Metal Versus The World

When I mention “heavy metal music”, what is the image that comes into your mind? Unintelligent, suicidal, anger-filled men with viking style messy long hair, dressed in black from head to toe? Who like to kill small animals and burn churches, and make incoherent chaotic noises and call it music? Is that your idea of Metal? I think it probably is. I can say from experience, the vast majority of people who are not “into” metal have a warped idea of what this genre actually is. Take this example: “I don't listen to metal because it messes with the mind to a certain extent” A person in my class wrote that on a school message board last semester. Do you agree? If you do, I am here to brutally attack your perverted and horribly twisted idea of metal, in the most “metal” way possible.

Firstly, how does metal music mess with one’s mind? Let’s start with a little (very brief) history of metal. Many bands from the 60s and 70s like Judas Priest, Motorhead, Deep Purple etc played a part in the creation of this new genre, but one band came out with songs that skipped the grey line between blues-based rock of the 60s and actual “metal” that came after. This band was Black Sabbath. Their bassist noticed that it was “strange that people spend so much money to see scary movies”. So they incorporated tritones, diminished scales, dissonance, chromatics, and heavy use of powerchords, to create a “scary”, and “dark” sound. And that worked, evident by their massive jump in popularity.

So how does making use of known musical theory -theory that has been used by more reputable virtuosos like mozart- enable sound to dick around with an unsuspecting listener’s subconscious brain-waves, and make him torture small animals/commit suicide/commit rape or whatever ridiculous bullsh*t this genre has been accused of? Niccolo Paganini used those techniques heavily to create tension and dissonance and a sense of “climax” in his compositions. So did countless other musicians, and so do countless other musicians today with the slightest knowledge of theory. A musician will use different scales to achieve a specific sound. He will use a major scale to get a happy, cheerful sound. He will use a harmonic minor scale to get a sad, mellow sound. Or a major locrian to get an exotic, mesopotamian sound. How does using “dark” sounding scales like an augmented triad suddenly make the sound-wave suddenly come alive, and possess minds to commit immoral acts?

You are just afraid of metal. We have achieved our goal, to scare people. But just like horror films, we are not meant to be taken seriously. Metal is agressive, but we are not agressive people. Metal sounds dark and evil, but we do not go “heil hitler”. Well, most of us don't. There are some metalheads out there with nazi idealogies. This brings me to my second argument.

You might have heard of black metallers burning churches, murdering rival band members, or being white-supremacist, facist, neo-nazis. If you have not, I’ll tell you about them. I’m not afraid of showing the darker side of metal. I will show you the two sides of the story.

On 8th April 1991, Per Yngve Ohlin, A member of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem, commited suicide by slitting his wrists, then shooting himself in the head with a shotgun. His suicide note read “excuse all the blood”, and an apology for firing the weapon indoors. Euronymous, a band mate, found him in the house, and instead of calling the police, he bought a disposable camera to photograph the corpse. A photograph was used for one of the bands album covers, Dawn Of The Black Hearts.

On 6th June 1992, the Fantoft stave church in Norway was burned to the ground. By January 1993, at least 7 other churches had fallen to arson attacks.

On 10th August 1993, Euronymous Of Mayhem, was found dead outside his apartment with 23 slash wounds. Varg Vikernes, creator of the black metal band Burzum, was arrested within days, and was convicted of both the church burnings and the murder.

Heres another quote:“Metalheads are a bunch of psychotic weirdos”. Don't you think so, after hearing all the bad, bad things metal musicians do? don't worry, many people think that way too.

Isnt that like saying “If you are german, you are responsible for the holocaust, you nazi scumbag.” Or “if you are Muslim, you are responsible for 9/11, bloody terrorist.” Or how about “If you are Japanese, you are guilty for numerous crimes against humanity like performing surgery on POWs without anesthesia, injecting horse urine into their kidneys, and placing them in centrifuges and spinning them to death, you disgusting member of Unit 731.” You get my drift. Individuals can be monsters, but the community they belong to cannot be assumed to be the same. Individuals are responsible for their own actions. There are idiots and monsters in every community, every society. If a lecturer in ngee ann raped a student, it's not possible that every lecturer there is an embarrasment to society.

Thirdly, if every metalhead was a psycho, there would be more psychos in this world than you could imagine. Fans of metal are everywhere. Sure, “everywhere” is still not a big number compared to maybe, fans of pop, but the thing is, what people don't realise is anybody could be a metalhead. The stereotype is that metalheads dress in black, have long hair, and are huge, sweaty, menancing, steel-toe boot wearing barbarians. But your neighbourhood family doctor could be a metalhead, how would you know?

Take for example, Bruce Dickinson. Frontman and vocalist of Iron Maiden. International competitive fencer. Pilot. In 2006, he piloted the plane that rescued 200 UK citizens in Lebanon during the Israel/Hezbollah conflict. In 2008, he piloted home 180 stranded tourists from Egypt.

Another example- Muhammed Suicmez. Boxer. Studying for a degree in mechanical engineering. He is a stubby looking Turkish youngster with short, well groomed hair, and has a fashion sense. Lead guitarist, vocalist and main composer for tech-death metal band Necrophagist.

Last example- Me. Your average student, with average marks, and an A1 for english. (surprised? ) Studied aerospace engineering before switching to Film, Sound & Video. Ex-member of black metal band Rituael, recorded one album with them before the band self-destructed.

Another lecturer teaching me taught me something after I complained about a movie that was supposedly “one of the greatest movies ever made”. I told her it was a shitty movie. She told me it was because I was unfamiliar with film. She told me to open my eyes and mind wider, then I would begin to see the genius in what I saw as bizarre and stupid. It was the same for me with metal. I play guitar. When I started out I learned easy stuff like aerosmith, simple plan and whatnot. But when I went past that point, I wanted harder things to learn. So I found metal. At first all I heard was random noise, chaos. But I persisted. I listened to more, and tried to find what they were playing. And it slowly came to me- first, how complex and technical the songs were, and second- how beautiful the compositions were, hidden under a layer of chaos, that you had to search to find the real music underneath. Metal is controlled chaos. You would not begin to understand how hard it is to play the music until you sat down and tried to play it yourself. Imagine two guitarists playing a harmonizing riff at 13 notes per second, with the drummer playing a polyrhythm, (what’s a polyrhythm? Try tapping 1-2-3-4 with your right hand, and 1-2-3 with your left) both feet blasting 32th notes at 18 bass-drum beats a second, (18 beats a second equals 1080 beats a minute. The AK-47 fires 600 rounds a minute for comparison) while his left hand is playing triplets on the snare, and right hand hitting cymbals to his left, right and behind to keep time for the bass guitarist. But the hard part is not playing at that speed, the hard part is for the entire band to keep in time with each other. If the guitarist is playing at 13 notes a second, a delay of 0.2167 seconds (if my math is right) will throw him completely off time. The wonders of the human body.

Understand that Metal is the tragic irony of the musical world. We produce art, sheer speeds unrivaled by any other genre, technicality and musical complexity surpassing great compositions like paganini’s 24 caprices, but still being frowned upon, spat upon, discriminated against, and insulted and then ignored in every way possible. This is Metal versus the world. And you wonder why we don’t smile.

Comments

[nkbrocker]

This is totally true. I mean people can be so frikin ignorant about what music I like. I am definitely a metalhead and not everyone would guess it wen im not wearing a band T, until perhaps I show them my Dimebag Razorback. My best friend works at hollister and dresses preppy as hell and her favorite band is necrophagist and she sports a BC warlock. This is a good article, I hope some people who have disrespected the genre read it and get a swift kick in the head by it. Ive definitely never thought about burning any churches and i have three cats...who i dont try and torture. People are afraid of what they dont understand, and that goes for just about everything in this world.
Good stuff.

[Phe4rTheGod]

Great article man...and you didn't even start on the 'noise' factor being truly talented guitarists...

[Ktool The Girth]

This basically boiled down to "lol metals hard to play but people dont like it, its so unfair wah wah wah". Atleast thats what I got out of it anyways.

[merkalos666]

ha great article most people who've never met me b4 wouldn't know that i'm a metalhead! it reall speaks the truth about metal!

[.QOTSA.]

When I mention “heavy metal music”, what is the image that comes into your mind? Unintelligent, suicidal, anger-filled men

yeah, that's UG for you.

