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Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 8:52 am
by rsmurphy
OrthodoxEaster wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:36 pm
Filth, Cop, and the Raping a Slave EP by Swans. By far. Three of my favorite records ever made.
The other two bands aren't even close in terms of leaden oppressiveness. That weird double rhythm section on Filth alone just wallops everything. Plus, Swans got there a good deal earlier (formed in 1981, found their voice by late 1982). Neurosis and Godflesh wouldn't sound the way they sound w/o Swans' influence. Plus, I appreciate Swans' art-damaged no-wave roots far more than Neurosis's metal/hardcore ones and Godflesh's UK industrial ones. Gira is a much more charismatic yet cerebral frontman than Broadrick or the Neurosis guy, as well.
Though I've never sat down with Neurosis for any extended amount of time I agree with this sentiment. After a certain period in life I desired a different type of heaviness, and to my astonishment
Filth was there all the while. I like Godflesh just fine, but those early Swans records are primitive and punishing in a way that defies reasoning.
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 10:13 am
by boilermaker
Never understood why Through Silver in Blood is considered Neurosis' best album, when Enemy of the Sun is so much better.
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 12:29 pm
by A_Man_Who_Tries
You know how we've sometimes gone over who would have completed a thrash metal 'Big Five'?
Well, who would be your pick for a fourth band here?
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:41 pm
by boilermaker
A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 12:29 pm
You know how we've sometimes gone over who would have completed a thrash metal 'Big Five'?
Well, who would be your pick for a fourth band here?
Sunn O)))? Big Black? Melvins? EyeHateGod?
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:48 pm
by jfv
boilermaker wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:41 pm
A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 12:29 pm
You know how we've sometimes gone over who would have completed a thrash metal 'Big Five'?
Well, who would be your pick for a fourth band here?
Sunn O)))? Big Black? Melvins? EyeHateGod?
I don't think Big Black belongs on this list. They strike me as noisier than heavy. Also they can be lighter and quite funny, though usually in a sick, twisted way.
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:50 pm
by A_Man_Who_Tries
boilermaker wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:41 pm
Sunn O)))? Big Black? Melvins? EyeHateGod?
It's a tough one. I'd have all of those bands a solid league beneath though.
I'd probably choose Corrupted, but I have a feeling I'll smack my head at a painfully obvious choice I've overlooked.
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:53 pm
by zorg
A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 12:29 pm
You know how we've sometimes gone over who would have completed a thrash metal 'Big Five'?
Well, who would be your pick for a fourth band here?
It's a pretty good selection. I'm not sure what else belongs here....I would nominate Earth 2, but that's kind of a singular statement, and less a consistent band.
Glenn Branca deserves a special mention probably for laying the groundwork. The Ascension sounds really relevant and is pretty much packaged the whole thing we're talking about, here.
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:58 pm
by Bernardo
The other bands would be Earth and The Melvins.
The Melvins don't enjoy a very good rep on this board, but their influence is wide and undeniable, and they were consistent in their approach (the opposite of nominating, say, Black Flag for side B of My War).
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:06 pm
by kicker_of_elves
boilermaker wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:41 pm
A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 12:29 pm
You know how we've sometimes gone over who would have completed a thrash metal 'Big Five'?
Well, who would be your pick for a fourth band here?
Sunn O)))? Big Black? Melvins? EyeHateGod?
Butthole Surfers?
Re: Holy Trinity of Heaviness-dome: Swans vs Neurosis vs Godflesh
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:14 pm
by OrthodoxEaster
Some of these are a little more obscure, but:
Gore.
Caspar Brötzmann Massaker.
Melvins.
Khanate.
maybe Sleep.
Branca is some of my favorite music ever, but he was too abstract and brainy to be heavy in a "rock" way. Plus his drummers just tended to thump eighth notes on the kick drum and tumble around on the toms w/o dragging the beat or creating much conventional heft. Huge influence on Swans, though.
Flipper and Drunks w/Guns kinda sorta fit the bill but are perhaps a wee bit too punk and too comical.