A couple of problems with this:

I evaluate music on both a technical scale (involving compositon, and all of its devices) as well as the introspective influence it holds on me.

Another thing I may point out is that while you may choose to distinguish the atmosphere that a piece of music creates from its technical qualities, the fact is that the atmospheres are created by these qualities. You can't have the former without the latter. So even if I did choose to evaluate music purely in an analytical manner, I would be covering both.

Aside from this, I have nothing further to say on the matter. I've explained myself clearly.

What exactly does that list prove? Let me sit at the bus stop:

0:11-0:15: A truck drives by.
0:16-0:18: I see a shooting star in the sky.
0:19-0:45: I get annoyed by the chatter of some hiphoppers on their bicycles behind me.
0:46-0:54: I impatiently look at my watch.
0:55-1:12: I watch some old woman slowly walking along.

That one element follows another doesn't imply structure or any thought behind it.

I haven't claimed you didn't. And yes, I know you haven't claimed that I claimed you didn't.

Just clearing that up.

Very well, I was just clearing myself up, as well

Some of the bands listed seem to be original, but not neccessarily bizarre. There's certainly a difference.

Clarifying... whatever.

DO NOT CONFUSE ME!!

Anyway, to further try to remove myself from this notion that may or may not be percieved about me, I do think that quite a few pieces of music are bizarre, just nothing I've heard from metal. And the one that comes to mind immediately isn't even bizarre in its instrumentation or composition. But since this thread is all about metal I'll spare everyone with the namedropping.

That certain elements are put together like building blocks to form one greater unit IS a structure. Or so my theory professors told me.

I am curious. If I did not just give you the structure of the song, what is a song structure by your definition?

Nicely put.

Despite that, i personally dont think Mr. Bungle is that noisy comapred to, say, Rhino Charge, Sunn O))) or Merzebow.

For me, Sigh is a wonderfully bizarre band. There's not much to say about them that's already said here, so...

Arcturus' 'The Sham Mirrors' is a great album mixing various styles from metal to space rock to drum 'n' bass, without a single misstep. Their other albums really aren't this adventurous, not even close.

Yeah I mean seriously, their music is composed and well thought out. It's not like, let's say Anal Cunt who call their stuff music yet half of it isn't even thought out or prepared in a way where an artist sat down and figured how to put parts of it together. Well, at least their first few releases were like that.

Groups like Mr. Bungle are yes avant-garde but not "talentless." It's not like they just bang noise out. Even groups like Sunn O))) have well thought out composition structures with their noise. So I don't know why you're whining. Why don't you say a group you think has a bizarre release instead of blabbing how "avant-garde" groups are crap?

Why don't you read a thread before replying to it?

I'd say Flames of Hell's Fire and Steel. Not that bizarre, but different. The vocals sound like an old school version of the guy from Silencer. And every riff is very memorable, yet so normal that it is almost bizarre. Weird production, with guitars that remind me of the first Bathory album tone.

Says the guy who replies to a post outlining a series of repeating choruses and mirroring verses that it gives no evidence of structure.

Demilich and Portal is probably the wierdest I've heard, both are fantastic however

Good one. I always liked Thought Industry for trying to be a little bit different. I'll also throw in a vote for Cathedral's Forest of Equilibrium. It might not sound that weird today, but back then it was definitely pushing boundaries.

Dude, this is definitely Funeral_Shadow's thread. I'm pretty sure he's reading all of the posts, and its evident from his replies that he understands the concept of 'bizarre' music better than you do.

Funeral_Shadow, kudos on everything you've written on Bungle. They're one of my favorite bands, and I too find them very creative and interesting. They're one of those bands that never gets old to listen to, because you're always finding new things and parts of the music.

In that vein, one of the bizarrest bands I've found (not on the archives, but metal influenced) is Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Definitely not for everyone, but I think you'll appreciate them if you like Mr. Bungle. Every song is 180 degrees from the next. Instrumentation is crazy and diverse, song structures are difficult to figure out, and a general atmosphere of bizarrity abounds.

In a slightly more subdued fashion, Maudlin of the Well is also incredibly bizarre. I really don't know how to describe them, aside from that their songs range from spacey, to black metal, to jazz, to acoustic pieces, etc. One of the songs (interlude 4) was supposedly 'dreamed' by one of the members. He tunes his guitar to a strange set of notes, and then would strum the guitar every night before he went to bed. Eventually, he woke up with the idea for Interlude 4.

