70s rock to 90s britpop, and it's hard! That's why it's taking me so long to finish the whole band.

Sinner in particular has become my muse, the character I draw when I'm feeling burntout or just want to doodle. My friends and I always joke that she has orange cat energy (chaotic, not the brightest person in the room, but we love her for it). She loves dad jokes, beer, her bandmates, the rock n roll lifestyle, the road. She has a reputation for being a “player,” spending every night with a different girl (something that will make her entire relationship with Frankie a mess, as no one expects her to catch feelings or commit to a serious relationship). Big heart, laid back attitude, a thirst for adventure. Terrific guitar playing skills. Lives for the music!!!!

I love her so much and I feel like I’m doing her a disservice by describing her this way, because there’s so much more to her personality, but I wouldn’t know where to start! I’ve spent so much time thinking about her and imagining different scenarios with her and the rest of the band that summing up her entire personality in one post seems impossible! Maybe I’ll do an OC Q&A in the future so you can ask her directly :D

(re: the moodboards. I want to clarify that the musicians featured on the moodboards are there for aesthetic inspiration, and my characters are in no way inspired by their personalities or personal lives! I don't condone anything a man from the 80s has ever done/, and neither do I share their political views. Just wanted to say that before anyone takes it the wrong way! I'm just stealing their gender bc 80s men fashion is so lesbian coded to me.)

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Black Sabbath - War Pigs

[joesbandmerch]

Motörhead - "Gimme Some" shirt

genre: heavy metal, hard rock

listen on spotify, apple music

buy it here

[demilypyro]

I think what happens is videogames introduce sheltered people to music genres they've never heard before, and even though they love it, they have no context for where to find more, so it stays in their mind as "Persona music" or "Sonic music." I was much the same with Guilty Gear introducing me to hard rock and heavy metal, and while those genres are a lot easier to find more of, it's still such a wide space that it's hard to narrow down exactly what type of rock you want to hear more of.

[wiinterz]

: •̩̩͙ ໋ I. SHE’S THE ICON ˖ Shoko Ieiri.

actress!shoko x actress/rockstar-fem!reader

genre(s) - series, modern day au, social media au, older x younger, established relationship

description - your band, serenity & the stones, inspired by 90s glam rock and 00s heavy metal bands are constantly growing with fans coming in hot. your acting career skyrocketing, landing you in the lap of shoko ieiri, which leads you lucky enough to start a relationship with her. it’s easy so far, the only difficulty is nosy news reporters and fans wanting to know more about your relationship with the model and actress. can you handle the heat or will it be too much for you?

warnings - profanity, fluff, age gap (shoko is forty in this and reader is twenty-eight), men dni.

tay’s letter 💌 - going back to my roots of doing social media au’s. should i make this a series? (also mixed real ppl in this)

rules I taglist | g & r masterlist | next ->

yourusername

Liked by shokoieiri and others.

yourusername She’s The Icon - Essence Magazine

.

“I grew up with the icons, such as, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Prince, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, and, of course, the mother of Rock & Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. My family influenced my taste in music and my friend group did too. I have to give these people praise and flowers as musicians and as people because they broke roles and stereotypes that allows me to perform as a musician. My band could not be where we are without their influence, we’re not just icons, we perform for the icons also. And I hope our names will be in the same conversations a them too.” - Y/N Y/L/N for Essence Magazine.

watch my interview with Essence Magazine on YouTube, out now!

View Comments.

yourbffsuser: love me a girl who loves her some icons, I LOVE YOU SNOOKIE & CONGRATULATIONS BEAUTIFUL!!! 💖💖💖

Liked by author and 10.1k likes

View 81 more replies

⤷ yourusername: I LOVE YOU SNOOKIE BUTT & THANK YOUUUU 🫶🏾💋🥹

18.2k likes

View 27 more replies

danni_812: CONGRATULATIONS BEAUTIFUL!!! YALL SUPPORT!

