Converting the unbelievers - Your weapons of choice?

great_knuthulhu · Post by **great_knuthulhu** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:30 am

I really don't know what to do. I mean, I have a friend who is big on Candlemass and I played him some Mercy and Nemesis (Edling's old band), but he didn't like it at all. If that doesn't work, I don't know what does. Another friend of mine who was into thrash when he was a teenager has taken a liking to my doom metal albums though, so not all hope is lost. I think Mordred is onto something in the second reply above. You simply can't expect people into the mainstream of metal to like Cirith Ungol at first listen.

However, you could try and use some tactics and play something like Saint to Judas Priest fans. That's what I tried with Mercy and the Candlemass fan, but it didn't work at all.

FenderMedium · Post by **FenderMedium** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:36 am

great_knuthulhu wrote:I really don't know what to do. I mean, I have a friend who is big on Candlemass and I played him some Mercy and Nemesis (Edling's old band), but he didn't like it at all. If that doesn't work, I don't know what does.

Thats pretty weird

Show him some Solstice(UK), Sorcerer(Swe) and Solitude Aeturnus and if he doesn't like those he is lying to himself.

ARC · Post by **ARC** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:08 am

DaN wrote:Ever played ARC's "War of the Ring" to a close friend only to hear something along the lines of "Er.. so you really like this crap?"

Who is he? I'll kill the BASTARD!!!!

mordred · Post by **mordred** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:29 am

great_knuthulhu wrote:However, you could try and use some tactics and play something like Saint to Judas Priest fans. That's what I tried with Mercy and the Candlemass fan, but it didn't work at all.

As much as I would like to smash the skull of anyone who doesn't kneel in awe in front of the "Witchburner" album, I'm actually not surprised. Both Candlemass and Mercy played slow and both had Messiah on vocals, but the similarities ends at that. Within the doom metal genre, they are pretty different from each other. With a Candlemass fan I would start with Solitude Aeturnus, then Solstice and then Forsaken.

wicked keeper · Post by **wicked keeper** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:09 pm

My mum is 80 years old and and she came over for a visit a couple of weeks ago while I had "Necromancer" from Rush's "Caress Of Steel" on and said "this is nice" -so maybe that's a good starting point.

Brainbiter · Post by **Brainbiter** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:56 pm

Give good people good music. That's my motto.
I recently burned a mixCD with Demon, Riot, Attacker, Brocas Helm, Queensryche, Angel Witch, Cirith Ungol, Candlemass, Fates Warning, Abraxas, Helloween, Manilla Road, Psychotic Waltz, Warlord, Mercyful Fate, Trouble and Sanctuary and it proved to be rather successful.

The next step is always albums, 1-3 at a time so that the metal-"noob" can really listen to them and have the time to appreciate them for what they are and maybe like them. We've all been there and we know what worked for us.

great_knuthulhu · Post by **great_knuthulhu** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:22 pm

mordred wrote:
great_knuthulhu wrote:However, you could try and use some tactics and play something like Saint to Judas Priest fans. That's what I tried with Mercy and the Candlemass fan, but it didn't work at all.
As much as I would like to smash the skull of anyone who doesn't kneel in awe in front of the "Witchburner" album, I'm actually not surprised. Both Candlemass and Mercy played slow and both had Messiah on vocals, but the similarities ends at that. Within the doom metal genre, they are pretty different from each other. With a Candlemass fan I would start with Solitude Aeturnus, then Solstice and then Forsaken.

I'm not so sure about Solstice. I love their stuff, especially New Dark Age, but they're difficult to penetrate. I'm going to push some Solitude Aeturnus on that same guy. He loves the new Candlemass, so...

Korgüll · Post by **Korgüll** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:47 pm

I'm just glad in 1984 when I was 11 that my next door neighbour saved me from Prince & Duran Duran & taped for me: Dio-Holy Diver & Last In Line on one tape & Van Halen-Fair Warning & Vandenberg-S/T on the other... since that time I have been on an endless quest to search out & discover the best metal in the world...and have never looked back.
I'm so glad with a forum like this that I know there are still undiscovered bands to discover...

