So when I say bizarre, I don't mean "weird in a sense where the album is parody" or "trying too hard to be distinct as a metal band where it seems obvious." I mean a band who puts out a release and is just one of the weirdest pieces of plastic/vinyl you ever laid ears on.

This can be because it's unclassifiable (not just one, two or three vast genres, but an array of them), something for a band that wasn't anticipated (I don't mean selling out, but more like a band putting out a death metal album one year, a neo-folk album the next, and then releasing a death metal album again two years later), or whatever. Just don't mention anything that is parody (is: Impaled Northern Moonfrost, or whatever that acoustic joke black metal band is from Seth Putnam from Anal Cunt). And please explain why, don't just list albums.



My personal choice would definitely be Mr. Bungle's "Disco Volante" in overall general music I've heard, but for something a bit more metal-sounding, I'm going with their self-titled debut released in 1991.

So this was my intro to Mr. Bungle, knowing they're "avant-garde" but I didn't realize the severity of their experimental sound. Everything from the first track, a song about John Travolta (originally named "Travolta" but later changed to "Quote Unquote" to prevent being sued), to the last song that is a progressive silent-storm sort of track "Dead Goon", the CD is like a real brain warp. The music is good, doesn't sound like it's trying too hard to be "weird" and it's never a tiring listening experience. I would recommend this to any metalhead and rock enthusiast alike, it's definitely the experience.

The way they incorporate different styles with real metal-driven riffs as well as the random, often disturbing samples (once of them being I believe Mike Patton taking a really noisy shit) definitely makes this a genius album that was well thought out, musically and how samples were used to end songs and further put forth a atmosphere of interest and mystery. I still don't even understand half of the lyrics meanings, sample usage, and their song writing approach. I really think their sample use has a lot to do with why this album is that much weirder aside from the band's interesting blend of styles. Long story short, like the artwork of the CD, this CD is like a circus side show soundtrack... a creepy and deranged one at that. I suppose why this CD is weird in my mind as well is it's inconsistent sound... yes, the production is the same, but the song structures vary vastly... some are the "chorus" type songs while others are just randomly structured.

As a side note, this and "Disco Volante" has definitely gotta be some of the most random major label releases anyone can lay their ears on. Both were released via Warner Brothers Record to my surprise when I first heard the CDs. I wonder what the general mainstream thought of these CD's when they saw that the CDs had "rock" printed on the side of the packaging sticker.

Disco Volante was the first album that came into my head when I read the title. A Fantomas album would probably be the second. I listen to a lot of weird/bizarre music (Though I guess mainstream bizarre, if you know what I mean), but Disco Volante still seems very weird to me after so many listens.

There is absolutely nothing "bizarre" about Mr Bungle, just a bunch of morons with no talent whatsoever throwing together random elements that neither do anything on their own nor work together. There's nothing more to it than there is to a two-year old's attempt at drawing a picture.

Anyway, on first thought, the most bizarre album that comes to mind is Sigh's debut, "Scorn Defeat". It's too bad the band gradually wandered into territory similar to that of Mr Bungle (in terms of the approach to "songwriting" (or how avoid it, rather)) later in their career, because their debut displayed one of the strangest atmospheres I have ever encountered on an extreme metal album. Well, on a metal album in general. Everything feels so otherworldly in a murky way, and it doesn't achieve that atmosphere by throwing in every retarded "avantgarde" element the band can "think" (one can't really use that word in that context) of, but by utilizing technically very simple and straight-forward elements.

One of the most bizarre metal albums I've ever heard eh? Well, perhaps this album isn't really weird, but something about Øl, Mørke og Depresjon by Den Saakaldte just struck me as being so bizarrely stupid. I was listening the affore mentioned album (I'm not going to waste my time re-typing the name of any album that Niklas "look at me I'm so special" Kvarforth participated in) whilst eating. Not really paying attention to the album when I noticed that there was a saxophone playing.

I immediately turned the song off (and I can't really remember what song the saxophone was playing in). I just can't imagine the amount of stupid one would have to ingest to cause that person to think that throwing a saxophone into a black metal song would work. it's was so bizarre.

EDIT: Actually, I'm not certain if the instrument was a saxophone, but whatever it was it gave off this whole Jazz vibe. it was like playing a Sear Bliss song and the intro theme to Cowboy Bebop at the same time.

I'll vote for Thought Industry's Mods Carve the Pig: Assassins, Toads, and God's Flesh. They took their already quirky avant-garde thrash of their debut (acoustic interludes, odd instrument usage, frequent time changes, and beyond), made it even more frantic by condensing it into short three/four/five minute songs, and then added a nice helping of post-hardcore viciousness to top it off. Not to mention the lyrics are about as unconventional as it got in 1993, coming off as something The Mars Volta would write, except that they aren't pure gibberish.

First thing what I have to say is that these "weird" stuff is what I like the most from the whole metal! I am big fan of avant-garde metal.