12 likes

cookiecuttersolan: you look so gooddd omg, definitely watching the interview when i get home from school 😩😩😩😩

183 likes

View 3 more replies

shokoieri: congratulations, angel ❤️

Liked by author and 18.9k likes

View 1,001 more replies

⤷ yourusername: thank you, beautiful 💘

19.1k likes

View 91 more replies

⤷ msputiton: HO WHAT THE FUCK? @supanaturallova GIRL WAKE UP

1,820 likes

View 10 more replies

gotwithcolby: RUSHED FROM TWITTER HOLY SHIT.

203 likes

View 17 more replies

⤷ lacysasha: i'm in class rn and almost screamed

20 likes

View 1 more reply

berleezy: man watch out lol, you did your big one tho sis! 🙏🏾

Liked by author and 9,011 likes

View 71 more replies

⤷ yourusername: LMFAOO SHUT UP 😭 nah but seriously, thank you for your support, love you bro bro 💞💖

8,912 likes

View 7 more replies

yourusername.archive: oh yeah, she did her big one fr idk guys, the streets saying to stream her music 😩

Liked by author and 5,018 likes

shokoieri

Liked by yourusername and others

shokoieri @ysl

View comments.

ladyjess: hello beautiful 😍

dasnotohokay: imma need you to listen to hard for by kevin gates and understand that's us fr 🫣🫶🏻

361 likes

View 17 more replies

⤷ thatsjeanandthem: girl- LMFAOOO 😭😭😭 ykw...hell yeah

30 likes

View 4 more replies

⤷ dasnotohokay: it's romantic...right 🧍🏼‍♀️right?

12 likes

View 6 more replies

girlonfilm: she's so god damn fine OH MY GOD 😩

16 likes

View 8 more replies

yourusername: you look beautiful!!!

liked by author and 14k likes

View 173 more replies

⤷ shokoieri: thank you 💖

16.1k likes

View 71 more replies

⤷ jazwalker: be honest, how many rounds yall go?

1,000 likes

View 19 more replies

⤷ shokoswife: JAZ?!? YOU CANT ASK SH!T LIKE THAT OMG

115 likes

milfsforme: sexiest ambassador, REAL!🫶🏽

17 likes

rickeythompson: ❤️

liked by author 10.2k likes

View 72 more replies

wiinterz © do not repost, copy or translate my works

[famemonsterrr]

- Mini astrology obs. 17 🕯️

- I have noticed that Pisces sun women look like cats

- Capricorn are the most complex sign-

- how the air signs + Sagittarius can make so easily friends? I need ur secrets

- the sexiest thing to have on a natal chart as a man is Scorpio mars or earth mars.

- you want to make a Gemini man be interested in you? Be very unique,funny and quick minded.

- fire signs as fathers are more kids than the kids (adorable unless they are immature)

- Sagittarius men and women tend to like problematic toxic people.

- I have noticed that the most singers of hard rock or heavy metal are earth signs

- I have also noticed that people who tend to have the same circle placements are also very compatible .

Example: if they are Pisces Venus and you are a Sagittarius Venus or if they are Aries mars and you are libra mars

- speaking of compatibility of any kind moon signs of the same element understand each other or express emotionally the same way, no matter if u are friends or lovers or even family members.

-why water signs love horror genre?

- having Capricorn sun and Aquarius mercury makes someone extremely smart and quick minded. Don’t even try them in a debate they will win. Also they know everything…they remind me of Jimmy Neutron 

Thank you for reading 🕯️

Im sorry it took me that long to upload but I wasn’t feeling it and also I was busy with my life. Now that I’m a little bit more free I can write more often 🫶🏻

Stay healthy and happy🫶🏻

My masterlist

[vesanal]

ʚɞ  ~Blog Introduction Post~ ʚɞ  

Howdy there!! Ok. So. It’s been long enough. Probably should have done this earlier but here it is now!

Anyways, hello! You can call me Ves/Vesanal or some variant of that! I love to write and do art because I like to suffer creatively twice. I am getting back into writing after a while and I will be using this blog to share my works as they come along!! I have some projects I’m working on that I am very excited to share with y’all!! 

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

→Quick Links:

Side Account!

Join The Taglist!!

Writemas Masterlist!!

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

→Here is some info about me:

I love love love making art and writing. Those are two of my greatest passions in life

Pronouns are She/Her

Plotter by heart, I cannot call a story finished if I do not know every minute detail. Quite overwhelming at times but I get by!

