Bands.

[letsel]

I will christen the metal/rock forums!

Well, list all the metal bands and keyboardists you like. Be nice and don't derail/flame people .

Well, my favourite keyboardist would be Vadim Pruzhanov from Dragonforce. He plays some interesting stuff and stands out in terms of being a keyboardist due to his stage antics.

Some metal bands which would count as inspirational for me:

Manowar
Blind Guardian
Judas Priest
Iron Maiden
Nocturnal Rites
Firewind
Dragonland
Dragonforce
Thunderstone
Axel Rudi Pell
Turisas
Primal Fear
Sabaton

This is just a quick list I can think of from the top of my head, there are many more, but yeah, these are some of my all time favourites. I'm not going to wreck my brain right now for every last one.

 

[Laura]

I will christen the metal/rock forums!

Well, list all the metal bands and keyboardists you like. Be nice and don't derail/flame people .
Judas Priest
Iron Maiden

I love Judas Priest and they were one of the first metal bands I liked, and they are great as guitar playalong trainers... but they don't have a keyboard, do they? At least not in the 90s.

How about DREAM THEATER... greatest prog-rock band of all time. Now they have a great keyboardist. Me being a guitarist I always listened /copied John Petrucci. Well since I got a synth I have been listening to their keyboardist Jordan Rudess.

It's interesting how in some bands the keybd takes the place of the 2nd or rhythm guitar. I think it's actually a more interesting sound because of the contrast in timbre between guitar & keys. It makes the band less "metal" and more "melodic". 'course that all depends on if you want to be All Metal or if you want more texture.

This was one of the reasons I got a keybd, so I could make Cubase trax with it & jam along on my guitar.

When I get the time I'll hook up the keybd and play along with my CDs and learn how rock musicians do their chops on the keybd.

Oh, BTW, you forgot Rush!!

laura

 

[letsel]

Havn't heard Rush, and only heard Dream Theatre once but didn't like what I heard.

There is alot of holes in my metal education, but I mostly listen to powermetal bands, with some melodic death inbetween.

And who says melody isn't metal?

 

[Mr. Drawbars]

I listen to:

Procol Harum
Booker T. and the MG's
The Zombies
Boston
Pink Floyd
Santana
The Who
Steppenwolf

All of these bands have (Hammond) organists.
I also listen to Theater organ, such as George Wright; and Classical organ, like Bach.

 

[Skot]

Dream Theater is definitely my favorite/ most influential band. Jordan Rudess is way good, as well as their old keboardists Derek Sherinian and Kevin Moore. They have all done different stuff, but I think JR fits them better overall. If you have ever seen DT live, they are flawless. I saw them for my second time in San Diego this summer, and they played for almost 3 hours and I seriously did not hear a single mess-up. Jordan rudess switches sounds so quickly and has so many different things going on at once, not to mention the complexity of each part.

Some other bands I'm into:
Symphony X
Sonata Arctica
Arcturus
Darkwater
Chrome Shift
Pagan's Mind
Vanden Plas
Pain of Salvation
Lalu (keyboardist Vivian Lalu, sounds lame but its some kick ass prog metal)
Nightwish sometimes
Liquid Tension Experiment
A Life Once Lost (no keyboards, but amazing nonetheless)
Empyrios
Devin Townsend

I just listed quite a few I think, so i'll stop now

 

[Laura]

Actually I listened to one of my old Ozric Tentacles CDs and I realized that they are incredible synth players. Listening to their stuff is like a textbook on what a synthesizer (or two) can do and how to write great "ambient" music. (not sure what to clal their stuff actually.)

Even more than Dream Theater, those guys do the kind of music that I could someday aspire to playing. (Dream Theater is awesome, but I just couldn't see myself doing Metal.)

 

[Skot]

I listened to a few songs of theirs (ozric tentacles) awhile back, but i remember not liking it very much. I probably just expected something different. I guess they are pretty ambient sounding from what i remember, not very 'hard' sounding at least. Maybe I shall give them another listen

 

[Laura]

I listened to a few songs of theirs (ozric tentacles) awhile back, but i remember not liking it very much. I probably just expected something different. I guess they are pretty ambient sounding from what i remember, not very 'hard' sounding at least. Maybe I shall give them another listen

They are 'ambient' in the sense that their songs don't have verses, choruses etc. So they fade into the background. However they aren't 'sleep music" with only one chord/pad sound. They are quite lively & interesting. I have been listening to them very closely and am fascinated at all their great synth riffs & sounds.

