Has anybody heard of this band?

[kwll]

They call themselves 'Gygax' (sorry, link is in french), their first LP is called 'Critical Hits' and apparently, you can listen to their music for free!

[oldkat]

Not familiar with them.
Can we assume that their title-song is the sound of rolling dice?

[derv]

You can use a translator for the page. Looks to be an Oakland based metal band.

[flightcommander]

It's like twerking, but with your head.

[xerxez]

I was a "headbanger" and mosher in my last two years of highschool. I cringe when I see people do what these kids are doing because it's extremely bad for your neck and brain. I have awakened with severe neckpain after a show, major crick. Moshing, we would go to a place in the desert in so-cal where they had stages set up and all the underground bands would play, some up and comings. We would throng in a wild dancing and colliding frenzy, pushing and shoving and leaping over people. Thrilling and primal, but your skull pays a serious price! Never heard of the band

[machfront]

"D&D music" to me is pretty well far and away from metal...or even RUSH and Zep despite the multitude of hours I devoted to perusing, reading, creating lands/dungeons/characters to a backdrop of prog rock, etc. (though very "70s", I did so in the mid to late 80s, being born in '74).

To me it's more in the realm of odd-off stuff like Bo Hannson (which I discovered totally by accident in old boxes of vinyl in a Salvation Army shop a few towns away), thinking for nearly two decades that no one else in the world had ever heard his brilliant album "Music inspired by Lord of the Rings". I was overjoyed to discover so long later that that was not/never the case.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FnibajqPY0

[sirjaguar]

Thank you for the Bo Hansson link, Machfront. Delightful!

[sepulchre]

Machfront wrote:

"D&D music" to me is pretty well far and away from metal...www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FnibajqPY0

While I cannot even remotely agree with this as there is some brilliant metal out there holding the primal, dark and daring spirit of the protagonists and antagonists of our games; this link is gold! Thank you Machfront!

Reminds me of the music of the In Search of Series.

Anyone know of any other musicians or bands that have this kind of sound btw?

[Ghul]

Feb 6, 2016 13:17:10 GMT -6 sepulchre said:

Anyone know of any other musicians or bands that have this kind of sound btw?

Sounds a little like Orange Goblin.

[strangebrew]

Feb 4, 2016 23:15:10 GMT -6 xerxez said:

I was a "headbanger" and mosher in my last two years of highschool. I cringe when I see people do what these kids are doing because it's extremely bad for your neck and brain. I have awakened with severe neckpain after a show, major crick. Moshing, we would go to a place in the desert in so-cal where they had stages set up and all the underground bands would play, some up and comings. We would throng in a wild dancing and colliding frenzy, pushing and shoving and leaping over people. Thrilling and primal, but your skull pays a serious price! Never heard of the band

In high school I was pretty deep into punk rock, so moshing and skanking was a regular show thing for me. Fifteen years later, a few months ago (I'm 32 now), one of my favorite high school bands come to my city and I was in the pit the whole set. It was great.

Then I was sore for a month.

[xerxez]

Yeah machfront, thanks for the share. I too hunt vinyl and wish I could be so lucky! That is really awesome and does evoke that chapter of LOTR which has always been one of my favourites, and I'm surprised because generally electronic instruments don’t put my head in the medieval/fantasy space. When I play music during D&D games, I have some great celtic guitar and flute I use, I also find monk chants to be very evocative, even in dungeon settings. Almost like the music is mournful lament filled with invocations to the gods and sung tales of the heroes in the dungeon. I generally dont play metal music during a game though I have a friend who does in his games, if I did I might play The Sword, Age of Winters, the whole CD is kind of viking themed but also has some fantasy and lovecraftian lyrical content as well.



The artwork on this album is also great, really phenomenal and I am going to see if there is a vinyl copy or try and get prints.

[xerxez]

Feb 7, 2016 22:30:15 GMT -6 strangebrew said:

Feb 4, 2016 23:15:10 GMT -6 xerxez said:

I was a "headbanger" and mosher in my last two years of highschool. I cringe when I see people do what these kids are doing because it's extremely bad for your neck and brain. I have awakened with severe neckpain after a show, major crick. Moshing, we would go to a place in the desert in so-cal where they had stages set up and all the underground bands would play, some up and comings. We would throng in a wild dancing and colliding frenzy, pushing and shoving and leaping over people. Thrilling and primal, but your skull pays a serious price! Never heard of the band

In high school I was pretty deep into punk rock, so moshing and skanking was a regular show thing for me. Fifteen years later, a few months ago (I'm 32 now), one of my favorite high school bands come to my city and I was in the pit the whole set. It was great.

Then I was sore for a month.

Man, I know what you are saying. Three years ago I took my son to a venue where a tribute band was playing nothing but Metallica covers and completely nailing them. I got little too into it and had a stiff neck for days.