I am a stressed out college student who probably shouldn't be scrolling tumblr all day long but here I am. 

Computer Science/Math Major, I couldn’t decide on which subject to drain my soul from so I picked both. If I am a bit inactive at times it is due to this 

Love to yap and listen to certified yappers about fandoms and OC’s. Infodump about WIPs to me!!! I will gladly listen!!

Proud lesbian, and yes the lgbt girl in CS stereotype is alive and true. If you have a problem with this you are on the wrong website friend

Some of my favorite genres are Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Drama. Gotta love TV shows and movies to absolutely nerd out over :D

The type of music I like is all over the place but mostly I stick to hard rock, heavy metal, and thrash metal (I would be more than happy to tell y'all about the bands and like and even recommend some)

My MBTI personality type is INTP-T

I am a complete Tumblr NOOB. Please bear with me here while i try to figure out the hellsite <3

My time zone is CST/CT (Central Time)

You can DM me anytime. Along with asks too, but please do not send me any promotions or begs for money. PLEASE. I have gotten a few of those recently and I just want to say that is not what my blog is for. Other than that, asks are completely open! If you have a question, please ask me!!! :) <3

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

→Some of the wips of mine:

(There will be separate intro/masterposts for each of these when i get to them

The Bone-Binder’s Covenant 

(click link to see masterpost)

Basic Premise: The Bone-Binder has broken his promise with the land of Pytharios, and is now terrorizing the region to get what he wants. Chosen directly by the Queen, Aerlyra Ghorne–a promising yet incredibly unsure woman–is tasked to stop him for once and for all. With the help of her assigned crew and companions who join alongside her during the journey, she hopes to do just that. 

Tags: #The Bone-Binder’s Covenant or #TBBC

Genre: Dark Fantasy; Adventure

Status: Active (Somewhat done and planned, still getting a feel for everything, still brainstorming some ideas)

I will be adding more links as I post!!

We Die As One

(Adding masterpost soon)

Basic Premise: Tells the story from a series of ancient journals that are uncovered showing the events following up the total wipeout of all magic. The journal entries focus on a group of scrappy, young heroes who are on a mission against the world, and fail to stop the evils of the world from taking over. All that is left of them is the journals, leaving the ways of the past to be seen as a distant memory and an inspiration to the new generation, who see how the world came to what it has become.

Tags: #We Die As One or #WDAO

Genre: High Fantasy; Action-Adventure

Status: Active (ish, still in idea-phase)

I will be adding more links as I post!!

I still have more WIPS but those are secrets for later ;)

I’ll be posting mainly about my wips, ask games, the occasional art, and writing memes so stay if you are into that!! You can ask me questions any time, don’t be afraid to ask!

Taglist under the cut (interreact with this post here to be +, notify me if you want to be -)

@seastarblue @seafloor507 @stars-forever @viridis-icithus @estrellasxxminis @synthesistoagreatercreation @ink-stains-and-constellations @wyked-rebellion @satohqbanana @amatowriting @riverstixx @theodora47 @selfemployedmess @thebookishkiwi @17panicattacksinatrenchcoat @memento-morianon @the-ellia-west @write-with-will @jwritesalright @sunflowerrosy @myniceisniceblogbloglog @corinneglass

[manaberrysoup]

Hi pookies!

On this account, I’ll be talking about Visual Kei, its history, and popular bands! 🎤🎸

(I’m new to this app, soo a lot of things are still a bit confusing for me 🙏🏻) There's not much info about Visual Kei online, and it’s often hard to find, so if I can help anyone interested in this topic, I'd be super happy !! ᕦ⁠༼⁠✩⁠ل͜⁠✩⁠༽⁠ᕤ

!!

Before We Begin: I apologize for any spelling mistakes, as English isn’t my first language. 🙇‍♀️

This post will include: What Visual Kei is, Visual Kei genres, and information about Visual Kei bands.

Okay class, first lesson!! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

What is Visual Kei?

Visual Kei (Vkei) is a music and fashion subculture that originated in Japan. The term "visual style" refers to a concept that involves not just music but also dramatic stage costumes, makeup, and overall aesthetics. It was popularized in the late 1980s and early 1990s by bands like X Japan.

