I respect the effort metal players put into what they do, but I really don't get all the schtick that goes along with it. I think it's safe to say that I don't have any understanding of the culture.
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Your thoughts on heavy metal
- Thread starter Mantis Tobaggan
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I don't understand the point of the question. Music doesn't slot nicely into pigeon holes.
It's fine to say that you respect/disrespect individual people for their actions/talents etc. But to say the same of an entire undefined and subjective "art form" is just gross generalisation.
It's fine to say that you respect/disrespect individual people for their actions/talents etc. But to say the same of an entire undefined and subjective "art form" is just gross generalisation.
This is only a small slice of Heavy Metal.
I don't recall Judas Priest trying to be spooky, or Motorhead.
Sure Black Sabbath was hellaspooky, but they defined the genre.
I can respect the music, much of it.
When it comes to spikey stuff, costumes, fetishes with blood, skulls, pentagrams, the number 666
and whatever evil thing they think is cool... It loses all credibility as an art form to me.
It just seems like some kind of bizarre ....overcompensation for something.
I'm not saying there can't be room for spectacle or theatrics in music, but there's certain
themes that just scream of psychological insecurities. Metal is one of those things.
When it comes to spikey stuff, costumes, fetishes with blood, skulls, pentagrams, the number 666
and whatever evil thing they think is cool... It loses all credibility as an art form to me.
It just seems like some kind of bizarre ....overcompensation for something.
I'm not saying there can't be room for spectacle or theatrics in music, but there's certain
themes that just scream of psychological insecurities. Metal is one of those things.
I didn't vote because to me this is not a clear cut yes or no. I like a lot of metal bands. My band goes back and forth between what could be considered hard rock and metal. Metal does have some really great bassist.
At the same time you can also find bands where you can't really even distinguish the bass from everything else. And to me that's big part in wether I'll like a band or not. Music doesn't have to be complicated either. I'd rather listen to a band play a good simple song than a some insane "riff" where everyone's playing the same lines all the time.
Here's one of our songs. This song is really easy to play. But you'll notice the bass does not double the guitar at all on the verses of the song.
And that's pretty much what I like. I'm not saying the bassline has to be different 100% of the time. But a lot of metal music can be really monotonous. To me there's absolutely no point in these bands that have 2 or even 3 guitar players that play the same parts 80% of the time. For us on the small parts where our guitarists layered some guitars. For example the ending of that song I posted above, I've been using a digitech jamman and sampling the guitar harmonies. But it's not like I'm sampling a guitar solo or anything. Just simple harmonies to make the band sound fuller here and there. You can hear similar types harmonies on most of our more recent songs. All done live with the jamman
On the verse to this one I'm playing chords with a chorus effect on the verses.
This song is about as simple as it gets but the bassline for the verses is fun to play and the ending is a little challenging because the guitar is in different tuning so while the guitar is hitting a lot of open c# tuned c#f#beg#c# the bass is tuned normal beadg so I actually fret every note of that part.
But I hope you guys can see from my examples that playing metal doesn't have to be super boring doubling of guitars 100% of the time. And it certainly doesn't have to be a situation where the bass is barely audible in the mix.
At the same time you can also find bands where you can't really even distinguish the bass from everything else. And to me that's big part in wether I'll like a band or not. Music doesn't have to be complicated either. I'd rather listen to a band play a good simple song than a some insane "riff" where everyone's playing the same lines all the time.
Here's one of our songs. This song is really easy to play. But you'll notice the bass does not double the guitar at all on the verses of the song.
And that's pretty much what I like. I'm not saying the bassline has to be different 100% of the time. But a lot of metal music can be really monotonous. To me there's absolutely no point in these bands that have 2 or even 3 guitar players that play the same parts 80% of the time. For us on the small parts where our guitarists layered some guitars. For example the ending of that song I posted above, I've been using a digitech jamman and sampling the guitar harmonies. But it's not like I'm sampling a guitar solo or anything. Just simple harmonies to make the band sound fuller here and there. You can hear similar types harmonies on most of our more recent songs. All done live with the jamman
On the verse to this one I'm playing chords with a chorus effect on the verses.