I'd like to pick Solefald - Neonism, it is completely genius. You'll find there black metal shrieks, rap, techno, whatever... and it does not sounds like patchwork, everything is well considered. There are parts sung in french, there are grand hammond keyboards used, simply this album is original more then 100 normal albums together. They are considered as gods of avant-garde metal. For anybody bored with normal stuff this can be a new impulse and can find something absolutely amazing in this album. This is definitely not for purists.

I agree with Mr.Bungle. Actually I like all Mr.Bungle full-lenghts.
I LOVE also Carnival in Coal, Tormentor (Recipe ferrum is great), Atrox (with Monica Edvardsen, one of the most innovative female vocalists in metal, they ruled), The 3rd and the mortal, astounding doom metal band later evolutioned into great avant-garde (without metal), Fleurety - shifting from some obscure black metal to avant-agrde metal with jazz elements etc.
Thee Maldoror Kollective, Anubi, KorovaKill, Beyond Dawn, The Wicked should be mentioned too.

Akphaezya's Anthology II is very bizarre, and not in the typical Mr. Bungle-esque way of cobbling together various musical elements. This is avant-garde with a purpose, sounding random yet structured at the same time. And man do those riffs kill. Great guitar tone.

Yeah! It is so great! Nehl Aëlin is great female vocalist, I was surprised by guttural vocals in The Golden Vortex of Kaltaz
I'd like to check out her solo creation, I like that video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OH1zd--Mcw
In 2008 there are not many better albums than Anthology II in my view.

The answer for me is by far Portal. I don't even know how to describe the music...it's unearthly. Honestly, I'm not sure if I like it or not, it's so strange, and certainly not accessible.

Sigh has always been a fucked up little band, but "Hangman's Hymn" was just weird, sometimes it sounds like Finntroll with laughs over it. It sounds like they're just not taking themselves way too seriously, and that's really cool, specially in a genre like theirs.

I think the only reason Warner put it out is because Patton threatened that he would leave FNM if they didn't. Then in 98/99 all the major labels wanted Fantomas because of the all star member line up untill they heard the music haha. Therefore Patton started Ipecac.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Demilich's Nespithe yet. Every aspect of that album is flat out bizarre and unnatural.

!T.O.O.H! and Mithras are both pretty bizarre.

Mike Patton is a proper politician.

On topic, Furze's Necromanzee Cogent - Although I traded it recently I think Mr. Reaper has some pretty weird and wonderful ideas, it's just I don't like his sound, that album is like the audial equivilent of an obscure 1940's eastern european low budget horror movie on LSD.

Fleurety's Min Tid Skal Komme (I recently got the 2003 version with bonus tracks, god how I hate bonus tracks) is pretty weird, like some sort of black prog rock/metal opera and very cinematic.

Windham Hell are fairly weird, but Solefald - The Linear Scaffold is probably my favorite strange album.

There's a good amount of seriousness in terms of music and lyrics, I'd say the previous album was much less serious and more relaxed. Needless to say, I am fan of most of the band's work and I hope they continue in either direction again.

Dodheimsgard have taken some strange turns. they weren't exactly incredible to begin with, but their experimenting is just plain fuckin wierd.

I was thinking of this album as soon as I saw the topic. I'm not sure how you compare Necromanzee Cogent to a horror film, but to be honest, it's quite true to that.

I should have expected that this thread would turn into a list of pathetic "avantgarde" pseudo-artists who try to hide their lack of talent by creating random mishmashes with zero inspiration or intelligent thought, rather than artists who create something truly bizarre on an emotional rather than a gimmicky superficial level. Shame on me for never abandoning my faith into the intelligence of fellow metalheads.

http://www.myspace.com/portalxiii

Not bad. Sounds like a slightly more mainstream version of the Molested full-length (who in turn are another band that actually truly belongs in this thread).

You call Mr. Bungle's debut a "random mishmash." You say Sigh's later stuff follows that vein of thought.

I'm sorry, but you're just missing something. Song structures on the former album are very easy to identify, and yes, there's a lot going on, but it's all very coherent if you give it more than a shallow glance. Let me guess... you don't listen to a whole lot of classical music either, do you?

Sigh's later material being a random mish-mash is also an ignorant overstatement. Imaginary Sonicscape may have a few moments of such self-indulgence, but to say Gallows Gallery was the same? Laughable. And Hangman's Hymn is also pretty straight-forward from an overall compositional perspective.

What goes on in your naive imagination is of no concern to me, but at least your statement regarding their currently latest album bears some correctness to it, they do indeed seem to be trying to returning to actual songwriting with that one.

Mr Bungle actually has some very talented musicians who all are, apart from Patton (who's quite the opposite) very underrated.
I'll agree that their first two albums aren't very good. Fun every now and again, if you like that sort of thing, but not very good musically. I'd suggest the album California for anyone who wants to hear Bungle writing proper songs, or The raging wrath of the easter bunny, which a very strange old school death metal demo. Definitely worth checking out if you are an old school DM fan, though.


