Surrounded by Poseurs

Metalheads love to talk about bands they think are “underrated.” Although they might have a tenuous understanding of what that word even means (the definition is “not rated or valued highly enough”), I have discovered some pretty killer new music from YouTube videos and blog posts about underrated metal bands.

However, I’m finding the entire argument over underrated and overrated metal bands itself to be an overrated conversation. While metalheads have no trouble acknowledging the Tampa death metal scene, Bay Area thrash, Norwegian black metal, etc, there are plenty other geographical areas that are home to multiple well-respected acts who go unacknowledged.

Sometimes this can be attributed to the price of success: a few of the below metal scenes are already so well-known for another style of music that they get overshadowed in comparison. In other cases these scenes may have been a little late to the party, with their style of metal already having become another area’s “thing.” For others I can’t even think of an explanation. Whatever the reasons, I intend to right these oversights now in no particular order:

5. Montréal-Death Metal

As someone who grew up in Vermont, I rarely have anything good to say about my French-Canadian neighbors. But unlike the majority of death metal fans, I can’t ignore their contribution to the scene. For instance, Cryptopsy is a popular, influential, and well-recognized death metal act. Sure, some of their records are better than others, but you can say that about most of your favorite bands.

Gorguts is one of the most influential names in technical and avant-garde death metal. One of their album titles is even the namesake of another technical death metal band:

And Kataklysm has been consistently releasing bangers since the mid-90s. I will even defend some of their recent releases that the reviewers on The Metal Archives don’t seem to like for some reason.

While these are my personal favorites that I think should get Montréal mentioned more often alongside death metal scenes like Tampa and Stockholm, the list does not end there. There’s also Beyond Creation, The Agonist, Beneath the Massacre, and probably more I haven’t heard of before.

I’d also like to include a shoutout to another favorite of mine, Necronomicon. While not as big as the above bands, I can’t imagine why, since they’ve been dropping killer records since the late 90s. If you’re into death metal with a pinch of black metal and symphonic elements thrown in à la Behemoth and Hate, you’ll be right at home here.

4. France-Weird Black Metal

Unlike the above bands, these bands can speak proper French. But unlike their Scandinavian counterparts, they cannot play proper black metal, instead opting for…whatever avant-garde experimental nonsense this is. And I am totally here for it. You’ve got the trippiness of Blut Aus Nord…

The esoteric madness of Deathspell Omega…

And, er, the wholesome patriotism of Peste Noire.

Speaking of Peste Noire, their former drummer’s band Alcest also deserves a mention here.

And before you get all bent out of shape saying “hurr durr, they’re blackgaze, not black metal”

a) I know that

b) They started as a black metal band, and

c) Peste Noire incorporates folk, electronic, and fucking trap of all things into their “black metal,” so shut up.

3. The Pacific Northwest-Doom Metal

This is one of those cases where the region is already so well-known for another style of music that all their other musical output gets overshadowed by comparison. For the average music fan, music from the Pacific Northwest is synonymous with grunge. However, Oregon and Washington excel in practically every rock subgenre, be it punk, hardcore, thrash, heavy metal, black metal, death metal, or sludge. So many of my favorite bands are from this area that it was a challenge to narrow it down to one subgenre, but being the ray of sunshine I am, doom won out.

Euguene (where the above photo was taken) is home to one of the heaviest bands in existence, Yob:

The funeral doom kings Bell Witch hail from Seattle:

And many of Agalloch’s album artwork (not to mention ambient noise between tracks) are landmarks from their home of Portland:

Not to mention plenty others like Hell from Salem, Oregon and Sunn O))) who got their start in Seattle. I’d also make the case that you can hear the doom influence in Portland goth rock/metal bands Unto Others and Hoaxed. And I’ll give honorable mention to Pallbearer’s “Foundation of Burden” album, which isn’t by a Northwestern band but was recorded in Portland.

The doom comes for everything that touches the Northwest.

2. Ukraine-Black metal

The Ukrainian black metal scene may not have garnered as much fame (or infamy) as its Norwegian counterparts, but not for lack of trying. Living in a post-Soviet country in the 90s and lack of access to the same media attention probably played a big part.

(I am well aware that Ukraine is anything but ignored by the media right now, but there’s no way I was able to work that into my segue without sounding like an insensitive douche).

Anyway, speaking of war (damn it, I was so close), you’ve got WWI-themed black/doom band 1914:

Drudkh, who take heavy influence from Ukrainian history, folklore, literature, and mythology to craft their unique brand of black folk metal:

Nokturnal Mortum’s lyrics and imagery are similar, except when they LARP as vikings, who weren’t exactly buddies with the Slavs. Whatever, still great black metal.

I’d list a few other Ukrainian black metal favorites, but admittedly most of them have the same members as Drudkh. Yet even if the Ukrainian black metal scene is really just three or four of the same guys releasing records under different band names, they’re still worth checking out.

1. Austin-Stoner metal

Austin is full of potheads. I may not like how these potheads smell, but they sound amazing, making some of dankest, heaviest stoner metal in the Republic of Texas (probably because all the other potheads in Texas are in jail, yaaay decriminalization).

Admittedly, I’m stretching my definition of “underrated metal scene” pretty far since most of the bands I’m about to list are very much underground. But if you read my list of every band who should be in the Big Four instead of Anthrax, you’d know that Texas is the capital of the world, and Austin is the capital of Texas, making it the capital of the capital of the world. And the capital of the world can be called whatever it wants, thank you very much.

I will start my list with one act who made it pretty big, however, since I know some of you Texas deniers are still whining. The Sword was a popular stoner doom outfit founded in Austin in 2003, making it almost 20 years before splitting up in 2022. I’m still kicking myself over passing on a chance to see them live a couple months before they called it quits, and at a venue that wasn’t a massive corporate stadium, no less.

Now that I’ve shut you Texas deniers up, here’s a sampling of other stoner metal bands from Austin you should check out:

• The Well
• Greenbeard
• Bridge Farmers
• Duel

Just bring nose plugs in addition to your ear plugs if you see any of them play live.