[CrossBack7]

.QOTSA. wrote:

When I mention “heavy metal music”, what is the image that comes into your mind? Unintelligent, suicidal, anger-filled men

yeah, that's UG for you.

lol. Good article. Well-written, and it made me laugh. Parts are very true, others are perhaps a bit less so, but it was still good.

[FollowtheReaper]

Quit using "we" in your writing. I know you want everyone to associate you with being a "true metalhead" but it makes you sound retarded. Then again, so does every other part of this pathetic article.

[gizmodious]

Metal is rediculously complex. People are afraid to feel, to embrace.

You want to see a smile on a metalheads face? Catch him at the very end of a concert, exiting the pit, covered in sweat and dirt.

[axejam123]

Dude, you can justify metal without writing that its more difficult. You say "easy" stuff like Aerosmith - have you ever written a guitar part like Dream On? Sure, it's easy to play, but some might say it's also easier to invent a metal lick than it is to write a catchy blues-based solo like Joe Perry. Using the dissonance and accidentals like you state Black Sabbath used doesn't make you better.

Your article isn't written to equalize metal with other genres; you went right past that and decided to degrade and put down guitar players of every other type of music just to make yourself seem more AWESOME. That's pretty arrogant.

I've been playing for a while, and when I want something more difficult to play, I play Hendrix or Slash. And don't say I'm just not good at guitar; style like they have needs to be felt and practiced.

You have proven to be just as much of a bonehead you say metalheads aren't. I have a lot of metalhead friends, and they're some of the most relaxed, chill people I know, so yes, your argument is true. But be less of an ******* next time. Metal is not synonymous with musicality, it takes just as much of a musician (and more so in some cases) to write an emotional blues piece or a flashy jazz solo as it does to play ridiculously fast.

You're like the guy who came up to me at Guitar Center last week: "Dude, that sounded pretty good. You should play metal instead, it takes more skill." To which I responded, "Nah, I prefer the Aerosmith stuff." He then scowled at me, picked up an ESP, and started to shred so loudly I had to stop playing. This guy was wearing an Abercrombie shirt.

I apologize for the long post, everybody, but I feel like that needed to be said.

[JonasStevens]

axejam123 wrote:

Dude, you can justify metal without writing that its more difficult. You say "easy" stuff like Aerosmith - have you ever written a guitar part like Dream On? Sure, it's easy to play, but some might say it's also easier to invent a metal lick than it is to write a catchy blues-based solo like Joe Perry. Using the dissonance and accidentals like you state Black Sabbath used doesn't make you better.

Your article isn't written to equalize metal with other genres; you went right past that and decided to degrade and put down guitar players of every other type of music just to make yourself seem more AWESOME. That's pretty arrogant.

I've been playing for a while, and when I want something more difficult to play, I play Hendrix or Slash. And don't say I'm just not good at guitar; style like they have needs to be felt and practiced.

You have proven to be just as much of a bonehead you say metalheads aren't. I have a lot of metalhead friends, and they're some of the most relaxed, chill people I know, so yes, your argument is true. But be less of an ***** next time. Metal is not synonymous with musicality, it takes just as much of a musician (and more so in some cases) to write an emotional blues piece or a flashy jazz solo as it does to play ridiculously fast.

You're like the guy who came up to me at Guitar Center last week: "Dude, that sounded pretty good. You should play metal instead, it takes more skill." To which I responded, "Nah, I prefer the Aerosmith stuff." He then scowled at me, picked up an ESP, and started to shred so loudly I had to stop playing. This guy was wearing an Abercrombie shirt.

I apologize for the long post, everybody, but I feel like that needed to be said.

AGREED. "If it's complex it must be better!" Nah, there's beauty in simplicity. All metal is, is just showing off. Not say I don't mind it from time to time. But, I could do without.

[Lord_Vhailor]

Totally agree. Metal isn't even that complex like some rock (or other) stuff. And though I mostly listen to metal and play metal, I respect other genres and try to get familiar with them.
But one is right - don't judge the community by knowing one (or few) individuals.

[vjferrara]

Good try. It could have been a lot better though. You sound like you tried to make it come from your heart but you're only 18 homeslice. Take a debate/speech class while you're in college and you'll learn how to properly form an argument.
The easiest way to win an argument is to NOT try to sway the other person. Win the argument by making them understand your views.
BTW, use of a person's knowledge of theory is used to "dick" with the listeners' minds all of the time. That's one of the best parts about knowing theory

[poor_blue_crabs]

Man...ur making it sound like metalheads are getting murdered everyday, getting enslaved...just like the blacks back in the days of slavery.

I don't think of metalheads as killers and crazy folk....probably some people do.....but I like some metal....like metallica, judas priest, iron maiden, and so on. But I guess metal isn't really my style...it's more of the guns n' roses, aerosmith, rolling stones, type of style.

But this is good stuff though....but it's no wonder how abunch of metal bands suck cuz they can't get the timing right.

[RAH7747]

No matter what.. You can't convert a guy listening to pop or even alternative rock into a metalhead.. metal is synonymous with anger, aggressive behaviour. No one can write a metal song about love or abt how good life is or any feel good theme as such.. It just isn't for that kind of mood.. argue as much as u will but thats the way metal is.. So, if one does have that anger or aggressive behaviour in himself/herself, he/she can't be metalheads..

And others who argue that metal isnt the most complicated genre out there, will not budge until they really get "into" it. Well a guitarist cannot go beyond metal for the most complicated stuff.. really.. but others who listen to metal just for a mood change of sorts dont need metal for that.. rock or pop will do just fine..

[RAH7747]

^*one DOESN'T have that anger...

[Surak]

axejam123 wrote:

Dude, you can justify metal without writing that its more difficult. You say "easy" stuff like Aerosmith - have you ever written a guitar part like Dream On? Sure, it's easy to play, but some might say it's also easier to invent a metal lick than it is to write a catchy blues-based solo like Joe Perry. Using the dissonance and accidentals like you state Black Sabbath used doesn't make you better.

Your article isn't written to equalize metal with other genres; you went right past that and decided to degrade and put down guitar players of every other type of music just to make yourself seem more AWESOME. That's pretty arrogant.

I've been playing for a while, and when I want something more difficult to play, I play Hendrix or Slash. And don't say I'm just not good at guitar; style like they have needs to be felt and practiced.

You have proven to be just as much of a bonehead you say metalheads aren't. I have a lot of metalhead friends, and they're some of the most relaxed, chill people I know, so yes, your argument is true. But be less of an ***** next time. Metal is not synonymous with musicality, it takes just as much of a musician (and more so in some cases) to write an emotional blues piece or a flashy jazz solo as it does to play ridiculously fast.

You're like the guy who came up to me at Guitar Center last week: "Dude, that sounded pretty good. You should play metal instead, it takes more skill." To which I responded, "Nah, I prefer the Aerosmith stuff." He then scowled at me, picked up an ESP, and started to shred so loudly I had to stop playing. This guy was wearing an Abercrombie shirt.

I apologize for the long post, everybody, but I feel like that needed to be said.

Give this man a cocunut, he's right.

[Concisus]

RAH7747 wrote:

No matter what.. You can't convert a guy listening to pop or even alternative rock into a metalhead.. metal is synonymous with anger, aggressive behaviour. No one can write a metal song about love or abt how good life is or any feel good theme as such.. It just isn't for that kind of mood.. argue as much as u will but thats the way metal is.. So, if one does have that anger or aggressive behaviour in himself/herself, he/she can't be metalheads..

A

you obviously haven't listened to enough metal. There are many happy metal songs, including ones about love. some of the metal i listen because it makes me happy. Listen to power metal bands like helloween or sonata arctica.

For me blues and most rock doesn't take that much skill to play. It can sound good but its still not usually as technical as a tech death band, a crazy jazz guitar or a paganini piece.

[whaip]

And others who argue that metal isnt the most complicated genre out there, will not budge until they really get "into" it. Well a guitarist cannot go beyond metal for the most complicated stuff.. really.. but others who listen to metal just for a mood change of sorts dont need metal for that.. rock or pop will do just fine..

No doubt that metal is a very difficult genre...but did you ever made experiances with jazz?
I am a metalhead myself, but I have to admid that jazz is especially for lead guitarrists the hardest genre.

[CapnKickass]

JonasStevens wrote:

AGREED. "If it's complex it must be better!" Nah, there's beauty in simplicity. All metal is, is just showing off. Not say I don't mind it from time to time. But, I could do without.

