Awesome instrumental thrash metal band - Mastery

[Snipawolf]

Maybe you're like me, and you love thrash metal but hate most of the singers' voices, or maybe you like thrash regardless. Maybe you don't. Either way, this band will blow your eyes out of your skull.

"What is really noticeable about Mastery is the emphasis placed on musicianship. The guitarists├óÔé¼Ôäó precision is just incredible ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ they don├óÔé¼Ôäót miss a note, and the lead work is inspired without resorting to wankery. The drummer is also quite talented. His tone (particularly the snare) leaves something to be desired, but his playing is very precise yet flexible, including tasteful fills to compliment the riff work. The bass (as on a great many thrash albums) is buried in the mix, so I can├óÔé¼Ôäót really comment on that."

"As far as highlight tracks go, every track is a solid adrenaline charged thrasher with no shortage of quality riffwork, guitar solos and drumming."

http://www.myspace.com/masterymetal

There are a few more songs on youtube, and they have an EP out.

They're searching for a singer and I REALLY hope they don't find one.

Edit: According the myspace news on their blog/space, it seems they've found one and are going to go into the studio soon. I hope the vocalist is a beast, it'll be a shame if he isn't...

[ralphie]

my eyes are still firmly in my skull

exodus/kreator/slayer/etc did this 20 years ago

[Snipawolf]

I've listened to all three of them and I'm sure that they weren't nearly as heavy as this...

Or, maybe it's just because Mastery is unadulterated so I can listen to the instrumentals.

[Panda]

Yep, they did a good job on playing the instruments quickly and accurately, but I just like regular heavy metal. Ozzy is cool.

[Argh]

I heard far better live work in this genre from Blatherskite (local act, long dead) when I was a teenager.

You could mosh to this, I suppose, but they're going to have to improve a lot as composers before there's anything there. And without a singer, the songs feel lifeless, and it's more obvious than usual when they're being lazy and just using power chords.

I'm not a huge metal fan, though, so maybe I'm missing some nuances.

[Snipawolf]

Well, the idea behind (instrumental) thrash metal makes it too simple to listen to seriously. I'm hoping the singer is really good, or, if they drop him, they'll move a little slower and make it a bit more methodical. At the moment, the music is kind've good for listening to in the background.

Also, is this the band you were talking about?

[Peet]

Who needs fast metal when there is this?

[zwzsg]

Mastery is probably an okay band, but from Snipawolf intro, I was actually expecting something extraordinary. Which is why you get some much negative comments.

Maybe I'm not into trash enough, but to my ears, Mastery sounded just like a hundred other metal bands. At least Peet's Electric Wizard first minutes made me want to listen to more of them.

[overkill]

Mastery is good, but EW wins the prize :D

[Snipawolf]

I dunno, the playing to me has more life than other thrash metal, this coming from someone who listens to warmen, liquid tension experiment, and blotted science regularly. May be the way I listen to music, I would almost say its an addiction, I can listen to some songs a hundred times over, focusing on each face of the song; drums, bass, keyboard, guitar, vocals, when present...

[tombom]

May be the way I listen to music, I would almost say its an addiction, I can listen to some songs a hundred times over, focusing on each face of the song; drums, bass, keyboard, guitar, vocals, when present...

Yes, everybody does that, these are called your favourite songs

Hope this helped

[BigSteve]

I heard far better live work in this genre from Blatherskite (local act, long dead) when I was a teenager.

You could mosh to this, I suppose, but they're going to have to improve a lot as composers before there's anything there. And without a singer, the songs feel lifeless, and it's more obvious than usual when they're being lazy and just using power chords.

I'm not a huge metal fan, though, so maybe I'm missing some nuances.

Yep, you are! the fact that most metal is based on power cords or slight variations of power cords... and that fact that some of the best riffs of all time were written with power cords... Jeeysuus!

I do admit though, the songs are a little bland, well alot bland really, especially when you compare it to something like early "In flames" or Pantera.

