Name your most underrated singer and/or guitarist! (lesser known bands/artists)

[Rain]

I guess it's a matter of timing. Metallica came into my life at the right moment, and that moment happened to be the Ride the Lightning-Master of Puppets era, which most would consider their peak. 

I was 12 or 13 and always looking for the heaviest and fastest music, but I also felt that a lot of the emerging thrash metal bands weren't writing very good songs, even if I appreciated the all-out aggression. Metallica appeared to have better tunes  and sense of  balance. Their songs "worked" for me, the structures were right. It didn't feel like just a bunch of riffs.

And I was - and remain - a huge fan of James Hetfield as a rhythm guitar player. I'd rather listen to him playing rhythm than to most guitar players soloing. That man's right hand is like a jackhammer. Anytime I want to put my picking hand back in shape, Metallica is the ticket. 

As for Lars - can't stand him or his playing. Read an article not that long ago saying that Hetfild practically didn't have any drums in his in-ear mix. He is leading the band, Ulrich just plays on top of it - or tries to. And it actually sounds exactly like it.

Megadeth came into the picture a bit later, and though I could appreciate some of it, their first few records didn't seem as consistent as Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. Then there was that Mustaine character and perhaps even more importantly, his voice. I can't get past it.

If Hetflied's voice hadn't evolved from Kill 'Em All to Ride the Lightning (and from that one to Master of Puppets), I am not sure I would have been as much of a fan. 

That being said, I can appreciate what Megadeth is doing, and I KNOW they have some incredible material - stuff off of Rust in Peace and all. But it isn't for me.

Last year I dug out So Far, So Good - that's probably the one I listened to the most back in the day. I'd not heard it in over 30 years. I REALLY liked some of the songs but the leads were total chaos to my hear. Just really fast and all over the place - and making no sense at all as far as I was concerned.

Funnily enough, my ex played with the lead guitarist who played with them on that album here a few years ago and we hung out and became "friendish", and talked guitar and Randy Rhoads and all on Facebook - but one day something triggered him and he went into the strangest, most esoteric conspiracy theories and veered deep into anti-Semitism.  And that is one of the few things I have absoluely no tolerance for.

This seemed to align with the natural antipathy that I have always felt towards the Mustaine brigade. I know it isn't rational, but it seemed to reinforced my impression about him and his band, from a human perspective. 

As much as I can't stand Lars, for me, that's still better than Mustaine (with all due respect to Mustaine's great talent).

Edited November 11, 2022 by Rain

[craigb]

Heh...

[Grem]

Enjoyed the MegaD video

[Sheens]

Marcel, singer of Di-rect  (not under-rated in my area though).

 

 

[Grem]

9 hours ago, Sheens said:

Marcel, singer of Di-rect  (not under-rated in my area though).

 

 Damn!! That was a great song, well sung, and well performed.

And then I found this:

OMG!! What a singer! What a performance!! Excellent stuff!! Excellent!!

[Grem]

Yep, found something new to listen to. Thanks Sheen.

[Sheens]

11 minutes ago, Grem said:

 

OMG!! What a singer! What a performance!! Excellent stuff!! Excellent!!

this is their 'biggest' hit so far (iic)

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by Sheens

[Grem]

1 minute ago, Sheens said:

this is their 'biggest' hit so far.

I see that they been putting out records since early 2003.  I got some listening to do. Listening to the De Duif Sessions right now.