Nah man it's not all just showing off, ya silly nanny. There are many examples of this. There is some genuine feeling behind the music. And yeah complexity is whatever, who cares if it's really hard or easy as long as it's good.
Meh to the artical.

[CapnKickass]

..and of coarse describing something as good when it comes to music is mostly subjective.

[metalmania616]

What I hate is at my school, metal is always extreme-death-screamo-emo type metal with no other style. Also people think that 'cause I'm trying to grow my hair long then I'm a greasy, grunger type (no offense to grungers.) Sorry about the rant...

[ratlr]

i like a lot of metal, and most people would have no clue if they saw me on the street. but i do think that sometimes metallers lose themselves in the technicality of the music. i have a friend who is tremendously talented at the piano. he studied for years at college and has degrees in a lot of different applications of music. but sometimes he gets obsessed with the technical aspects and loses the soul of the song. some metal is great and i love to listen to it. it has a real primal emotion to it that most people can relate with deep inside of themselves. but too much of it has lost the heart of the song by obsessing over complexity. sry for the rant.

[BSM123456789]

well i have to admit that i fall into this metalhead stereotype

Burning churches is my full time job and I rape cats in my spare time

THE MUSIC TELLS ME TO!!!

[Sunny Side]

Love the article. I gave it a ten after I read the first paragraph.

[GustavLW]

What annoys me the most is that metalheads aren't allowed to critize other genres, because then we're just "close-minded" and "elitist". I am quite open-minded towards music,but the other day, I described schlager music and Swedish dansband (a form of watered down country/swing/rock'n'roll/pop/whatever) as cancers on music. I also called mainstream radio music dull and uncreative and praised bands such as Opeth, Dark Tranquillity and Dream Theater. For this, I was called an elitist music snob.

Seconds later, the girl that called me that turned on some RnB, called it "the good music" and said that metal bands are morons trying to act special being angry all the time and hating everything. Also, all metal sounded the same and here superior opinions couldn't even be argued with.

I find it stunning that I, with a grand interest in music and with more than just a bit of knowledge concerning music theory and general music nerdery, shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on music for mainly listening to metal. No wonder I can be bitter towards mainstream music culture, there's an evil circle concerning metalheads that's almost impossible to get out of.

[X-face]

if all the metalheads in the United State chose one person to vote for as president, we could basically decide every election.
that is how many Metalhead are out there.

[Darknives]

could have been better but, it's still a really good article, just needs a little improvement on some of th arguments

[Metal5115]

GustavLW wrote:

What annoys me the most is that metalheads aren't allowed to critize other genres, because then we're just "close-minded" and "elitist". I am quite open-minded towards music,but the other day, I described schlager music and Swedish dansband (a form of watered down country/swing/rock'n'roll/pop/whatever) as cancers on music. I also called mainstream radio music dull and uncreative and praised bands such as Opeth, Dark Tranquillity and Dream Theater. For this, I was called an elitist music snob.

Seconds later, the girl that called me that turned on some RnB, called it "the good music" and said that metal bands are morons trying to act special being angry all the time and hating everything. Also, all metal sounded the same and here superior opinions couldn't even be argued with.

I find it stunning that I, with a grand interest in music and with more than just a bit of knowledge concerning music theory and general music nerdery, shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on music for mainly listening to metal. No wonder I can be bitter towards mainstream music culture, there's an evil circle concerning metalheads that's almost impossible to get out of.

You Sir, are a genius. If i say i dont like a band or a genre such as indie, i get called close minded and told that i should listen to more than just metal (even though my musical taste is vast and far bigger than theirs) but if i say the same to them, they just say that metal is untalented and just screaming. even when i showed this one guy the cannibal corpse fantic disembowelment instrumental version, he just said that they have no life. you just cant win...

and to those who said metal may be harder but lacks soul compared to aerosmith or whatever. you are wrong. lots of metal has soul and a lot of emotion put into it.

Great article.

[RollingRamones]

I didn't think it was possible, but this article made me hate metal even more than I all ready do.

[izzizz]

So true man. Why do people think that metal is bad anyway?

And great article.

[jetfuel495]

Good article, the only flaw is trying to portray metal as better.

[rhcp01]

good article. i dont like super heay stuff like slipknot and korn , but i love mettalica adn iron maiden. Most modern metal bands have no rythym to there solos tho.

[Lord_Vhailor]

You think metal is hard to play? Listen or look at jazz or country guitarists. And try to play what they do. Both are really complex, especially technically, and sound better than shredding ^^ .

[niftycakedude]

Metal isn't synonymous with shredding. Listen to Sleep, Psycroptic or Meshuggah. If you think they're showing off you're probably not understanding what they're going for.

[Charlie4]

Some things i agree and some things I don't.

#1 Metalheads aren't huge (at least not the majority)
#2 Metal isn't the most difficult genre out there (Prog and maybe Melodic death are at least helping redeem that title) - Jazz is the most difficult genre out there. Period.

Also first thing to remember: WHAT YOU SEE IS NOT WHAT YOU GET. Don't try arguing about metal if someone is a closed book (you all know what I mean)

ok,that was my rant.

[Rocker_geek]

Great article. The point here is, complex metal is harder to appreciate just because most of us are accustomed to simpler music like sex pistols or aerosmith. And it's a fact that bands like necrnphagist are more technical than aerosmith etc. you don't have to like them but should respect their talent and dedication. I don't like mozart but still respect him as a great composer.

[gorkyporky]

I agree with you that anyone can be a metalhead, and those stereotypes you listed are certanly not true. But i can help but dissagree with you on metal being great just because its complex. Complex music does not equal good music. And in my opinion, there are very few metal bands that can compare their songs to the great classics. Aranging two guitars, drums and a bass, maybe a keyboard cannot compare to aranging musical scores for a full symphonic orchestra.

[GustavLW]

Metal5115 wrote:

and to those who said metal may be harder but lacks soul compared to aerosmith or whatever. you are wrong. lots of metal has soul and a lot of emotion put into it.

Yeah, that's exactly what I try to tell those people. I mean, I think that Dark Tranquillity (melodic death metal) writes some of the most beautiful and well composed music out there, but most dimwits are just turned of by all the growled vocals. Metal is 90 % about the instrumental playing and the emotions channeled through the guitar/keyboard playing, even if it's pissed of thrash metal, melancholic melodic death metal, majestic power metal, angsty nu metal or complex progressive metal.

Why the **** do I have to defend my favorite kind of music?

[TMA-2]

kind of a pointless article. it boils down to a matter of taste, regardless of the reasons people do or don't like a genre.

[decayingdave]

You listed a bunch of people who went and killed themselves 'cus they were apparently ''metal'' - they weren't, they were part of a long since sold out black metal scene and they were bored, so they went and killed 'emselves... Who Cares! People from EVERY culture die EVERY day. You're over analyzing what people have said against metalers and trying to justify your own worth through making examples of other people... if that aint twisted, what is?

Seeing as this article is in response to what some ignorant bigoted slack-jaws have said against metal culture, maybe you should just ignore what these people say. I'm not trying to have a go at you like, but when you open an article with ''Unintelligent, suicidal, anger-filled men with viking style messy long hair, dressed in black from head to toe?'' It's a sure sign that you're not looking at my culture in the right way. The only people who think that are troglodytes so misguided that it's a wonder how they manage to survive, so let them be, they'll die eventually.

[blommen]

i think the thing with metal is, that it is a maturation process. when you start you just look for things that faster, heavier, more brutal, more evil and for a while this will satisfy you, but after a few years, you start looking for things that are more deep in the genre. i am a metalhead, but i also listen to jazz and blues and hip-hop, and rock, **** it i listen to pretty much anuthing, and i don't just search for music that is faster and faster all the time. the really good guitarists are the ones who don't need to play at lightning speed, but can by the sound of a single note, a single tone, make themselves stand out from the rest. that is the real metal guitarists

[jammyninja]

Whiny...some metalheads are just as biased and prejudiced as the people that victimize them.

[dave1Mustaine]

as for people who were saying metal isnt complex its probably cause your listening to mainstream bullshit like slipknot and queer shit. there are so many metal bands who are more complex then every genre besides maybe 1770s classical music.