1. Visuals: Vkei artists often dress in androgynous styles that challenge gender norms. Expect colorful hair, exaggerated costumes, dramatic makeup, and theatrical accessories!

2. Music Genre: Vkei bands generally blend rock and metal influences with other genres like punk, pop, gothic, etc.

3. Performance: Stage performances are theatrical, often focusing on storytelling and creating a dramatic atmosphere.

Sub-genres:

1. Eroguro Kei (Erotic-Grotesque Kei):

Features: As the name suggests, Eroguro Kei combines erotic and grotesque elements. It is known for its dark and disturbing aesthetic. Costumes are often scary, vampiric, or horror-themed. Stage performances frequently include images of fear, death, and taboo subjects.

Examples: Some periods of Malice Mizer and the early years of Dir En Grey(visual kei era) MAYBE close to this style.

Malice Mizer ☆

Genre: Gothic Rock, Baroque Pop

Active Years: 1992 - 2001

About:

Known for their gothic and theatrical style, the band pushed visual elements to the extreme. The era with Gackt as the vocalist is particularly famous. Iconic songs include "Beast of Blood" and "Bel Air."

Career Summary:

Malice Mizer debuted in 1992, creating a legacy with their gothic, baroque, and theatrical approach. Over their career, they went through three different vocalists, each bringing unique styles. Their most famous era was with Gackt as the vocalist (1995–1999). After the death of drummer Kami in 1999, the band eventually disbanded in 2001. Despite their short lifespan, they are considered one of the most iconic Visual Kei bands.

Dir en Grey

Genre: Alternative Metal, Progressive Rock

Active Years: 1997 - present

About:

With a darker and more experimental sound, the band has transcended the boundaries of Visual Kei, gaining an international fan base. Songs like "Obscure" and "The Final" have had a massive impact on the Visual Kei scene.

Career Summary:

Starting in 1997 as a more traditional Visual Kei band, Dir en Grey quickly evolved into a group with a darker, more experimental sound. They have toured extensively in Europe and the US, building a global fan base. Albums like "Withering to Death" and "Uroboros" showcase their transition into alternative and progressive metal, solidifying their status as an innovative force in rock music.

2. Kote Kei:

Features: Kote Kei represents the traditional and classic style of Visual Kei. In this subgenre, stage performances and costumes are usually darker and more serious. Black, red, and metallic colors are typically prominent. The fashion consists of costumes that combine both masculine and feminine elements, often with gothic touches.

Examples: X Japan and early Luna Sea can be considered examples of this style.

X Japan

Genre: Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock

Active Years: 1982 - present (with breaks)

About:

Pioneers of Visual Kei and one of the most influential bands in introducing this subculture to the world.

Career Summary:

Formed in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi, X Japan is considered the pioneer of the Visual Kei movement. They gained immense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s with albums like "Blue Blood" and "Jealousy." After disbanding in 1997, the band reunited in 2007, continuing to perform globally. Their iconic song "Endless Rain" remains a Visual Kei anthem.

Luna Sea ✷

Genre: Rock, Progressive Rock

Active Years: 1989 - present

About:

One of the most influential bands in the Japanese rock scene, known for their softer and more melodic sound. Popular tracks include "Rosier" and "I for You."

Career Summary:

Formed in 1989, Luna Sea became a key figure in the Visual Kei scene. Their music blends melodic rock with progressive elements. They disbanded in 2000 but reunited in 2010 and have since continued to release new music and tour. Albums like "Mother" and "Shine" are iconic in their discography, and they remain a favorite in Japan's rock history.

3. Oshare Kei:

Features: Oshare Kei is the more cheerful, colorful, and energetic side of Visual Kei. In this subgenre, the clothing is generally in pastel tones, stylish, fun, and sometimes "kawaii" (cute). The music is lighter, energetic, and sometimes contains pop-rock elements. The stage performances focus more on fun than visual aesthetics.

Examples: Bands like An Cafe and SCREW can be considered examples of this subgenre.

An Cafe

Genre: Oshare Kei, Pop Rock

Active Years: 2003 - 2019 (with breaks)

About:

An Cafe (Antic Cafe) is one of the most well-known Oshare Kei bands, famous for their colorful and cheerful style. Their songs are often fun, energetic, and positive. Fans of the group are called "Cafekko."