This song is about as simple as it gets but the bassline for the verses is fun to play and the ending is a little challenging because the guitar is in different tuning so while the guitar is hitting a lot of open c# tuned c#f#beg#c# the bass is tuned normal beadg so I actually fret every note of that part.
But I hope you guys can see from my examples that playing metal doesn't have to be super boring doubling of guitars 100% of the time. And it certainly doesn't have to be a situation where the bass is barely audible in the mix.
Metal is great. Sometimes I like joke bands better than real bands though.
I love it! However my fav is the knuckle draggin' stuff like Sabbath, Candlemass, Clutch, Mastadon, Down etc.
Meh - I get what you are saying, but it's all part of the rebellion scene.
My favorite music to listen to is live jazz, but if I see one more bassist wearing a beret and sunglasses, I'm gonna lose my s**t!
I bet our views of heavy metal can be quite different generationally. Rainbow isn't Ratt isn't megadeth isn't Pantera isn't cannibal corpse isnt... l only have a few slices, an don't consider myself a metalhead, but I did in 1989.
I do respect it as an art form.
I get turned off
on silly shtick as well, but I do think it can be a legitimate part of being in a metal band. Depends where you're coming from .
All heavy music is not a child of metal. I think of Jesus Lizard or Fugazi and I wouldnt call that metal, to me it isn't.
I do respect it as an art form.
I get turned off
on silly shtick as well, but I do think it can be a legitimate part of being in a metal band. Depends where you're coming from .
All heavy music is not a child of metal. I think of Jesus Lizard or Fugazi and I wouldnt call that metal, to me it isn't.
Fu Manchu and Monster Magnet go so nicely with Clutch on shuffle.
from the linked article:
Long stereotyped as [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] and even [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], heavy metal music and its fans have an unfortunate history of alienation and intolerance from mainstream culture. But it seems all those years of negative press are totally in the wrong: Classical fans and metal fans are scientifically proven to have identical psychological profiles. And the two forms of music are way more alike than you'd think.
Science Reveals Something Surprising About Metal Fans and Classical Music Lovers
Long stereotyped as [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] and even [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], heavy metal music and its fans have an unfortunate history of alienation and intolerance from mainstream culture. But it seems all those years of negative press are totally in the wrong: Classical fans and metal fans are scientifically proven to have identical psychological profiles. And the two forms of music are way more alike than you'd think.
Science Reveals Something Surprising About Metal Fans and Classical Music Lovers
Psychologist Viren Swami at the University of Westminster studied this open-mindedness and found that those who specifically enjoy metal music have an overall "openness to experience." This predisposition is fueled by a higher drive towards uniqueness, which pushes listeners out of the mainstream and into the more removed pockets of music subculture.
I was fortunate to see Ronnie with Sabbath in 83/84. Man that guy could belt! Love me some RJD!
I guess I don't understand a "rebellion scene" If you want to be a rebel, fine. Be a rebel, play music your
parents or anyone's parents aren't likely to care for. But going full on satanic just for shock value to draw
negative attention to yourself is NOT rebellion. It's a cry of desperation and weakness.
...unless you really ARE a devil worshipper in which case you are no different than a Christian band.
I guess that's the problem with any music genre that labels itself as a "scene." If you see yourelf as part of a
scene you are already a poser and your credentials as a musical artist are already in question.
Just make music and let your music do the talking. You wanna wear all black? fine. You wanna look scruffy,
hairy and unkempt? Fine. You wanna wear makeup, spikey collars and chains? Who are you trying to fool?
I'll start to believe you are actually tough and rebellious when you start wearing a tutu and rocking a pink hello kitty guitar.
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