Bodom mentioned and discussed, but nothing on Amorphis. Tales from the Thousand Lakes is melodic and is death metal. The guitar melodies are simply stellar. I mean, if you have Amon Amarth, you need to have the band that did that sound first. Proto album? Or even legend.

Simply put, Kalmah deserves to be mentioned here. Swamplord and Swampsong are classics that can't be understated. Bands still going strong after 30 years of graft as well. I feel they're often overlooked.

The Jester Race is my favourite album of all time, In Flames peaked early. Dark Tranquillity took a while to peak, but Damage Done is legendary, and that run of 3 albums (Damage Done followed by Character and Fiction) was amazing. Kalmah needs more attention, Hades is one of the greatest Melodeath songs of all time.

Still watching the re-run but I'm surprised to see Dark Tranquility kinda went past you (At least initially) in the early-essentials discussion: Skydancer came out in 1993 *BEFORE* Carcass' Heartwork and sure it was mostly unknown *then* except maybe on the local Gothenburg scene but unlike the initial At The Gates release it was unambiguously melodic death metal with all but direct quotes to that Maiden and Priest guitar harmonies sound. So it's at least as influential as Heartwork but I would argue even more so since Dark Tranquility and almost at the same time In Flames when on to really develop the sound through the 90s while Carcass largely abandoned it in Swansong.

Melodeath was one of my favorites metal genres in the late 90s early 00s, and is one of the reasons I never got into nu-metal. I appreciate BangerTV doing the episode, but why do it with people with such lack of knowledge? You had guests in the past with knowledge in the topic at hand. Dark Tranquillity and Arch Enemy deserved to have their albums discussed in details just like In Flames. And there was no mentioned of Eucharist or Ceremonial Oath? But you add Dethlok and Darkest Hour? C'mon! The lock horns talk should have been about bands like Amorphis, Amon Amarth, Hypocrisy, Omnium Gatherum, etc deserve to be included in the melodeath genre.

In Flames, Dark Tranquility, and Arch Enemy are the bands that got me into harder metal. Loved melodeath from the 00's and early 10's. Glad the genre got some love.

Amon Amarth - Once Sent from the Golden Hall Gates of Ishtar - The Dawn of Flames Sacrilege - Lost in the Beauty you Slay Moonstruck - First Light Satariel - Hydra Eluveitie - Slania Sentenced - North from Here At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul Dark Tranquility - The Gallery In Flames - The Jester Race Exhumation - Seas of Eternal Silence A Canorous Quintet - Silence of a World Beyond Kalmah - Swamplord The Black Dahlia Murder - Unhallowed The Absence - From your Grave Night in Gales - Toward the Twilight Ablaze My Sorrow - If Emotions Still Burn Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges Apophis - Heliopolis Armageddon - Crossing the Rubicon Azure - King of Stars Bearer of Dark Callenish Circle - My Passion Your Pain Carnal Forge - Please...Die! Ceremonial Oath - Carpet The Crown (Crown of Thorns) - The Burning Impious - Holy Murder Masquerade Diabolical - Synergy The Elysian Fields - Adelain Embracing - I Bear the Burden of Time The Everdawn - Poems Burn the Past Gardenian - Soulburner God Dethroned - The Grand Grimoire The Haunted - Made Me Do It Hypocrisy - The Fourth Dimension Hypocrite - Edge of Existence Prophanity - Stronger than Steel This Ending - Inside the Machine Necromicon - Peccata Mvndi The Duskfall - Frailty Eucharist - Mirrorworlds I could mention alot more but some cross between melodic black/death which i did mention a few here. Necrophobic, Dawn, In Aeternum, Sacramentum, Dissection for example. Both genres together as melodic black/death is my favorite.

Wow, cool to see Lock Horns back! You guys really helped me find a lot of cool stuff when I was becoming a full-blown metalhead back in 2015/16. And even in saying that, I actually still haven’t taken a real deep dive into MeloDeath (my gateway was more through Prog like Opeth and Ihsahn) so this will be great to watch! Thanks! 🤘🤘

The lack of love for Soilwork or Arch Enemy baffles me here. Both are essential melodeath bands by any metric.