 

[redballoonforme]

Hello all,

I'm an beginner at this keyboard lark...and wondered if anyone could help me &/or give me a few pointers?

Anyone out there?

Cheers

Redballoon

 

[RotorOnTop]

I'm in a southern rock and blues band right now, so the metal bands elude me, no keys right?
So, SRV, Skynard, Allman bros, etc is where I cut my teeth, and cussed 'em all out for being so good (juz kiddin)....classic rock Deep Purple, Journey, Procol Harem, Moody Blues, ELO, Santana, Jimi Hendrix (i know, no keys except when Billy Preston jammed!) okay... I'm an ol' dude, but I'm still jammin out and having a good time.

 

[Skot]

A lot of metal bands have keys now days, even if its just for backup stuff. I'm into prog metal, and keys are pretty much needed for that type of music. Some metal guitar freaks say keys don't belong in metal, but I love keys+metal combination. Anyways....

Oh yeah! I listened to a few ozric tentacles songs here http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=15,
and they have some pretty cool keyboard/synth stuff in there. I like playing a harder style, so its probably not really my thing, but enjoyable to listen to anyways.

That website is way legit if you are into anything progressive, from pink floyd to dream theater to dillinger escape plan. There are hundreds of streaming mp3s from any prog style you can think of. Ive found some great music just by listening to the music on there.

 

[Laura]

A lot of metal bands have keys now days, even if its j I'm into prog metal, and keys are pretty much needed for that type of music. Some metal guitar freaks say keys don't belong in metal, but I love keys+metal combination. Anyways....

I think keys & guitar is a great combination...contrast makes for such great music... the metallic bright sound contrasting with the soft keyboard pad sounds.

Oh yeah! I listened to a few ozric tentacles songs here http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=15,
and they have some pretty cool keyboard/synth stuff in there.

Thanks for this INCREDIBLE link!!! You have made my life complete!!!!!!!!

 

[Rolandwarmen]

Vadim Pruzhanov from Dragonforce is talented i will say that. but his soloing lead is like a cheap saw monophonic. it almost has no direciton but thats just me Dragonforce is awesome! and Pruzhanov is too! he plays tons of other things that are great.

 

[uncle_lewis]

Get into jazz. I'm a jazz/rock player. When you have to chord in the left hand and pull off a good solo in the right, you'll left hand will have no choice but to catch up. Also, take some riffs you normally play in the right hand and try to play them with your left. And 2 handed scales never hurt either.

 

[uncle_lewis]

Hey guys. I'm new, but if you want, you all can check out my myspace!

www.myspace.com/andyfrancismusic

 

[uncle_lewis]

foooooooooooo!

 

[uncle_lewis]

Hey guys. I'm new, but if you want, you all can check out my myspace!

www.myspace.com/andyfrancismusic

 

[Laura]

Prog rock

Some other bands I'm into:
Symphony X
Sonata Arctica
Arcturus
Darkwater
Chrome Shift
Pagan's Mind
Vanden Plas
Pain of Salvation
Lalu (keyboardist Vivian Lalu, sounds lame but its some kick ass prog metal)
Nightwish sometimes
Liquid Tension Experiment
A Life Once Lost (no keyboards, but amazing nonetheless)
Empyrios
Devin Townsend

I just listed quite a few I think, so i'll stop now

Someone on this group gave me a link to the prog archives. Incredible...I've been discovering so many bands!!

I'm listening to ELOY right now. A German band from the 70s-90s I think. OK these guys are great and the synths are incredible. Only one thing.... why do they bother with LYRICS?? Especially bombastic spoken lyrics in an incomprehensible German accent.

I think that was what turned me off to prog back in the 70s. Stuff like Rush's 2012 that sacrificed tight composing for the sake of their storyline/concept. And the pretentious lyrics of 70s prog. Sometimes lyrics can be just distracting. Shut up & play!!

When I put together a Prog band & write some music, there will be very few lyrics.

 

[RotorOnTop]

Hey guys. I'm new, but if you want, you all can check out my myspace!

www.myspace.com/andyfrancismusic

dang Andy, that is an impressive site, and you appear to be a very accomplished musician. I am not worthy, I am not worthy....but I did
back up Alice Cooper in the 70's haha Looks like you have a very busy schedule, congratulations on your career and education, wow! Good goin' dude...I'm still workin' on Lazy.

 

[stratz]

I don't know which band he's famous for, but I saw Tony MacAlpine with Steve Vai's band, and that was pretty awesome.