Career Summary:

An Cafe debuted in 2003 and became a leader of the Oshare Kei movement in the mid-2000s. After a hiatus in 2010, they returned in 2012 but announced their disbandment in 2019, concluding with a farewell tour.

SCREW

Genre: Oshare Kei, Alternative Metal, Visual Kei

Active Years: 2006 - 2019

About:

SCREW is one of the heavier and darker Oshare Kei bands. Their music features emotionally intense lyrics combined with powerful riffs and melodic elements.

Career Summary:

Founded in 2006 by Byou and Jin, SCREW became a prominent name in the Visual Kei scene during the early 2010s. They disbanded in 2019 after 13 years.

4. Angura Kei:

Features: Angura Kei is a subgenre deeply connected to Japanese culture. This style blends traditional Japanese clothing (such as kimonos, samurai attire, etc.) with modern Vkei aesthetics. It is often inspired by Japanese history and culture.

Examples: Kagrra, and some older songs by PSYCHIC LOVER can be examples of this style.

Kagrra

Genre: Angura Kei, Neo-Japanese Rock

Active Years: 2000 - 2011

About:

Kagrra, is a standout band in the Angura Kei subgenre. Their music blends traditional Japanese instruments and melodies with modern rock and Visual Kei aesthetics. Their lyrics often draw inspiration from Japanese mythology, folklore, and history. Stage costumes frequently incorporate traditional Japanese styles like kimono and samurai themes.

Career Summary:

Debuting in 2000 as "CROW," they soon changed their name to "Kagrra,." The band disbanded in 2011, releasing their final album, "Hyakki Kenran." Tragically, vocalist Isshi passed away the same year. The group is considered a pioneer in fusing Japanese culture with modern music.

PSYCHIC LOVER

Genre: Rock, Anisong (Anime Songs), Angura Kei

Active Years: 1998 - present

About:

PSYCHIC LOVER is a well-known name in Japan’s anisong scene, particularly for their work on anime and tokusatsu (Japanese sci-fi series) themes. They combine traditional Angura Kei aesthetics with the energy of anisong. Their music is often high-tempo, with powerful vocals and energetic guitar riffs.

Career Summary:

The band rose quickly in the anisong scene in the early 2000s, gaining a dedicated fan base through their work on anime, Super Sentai, and tokusatsu projects. Their stage performances are dynamic and occasionally incorporate Japanese cultural elements in costumes and music videos, nodding to the Angura Kei style.

!!!

Each Vkei subgenre offers a different world in terms of both music and visuals. Simply labeling it as a "gothic stage" is an oversimplification. ☝🏻🤓

We’ve reached the end (╥﹏╥)

I’m finishing here. Honestlyy, if it were up to me, I’d write until morning, but I’m not sure if this will really reach people, so I don’t want to write for no reason. I’ll continue based on the interaction I get. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

I wish you all healthy days. ♡

Written by: manaberrysoup

[dedalvs]

I've been listening to the langtime studio chats and it's made me wonder, what are some of your favorite hard rock/heavy metal bands? What kind of genres do you tend to enjoy?

What is and is not metal has changed over the years. It's kind of like how in the 90s every single new band was "alternative", a genre designation which ended up meaning nothing. I loved (and still love) bands like Van Halen, Bon Jovi, the Scorpions, and Def Leppard, which, believe it or not, were considered metal at one time or another. I was also a huge fan of Soundgarden which was called metal on an episode of Northern Exposure I recently rewatched. But my first real metal band was Megadeth.

In 1994 Megadeth came out with an album called Youthanasia which was accompanied by a music video for the song "Train of Consequences" that ran on MTV. The same way that Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" begins with a drum solo that's reminiscent of a motorcycle engine, the guitar in the beginning of "Train of Consequences" is reminiscent of a steam train engine. Trains are something that have always fascinated me, so the video caught my attention. Soon I was looking forward to it in the regular rotation of music videos on MTV (at the time, this would've been Weezer, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Coolio, Nirvana, Liz Phair, TLC, etc. [all good stuff!]). The singer of a band can really turn me on or off, and Dave Mustaine's voice is unique. At the time, when I thought of metal, it was primarily screaming, but Dave Mustaine was singing, and I found that interesting. I bought the album, and soon had all of Megadeth's albums. I was hooked.