Best metal show is back yaaaaay!

52:15 fully agree about COB. Never really counted them in death metal. More power/speed with an extreme side

Necroticism is still Carcass' best and definitely still holds up today - better than a lot of muck in modern music Respect & Peace

My favorite Banger show: Lock Horns!! Amazing stuff guys. Thank you 🤘😊

Carcass are the GOAT Respect & Peace

Soilwork 'A Predator's Portrait' Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows Arch Enemy 'Burning Bridges' Amon Amarth - Versus The World Darkane 'Rusted Angel' Insomnium 'Above the Weeping World' and finally for In Flames ANY ONE from 'The Jester Race' / 'Whoracle' / 'Colony' / 'Clayman' - you can make many points for which is the best, but they are all soo great and equally important.

In flames has got to be the greatest example of how legendary a band was before they decided to be the exact opposite of that. Also always thought it was crazy that dark tranquillity and in flames pretty much traded singers after their first albums or eps

Great to have Lock Horns back! I'm a bit bummed that Amorphis wasn't at least in the proto part. But maybe it's just my Finnish point of view. Amorphis is super important for Finnish scene. They were trying to use progressive elements on tha Tales -album but it was still death metal. For sure most of Finnish melodic bands got influenced from that album (Insomnium, Norther, Ensiferum...). So it's a hard album to define. Based on death but melodic stuff sounds like folk music and lyrics being from Kalevala (Finnish epic).

Welcome back Lock Horns!

I am super stoked to see Lock Horns back , I was at work earlier when it was on Twitch live but I am really enjoying watching it now🙏 Thank you Banger🤘🤘

Oh boy, lack of Edge of Sanity cred is kinda shocking. Crimson are pure prog death album, but they have Unorthodox, The Spectral Sorrows and Purgatory Afterglow to choose from for this discussion + Moontower from Swano cos' of the ahead of its time sound. Also seeing Arch Enemy in this, while bands like Dismember (Like an Everflowing Stream), Scar Symmetry (Holographic Universe) or Omnium Gatherum (New World Shadows) exist is also upsetting. Anyway, thx for the content, guys.

Unorthodox in 1992 from Edge of Sanity started mixing in those “foot off the gas” moments. Should consider them proto melodeath alongside Carcass.

Finally! It’s back! This is my favourite Banger show👍

Hypocrisy has been one of the best melodeath bands for the last 20 years i don't know you smoking

Just picked up my first Opeth album this past Saturday for Record Store Day here in BG OH. My Arms, Your Hearse.

Dark tranquillity to me are the most consistent and best overall out of all the Gothenburg bands from the 90s that are still going

Really missed the mark on this one IMO. Dark Tranquility, In flames, and At the gates should have been under legends because they are considered the big 3 of gothenburg style melodeath. Wages of sin, and the chain heart machine should be considered essential. We are also missing some of the second wave bands here with Insomnium, Be'lakor, Kalmah, Mors Principium Est, Before the dawn, Omnium Gatherum, Scar Symmetry... Maybe a second stream for the second gen melodeath bands.

100% with Blayne on Dekthlok's first record being extremely important in the conversation. That's a huge gateway record I think

Hope you guys will do another Essential Progressive Metal episode of Lock Horns! Love seeing the show back. Keep up the great work, guys!

Amorphis and Sentenced are the masters

No way!! Locked horns introduced me to the whole banger channel I'm super stoked🤟🤟

Arch Enemy, some early Amorphis, later At the Gates, early Black Dahlia, Bodom, Dark Tranquility, Later God Dethroned, some in flames, Gates of Ishtar, Insomnium, Kalmah, early nightrage, norther, soilwork, amon amarth, omnium gatherum, later carcass, scar symmetry, some hypocrisy and some Swano and some The Haunted stuff might hit too many other genres, but definitely all these deserves a place there.

nocturnal was definently the album that got me into death metal in general i think

Writing this while wearing my Left Hand Path shirt… this may be out of left field but I’d like to say that “Iowa” is the gateway record for me to get into death metal/melodic death metal, along with At The Gates and Bodom.