Hmm, I don't really get that from the music there, still great but not all too bizarre. Their demo is quite a bit weirder, I'd say.

Nobody's mentioned Lugubrum. They're kooky, if not completely weird.

It's definitely not metal (though there's easily some metal influence in their), but John Zorn's Naked City plays some pretty bizarre stuff; I like it....

Most bizarre... I would have to say either of Nattefrost's albums... They are completely pointless and stupid, if you ask me.

I don't know that I'd agree, but I really can't argue since he has a track of him taking a piss...

Hell yes. I love this project and everything he has done. Did you find "U.T.D." a little more palletable? It's not quite as doomy and the drumming is better .. still a bloody strange sound.



There are a lot of really warm, major-key sections on thatt album. If much of the stereotypical black metal from Scandinavia is supposed to conjure up that winter imagery, Fleurety is early fall.

Edit: As for Mr. Bungle .. I used to be somewhat a fan of this band, andd it's pretty clear that at least much of their first two albums are designed to be jarring and even annoying to listen to. They wentt almost completely off the deep-end with "Disco Volante", and so "California" is a complete turn-around and is the closest thing the band made to a serious album. Sure, they have loads of talent, but I think they make better use of it in Secret Chiefs 3, at least most of the time. There are no pubescent fool lyrics to distract and they manage to carry coherent themes on each albumm. Of course, they have even less to do with metal than do Bungle. Kind of makes me wonder though how much Patton is responsible for the near-novelty quality early Bungle has..

Lugubrum is indeed pretty strange .. even some of their early stuff has a very odd feeling. I still can't decide how much I enjoy their latest album ... some parts are brilliant but there are several "why the fuck did they do that?" moments. I think that in general I come down in favour of it; maybe I'll review it soon.

Personally, I chose Furze, but now that I think of it, the Emperor/Thorns split is pretty bizarre.

It has never come to my attention how bizarre Portal is before this thread. They definitely have a very strange atmosphere, especially if you keep the weird lyrics in mind.

Well, he must have had some influence, considering how genre-spastic he is in his other projects. Trip Hop, rock, whatever-the-fuck Fantomas is, jazz... but it's definitely apparent he wasn't the only one steering the Bungle-boat.

Gorguts - Obscura

In any other case I would call the vocals amateurish and annoying, but in this they sound so right.

Im surprised nobody said them yet-Gorguts' Obscura is completely fucking nuts and awesome all at once.

Wow..Lol

I'm surprised that NOONE has mentioned these bands:

GENGHIS TRON - Mix Faith No More with Pig Destroyer and a hint of of Melt Banana to get into this headspace.

Peste Noire - French sicko's making twisted black Metal.

Lifelover - I'm not even sure if this IS black metal, BUT it's very, very strange and wonderful and one of the few 'underground' bands I like.

Woods Of Infinity - Strange as well, but NOT as strange on newer releases.

Lugubrum - Used to be cool strange Black metal, then evolved into arthouse fuckery with slight Black metal tendencies, I suggest getting 'De Totem' or 'De Vette Cuecken' and 'Bryne Troon'

Ride For Revenge - Despite comparisons to fellow countrymen Beherit, NOONE sounds like these guys. Minimalistic Black Metal done in a ritualistic, BASS HEAVY way. One listen to 'The King Of Snakes' and you'll be hooked forever.................

I guess you didn't read my post then.

Grom- Behemoth. Not really bizarre in an actual sense, just bizarre for Behemoth.

I find all the Blut aus Nord albums after "Memoria Vetusta I" to be quite bizarre in composition, although I really love some of the stuff on "The Work Which Transforms God" (Axis, Our Blessed Frozen Cells, Procession of the Dead Clowns)

I'm sure someone will eventually mention projects such as Stalaggh (which I hardly consider to be Metal anyway) but if you want something really weird/bizarre/fucked up then you should check out Wold's "Screech Owl". Total brainfuck there.

Also, some people might disagree, but I think Lykathea Aflame's debut is really weird! So many genres mixed up in there. That is not saying that the album is bad though.