I have a fair bit of weird, fucked up music which I'll get around to listing in this post when I get the time...

...And you're going to try to convince me that Gallows Gallery isn't a straight-forward heavy metal album?

And I don't know what you're on, but it's pretty easy to pick out verses, choruses, and bridges from many of the songs on the Mr. Bungle debut and California. Admittedly, I haven't heard enough of Disco Volante to judge that one.

Actually, I've been curious about that one. Mind supporting a little highly illegal piracy in PM?

One of these days, I am going to devote a little time to really listening to their latest Outre'. It is totally bizarre and I echo your sentiments, I can't tell if I like it or not. It's unsettling to say the very least.

I can pretend to locate structures in Merzbow songs if you want, I'll still be able to tell you that there was no effort going into creating or arranging them. In fact, I can spot very simple and harmonic structures in my turds, does that make my ass an artist?

Portal's not so strange. It's essentially black metal composition with death metal aesthetic.

At least they don't call themselves "strange".

I've already epxlained that to you.

Unless your turds are singing, I highly doubt that last statement. And if they are, I want a recording!

I'm not arguing about the quality of the songs Mr. Bungle has put forth. I'm simply saying that they aren't the "random mish-mashes" that you claim they are. Some planning, however misguided, went into creating the songs, as there are clearly discernible song parts like choruses and verses to be found. Whether they suck or not is irrelevant to this.

I have yet to hear any evidence of that.

And you don't even want to know what my turds do.

I have yet to hear a band like them. I can't even hear the time signatures in their music...

They are there of course. They do not play in rubato.

Regardless of a lack of peers (if that's even true, I haven't cared enough to investigate thoroughly), they analysis is a correct one.

Portal-Outre`

Bergraven's debut

I didn't deny they are present, but they seem very complex.

Who would you consider to be one of the stranger bands out there?

None, really. I haven't heard any metal that I would place in a truly bizarre category.

I've grown tired of your pompous attitude. Hey, if you don't like something, that's your prerogative. However, to claim further that you know that "there was no effort going into creating or arranging" the structures in Merzbow songs is absolutely ridiculous. Nobody can know what went through a musician's mind while composing any given work and you in particular can't know what was going through the minds behind any of the bands that you love to hate. You consistently demonstrate extreme prejudice against certain bands for completely inane reasons and, what's worse, you express your subjective distaste as though it were rooted in anything other than your own sense of superiority (or, perhaps, inferiority).

I find your distinctions between good and bad composition to be highly arbitrary. I can understand your complaints that Finntroll is overly simplistic or inane, although I think that you don't properly understand that it is intentionally so. However, to accuse Mr Bungle, Sigh, and Merzbow of putting too little effort into their composition is absolutely ridiculous, particularly when it comes from someone who gave Mayhem's Deathcrush a perfect score. I enjoy kvlt Mayhem as much as the next guy, but let's be realistic: it is at least as likely that any of the three aforementioned avant-garde bands put in a lot of effort into their work as it is that Mayhem did. All I can really say at this point is: Are you joking, for fuck's sake?

EDIT: I just noticed my post count. I am now going to blare the Overture in its honor!

As an example, "Squeeze Me Macaroni" from the Mr. Bungle self-titled:
0.00-0.15: Pretty straightforward (albeit fast) verse.
0.15-0.28: Chorus, it's pretty clearly one line stated twice.
0.29-0.45: Verse two. Verse is split such that the two couplets are backed by different instrumental parts, but they flow right into each other.
0.46-0.50: Quick little saxophone bridge.
0.50-0.58: Verse 3, lyrically structured like verse 2, but instrumentally similar to verse 1.
0.58-1.12: Verse 4, mirroring verse 1 with different lyrics.
1.12-1.26: Chorus. Same as before.
1.27-3:10: Bridge. Starts off similar to the first part of verse two. This is probably the most "random mishmash" you'll hear in the song, but it has well-defined musical ideas, even if they aren't transitioned.
3.11-3.24: Verse 5, again mirroring verse 1.
3.24-3.39: Chorus. Slight change of lyrics ("bone" to "boner"), but not disruptive.
3:40-end: General deconstruction of song. Some bands would have used a fadeout around 4:30 (when the coda of the song is pretty much done here), but instead Mr. Bungle chooses to fade it out into some noisy "PARTY!" type samples, until it devolves into a noisy-sample fest.

See, not that hard.

I think that statement of yours sums up my entire problem with this thread, because, as I know you, you are very likely looking at it from a musical perspective, while I am looking at it from a purely atmospheric perspective regardless of how "unusual" or "bizarre" something is musically. Records like the Sigh debut or the Molested full-length that I mention do indeed create an entirely bizarre atmosphere, but musically they are very unspectacular, one might almost call them "generic" in a way, on that level. The EP of Mock - the predecessor of Kampfar - is an even more extreme example in that direction, as my review of said EP describes. Musically not at all dissimilar from any other Norwegian BM bands of that time, but damn how weird that EP feels when you listen to it...