I'm getting emotional now...

try and play a new Anthrax fan old Armored Saint...!!!!

Helm · Post by **Helm** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:28 pm

Brainbiter wrote:Give good people good music. That's my motto.
I recently burned a mixCD with Demon, Riot, Attacker, Brocas Helm, Queensryche, Angel Witch, Cirith Ungol, Candlemass, Fates Warning, Abraxas, Helloween, Manilla Road, Psychotic Waltz, Warlord, Mercyful Fate, Trouble and Sanctuary and it proved to be rather successful.

The next step is always albums, 1-3 at a time so that the metal-"noob" can really listen to them and have the time to appreciate them for what they are and maybe like them. We've all been there and we know what worked for us.

Yeah, a collection of good songs by different artists stands a better chance than throwing a Mercy LP in the face of someone that doesn't know what's up, that's true. I find that the only people that really get hooked to metal though, are those that understand english and learn the lyrics. Heavy Metal is really half of what it can be when taken in the 'I just like the music maaaan...' type of way. Lots of my friends simply do not have good english skills to grasp the majesty.

Khnud · Post by **Khnud** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:46 pm

I've converted most of my metal friends into liking Witchfinder General. I mean, what's NOT to like about them?

I usually throw "Loose'N'Lethal" by SAVAGE on the old turntable whenever I get the chance, and always receive good responses, but so far I'm the only one who've actually got the record. I Bet they just downloaded it - bastards!

The Sentinel · Post by **The Sentinel** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:48 pm

It's indeed not easy to "convert" the unbelievers. I once met a guy who said Paradise Lost's Draconian Times was the BEST metal album ever. I started laughing and said it was crap metal designed for little girls. I gave him a compilation CD with bands he never heard of like Sanctuary, Candlemass, Lethal, WASP etc, the more "common" ones. After some weeks he still said Paradise Lost had made the "Creme de la creme" of everything that is metal. One can imagine that I didn't put more effort in convincing the opposite.

I can give hundreds of examples of this kind. I succeeded when a friend of mine was totally hooked on Manilla Road's Crystal Logic. It was the best thing he ever heard and he is always asking if I have more of this kind (haha, yes I have). I gave him Omen "Battle Cry" for his birthday and he was totally blown away by it.

But sometimes I think you have to be born liking metal. When friends of mine are gathered at my house for drinking beers before going out, I sometimes put on things like Defender, Lethal, Excess, you name it, and I NEVER hear something like: wow, this is great, far better then Rammstein or Children Of Bodom or Soulfly or ...Can you fix me a compilation cd, Sten?

EVERYONE in my surroundings think I'm wasting my time listening to records, well, I know better, I fucking LOVE IT

MassOfKthulu · Post by **MassOfKthulu** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:27 pm

I have always found amusing the way Black Metallers INSTANTLY get into Cirith Ungol,like from the first note.especially if you play them King of the dead.strange.
I have never tried to initiate anyone into arcane metal,cos noone deserves it.Once my mom came in the room and i shut off Epicus Doomicus and she was like 'why did you shut that off' and i said 'you dont deserve to hear it'

Post by **DaN** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:50 pm

MassOfKthulu wrote:Once my mom came in the room and i shut off Epicus Doomicus and she was like 'why did you shut that off' and i said 'you dont deserve to hear it'

Someone pleeeease make that into a comic strip!

The Erlking · Post by **The Erlking** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:00 am

I'm lucky since one of my oldest friends likes most of the stuff i recommend him. He's not much of an "metal investigator" like i consider myself

but he have some taste. For example he likes gotham city and worships manilla road's crystal logic.

But other ppl... bleh i think i know too many guys with very crappy taste in music overall.

msp · Post by **msp** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:09 am

When I started College back in '91, my mate Neil was into AC/DC and so forth.

I basically really converted him by lending him tapes of Carcass, Cathedral, Solitude Aeturnus and Trouble etc.

He was never the same since then

Converting the unbelievers - Your weapons of choice?

Re: Converting the unbelievers - Your weapons of choice?