So I recently joined one of my best friends metal band, and they seem to be gaining a good following in my city (for a metal band).
I've played in a metal band before for 3 years but thats all my experience. For 3 years i also went to school for music as well learning about jazz and its in these years that I really gained a fondness of playing stuff like funk and jazz.
Getting to the point I really don't understand how bassists have any fun playing metal anymore, its the most bass line dry genre I've heard, a lot of it is just fast riffage or galloping over the root notes, not much pocket playing or groove.
And yes you can give me the examples Death, Iron Maiden, early 80s metallica, black sabbath, obscrura, necrophagist etc... But these bands are only a handful in the sea of "follow the guitar" bassists in the genre.
Seriously for the most part bass is just a lower guitar without leads in metal. I guess thats fine to have but how does anyone have fun doing that? There is nothing creative to it.
In funk, jazz, classical, pop and even rock there is space for separate and groovy bass lines. I hear more interesting bass in the beatles and the rolling stones than in most modern metal songs.
And there is the odd time bass plays something a bit interesting but i almost see it as the drummer and guitarists taking all this space and leaving some scraps of attention to the bass player.
Guitarists in metal can play melodic leads, and solo every song but when the bass tries to pull of the same its called "overplaying".
I tried playing melodically, to play how I feel... then i was told to shut up.
Metal ****ing sucks.
I've played in a metal band before for 3 years but thats all my experience. For 3 years i also went to school for music as well learning about jazz and its in these years that I really gained a fondness of playing stuff like funk and jazz.
Getting to the point I really don't understand how bassists have any fun playing metal anymore, its the most bass line dry genre I've heard, a lot of it is just fast riffage or galloping over the root notes, not much pocket playing or groove.
And yes you can give me the examples Death, Iron Maiden, early 80s metallica, black sabbath, obscrura, necrophagist etc... But these bands are only a handful in the sea of "follow the guitar" bassists in the genre.
Seriously for the most part bass is just a lower guitar without leads in metal. I guess thats fine to have but how does anyone have fun doing that? There is nothing creative to it.
In funk, jazz, classical, pop and even rock there is space for separate and groovy bass lines. I hear more interesting bass in the beatles and the rolling stones than in most modern metal songs.
And there is the odd time bass plays something a bit interesting but i almost see it as the drummer and guitarists taking all this space and leaving some scraps of attention to the bass player.
Guitarists in metal can play melodic leads, and solo every song but when the bass tries to pull of the same its called "overplaying".
I tried playing melodically, to play how I feel... then i was told to shut up.
Metal ****ing sucks.
