Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band from Northern California. Known for a highly eclectic style, the band often cycles through several musical genres within the course of a single song, including heavy metal, avant-garde jazz, ska, disco, and funk. Many Mr. Bungle songs had an unconventional structure and utilized a wide array of instruments and samples. Live shows often featured members dressing up and an array of cover songs.
Avant-garde metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music loosely defined by use of experimentation and innovative, avant-garde elements, including non-standard and unconventional sounds, instruments, song structures, playing styles, and vocal techniques. Avant-garde metal is influenced by progressive rock and extreme metal, particularly death metal, and is closely related to progressive metal. Some local scenes include Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, and Seattle in the United States, Oslo in Norway, and Tokyo in Japan.
Alchemist was an Australian progressive metal band from Canberra whose style combined death metal, progressive rock, psychedelic, Eastern, Aboriginal and electronic influences. The band formed in 1987 and released six studios albums, an EP and a compilation album. Work began on a new EP in 2010 but the band went on an indefinite hiatus and then split up. They are the only group to appear at every Metal for the Brain festival, an event they ran and organised from 1996. Alchemist also played at the Big Day Out and toured Europe several times.
Symphonic metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the heavy drums and guitars of metal with different elements of orchestral classical music, such as symphonic instruments, choirs and sometimes a full orchestra. Keyboards reminiscent of power metal are also sometimes featured.
Anaal Nathrakh are a British extreme metal band formed in 1999 in Birmingham, England. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. The band's name is Irish for snake's breath and was taken from Merlin's Charm of Making in John Boorman's 1981 film Excalibur. The band recorded two demos in 1999, which were later released as an album.
Diabolical Masquerade was a Swedish one-man black metal band with progressive influences. The band was formed in 1993 in Stockholm as side project of Anders Nyström, known for his work as the guitarist of Katatonia.
Estradasphere was an experimental band that originated in Santa Cruz, California, during the late 1990s. The band, which in its last incarnation was based in Seattle, consisted of six multi-instrumentalists from a variety of musical backgrounds trained in disciplines ranging from classical music and jazz to heavy metal.
Demoniac were a heavy metal band from New Zealand formed in Wellington in 1993 by singer and bass player Lindsay Dawson, guitarist Sam Totman and Drummer Steve Francis. They later moved to London, UK. Three of the members went on to form DragonForce. Their rather unusual musical style has often been labeled as "blackened power metal".
Ram-Zet is an extreme metal/avant-garde metal band formed in Hamar, Norway in 1998. It began as a one-man project by singer and guitarist Zet, which later evolved into a full-grown band with the arrival of Küth (drums) and Solem (bass), leading to the release of Ram-Zet's debut album Pure Therapy in September 2000.
Shining is a Norwegian hard rock band from Oslo. Thirteen musicians have been a part of the band's lineup in its history, with singer, guitarist, saxophonist, and songwriter Jørgen Munkeby as its leading force and only constant member. The band is also called SHINING (NOR) to avoid confusion with the eponymous Swedish black metal band.
Carnival in Coal is an extreme metal/avant-garde metal band from France. Founded in 1995, the band mixed death metal, black metal and other extreme metal genres with genres such as easy listening, disco, and pop.
My Angel is an EP and the debut release by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on 7" vinyl on 8 July 1991, through the record label Putrifaction Records. The EP is notable for being one of the earliest releases to be labelled symphonic black metal.
Kekal is a heavy metal and electronic music band formed in 1995 in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to AllMusic, Kekal was one of the first heavy metal bands from Indonesia to make international inroads, and according to sociologist of heavy metal, Keith Kahn-Harris, was one of the few extreme metal bands from Southeast Asia to ever make more than a minimal impression on the global scene. Founded by two musicians known simply Yeris and Newbabe, the band underwent some shifts in lineup in its early years, but emerged with a consistent lineup of three key-members, guitarist/vocalist Jeff Arwadi, bassist Azhar Levi Sianturi, and guitarist Leo Setiawan. Frequently labeled as black metal, progressive metal, and avant-garde metal, Kekal plays a very diverse range of music styles within the frame of metal and rock, incorporating many other music genres such as ambient, electronic, jazz fusion, and progressive rock. Over the course of its career, Kekal has transitioned from a heavy metal-based style to a more experimental and electronic sound.
Nicola Hitchcock is a British singer and songwriter. She is best known for having been one half of the trip hop duo Mandalay. Following the demise of Mandalay, she has worked with various dance music and avant-garde musicians including Chris Brann and Ryuichi Sakamoto but has more recently returned to her solo career.
Kevin Ridel is an American musician and songwriter most notable for being the lead singer and primary songwriter of 90s powerpop band Ridel High and AM Radio.
Acidity is the fifth album by Indonesian avant-garde metal band Kekal. It was recorded in celebration of the band's tenth anniversary, and was an official reunion album for the band. It marked the return of guitarist Leo Setiawan to the band, and includes the vocal talents of founding member Newbabe. The album was released following the band's successful 2004 European mini-tour, and a promotional concert and release party was held for the album on 13 March 2005 in Indonesia. It was considered by many to be the band's strongest work to date, and is one of four albums available for free download from the band on its website.
Pin-Up Went Down is a French experimental band. Although their music is mostly referred to as avant-garde metal, they describe themselves as "an experimental band blending art rock, metal, avant-garde, and pop. Pin-Up Went Down was formed as a one-man project by Alexis Damien in Rouen in 2006, who then added more members.
Pandora's Piñata is the third studio album by Swedish avant-garde metal band Diablo Swing Orchestra. It was released on May 14, 2012 in Europe through Candlelight Records and on May 22, 2012 in North America through Sensory Records.
2 Unlimited is the debut studio album by French avant-garde metal band Pin-Up Went Down, released on 28 March 2008 through Ascendance Records.
B-Sides is an EP by French avant-garde metal band Pin-Up Went Down, and their third release overall. It was independently-released by the band on 10 November 2012, being available for download on their official Bandcamp page. As its name implies, it is a collection of outtakes from their two studio albums, 2 Unlimited and 342, and at the time was meant to serve as a teaser for their unreleased third studio album, Perfreaktion.