[mrmanowar]

Hah, never heard of them, but then again, my personal favorite, bias included was Manowar. Here is Battle Hymn featuring all the members of the band past and present.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f5mQCT022o

[sepulchre]

Ghul wrote:

Sounds a little like...

Hey, thanks Ghul, yeah, they are pretty cool.

However, I was really asking, does anyone know of any moog-driven ambient bands (then or now) whose sound is similar to that of Bo Hansson's Fog on the Barrow downs"?

[machfront]

Feb 6, 2016 13:17:10 GMT -6 sepulchre said:

Machfront wrote:

"D&D music" to me is pretty well far and away from metal...www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FnibajqPY0

While I cannot even remotely agree with this as there is some brilliant metal out there holding the primal, dark and daring spirit of the protagonists and antagonists of our games; this link is gold! Thank you Machfront!

Reminds me of the music of the In Search of Series.

Anyone know of any other musicians or bands that have this kind of sound btw?

Not...precisely. But Hansson has, like, four or five albums and they're all excellent.
Sagor & Swing have a great deal of the same atmosphere, though.

When I'm in such a mood I extend to early Tangerine Dream albums like Zeit and Phaedra. Instrumental stuff by Camel like their album The Snow Goose.

If you liked the sound of Orange Goblin you may likely dig all these new bands that have surfaced in the last handful of years or so that have a thoroughly 70s Sabbath-y sound (or not). Doom and Stoner metal bands like Asteroid, Orchid, Naam, Dead Meadow, Earth (the last two I highly recommend), etc. It's worth it to listen to a song or two of any of the above on YouTube and branch out investigating recommended songs that pop up on the side bar. It's worth it to look into actual 70s rock bands that are usually never talked about today like Fields or Lucifer's Friend or Epitaph.

I love old and new school electro-industrial/EBM, 80s synth-pop, brand-new retro 80s style synthwave,classic and prog rock, classical like Holst's The Planets, Wagner, and the old-school country my parents raised me on all equally, so...

But, yeah, I think the closest you're going to come to Bo Hansson is Sagor & Swing. Dead Meadow, Earth and probably Graveyard are going to have the same type of atmosphere but it's more guitar-oriented.

[machfront]

Tangerine Dream, in the early years, used a lot of Mellowtron and early synths like the Moog and MiniMoog, ARP 2600 and EMS synths. As did other early synthesists like Jean-Michael Jarre, Vangelis and Klaus Schultz.

[sepulchre]

Yeah, I listen to a lot of ambient drone artists; Oophoi, Robert Rich, Steve Roach, Thomas Koner etc.

Yes, I grew up with the likes of Alphaville, Depeche mode, Camouflage, Trisomie 21, The Clan of Xymox, New Order, Click Click, Color Box and so many others...speaking of 80's synth, all marvelous for its time and some still get rotation here and there.

Was never a fan of Tangerine dream, Vangelis and or the likes of Schulze (Moondawn is okay though) and Kitaro - too much movement I guess. Now Jean-Michael Jarre had a great album (side 2) that focused on Jacques Cousteau...I will admit I do like Tangerine Dreams' Phaedra.

Holst's the Planets and Wagner to be sure; the Excalibur Soundtrack remains a favorite.

Old school country...you mean back when they just called it 'western'?

I know Earth; though Dead Meadow was new to me. Orange Goblin is good, but I would prefer they push it to eleven like Nightkin (former Black Dahlia and Red Chord members). When it comes to doom I tend to like where it meets black metal so bands like Wolvserpent and Wolves in the Throne Room are favorites.

Oooo... Sagor and Swing hits the sweet spot, just wish there was less percussion. Anyway, thanks!!

Wow, Camel; had never known them, very progy...sort of a lot of Jethro Tull, the Alman Brothers, Yes, maybe a little Rush and Floyd and then their own oddness!

"Mellowtron and early synths like the Moog and MiniMoog, ARP 2600 and EMS synths" - this will aid my ongoing search, but "fog on the barrow downs" is a keeper!

[machfront]

Though the feel of other Bo Hansson stuff isn't just like "Fog on the Barrow Downs" (except the all-too-short) "Journey in the Dark" from the same album. The atmosphere of many of his tracks from "Lord of the Rings", while they focus more on feel of production and organ are just as darkly lively (especially "Leaving Shire").
Tracks like "Day and Night" and "Crystal Suite" from "Attic Thoughts" and many portions of other songs from the album "Magician's Hat" grab a good deal of the feeling that 'Fog' already has in spades. After well over ten years since I've been listening to things on my computer(s) 'Fog' actually has the highest play-count by far. Ha ha! (distant second is "Crystal Voice" by Tangerine Dream from the Firestarter soundtrack)

[machfront]

You mentioned earlier "...In Search Of". That's a perfect example of that kinda sound isn't it? Heh. Yeah, I wish we had a treasure trove of artists that focused on that...'sounds of 70s Fortean nutty pseudo-documentary films/shows'. There's an entire 80s movie/TV/VHS synth movement that really has that down perfectly. I wish there was a 70s counter to that as I mentioned above and you put so succinctly.
Heck, even movies from the time are either over-produced/written instead of atmosphere, or they're b-grade and z-grade flick that basically have a few minutes of "wwwooowwohweeooeeewww" or lil 3 or 4 note motifs and nothing more.