[Eddie's'Waitor]

Sorry, but when you make examples, don't talk about Bruce Dickinson, and then about yourself because we won't take you seriously. Seems like this article is made for you to show off and that by reading this, most people's assumtions and prejudices of 'metalhead's are not without reason.

[freedomdeceptiv]

I agree that complexity isnt what makes music good cause ive heard some pretty technical bands that are just so cliche and boring. It takes a lot of creativity to make a technically complex song sound catchy and interesting and THAT is what makes a good metal musician. It is the hugest ****ing irony that one of the most technical and complex forms of music today is looked down upon as unskilled noise. Non-musicians can rarely get past the aggression and intensity and hear the amazing music underneath.

[tamotots]

Ngee ann? cool you're singaporean? Haha. nice article btw.

[Religulous]

Wow, I completely agree.

[RAH7747]

you know wat it all comes down to in the end... music is not a sport in which some people support one side and hope for the demise of another.. if one likes one genre then good for him.. If he likes many genres and bands then great.. You know wat i mean... Its not like, he listens to RnB, he's a loser or he listens to mainstream rock, he's a winner..

But coz i am a metalhead, i want to just give an excerpt "Metal:A Headbanger's Journey".. In the words of Sam Dunn (he was at the Wacken Metal festival):
Ever since I was 12 years old I had to defend my love for heavy metal against those who say it's a less valid form of music. My answer now is that you either feel it or you don't. If metal doesn't give that overwhelming surge of power that make the hair stand up at the back of your neck, you might never get it, and you know what? That's okay, because judging by the 40,000 metalheads around me we're doing just fine without you.

If somebody dishes out at metal, stereotyping it for whatever they think it is, let them.. they really don't know what they are missing..

[Pinballwizard93]

this is good but it doesnt seem very warranted. I'm pretty sure metal is one of the most popular forms of music these days. i dont know why your complaining about how people hate it.

[xtrife]

RAH7747 wrote:

No one can write a metal song about love or abt how good life is or any feel good theme as such..So, if one does have that anger or aggressive behaviour in himself/herself, he/she can't be metalheads..

Have you ever listened to Sonata Arctica for example? they have lots of love songs, stratovarius writes about "good life" too. I love power metal, and by no means, i ever considered / been considered an "agressive" person.

Good article.

checked

[Karmekarten]

good article but alot of people are commenting like fags.. he's not saying metal takes more skill.. hes just giving a valid argument as to why metal is not just anger/noise.. hes essentially destroying the stereotype of "metal heads".

[RAH7747]

xtrife wrote:

RAH7747 wrote:

No one can write a metal song about love or abt how good life is or any feel good theme as such..So, if one does have that anger or aggressive behaviour in himself/herself, he/she can't be metalheads..

Have you ever listened to Sonata Arctica for example? they have lots of love songs, stratovarius writes about "good life" too. I love power metal, and by no means, i ever considered / been considered an "agressive" person.

Good article.

No actually i havent.. really and i can tell definitely that majority of the metal fans wudn't have heard of them.. But anyway, u got my point.. metal is generally aggressive.. i thought metal wasn't for stuff like that but u and someone else also proved me wrong.. so though i was around 80% right, i rest my case...

[cornmancer]

When people say heavy metal I think of something that used to be good.

[Emenius Sleepus]

RAH7747 wrote:

xtrife wrote:

RAH7747 wrote:

No one can write a metal song about love or abt how good life is or any feel good theme as such..So, if one does have that anger or aggressive behaviour in himself/herself, he/she can't be metalheads..

Have you ever listened to Sonata Arctica for example? they have lots of love songs, stratovarius writes about "good life" too. I love power metal, and by no means, i ever considered / been considered an "agressive" person.

Good article.

No actually i havent.. really and i can tell definitely that majority of the metal fans wudn't have heard of them.. But anyway, u got my point.. metal is generally aggressive.. i thought metal wasn't for stuff like that but u and someone else also proved me wrong.. so though i was around 80% right, i rest my case...

lol both Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius are extremely well known in the metal circles. Fail.

As for the article, it's making the same case as every other article of this sort that appears from time to time, even using the same generic examples. I couldn't care less what people think of metal, unless they are open minded enough to actually have a reasonable conversation about it without descending into stupid predispositions

[Maxico]

TBFO Metal is so overrated. Especially on UG.

[Athabasca]

Yeah this is good man. Excellent article. I'm aware of what people say about it taking more musicianship to compose an emotional blues song, but when it comes to "emotion" and "catchiness", music collapses down to personal taste. Nothing more. Technicality in music is one of the few standards by which one can objectively compare music, so I think it unfair to say it takes more skill to compose something "emotional". Ultimately, it doesn't. It takes years of practice to be able to shred well and accurately, but one can quite easily come up with an "emotional" string of notes just by playing around in the standard aeolian scale for five minutes. Well done on a magnificent article, although you neglected to mention that Jazz rivals even tech-death in most technical aspects.

[BlackCrow15]

GustavLW :
What annoys me the most is that metalheads aren't allowed to critize other genres, because then we're just "close-minded" and "elitist". I am quite open-minded towards music,but the other day, I described schlager music and Swedish dansband (a form of watered down country/swing/rock'n'roll/pop/whatever) as cancers on music. I also called mainstream radio music dull and uncreative and praised bands such as Opeth, Dark Tranquillity and Dream Theater. For this, I was called an elitist music snob.

Seconds later, the girl that called me that turned on some RnB, called it "the good music" and said that metal bands are morons trying to act special being angry all the time and hating everything. Also, all metal sounded the same and here superior opinions couldn't even be argued with.

I find it stunning that I, with a grand interest in music and with more than just a bit of knowledge concerning music theory and general music nerdery, shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on music for mainly listening to metal. No wonder I can be bitter towards mainstream music culture, there's an evil circle concerning metalheads that's almost impossible to get out of.

Thats the way it is around here too.. if i don't like something i'm closed minded... but if they don't like something it must just suck.. and nothing i can say will change their idea of it

[jthm_guitarist]

You don't need to defend metal. A person either gets it or they don't.

[Plarx]

First Def Leppard album was metal. get people to listen to that and you'll convert them in no time

yeh i get this all the time..
What i say....try write down Techno/dance in musical score....
And they like.....Ugghhhh so? just coz u cant write it doesnt mean its not music....But now that i say that..it feels weird.
What makes music, music?

[Wiintruder]

The problem is that metalheads (globally) scream about metal being the only way (i've seen it, yeah I know it's not everyone). I mean u CAN have a mix CD with Blink182, Cannibal Corpse, Slipknot AND Jack Johnson... I play guitar and whatever u play in front of me, even if I dont like it hey IT'S CULTURE....u dont like it fine, but respect art made by other ppl....I respect any band that composes and performs (if ya switch to playback u gone )

[Bu||eT]

People need to understand the difference between complexity in playing and complexity in writing. You know, some people can get crazy with scales and such. But that's mainly the writing part. And it's damn hard to do. On the other hand playing a riff at a fast tempo is also very hard to do but those are 2 different things.

[Sickhead3000]

rhcp01 :
good article. i dont like super heay stuff like slipknot and korn , but i love mettalica adn iron maiden. Most modern metal bands have no rythym to there solos tho.

ok dude, i don't know how you managed to think that most modern metal bands don't have rhythm, look at bands like Trivium, Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God and Machine Head, they all have amazing rhythm in their solo's, even death metal metal bands have an amazing sense of rhythm and tightness in their songs, look at Gojira for instance, every song is thought about and constructed so well, and live they just blow your mind to pieces, so in all honesty, you are wrong sir

btw amazing article

[Metalocalyptic]

Those of u who protest metal is bad and insist on making a point that u dont like it, if you dont like metal than thats O.K, but dont tell me its unemotive and balh blah blah. Respect other peoples oppinions. And if you try to "make a point" at least make sure ure not saying bullshit, cos i dont respect people who dont know what they talk about, and it only shows that u are determined to hate it and dont care about peoples oppinions. If u are comenting on this article, u are giving YOUR oppinion. You cant dictate someones oppinion!
No metal head has heard of Sonata Arctica and Strotovarius? I listen mostly to black and tech death and ive heard of them...fail
as for metal with emotions and love...thers always nightwish...

[saladforkspear]

Plarx wrote:

What makes music, music?

Well in my science book, music is the vibrations of an object to produce sound.....or something like that....