They aren't terrible, but if thats the best they can do, meh...
wrap your ears around this sniper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD5VlbfL ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JILAOXe10g

and if instrumentals are your thing, look no further than this... if the change of pace to a galloping riff from 2:30 to 2:45 doesnt instantly make you want to jump into POWER STANCE and PWN THE UNIVERSE then there's no hope for you Im afraid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObTDvMUMgr4

[Snipawolf]

Earlier In Flames work was awesome. I already have bought all of those. Behind Space '99 is one of my favorite songs of all time.

New instrumental bands I've found recently are Blotted science, Liquid tension experiment, Pelican, Powerglove (TETRIS THEME!), Russian Circles, and Warmen.

I suggest all of you listen to all of those songs, they're awesome (especially powerglove). Some/most of them are progressive metal, which is a fairly erratic style of metal that switches rhythms and beats often.

[Forboding Angel]

Hehehe, thrash.

Sadly thrash is mostly dead noadays, or so far underground that it'd take a drilling rig to find them. Nonetheless, snipa it's kinda interesting, cause you shoulda grown up in my 'era' as thrash was pretty big back in the late 80's - 90's. I remember the first time I heard arch enemy (which I don't really think qualifies as thrash, but they are fairly there). I was like omgfukwin. There were a million other bands as well doing the same thing.

The simple truth is that one simple fact is that 75% of the populace can't even figure out what is going on in the song, and as a result it's pretty much doomed to obscurity. It takes an amazing amount of skill to play drums/guitar so fast (sorry bass players, you don't count unless you're playing using your fingers), and interest/talent in this area is waning, but obviously not so much that it's dropping of the cliff face (like ska, thank god for that, made me wanna throw myself of the top of a very tall building).

I think the most interesting part of observing this place from a music standpoint, is that the most vocal of you guys are obsessed with speed, and while that's not a bad thing by any means, it is interesting.

Another simple truth snipea is the fact that no singer is gonna be able to not just ruin thrash. Singers have a habit of jinxing very good stuff, it is kinda nice to hear this stuff as instrumental.

@snipa as well, have you figured out what it is about the music that you like (as a musician myself, and I think there are quite a few others around here, this is what I'm the most interested to know)?

[Snipawolf]

Well, it depends on the song, and why I'm listening to the song. Most of my later reasons are merely because I'm tired of hearing singers with simple background music or that ruin the speed and flow of the song (insert britney spears haet).

I listen to dethklok for teh lulz, Disturbed for the amazing vocals and composition of the songs, Frank Klepacki and a few of the other bands I've listed above because of instrumental styles (even though they're not very similar). Something about Acid Rain by LTE reminds me of Wild Arms 2 when the piano comes in, so that's an epic song. It's also kind've like shredding, which I don't like a whole lot, but is alright in small amounts. All-in-all, I'd say I like songs with a complex composition, and, if they have a singer, decent interaction between the singer and song (perfect examples by Disturbed, indestructable and deceiver).

I'm not terribly obsessed with speed, though I do like metal and erm (I don't want to seem anal, but I have no idea what genre it should be called), electro-metal/industrial/aggrotech/etc. (feindflug is one of my faves from this area)

So, summed up, the reasons I listen to songs can be stated as they sound awesome to me, or they are good to listen to while doing other things.

[smoth]

disturbed sucks, they literally bark during their songs EX: land of confusion cover.

AUH AUH is shit.

[imbaczek]

Who needs fast metal when there is this?

those guys sound like kill-em-all-era metallica, but 50% slower ;p not bad, but rather... uninspired.

now, powerglove... those guys kick serious ass!

[Snipawolf]

smoth, there a hundred things worse than their "barking"...

[smoth]

this is the land of confusion AUH AUH

yeah great stuff.

[Snipawolf]

Not really, if I had to choose one of my least favorite songs by them, it'd be that one. Might be because its a cover of an only okayish song anyways.

If you think that's bad, listen to this...
Angela gossow, hah hah hah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NizPNmUjeDU
(it really isn't that bad, I love the guitar)