From Megadeth, I moved on to Metallica, when I learned that Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth after getting kicked out of Metallica. Metallica itself was an interesting story at that time. They came out with the black album, which was a mega mega hit (and controversially so, as metal fans saw it as a departure from real metal), and then they disappeared, with Nirvana and alternative taking over. Then, after years of nothing, suddenly they release a new song, "Until It Sleeps", which sounds...weird. It was followed by the album Load, which...I mean, listen to "Mama Said" and tell me that's metal. I heard "Hero of the Day" played on Coast—the adult easy listening station. Whether you could get into or not, it definitely did not sound like Metallica—or metal, as we understood it. They did accidentally invent the band Volbeat with Load, for which we must all be grateful, but still, with Megadeth getting a new lineup very album, Metallica going off the rails, Iron Maiden with Blaze Bailey, it was clear that metal was moving forward, so I needed to move backwards.

I started going back and finding any metal band from the 80s that I'd heard of to see what I liked. Guns N' Roses and Ozzy Osbourne were easy favorites. I dug everything they did. Other more glam/hair metal bands I didn't really get into as much—Poison, White Snake, Mötley Crüe, LA Guns… But then I found Queensrÿche. Queensrÿche was the favorite band of my history teacher, so I gave them a listen. They'd come out with a new album, Promised Land, and then I happened to get as my second album of theirs Rage for Order, and I lucked into what would end up being my two favorite Queensrÿche albums and two of my favorite albums of all time. The album Rage for Order is sheer perfection—and one of my name-alikes is thanked in the Special Thanks section! I mean, look at this photo:

If that isn't a fuckin' mood! Geoff Tate singing like a gothic opera singer, everything that can have a harmony being harmonized, every one of them taking every aspect of it so desperately seriously. This album is an entire genre all by itself. It was so good Stratovarius wrote, essentially, a terrible fan fiction song based on "Screaming in Digital" (with, perhaps, some influence from "NM 156" from Queensrÿche's first album The Warning). It also serendipitously to introduced me to Dalbello (a real life Robin Sparkles transformation), whom everyone should check out (seriously, check out whomanfoursays. She just laid it all out).

Queensrÿche also disappointed after Promised Land in the 90s, but I want to return to Iron Maiden. My introduction to Iron Maiden was The X Factor. This was their 1995 album, the first with former Wolfsbane singer Blaze Bayley. I didn't know that. I assumed what I was listening to was the Iron Maiden—the ones Bill and Ted waxed so eloquently about. All I could determine is that maybe they just got old...? I didn't get how the band I was listening to could have ever been popular.

Fast forward a couple years and I'm listening to the only metal show left on SoCal radio after KNAC died and I hear a song that sounds like nothing I've ever heard before. Fast-paced with a beat like galloping horses and a singer with power, range, vibrato, but also a kind of wild, undisciplined menace not found in more refined singers like Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche. Who was this band?! Clearly someone from the 80s I hadn't heard, but I thought I'd heard everything. The song finished, and then the DJ came on listing all the songs in the set, finishing up with "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden.

Clearly I had been duped. I went back to the record store to look up Iron Maiden's old albums and, lo and behold, only the most recent album featured Blaze Bayley. Before that there were seven albums featuring lead singer Bruce Dickinson.

A few albums later, Iron Maiden was my favorite metal band. Pretty soon I'd listened to everything—including the first two with Paul DiAnno which I would come to appreciate later—and I was disappointed. There was nothing left! Iron Maiden came out with a new album with Blaze, and we were cursed with "Como Estáis Amigos?" and other disappointments, but it became clear that the Iron Maiden I'd falle in love with was a thing of the past. Imagine what I felt when I was back home from college and heard on the radio a commercial for a new Iron Maiden album with a song I'd never heard being sung by none other than Bruce Dickinson. The song was "The Wickerman", the album was Brave New World, and I would go on to see Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden in concert six times—and a seventh coming this October (with the Hu!!!!!! I'm so pumped!!!!!).