[ShadesOfNight]

rhcp01 wrote:

good article. i dont like super heay stuff like slipknot and korn , but i love mettalica adn iron maiden. Most modern metal bands have no rythym to there solos tho.

since when were korn heavy?! they are 90s nu metal which wasnt really metal at all in most cases. Except when Machine Head tried Supercharger and Burning Red, but they were dark days for one of the greatest bands around.

[LovesLesPauls]

well written article... learned alot from the other side of these stories, well done

[Paul Tauterouff]

Decent article bro. I think that there are so many genres and sub genres of metal, that there is pretty much something for anyone who is willing to give it a chance.

[3 days grace14]

RAH7747 wrote:

No matter what.. You can't convert a guy listening to pop or even alternative rock into a metalhead.. metal is synonymous with anger, aggressive behaviour. No one can write a metal song about love or abt how good life is or any feel good theme as such.. It just isn't for that kind of mood.. argue as much as u will but thats the way metal is.. So, if one does have that anger or aggressive behaviour in himself/herself, he/she can't be metalheads..

And others who argue that metal isnt the most complicated genre out there, will not budge until they really get "into" it. Well a guitarist cannot go beyond metal for the most complicated stuff.. really.. but others who listen to metal just for a mood change of sorts dont need metal for that.. rock or pop will do just fine..

lol man ever heard of ANTHRAX they have quite a few happier tunes

[MetalBiz]

good article, I'm totally agreeing with what you say. non everyone likes metal... (search on youtube the "Ed furry's ****ing metal lessons" and have a infinitely lol!!! XD)

[brentondig]

JonasStevens wrote:

AGREED. "If it's complex it must be better!" Nah, there's beauty in simplicity. All metal is, is just showing off. Not say I don't mind it from time to time. But, I could do without.

[/closed minded comment]

Not all metal is showing off. And to suggest that is to make an incredibly uneducated comment. Explore the genre and you will realize it is not all "showing off". Sure, sometimes, fags like Yngwie will show off, and I will admit, anyone who overdoes any large amount of arpeggios or profuse scales are indeed "showing off", but there are a large number of metal guitarist who are not show offs, and who have achieved many years of excellence because of their art.

[Xcutioner13]

Excellant post! This is by far my favorite on UG. Great job raysoh8! \m/

[manmanster]

To define metal by some of it's more technically challenging sub genre's is ludicrous. What about prog? Or Post Metal, for example? Does Isis or Pelican have blistering riffs?

[The_Raven]

haha, really nice. really enjoyed the article hope to read more from you in future

[splamron]

very good article

[robbos]

i love metal... but i love regea and i love trance and techno too.... music is really interesting. i love music with energy and passion and that can get your mind going... have you ever met someone who doesnt really care about music?? strange man... nice article. iv tryed to explain all this stuff to people at house parties and stuff. only kinda stupid closed minded people ever jugded me for liking metal... ever met soeone who doesn like like bob marely? i never have... maybe they are evil... oh pass me that shotgun.... iv just been listening to the new lamb of god album...

[FretboardToAsh]

If you do, I am here to brutally attack your perverted and horribly twisted idea of metal, in the most “metal” way possible.

riiiiight, I'm sure that puts everyone at ease.

[druz15_UG]

I couldn't even read past the second paragraph the most retarded thing I've ever seen. You know that writing this just makes it worse, it makes you seem like arrogant closed-minded pricks which I have to say most metalheads I know are. Some are nice, but only like a quarter of metalheads I know will listen to non-metal. That's how ****ing pig-headed some of them are. I'm not trying to generalise just showing a trend. And I'm in no means dissing metal as a genre I have enormous respect for all the great bands that pioneered it. I just find a lot of newer stuff extremely distasteful and hard to swallow as something more than a re-churned up metallica lick or guy screaming his lungs out but you can't make out anything he's saying. But there's a place for all art I guess

checked again

[Skater901]

I have to say, this really was a stupid article. Great point, I agree with you entirely, love metal, and dislike all the negative things people say/think about metal and metalheads. But really, posting an article like this was just gonna cause lots of flaming and riled-up people, and hardly anyone who's not already a metalhead will become one because of this or even think better/differently about metal and metalheads.

[ZealXarah]

This is beautiful

[SoulSlaughter]

You want to see a smile on a metalheads face? Catch him at the very end of a concert, exiting the pit, covered in sweat and dirt

SOOOO TRUE!

[RCA1186]

I listen mostly to metal but I listen to non-metal too, I grew up on green day, the offspring,queen, led zeppelin and nirvana, there's something to be appreciated in every genre there is, try listening to different metal bands, sub-genres or songs and you will one day see the reason why so many people like me LOVE metal as I can see why some people love rock, punk, rap etc.

[pogumsm]

Metal as in speed (Shredding) is aceptable. Every guitarist wants to be able to play fast even if he doesn't need to. Truth is, the need for speed will be there in a fast run to express emotion in a phrase.

Metal as a genre? With it's own specific rules of harmony and rhythm? Yes. If people try to boil down a genre into a single emotion, (anger) they're not getting the point of the music.
In Conclusion:
UR DOIN IT WRONG!
P.S. Because everyone feels the need to toss in their personal beliefs like people read them JOHN MAYER IS THE BEST AND IS THE BEST GUITARIST EVER YA MY FAVORITE ARTIST GO JOHN MAYER

[tagyoureit]

I agree, stereotypes are annoying. Too bad they never go away.

[MCShammas]

axejam123 wrote:

Dude, you can justify metal without writing that its more difficult. You say "easy" stuff like Aerosmith - have you ever written a guitar part like Dream On? Sure, it's easy to play, but some might say it's also easier to invent a metal lick than it is to write a catchy blues-based solo like Joe Perry. Using the dissonance and accidentals like you state Black Sabbath used doesn't make you better.

Your article isn't written to equalize metal with other genres; you went right past that and decided to degrade and put down guitar players of every other type of music just to make yourself seem more AWESOME. That's pretty arrogant.

I've been playing for a while, and when I want something more difficult to play, I play Hendrix or Slash. And don't say I'm just not good at guitar; style like they have needs to be felt and practiced.

You have proven to be just as much of a bonehead you say metalheads aren't. I have a lot of metalhead friends, and they're some of the most relaxed, chill people I know, so yes, your argument is true. But be less of an ***** next time. Metal is not synonymous with musicality, it takes just as much of a musician (and more so in some cases) to write an emotional blues piece or a flashy jazz solo as it does to play ridiculously fast.

You're like the guy who came up to me at Guitar Center last week: "Dude, that sounded pretty good. You should play metal instead, it takes more skill." To which I responded, "Nah, I prefer the Aerosmith stuff." He then scowled at me, picked up an ESP, and started to shred so loudly I had to stop playing. This guy was wearing an Abercrombie shirt.

I apologize for the long post, everybody, but I feel like that needed to be said.

That last part is false, because guitar center does not sell ESP.

[IlikeTheSKA]

18 beats a second is not 1080 beats a minute.

[minchew]

I used to be one of those metal guys. I had long hair and dressed in a lot of black. Then I realised that just because I play metal doesn't mean I have to look nasty. I love metal, and I play lead/rhythm guitar in a metal core band, but I'm very open musically. Just saying not all "metal heads" fall into that stereotype.

[hilliam]

the thing with death/black/super extreme metal is that it doesn't sound good.

it is terribly complex, but there is no harmony, nor melody. classical music is complex in that is tests the capabilities of the player, but not for the sake of testing technical capabilities, but for the sake of expressing the composers emotions, and to help the reader to experience those emotions. death metal may as well be a sport.

jazz is another example. saxophones and trumpets are harder to play than guitar and bass.
and it isn't because of mindless shredding, the phrasing is difficult, the harmonizing and compositions are groundbreaking, as is the rest of the music. the entire idea of jazz to break musical and artistic ground.

double bass was invented by a jazz drummer.
jazz guitarist were tapping before eddie van halen.
wes montgomery was shredding it up way before yngwie even knew what a guitar was. but not to show off, to instead further push the boundaries of the instrument, so not to limit themselves creatively.

metal is great. but most of it isn't art. especially black/death metal. its not going forward. only faster and lower. its been done before. there is one tone, one mood, and one emotion given by the player.

well thats not true, anything can be art. but it is no fine art. Bach is fine art, charles mingus is fine art, Tool is fine art, Miles Davis is fine art.

