Classic Spins with Tel

Tel

From Richmond, VA a self-proclaimed River City, comes a dreamy death metal band called Tel.

Check out their latest record, Lowlife on Bandcamp, but in the meantime, let's talk about some cool records.

1. My favorite kind of album is the concept album.

The Wall is my absolute favorite. Beyond the amazing songs, it has spectacular nostalgia for me. What's your favorite one and why?

Dante: My favorite kind of album is any kind that takes you somewhere unusual, something that feels dreamlike and pulls you into the music for the entirety of the album. Katatonia‘s Brave Murder Day is, without a doubt, my favorite album for this very reason.

Michael: This is a hard question to answer because there are so many concept albums I love. If I had to pick one I’d say that Blood Lust by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats is my all time favorite.

To me, it's a perfect album from start to finish.

2. My very first album was Live Evil b Black Sabbath. Since then I've had a strong affinity for the live record, even if they're a bit fake. KISS set the bar with Alive!. Surely, it was fake, but it's got the best concert feel of any one.

Tell me about your favorite live record?

Dante: I’m not usually the biggest fan of live albums, though I find Dead Can Dance’s Towards the Within to be phenomenal.

Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry create such incredible music, and their performance here is just as good as on the recordings.

Michael: When I think of live albums the first one that comes to mind is The Allman Brothers Live at the FIllmore East.

I grew up listening to that album because of my parents. Duane Allman is still one of my favorite guitar players.

3. There are a great number of records I've turned to for my moods. What do you listen to when you're angry? Sad?

Dante: That’s a tough one because I LOVE angry and sad music hahaha. Battle of Mice’s A Day of Nights is definitely a good angry album for me, as well as a pretty big influence lyrically and musically. Gorguts’ Obscura is another album I tend to listen to when I’m angry, as it’s such an insanely tense, aggressive release.

When I’m sad, I’ll turn to Funeral’s Tragedies and From These Wounds albums, which I find to be two of the most depressive albums I’ve ever heard.

Michael: When I’m feeling sad Nick Drake’s album Pink Moon is a go to for me. When I’m feeling stressed out I’ll put on something a bit more intense.

I’ve been listening to Vile Luxury by Imperial Triumphant a lot lately.

4. One of my friends laughs at me, routinely, for loving the Misfit Toys of albums by major bands. Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed, Carnival of Souls by Kiss, Diabolous En Musica by Slayer, etc.

What's the strange one that you love?

Dante: I actually love Evanescence’s early material haha. More specifically, I enjoy the older demos, when their sound was a bit more raw and atmospheric.

It was the first rock band I listened to, so even though I don’t listen to them much now, I still appreciate the early EPs and their Origin album.

Michael: I’m not sure if this counts but I actually really love Let Us Prey by Electric Wizard. I’ve talked to some people who seem to absolutely hate it but I think it’s up there with Dopethrone and Come My Fanatics.

5. It's almost fashionable to release live versions of albums or re-record the old ones. King Diamond is releasing a concert with Abigail front to back. Roger Waters has done The Wall twice. Which ones do you have in your collection?

Dante: Going back to Katatonia, they did an acoustic version of their album Dead End Kings, which they released under the title Dethroned and Uncrowned.

I really enjoy when rock or metal bands release unplugged renditions of their material, and I think the way Katatonia did it on that particular album was done very tastefully.

Michael: Neil Young is another artist I grew up listening to and I’ve always prefered his live albums over his studio stuff. I think he was at his best when it was just him and an acoustic guitar.

Live At Massey Hall is a perfect example and it’s probably my favorite Neil Young album.