There's a lot more to tell here—like the time I visited my ex-girlfriend in Michigan after she'd moved away hoping to rekindle a relationship that I didn't realize was deader than 8-track only to be introduced to Dream Theater by her older brother, or the time the company my friend worked for was hacked with all computers playing a song that would introduce me to Finnish heavy metal, or how looking into James Ronny Dio led me to the truly baffling yet kind of sweet story of Blackmore's Night—but as this is getting long, here are some highlights that haven't yet been mentioned with one song I'll recommend (bands with an asterisk I've seen live):

European Power Metal

Nightwish* ("Bless the Child")

Sonata Arctica* ("My Selene")

Epica ("Cry for the Moon (The Embrace that Smothers, Part IV)")

Lacuna Coil* ("Our Truth")

Delain* ("Stardust")

Amberian Dawn ("I Share with You This Dream")

Helloween ("Power")

Sound-Alike Bands

Crimson Glory ("Lonely")

Autograph ("Hammerhead")

Enforcer ("From Beyond")

The Sword ("Lament for the Aurochs")

Proto-Metal

Black Sabbath* ("Sweet Leaf")

UFO ("Doctor, Doctor")

Deep Purple ("Burn")

Hawkwind ("Assault and Battery/The Golden Void")

Not Quite Metal

Faith No More ("From Out of Nowhere")

X-Japan ("Silent Jealousy")

System of a Down ("Chop Suey")

Tool* ("Sober")

Monster Magnet* ("Mastermind")

The Mars Volta ("Goliath")

Mdou Moctar ("Ilana")

All right, I put a lot of time into finding all those links, so listen to some of those songs! I could write a book on this. I've already taken two hours too long, though. Need to get back to the stuff they pay me to do! >.<

[rocksibblingsau]

Okay, for your rock siblings AU do you think other troll genres have the same amount of sub genres as rock trolls because I was doom scrolling through a lot of the post about rock troll culture and the amount of sub genres was a big topic and this made me wonder do other trolls have as many subgenres as rock or is it treated differently like pop I’m imagining has the least just because of the movies were not shown much diversity of course you have the exceptions like DJ Suki but they seem pretty uniform for the most part so I’m imagining if all the other tribes saw rock troll culture they would be overwhelmed and confused at just a sheer amount of sub genres of rock I can imagine techno has quite a few sub genres as well I’m unsure if it’s to the same extent as rock trolls though Funk trolls I’m imagining has a few but way less than techno or rock. I’m unsure on classical or country. and do the other tribe treat the concept of sub genres differently  from how the rock trolls do. I just wonder if they have a different mentality when it comes to the sub genres.

So Rock in my AU has an absurd amount of subgenres because Rock Trolls are a very individualistic tribe. All tribes have some subgenres, Techno has dubstep and EDM and a few others, Funk has soul and R&B and Hip Hop, Classical has opera, etc etc. Rock, however, has at least 100 different types of subgenres.

Hard Rock, Soft Rock, Metal, Death Metal, Sludge Metal, Emo, Screamo, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Punk, New Wave, Prog Rock, Nu Metal, Heavy Metal, Surf Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock, Rock and Roll, Glam Rock, Gothic Rock, Indie Rock... I could go on.

The other tribes do see subgenres differently. Like Prince D views his subgenre as a big part of his identity and as it's own entity. They tend to treat subgenres with a lot of seriousness, meanwhile Rock Trolls are like "Hey I made a new subgenre. I call it Murder Punk. Yeah it's kinda like Murder Metal but I mixed in some punk. Yeah go ahead and do whatever you want with it, I'm already working on another subgenre that I'm gonna call Dust Gothic."

A lot of other tribes will pick a subgenre and stick with it, making it an important part of their identity, but Rock Trolls are encouraged to mess around and have phases, and a lot of Rock Trolls won't stick to one sound but switch up from album to album or song to song.

Pop Trolls don't really have subgenres. They don't make any distinctions between types of Pop because they don't even know there are other types of music. All pop music is just "music" to them which can make it hard to find stuff you like because you're like "I want something exactly like this boy band. Time to search every single band there is!"