Metal is wonderful, definitely takes skill, more so than punk, rap, and pop. but understand what it is and isn't

[xiaoviper]

Nice article dude. Totally agree with you.

People don't see that I love/play metal until they know me or the music I listen to. You don't have to look metal to be a metalhead

[Patty-cakez]

I almost creamed my pants when I read that ending paragraph dude.

I love this.

[TBFMVRA]

METAL FOREVER!

[Regression]

jag1393 wrote:

seriously people need to stop with thes gay sterotypes. Today someones mentioned some gay rapper and i was like "he sucks" and then a friend of mine goes "and you call, BAKSDBJASHDGASJHASJG SLIT MY WRISTS ASGDHAKSJDGHAJS (screaming) music?" and i was like "no you ****ing idiot, alot of the music i listen to has no screaming like metallica, maiden, megadeth, and shit like that" and hes like "metallicas ok i guess."

what a ****ing idiot.

some of my friends who listen to "eurotecho" or "computerized shit" as i like to call it claim i will never get a girl in clubs because all i listen to is metal. im sorry, but a computerized bullshit isnt gonna get me shit. i could make a techno song.

people are so ****ing ignorant with music. there not open new ideas and simply compare a whole genre to a few bands in the genre that suck. im ****ing open with any type of music, and ill say if i like it or not. ive listened to their music and its shit. and they dont even wanna listen to my music. THAT is ignorance.

You think people are going to take you seriously after that?

I know for a fact you couldn't make a techno piece. If you are so sure you can, you've got a week to prove me wrong. I don't expect much, but I have to see some knowledge of production techniques involved in making techno.

Different genres require different skills. There are incredible musicians in every genre if you actually look.

You completely missed the point of the article. Even though it is generally there to support metal, it supports the fact that any genre out there isn't just "crap". People shouldn't be expected to like different genres of music, just because you think it is so great. However, people should respect the artists if the music they write truly means something to them.

So maybe if you stop calling rappers "gay" they will stop criticising your music with screaming.

hilliam wrote:

the thing with death/black/super extreme metal is that it doesn't sound good.

it is terribly complex, but there is no harmony, nor melody. classical music is complex in that is tests the capabilities of the player, but not for the sake of testing technical capabilities, but for the sake of expressing the composers emotions, and to help the reader to experience those emotions. death metal may as well be a sport.

jazz is another example. saxophones and trumpets are harder to play than guitar and bass.
and it isn't because of mindless shredding, the phrasing is difficult, the harmonizing and compositions are groundbreaking, as is the rest of the music. the entire idea of jazz to break musical and artistic ground.

double bass was invented by a jazz drummer.
jazz guitarist were tapping before eddie van halen.
wes montgomery was shredding it up way before yngwie even knew what a guitar was. but not to show off, to instead further push the boundaries of the instrument, so not to limit themselves creatively.

metal is great. but most of it isn't art. especially black/death metal. its not going forward. only faster and lower. its been done before. there is one tone, one mood, and one emotion given by the player.

well thats not true, anything can be art. but it is no fine art. Bach is fine art, charles mingus is fine art, Tool is fine art, Miles Davis is fine art.

Metal is wonderful, definitely takes skill, more so than punk, rap, and pop. but understand what it is and isn't

Generalizations, much?

No melody in death metal? Listen to Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt. Black metal? Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter. Plenty of melody and harmony there.

If you want to hear groundbreaking composition, then there's Gorguts - Obscura.

Variety in tone and emotion? Ne Obliviscaris - The Aurora Veil. Not to mention melody and harmony, as mentioned above.

Bam.

[The National D]

Gotta say, this is a pretentious wank. Started out ok, but christ, it was more than just a little self-indulgent and narrow minded by the end. Jazz was sinful in the 30s, rock corrupted the youth of the 50s, rap promoted crime in the 90s. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I play in a metal band, and there's nothing special about metal.

[alphablade7]

JonasStevens wrote:

axejam123 wrote:

Dude, you can justify metal without writing that its more difficult. You say "easy" stuff like Aerosmith - have you ever written a guitar part like Dream On? Sure, it's easy to play, but some might say it's also easier to invent a metal lick than it is to write a catchy blues-based solo like Joe Perry. Using the dissonance and accidentals like you state Black Sabbath used doesn't make you better.

Your article isn't written to equalize metal with other genres; you went right past that and decided to degrade and put down guitar players of every other type of music just to make yourself seem more AWESOME. That's pretty arrogant.

I've been playing for a while, and when I want something more difficult to play, I play Hendrix or Slash. And don't say I'm just not good at guitar; style like they have needs to be felt and practiced.

You have proven to be just as much of a bonehead you say metalheads aren't. I have a lot of metalhead friends, and they're some of the most relaxed, chill people I know, so yes, your argument is true. But be less of an ***** next time. Metal is not synonymous with musicality, it takes just as much of a musician (and more so in some cases) to write an emotional blues piece or a flashy jazz solo as it does to play ridiculously fast.

You're like the guy who came up to me at Guitar Center last week: "Dude, that sounded pretty good. You should play metal instead, it takes more skill." To which I responded, "Nah, I prefer the Aerosmith stuff." He then scowled at me, picked up an ESP, and started to shred so loudly I had to stop playing. This guy was wearing an Abercrombie shirt.

I apologize for the long post, everybody, but I feel like that needed to be said.

AGREED. "If it's complex it must be better!" Nah, there's beauty in simplicity. All metal is, is just showing off. Not say I don't mind it from time to time. But, I could do without.

Yeah in a way metal is showing off, but... its depending on how you play it, i mean some metal is like the most basic of stuff ive ever heard and then others use alot of technical ability but i think thats what defines metal to me as a player is that i can incorporate alot of technical ability into my playing like sweep picking, which is what metal is to me not saying i cant use it in other genres there either btw but thats just how i feel about metal

[Emenius Sleepus]

hilliam wrote:

the thing with death/black/super extreme metal is that it doesn't sound good.

it is terribly complex, but there is no harmony, nor melody. classical music is complex in that is tests the capabilities of the player, but not for the sake of testing technical capabilities, but for the sake of expressing the composers emotions, and to help the reader to experience those emotions. death metal may as well be a sport.

jazz is another example. saxophones and trumpets are harder to play than guitar and bass.
and it isn't because of mindless shredding, the phrasing is difficult, the harmonizing and compositions are groundbreaking, as is the rest of the music. the entire idea of jazz to break musical and artistic ground.

double bass was invented by a jazz drummer.
jazz guitarist were tapping before eddie van halen.
wes montgomery was shredding it up way before yngwie even knew what a guitar was. but not to show off, to instead further push the boundaries of the instrument, so not to limit themselves creatively.

metal is great. but most of it isn't art. especially black/death metal. its not going forward. only faster and lower. its been done before. there is one tone, one mood, and one emotion given by the player.

well thats not true, anything can be art. but it is no fine art. Bach is fine art, charles mingus is fine art, Tool is fine art, Miles Davis is fine art.

Metal is wonderful, definitely takes skill, more so than punk, rap, and pop. but understand what it is and isn't

what the ****ing ****?

Metal has a lot of harmony. Dissection are a black/death metal band, yet so much of their output is based on harmonized riffs and melodic lead guitar. Emperor - who I use just because they're a bit more known, - have heaps of melody, and their composition is layered and thought out, with some very complex arrangements. I'm not comparing it to the levels of classical composers, but it was never meant to approach that level in the first place. Not to mention that absence of harmony and presence of dissonance is just as artistic and musical - it creates tension and is just as much a compositional process as anything else to do with music.

The time period of a technique invention is completely irrelevant here. You may as well just denounce anyone who started playing music after the invention of blues, or jazz, or the list could go on forever - because supposedly the following genres didn't invent something. That argument is flawed at the beginning.

I'm not sure why you posted what you did, but your argument has no foundation to base it on, contradicts itself in several places and is obviously lacking in background knowledge if you think that metal is lacking in good composition and harmonic elements. Please never speak about metal again, lest you show the same lack of thought.

[GuitarShredder+]

Metal does indeed have soul. Although many metal bands do scream, listen to what they are saying. Take, for example, 94 Hours by As I Lay Dying. It's about a couple regretting having sex. If you listen to the words, you will hear the powerful emotion displayed in the music. So for all you metal haters, listen past the chaos, for the true meaning of the music. Whether it is happy or sad, Christian or Satanic (whichever you are), listen for the real meaning and messages portrayed in the musicians' work. Metal is not all bad.

