Question about Metal

[Radagast]

This post is an attempt to try to understand, not a rebuke, of Heavy Metal.

In 1970, when I was 13 years old, I nearly wore out the groves in my Black Sabbath LP.
A year later I had moved on to Grand Funk Railroad, The Who, and others. My adolescent fascination with "Heavy Metal" faded as I found music was more positive.

My question is why is "heavy metal"music popular with people older than 13 years old ?
What makes the TV series "The Walking Dead" popular? Why is death, negativity, and the color black popular ?
I'm not trying to demote or promote, but to understand ? I just don't find "heavy metal" music pleasing to listen to. What is it that people like about it ? Someone please explain "heavy metal" music, not to convert me, but that I and others can gain understanding.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Well I'm not the hugest fan of Metal but I can for some of my taste which could be considered darker in tone and content. Horror is my favorite genre as well. For me unless we are popping some damn good pills we feel both good feelings and bad feelings. With good feelings nothing needs to be excised. At our peak we laugh about something and level off. Happy music will just complement what you are already feeling. Sad music honestly shouldn't bring you down unless your moods are altered and really more susceptible than normal. With music as art though it really taps into something when we need it and often times I find it's most needed to either escape or excise and expel the angst, demons, sadness, aggression, etc. inside all of us. What works? Something that is pulsating a positive mood you can't relate to at the time and seems fake or that human connection when you are singing along to someone that relates to how you are feeling. It's a cleansing experience. Sadness and anger are an emotion that is more clearly channeled through music. A lot of the artist write to balance that side of themselves so the listener can feel it's real. Some can listen to Bob Marley all day and there's a level of emotion to that but give me a melancholy piano piece, a weepy folky with a yearning vocal or an adrenalized fist pumper with a coarse vocalist any day and I'm in Heaven. it's more of a journey and experience imo.

 

[Riff Raff]

Heavy Metal appeals to many people through many ways but the fact its an extremely diverse genre being one.

 

[Johnny-Too-Good]

For me it's not necessarily about any particular genre within 'Rock', it's just about what sounds good to me. So I like some metal, and I'm not so keen on other stuff. You mention Sabbath, who, some would say, defined heavy metal, though the term would not be used for many years afterwards. Like many of the great bands, it was a coming together of four great talents which made it work. Tony the Riff Master, with Geezer to put dark lyrics to them (lifted from the many books he read), and Ozzy to howl them out. Bill was at the back keeping the whole thing together. They were basically a Blues band, but discovered a different sound through a series of accidental situations. I would say most, if not all, metal bands of the '70s and '80s would have been influenced by Sabbath. It's took a lot of twists and turns over the decades, but it's still alive and well.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

My question was always "what makes metal metal?"

Back in the 80's, some people thought it was heavy bass which would have made Rush a heavy metal band.

 

[Johnny-Too-Good]

My question was always "what makes metal metal?"

Back in the 80's, some people thought it was heavy bass which would have made Rush a heavy metal band.

It's a difficult one to define, certainly a heavy bass is part of it. But if you accept Sabbath as a model, then the slightly distorted (rather than melodic) Lead Guitar has a big part to play, as has the vocal.

 

[Riff Raff]

The distortion of the guitars has a lot to do with it. Rush to me don't really come under the metal genre. Rock yes but not metal. Sabbath is one that could fit either way because of the heaviness of the music for that time.

 

[stepcousin]

those catchy melodic heavy riffs like Iommi's, Priest's, and Maiden's for me, there's nothing like it in music.

you ask: Why is death, negativity, and the color black popular ?

For me it's the driving beat, the bass all over the place like Geezer's or Steve Harris, and the melodic heavy guitars. It has nothing to do with death, negativity, or black clothes. If people are more suseptible to following trends than following good music, then they will "outgrow" such trends and move on from the music. If you connect with the music, you can like it for decades and not care if it's popular, or cheesy, or outdated or not cool.

 

[Riff Raff]

those catchy melodic heavy riffs like Iommi's, Priest's, and Maiden's for me, there's nothing like it in music.

you ask: Why is death, negativity, and the color black popular ?

For me it's the driving beat, the bass all over the place like Geezer's or Steve Harris, and the melodic heavy guitars. It has nothing to do with death, negativity, or black clothes. If people are more suseptible to following trends than following good music, then they will "outgrow" such trends and move on from the music. If you connect with the music, you can like it for decades and not care if it's popular, or cheesy, or outdated or not cool.

Outgrows trends but sets it own share of trends and movements. Metal is an incredibly diverse genre of music. Not every sub genre will be for everyone but in terms of variety the metal genre has a lot to go to.

 

[stepcousin]

Outgrows trends but sets it own share of trends and movements. Metal is an incredibly diverse genre of music. Not every sub genre will be for everyone but in terms of variety the metal genre has a lot to go to.

I very much agree with all you said, hence the reason I like metal and many diverse genres and offshoots from it.

When I was a teenager in the 80's, alot of people were into the music for the fashion, the girls, the partying and getting high and being cool. The music was secondary, and they moved on and don't listen to it anymore. Alot of people. But for some of us, it really struck a chord, so to speak. Kept with us decades later. Is it kinda pathetic? Maybe. But it was and still is real.

I do love classic rock and prog rock and hippie 60's rock and even alot that's hardly even considered rock. But something about metal keeps my old bones going. I was a 70's rock kid and an 80's metal maniac and I figure there's plenty of room in this world for alot of cool bands, heavy or mellow.