I agree Clayman should be legend. The other albums including Reroute To Remain are all essential to me. Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes should be essential at least. Dethlok isnt Melodic Death Metal to me. Arch Enemy definitely is Melodic Death Metal.

Opeth, Mastodon, and Khemmis sounds like the greatest concert ever!

yeeeees! Thank you for bringing this show back!

Arsis - We are the Nightmare Inferi - The Path of Apotheosis

Im 39. Been a long time fan of melo death and after a time away from the genre I've really gotten back into it after leaving the genre for more progressive, power and heavy metal. I took an odd path in metal. I started with White Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Iron Maiden and Iced Earth back in the early 90s. From there it went to thrash and symphonic black metal. Enthroned Darkness Triumphant kinda paved my way into melodic death (along with the Knuckle Tracks sampler that came with Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles). My staple melodeath albums include: Soilwork - Steelbath Suicide Soilwork - The Chainheart Machine (my gateway album) At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul Amon Amarth - Once Sent From the Golden Halls Opeth - Blackwater Park Mercenary - Everblack Exhumation - Dance Across the Past Nightrage - Sweet Vengeance Out of my more recent finds I'd recommend: Fires in the Distance - Echoes From Deep November Crepuscle - Heavenly Skies Eternal Storm - Come the Tide Anything from Insomnium The Absence - A Gift for the Obsessed Hecate Enthroned - Virulent Rapture Windfaerer - Breaths of Elder Dawns Wolfheart - Winterborn Aeolian - The Negationist Countless Skies - Glow

It’s so nice to have this lengthy content to dig into topics on, I always felt most episodes of lock horns were too short, still loved it but everything felt frantically rushed and any detailed subject would have to be ignored, this is great.

Dark tranquility is one of my favorite band ever, and impressive longitivity with consistent albums; I’d like to mention Edge of Sanity who could have created all, eternal tears of sorrow or Omnium Gatherum

In the last few years, death metal saw a revival. I hope we see a melodeath revival this decade. If it's going to happen, I think The Halo Effect has a shot at catalyzing the movement

Going to see Opeth, Mastodon and Khemmis as well this Saturday. My first concert since pandemic.

DEATH -SPIRITUAL HEALING from 1990!!!

Im way late to the Melo Death party, didnt even find this stuff til the pandemic hit and I went on a great discovery period. Dark Tranquility and Mors Principium Est get my vote. And one I found on bandcamp that doesnt belong on this list Nanga Parbat - Downfall and Torment

Insomnium should've gotten a mention.

Soilwork’s “The Ride Majestic” from 2015 is one of my favorite Melodeath albums ever made. I know it’s a newer record, but it would be on my list.

Totally agree with Sam on CoB - I have never thought they sounded like death metal at all. Like a black/thrash/power metal blend to me, especially on the early stuff. Speaking of which Hatebreeder gets my vote from them; surprised the first 2 albums weren't brought up (at least to where I am in the video). Also Colony is my favorite In Flames album by far.

Love that Locked Horns is back! Melodic death metal was 100% the bridge for my love of extreme metal

At the gates slaughter of the soul was my first melodeath album. Loved the style ever since.

I think Surgical Steel is better than Heartwork, but I'm surprised to hear anybody speaking less than favorable on Heartwork's production value. I think it's one of the best produced extreme metal albums ever.

Clayman should have made legend status IMO. Also everyone slept on Colony. Love that record Also a big fan of Darkest Hour

I would say that most melo-death is pushing it in regards to being considered a form of death metal. Much closer to thrash, NWOBHM and power metal, with the vocals being the only thing remotely death. Personally i much prefer the "proto" melo-death. Being the innovators and not exactly knowing what or where they were going gave these works character, something out of the ordinary, and it avoids the generic quality that haunts modern melo-death, of which is now a formula to follow.

Kalmah and Be'lakor should be there for sure

Arch Enemy Burning Bridges.

