I figured I would start a topic on music preferences and recommendations here. As I have said elsewhere, my main, though far from only, preference is metal. I invite other posters to discuss their musical interests here. Some excellent new albums I have picked up recently, and which I highly recommend to metal listeners: Watain, The Wild Hunt; All Pigs Must Die, Nothing Violates This Nature; Satyricon, self-titled.

I've reached an age now where I listen to more AM than FM. I will pick up the occasional new release of favorite bands like the Tragically Hip, but more often then not I find myself putting together compilations of favorite songs be it one group or an era.

I'm a big fan of all kinds of music. I'm not sure if the metal I like qualifies as metal or what or any particular genre. I'm no music buff, that's for sure. I like Opeth, Angra, Metallica, Rammstein, Avenged Sevenfold, Northern Kings, Nightwish, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Judas Priest, Motley Crue and bands like that. I think those are metal... Are they metal? Not sure. Yeah, I like pretty much most genres of music, but those are ones that I think may be metally.

Most of those would generally be considered "metal"; the rest are at least hard rock. I am not one of those "you're a poser" snobs. I do listen to other stuff, as well as many different metal sub-genres. Based upon some of the bands you named, I would recommend Dawnbringer, Arcturus, Audrey Horne, Enslaved, Enforcer, and Zuul. There is a lot of great lesser-known stuff out there.

MILEY CYRUS!!!!

Anyone?

I used to be pretty hardcore into metal during high school - mostly Iron Maiden, Amon, Megadeath, and...I hate admitting this, but Slipknot. Now, I'm more into the stuff like Eluveitie, Ensiferum, Within Temptation, and Lordi...which is kind of all over the place, no? Beast, you're probably a better judge than I am.

I've been killing the new Bob Dylan "discovered tracks" on my morning train ride, and I'm loving that stuff. Really, I'll give anything a shot once. Here! Ten random artists from my Ipod:

The Eels, Alabama Shakes, Man O' War, Edith Piaf, The Pretenders, Franz Ferdinand, Hans Zimmer, Eric Clapton, Alestorm, and The Heavy. I think the only stuff I actively avoid is modern pop, rap, country, and electronica. I'll cede that there's good rap out there, but most of it...ugh. That "Diced Pineapple" song makes me want to bang my head against a concrete wall, and I think Li'l Wayne is the worst thing to happen to hip-hop since Vanilla Ice.

Oh, and dubstep sounds like Transformers having an orgy.

I still listen to almost everything I was into as a kid; Maiden, Priest, Venom, etc. The first band I can recall actively liking is AC/DC. My favorite non-metal artists are Bad Religion, Tori Amos, Throwing Muses, and Joy Division. I like some 1980's pop and older rock, and strongly despise country, reggae, and modern R&B. Techno-robot dance music and modern pop are not favorites, either. I will give most music at least a chance listen before making my decision. My wife recommended a singer named Lana del Rey who I ended up liking. While I am not really a fan, I do like hearing old Bruce Springsteen songs; it reminds me of when I was a kid, and my father used to crank that stuff.

I'm the same way with The Doors. Take 'em or leave 'em personally, but they remind me so much of long car trips to Michigan with my dad, I find it impossible to completely hate them.

It's been a pretty good music year for me: new albums by Jimmy Eat World, Mark Mulcahy, and The Pastels, and upcoming albums by Los Campesinos! and, somehow, Mazzy Star. I'm hoping LC! tours the U.S. at some point in the near future. Mazzy's playing in NYC in November, and hopefully I'll have the money to travel down there.

Lately, I've been listening to mostly scores from movies. It's been a pretty dry time for me as far as music goes.

It has been a reasonably good year for music. Aside from the bands and albums previously mentioned, there were also excellent new releases by Summoning, Voivod, Darkthrone, and many others. The debut from Hate Meditation (a side band from the man behind what is currently my favorite act, Nachtmystium), was also very good. I have the new In Solitude CD on preorder, due to arrive any day now. And, I will be seeing them next week, opening for Watain. That should be a killer show.