I agree some bands are very descructive, disturbed, and evil at times, but those aren't real metalheads. That's just some bullshit. They are the ones who disperrage metal (I'm not sure how to spell that) for those of you who aren't familiar with it. Those are the bands that create such a negative stereotype for metal. Those are the bands that even many metalheads hate. Because they're not real metal, they're destructive, unbound chaotic freaks. That's not what metal is meant to be.

[Emenius Sleepus]

GuitarShredder+ wrote:

Metal does indeed have soul. Although many metal bands do scream, listen to what they are saying. Take, for example, 94 Hours by As I Lay Dying. It's about a couple regretting having sex. If you listen to the words, you will hear the powerful emotion displayed in the music. So for all you metal haters, listen past the chaos, for the true meaning of the music. Whether it is happy or sad, Christian or Satanic (whichever you are), listen for the real meaning and messages portrayed in the musicians' work. Metal is not all bad.

I agree some bands are very descructive, disturbed, and evil at times, but those aren't real metalheads. That's just some bullshit. They are the ones who disperrage metal (I'm not sure how to spell that) for those of you who aren't familiar with it. Those are the bands that create such a negative stereotype for metal. Those are the bands that even many metalheads hate. Because they're not real metal, they're destructive, unbound chaotic freaks. That's not what metal is meant to be.

I also love the fact that a good portion of people who posted have no idea regarding metal, let alone extreme metal. As I Lay Dying? Really?

Destructiveness and abrasiveness are quite a part of metal. It was never intended to be pleasant to your grandmother's ears or you. Of course metal has a soul, it's just far from the pathetic attempts that wallow about in shapes of As I Lay Dying, or Avenged Sevenfold.

Learn to spell before you start arguing about something that you haven't even explored properly.

-----

As for the article, I can both agree and disagree about the levels of musical complexity. Venom and Hellhammer barely knew how to play their instruments, but the atmosphere they created was like nothing else around, and it's in the atmosphere and songs that their gift lies. Where as of course Emperor, Necrophagist, Cryptopsy and Spiral Architect, for example, can create some really wonderful arrangements and complex pieces. So what I'm saying is that it's such a diverse genre, that it reflects both simple but clever songwriting and complexity/playing prowess in equal importance

[vIsIbleNoIsE]

good article! i need to show my mom this.

[v2a2n2g2]

omfg lol my computer teacher's a metal head XD

[Antoine-Øleg]

Nice article, by the way mate. At heart, let me tell you "I like smart people, as you". Actually, a science teacher I had on 8th grade was a Metalhead. I ignore if he is still.

[hilliam]

Emenius Sleepus wrote:

hilliam wrote:

the thing with death/black/super extreme metal is that it doesn't sound good.

it is terribly complex, but there is no harmony, nor melody. classical music is complex in that is tests the capabilities of the player, but not for the sake of testing technical capabilities, but for the sake of expressing the composers emotions, and to help the reader to experience those emotions. death metal may as well be a sport.

jazz is another example. saxophones and trumpets are harder to play than guitar and bass.
and it isn't because of mindless shredding, the phrasing is difficult, the harmonizing and compositions are groundbreaking, as is the rest of the music. the entire idea of jazz to break musical and artistic ground.

double bass was invented by a jazz drummer.
jazz guitarist were tapping before eddie van halen.
wes montgomery was shredding it up way before yngwie even knew what a guitar was. but not to show off, to instead further push the boundaries of the instrument, so not to limit themselves creatively.

metal is great. but most of it isn't art. especially black/death metal. its not going forward. only faster and lower. its been done before. there is one tone, one mood, and one emotion given by the player.

well thats not true, anything can be art. but it is no fine art. Bach is fine art, charles mingus is fine art, Tool is fine art, Miles Davis is fine art.

Metal is wonderful, definitely takes skill, more so than punk, rap, and pop. but understand what it is and isn't

what the ****ing ****?

Metal has a lot of harmony. Dissection are a black/death metal band, yet so much of their output is based on harmonized riffs and melodic lead guitar. Emperor - who I use just because they're a bit more known, - have heaps of melody, and their composition is layered and thought out, with some very complex arrangements. I'm not comparing it to the levels of classical composers, but it was never meant to approach that level in the first place. Not to mention that absence of harmony and presence of dissonance is just as artistic and musical - it creates tension and is just as much a compositional process as anything else to do with music.

The time period of a technique invention is completely irrelevant here. You may as well just denounce anyone who started playing music after the invention of blues, or jazz, or the list could go on forever - because supposedly the following genres didn't invent something. That argument is flawed at the beginning.

I'm not sure why you posted what you did, but your argument has no foundation to base it on, contradicts itself in several places and is obviously lacking in background knowledge if you think that metal is lacking in good composition and harmonic elements. Please never speak about metal again, lest you show the same lack of thought.

ok, i picked a random song by emperor, the loss and curse of reverence.

the riffs were so low register, and so distorted, that i could barely tell any changes in pitch. the vocalist was doing the black metal scream thing, no pitch changing there.
is that really full of melody? there was a 1 minute instrumental section that had some arpeggiated chords, and a string section dicking away in the background, but besides that it was void of any type of melody.
and maybe that was a bad example, but if you claim a band is "full of melody", then when someone who has never heard them before chooses a song a random, they should find some type of melody besides a breakdown for 1 minute. and it had a music video, so i am assuming it is a somewhat prominent song in the emperor library.

and i know that the absence of harmony and usage of dissonance can be used to evoke a mood or feeling, but the black metal and death metal i have heard has one single mood; i feel one single emotion when hearing it.

the paragraph about jazz players technical innovations, i thought, had a pretty clear place in my argument, and it is downright stated in the last paragraph. it was to add more evidence to my earlier statement of jazz and classical musicians using technical ability to further their artistic expression.

i really dont understand where you are finding these "Contridictions". I will admit to not being a master in the subject of extreme metal, i think the most extreme i listen to would be megadeth, and i like 2 slayer songs, but i dont feel it should be necessary to learn everything about something to understand if you like it or not, and why you feel that way.

also, death metal. the song Hammer smashed face, or I cum blood, by cannibal corpse. that is my picture of death metal. that is what i have heard, and all of my earlier statements directed towards black metal go for these also.

and all the lyrics i've seen by death/black metal bands have literally made me laugh.

i like metal. not extreme metal. but metal. i respect the musicians who make it, but in the same way i would respect a famous athlete, not how i would respect Beethoven, or Hayden. but i do like met

[roksta101]

u r a legend

u are absolutely right..could not have said it better myself

though i must disagree with your statement that metal doesn't alter one's mind. some of it does. extreme metal really really extreme (meshuggah, necrophagist) i believe does send one on a bit of a trip...(at least it does 4 me)

awesome article

[shredtildeath]

RAH7747 wrote:

No matter what.. You can't convert a guy listening to pop or even alternative rock into a metalhead.. metal is synonymous with anger, aggressive behaviour. No one can write a metal song about love or abt how good life is or any feel good theme as such.. It just isn't for that kind of mood.. argue as much as u will but thats the way metal is.. So, if one does have that anger or aggressive behaviour in himself/herself, he/she can't be metalheads..

And others who argue that metal isnt the most complicated genre out there, will not budge until they really get "into" it. Well a guitarist cannot go beyond metal for the most complicated stuff.. really.. but others who listen to metal just for a mood change of sorts dont need metal for that.. rock or pop will do just fine..

Listen to Kamelot or Love? by Strapping Young Lad. Jesus, the uninformed should just not post.

[shredtildeath]

hilliam wrote:

the thing with death/black/super extreme metal is that it doesn't sound good.

it is terribly complex, but there is no harmony, nor melody. classical music is complex in that is tests the capabilities of the player, but not for the sake of testing technical capabilities, but for the sake of expressing the composers emotions, and to help the reader to experience those emotions. death metal may as well be a sport.

jazz is another example. saxophones and trumpets are harder to play than guitar and bass.
and it isn't because of mindless shredding, the phrasing is difficult, the harmonizing and compositions are groundbreaking, as is the rest of the music. the entire idea of jazz to break musical and artistic ground.

double bass was invented by a jazz drummer.
jazz guitarist were tapping before eddie van halen.
wes montgomery was shredding it up way before yngwie even knew what a guitar was. but not to show off, to instead further push the boundaries of the instrument, so not to limit themselves creatively.

metal is great. but most of it isn't art. especially black/death metal. its not going forward. only faster and lower. its been done before. there is one tone, one mood, and one emotion given by the player.

well thats not true, anything can be art. but it is no fine art. Bach is fine art, charles mingus is fine art, Tool is fine art, Miles Davis is fine art.