When Dethalbum 2 released I was playing World Of Warcraft with a friend and put my speakers on playing the album and kept my mic on Ventrilo chat. Me and a friend listened to it atleast twice through. Basically an online listening party :)

I'm so glad you posted this here, I have no interest in joining Twitch. I think for melodeath, you could perhaps have crowned Sweden as it's official country. I hope there are some interesting topics coming up like you did with artwork previously. I think "Best theme/gimmick/visual presentation band" could make for a fun episode. Imagine Gwar, Portal, Midnight, and Amon Amarth in the same episode!

im a hige arch enemy fan but i can definitely say they've made a shift. Even Michael Amott said theyre not death metal anymore, but 90's AE set the staple for Melodeath!

Arch Enemy's Burning Bridge is their best album and an essential melodeath album.

In Flames 'Whoracle' and Children of Bodom 'Follow the Reaper' were my intro for melo death metal. However, and I know this will get some detractors, but Fear Factory 'Demanufacture' and 'Obsolete' were my intro to anything death metal related.

Good to see you sam, jeez we don't see you enough anymore 😔

One I know won't get mentioned much but for me is a favorite of melo death is Godgory 'Resurrection'. Has such a soaring sound IMO,

I agree with Sam, Melo Death is my favorite and has been for a long time, it’s definitely is the perfect marriage between Traditional Heavy Metal and Death Metal which also brought me to old school Death Metal , Black Metal and Brutal Death and Grind core, Melo Death is still my favorite 🔥🤘🤘

Glad you mentioned Chuck and Death because yes Human and Individual Thought Patterns aren't just melo-death but they definitely had more melody than their first three records obviously and all the other artists you mentioned like Cannibal Corpse and Deicide and stuff. The Philosopher and Hammer Smashed Face are death metal yes, but a million miles apart in terms of writing styles. You can see interviews for Human where Chuck literally says he doesn't like music being brutal just for the sake of being brutal and having nothing else to really offer the listener.

Gorguts - Considered Dead is the most melodic, musical bad ass death metal album i ever heard. Luke Lemay and his classical twist on writing is mind blowing. The album art is dope too.

Love this format, followed you just now on Twitch, hopefully I can join in on future festivities \m/

As a thrash metal fan I have to object to calling Children of Bodom a thrash band or having their base in it. For me it's more melodic death metal or symphonic metal mixed into one band.

Ummm.... Insomnium? Really, not included? Arguably the best and most influential melodeath band ever. Also, Be'Lakor is not death-doom. They are really in a genre of their own but melodeath is definitely more appropriate a classification for them than death-doom. They are head and shoulders above most bands you listed in this Lock Horns episode and should have been discussed. Stone's Reach is essential.

Vehemence "God Was Created"

So awesome to see Lock Horns back into action. Best show ever.

They are totally right about Dethklok, that show and the albums were seminal and were without a doubt melodeath albums.

The moment you didn’t put Necroticism as legend I was done.

But will we ever get an old school Death Metal essential albums debate?

Finally! *It's back!*

Wages of Sin had a weird release from what I understand. Came out in Japan well before it popped into Europe or the US. But I agree rhe current Arch Enemy era is overshadowing the older eras. Burning Bridges if nothing else should be on the list (I like Stigmata more, personally, but Bridges was a bigger album). Agree Wages if Sin could be there too (kind of like Doomsday Machine more though)

Am I the only one who kind of prefers the original Lock Horns format? Yeah it was a little more cramped and limited but in hindsight I really appreciate the tighter focus, less rambling and of course they always had Lisa with the bell to keep things moving. Not to mention 40ish minutes is a lot easier to sit through than 2.5 hours although I get the appeal of unwinding with a more relaxed paced kind of stream. Idk, just my 2 cents. I'm now even more curious to check out Surgical Steel as I continue exploring Carcass' discography, so I'm glad I at least got that insight. I just listened to Heartwork the other day and even though I mostly liked it, it wasn't anything that crazy compared to where melodeath and extreme metal in general have gone since. Maybe SS will hit a little harder

I’m continually baffled by how many people think Carcass’ last 2 albums are better than Heartwork. I just don’t get it all... Albums worth checking out: Without Grief - Deflower Gardenian - Soulburner Omnium Gatherum - Spirits and August Light

My list of the greatest - - Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, Dark Tranquillity, and Amorphis.