[machfront]

I guess Larry Fast's "Synergy" project/band comes closest to that but it's still too 'orchestrated' and more interested in slight complexity over atmosphere. But it has a full-on 70s feel/pedigree.

[Nerzenjäger]

There is an obscure sub-genre of metal that emerged out of early 90s black metal called "Dungeon Synth". Perhaps the most 'famous' artist is Mortiis, who did a very exquisite album, perfectly fit for setting the mood of, well, Dungeon RP. Enjoy:

[xerxez]

Thanks Nerzenjager. That is really good and does the job. Have to get it!

[dragondaddy]

Feb 9, 2016 23:56:41 GMT -6 machfront said:

Tangerine Dream, in the early years, used a lot of Mellowtron and early synths like the Moog and MiniMoog, ARP 2600 and EMS synths. As did other early synthesists like Jean-Michael Jarre, Vangelis and Klaus Schultz.

I like Tangerine Dream quite a bit, Vangelis, and Phaedra as well, for gaming. Other Metal that I listen to that always reminds me of D&D included Molly Hatchett, Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Dokken, Nazareth, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and of course, Rush. Always thought By-Tor and the Snow Dog from the Fly By Night album was inspired by the Silmarillion and was about the Elven hound Huan and his epic fight with Morgoth when he swallowed the silmarils and ran away stripping Morgoth of his power. There was also of course, Rivendell. Led Zeppelin of course, not to be outdone also did up the LoTR based "Ramble On", about Frodo.

Basil Poledouris - The Atlantean Sword (you guys probably know him from the Conan Soundtrack)
www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9&v=XtaYmsOi908&feature=player_detailpage#t=11

Also like Jo Blankenberg - Knights of Palmyra
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qii3CbAO3VE&list=PL04542A3218E38D14&index=17

There's lots of interesting Norse folk music and metal that I find inspirational for D&D, Just some of these bands and performers include;

Gjallerhorn - Suvetar


Gjallerhorn playing Ragnarok
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfndOsKEOxs

Vasen,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWorsJwzycw&list=PLk11FImlQMJnRrRi1R5qKxWw4a4ja__0t

Aly Bain, especially Full Rigged Ship
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdUikhLuKtU

Garmana. Garmarna has an awesome album based on religious songs written by the nun Hildegard Von Bingen, titled of course, Hildegard Von Bingen

Garmarna - O Vis Aeternitatis


Garmarna - Hildegard Von Bingen
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBWJhq5LcII

Aly Moller
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqQ0WaWrVt0

Njordfoto
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YypKod0wBdc&list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9

Adrian Von Zeigler - Gliepnir
www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9&v=gdb9RDZp7Go&feature=player_detailpage

Annbjorg Lien - Loki
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GquiFbPswT4

Annbjorg Lien - Galadriel
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTHaT36xJFU

Feather and Skull
www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9&v=9RuNdb1Dt0o&feature=player_detailpage#t=6

Skilfingr
www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9&v=LVH91f3GLmM&feature=player_detailpage#t=3

Tyr - Hammer of Thor
www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9&v=yH-iX-TTJcg&feature=player_detailpage#t=5

Cry of the Celts
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlHmGy4Aq_g&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9

Tuatha De Danann - Return of the Elven World
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlHmGy4Aq_g&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9

Orda Funebris - A Witch's Song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lePjSDl8eN8&index=83&list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9

Adrian Von Zeigler - Wolf Blood
www.youtube.com/watch?v=06H_6oI4EK4&index=85&list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9

Adrian Von Ziegler - Sons of the Allfather
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKLJsxKGiGA&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9

Wardruna - Helvegen (The Way to Hel)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0PvZGVPiJU&index=90&list=PL5A276DC5DDA2B4D9

Wardruna - Fehu (A Viking War Song)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le4B9T12zbs

Hedningarna - Metsän Tyttö (Forest Maiden)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfipsKs8Qao

Hedningarna Playlist
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfipsKs8Qao&list=RDRfipsKs8Qao&index=1

almost forgot Värttinä, a Finnish band.

Värttinä - Oi dai
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NFu7zGWdJa4&list=PLE2DBE68EF2D91C03#t=4

Värttinä
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9ozxHOXf8I&list=PLE2DBE68EF2D91C03

Some inspiration Metal and Folk music from across the pond for you.