Metal is wonderful, definitely takes skill, more so than punk, rap, and pop. but understand what it is and isn't

No melody?! Are you ****ing deaf? Go on youtube and search Dark Tranquillity - Cathode Ray Sunshine/The Mundane and the Magic or In Flames - Gyroscope/Moonshield. I can't believe that people who say this shit are actually supposed to be musicians that understand what melody actually is.

[shredtildeath]

Regression wrote:

jag1393 wrote:

seriously people need to stop with thes gay sterotypes. Today someones mentioned some gay rapper and i was like "he sucks" and then a friend of mine goes "and you call, BAKSDBJASHDGASJHASJG SLIT MY WRISTS ASGDHAKSJDGHAJS (screaming) music?" and i was like "no you ****ing idiot, alot of the music i listen to has no screaming like metallica, maiden, megadeth, and shit like that" and hes like "metallicas ok i guess."

what a ****ing idiot.

some of my friends who listen to "eurotecho" or "computerized shit" as i like to call it claim i will never get a girl in clubs because all i listen to is metal. im sorry, but a computerized bullshit isnt gonna get me shit. i could make a techno song.

people are so ****ing ignorant with music. there not open new ideas and simply compare a whole genre to a few bands in the genre that suck. im ****ing open with any type of music, and ill say if i like it or not. ive listened to their music and its shit. and they dont even wanna listen to my music. THAT is ignorance.
You think people are going to take you seriously after that?

I know for a fact you couldn't make a techno piece. If you are so sure you can, you've got a week to prove me wrong. I don't expect much, but I have to see some knowledge of production techniques involved in making techno.

Different genres require different skills. There are incredible musicians in every genre if you actually look.

You completely missed the point of the article. Even though it is generally there to support metal, it supports the fact that any genre out there isn't just "crap". People shouldn't be expected to like different genres of music, just because you think it is so great. However, people should respect the artists if the music they write truly means something to them.

So maybe if you stop calling rappers "gay" they will stop criticising your music with screaming.

Sorry dude, actual music requires instruments to make. Techno and the like are all just computer generated wank with annoying beats that keep ****ing repeating over and over. Time required to learn how to press all those buttons doesn't really count, just like even though RHCP are easy to play it doesn't mean that anyone who hasn't picked up a guitar before can play their stuff, that time required to get good enough to play that stuff doesn't count.

[shredtildeath]

[quote]hilliam wrote:

Emenius Sleepus wrote:

hilliam wrote:

the thing with death/black/super extreme metal is that it doesn't sound good.

it is terribly complex, but there is no harmony, nor melody. classical music is complex in that is tests the capabilities of the player, but not for the sake of testing technical capabilities, but for the sake of expressing the composers emotions, and to help the reader to experience those emotions. death metal may as well be a sport.

jazz is another example. saxophones and trumpets are harder to play than guitar and bass.
and it isn't because of mindless shredding, the phrasing is difficult, the harmonizing and compositions are groundbreaking, as is the rest of the music. the entire idea of jazz to break musical and artistic ground.

double bass was invented by a jazz drummer.
jazz guitarist were tapping before eddie van halen.
wes montgomery was shredding it up way before yngwie even knew what a guitar was. but not to show off, to instead further push the boundaries of the instrument, so not to limit themselves creatively.

metal is great. but most of it isn't art. especially black/death metal. its not going forward. only faster and lower. its been done before. there is one tone, one mood, and one emotion given by the player.

well thats not true, anything can be art. but it is no fine art. Bach is fine art, charles mingus is fine art, Tool is fine art, Miles Davis is fine art.

Metal is wonderful, definitely takes skill, more so than punk, rap, and pop. but understand what it is and isn't

what the ****ing ****?

Metal has a lot of harmony. Dissection are a black/death metal band, yet so much of their output is based on harmonized riffs and melodic lead guitar. Emperor - who I use just because they're a bit more known, - have heaps of melody, and their composition is layered and thought out, with some very complex arrangements. I'm not comparing it to the levels of classical composers, but it was never meant to approach that level in the first place. Not to mention that absence of harmony and presence of dissonance is just as artistic and musical - it creates tension and is just as much a compositional process as anything else to do with music.

The time period of a technique invention is completely irrelevant here. You may as well just denounce anyone who started playing music after the invention of blues, or jazz, or the list could go on forever - because supposedly the following genres didn't invent something. That argument is flawed at the beginning.

I'm not sure why you posted what you did, but your argument has no foundation to base it on, contradicts itself in several places and is obviously lacking in background knowledge if you think that metal is lacking in good composition and harmonic elements. Please never speak about metal again, lest you show the same lack of thought.

ok, i picked a random song by emperor, the loss and curse of reverence.

the riffs were so low register, and so distorted, that i could barely tell any changes in pitch. the vocalist was doing the black metal scream thing, no pitch changing there.
is that really full of melody? there was a 1 minute instrumental section that had some arpeggiated chords, and a string section dicking away in the background, but besides that it was void of any type of melody.
and maybe that was a bad example, but if you claim a band is "full of melody", then when someone who has never heard them before chooses a song a random, they should find some type of melody besides a breakdown for 1 minute. and it had a music video, so i am assuming it is a somewhat prominent song in the emperor library.

and i know that the absence of harmony and usage of dissonance can be used to evoke a mood or feeling, but the black metal and death metal i have heard has one single mood; i feel one single emotion when hearing it.

the paragraph about jazz players technical innovations, i thought, had a pretty clear place in my argument, and it is downright stated in the last paragraph. it was to add more evidence to my earlier statement of jazz and classical musicians using technical ability to further their artistic expression.

i really dont understand where you are finding these "Contridictions". I will admit to not being a master in the subject of extreme metal, i think the most extreme i listen to would be megadeth, and i like 2 slayer songs, but i dont feel it should be necessary to learn everything about something to understand if you like it or not, and why you feel that way.

also, death metal. the song Hammer smashed face, or I cum blood, by cannibal corpse. that is my picture of death metal. that is what i have heard, and all of my earlier statements directed towards black metal go for these also.

and all the lyrics i've seen by death/black metal bands have literally made me laugh.

i like metal. not extreme metal. but metal. i respect the musicians who make it, but in the same way i would respect a famous athlete, not how i would respect Beethoven, or Hayden. but i do

[FretKiller]

[quote=poor_blue_crabs]Man...ur making it sound like metalheads are getting murdered everyday, getting enslaved...just like the blacks back in the days of slavery.

I don't think of metalheads as killers and crazy folk....probably some people do.....but I like some metal....like metallica, judas priest, iron maiden, and so on. But I guess metal isn't really my style...it's more of the guns n' roses, aerosmith, rolling stones, type of style.

But this is good stuff though....but it's no wonder how abunch of metal bands suck cuz they can't get the timing right.[/quote] actually man they are getting killed everyday...People just talk shit about this genre even if they don't know shit about it!! My religion teacher(not sure if that's the word) came on to class today and started blaming motorhead, black sabbath, iron maiden, alice cooper and a whole bunch of other bands and metalheads for being satanic or something.... He said that \m/ is a symbol of satan and that generally metal bands act like if they were possesed by satan! A bunch of bullshit:P People just don't know what metal is all about.

[ST.DVP]

whaip wrote:

And others who argue that metal isnt the most complicated genre out there, will not budge until they really get "into" it. Well a guitarist cannot go beyond metal for the most complicated stuff.. really.. but others who listen to metal just for a mood change of sorts dont need metal for that.. rock or pop will do just fine..
No doubt that metal is a very difficult genre...but did you ever made experiances with jazz?
I am a metalhead myself, but I have to admid that jazz is especially for lead guitarrists the hardest genre.

i agree with both of you but are we frogeting prgrsive rock thats pretty dificult plus metal may be insanly hard to play but blues is just as hard becuse any one can play it but to be truly in it taceks skill

[ST.DVP]

takes*