I love how blain rips up arch enemy and Sam tries so hard to be fair and stay positive. It’s a great duo.

The only one capable here is Dunn how do you want to to do this with a deathcore boy and a doomdeath guy come on...

I am not a huge melo death connoisseur. All I have is Dark Tranquillity’s Gallery, Bodom’s Hatebreeder, Carcass’ Surgical Steel and the first The Haunted album. I have no idea how melo-deathy these albums are, I just enjoy listening to them. But this is no dig on melodic death metal, it just shows what an idiot I am. Now, prog death is a different thing. Atheist, some Pestilence, 90s Death, Gorod, Obscura, the Faceless etc. I love to death. But with a band like Misanthrope and their albums Visionnaire and Immortal… I have no idea if it’s prog or melo death. Or both. Or neither.

The Red in the Sky is Ours

Bard's enthusiasm is antiseptic.

That Mastodon/Opeth show was killer in Saskatoon. It's great to see live music again!

I would mention edge of sanity has proto melodeath or even legend.

Undoing ruin, Heartwork, Fiction, Slaughter of the soul 🤘🤘

Somehow missed Insomnium.

The one that deserves to be here is Sentenced - Amok. Made in 95 and is fantastic melodic death metal, very differerent to their Gothenburg counterparts, most atmospheric and rocker. From Arch Enemy, by far de first 3 albums, heavier and melodic; the Ammots in their prime.

Seen the show here in mtl sam!!!! What a show!!!! Daylor was just amazing as aslways!!!!

Cool show as always but I do feel like an important band usually gets snubbed in Lock Horns episodes. This time around I really think Hypocrisy should have been in there instead of Darkest Hour. I’m sure if there had been a poll between the 2 Hypocrisy would have won by a landslide, and even Edge of Sanity probably would have beaten them as well. Edge of Sanity could definitely fit on a Progressive Death Metal list (that would be super cool to see some day, wink wink) but unfortunately I doubt Hypocrisy will be featured in any other episode. Maybe a better way to do things would be to take suggestions from the viewers and then make a poll with all the albums to get a better idea of what should be in the top 10? I’m not sure if that’s possible but I think there’s some better way. I watched the old episodes religiously and usually felt the same way at the end. Anyway, sorry to be critical. Still a very cool show, that’s just my 2 cents.

Intestine Baalism are the best melo death band bar none.

Tuomas Saukkonen. That's all I gotta say. He's a hard working man. Funny how these boys mention about others blasting 'mainstream' metal and yet talk about it.

Heartwork is NOT perfect?? If anything..it really IS perfect! And guyz please, next time you say 'there are other bands that did it better(!!!) please, name them. I DARE YOU 😑.

Oh thank god they posted it to youtube. I was worried I might miss this.

Thank you all for putting the work in, and taking the time out to give us Lock Horns back! This program has always meant so much to all of us BANGER fans, and it's because of the care and time put forth that we all have fallen in love with this show! As an aside, all of you that voted against 'Wages of Sin' and Arch Enemy's inclusion as a whole, shame on you!!!!

Amon Amarch? As (accidentally) Sam mentioned, Bathory had done it decades ago and lets not forget Unleashed were the first DM band to do the viking shit.

Arch Enemy is such a grey area band. Even though we cannot deny the great guitar work of the Amott brothers, it feels like as a band, they had a good amount of success without having any significant impact in the genre. Being one of the first extreme bands with a frontwomen might be what made them stood out. But musically, it doesn't feel like a band we can pinpoint a magnum opus. Only decent releases with a good degree of commercial success.

35:35 yep! Saw them in Buffalo NY on that tour. My girlfriend (now wife) also went. Such a fun show.

In Flames' Colony

Colony by In Flames was my first Melodic Death Metal album that I ever heard and bought back in 2011 when I was 16 years old.

Essential Melodic Death Metal Albums: Heartwork, Slaughter of the Soul, The Jester Race, The Gallery, Burning Bridges (Arch Enemy), The Chainheart Machine, and that's it.