Metal has become very diverse, there's something to accommodate to everyone's tastes I think. To me it evokes emotions/positive response and has replay value. Nothing else captures the morbidity and haunting atmosphere better than the extreme stuff like black/doom/death metal. I've always been drawn to the more mysterious, darkest, atmospheric type of metal. The more unknowable the mystery, the more beautiful it is..
Question about Metal
- Thread starter Radagast
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To me metal was never about negativity but rather about sheer power. If it has power (whether subtly or overtly) it isn't necessarily metal but that is a key element in metal. As such, 'dark' topics tend to lend themselves to the brooding and ominous sound that pretty much defines metal.
The confusion - I think - comes when non metal bands make metal songs or when metal bands make non metal songs.
I seriously never have had a problem with this since I always liked other kinds of music than metal.
One acid test for metal (to me) is if it sounds at all like Sabbath. If it does, you might have a metal song on your hands (now I mean Ozzy Sabbath and not God knows whatever that came after). But there re metal songs out there that don't sound like Sabbath.
Prodigal Son by Maiden is a tune that seems to hover right at the edge of what defines metal but - to me - it is firmly in that category. Ditto for Free Man by Angel Witch and even The King by Accept. Though the presentation may be decidedly subtle or even 'gasp' laid back the songs have the underlying power and brooding, ominous themes that define metal to me.
Contrast that with Planet Caravan from the premier metal band of all (Black Sabbath) which is more an acid rock tune than a metal one or Born to be Wild from Steppenwolf that famously mentions heavy meal but is not and it gets sort of confusing to some.
I guess tl;dr version is - I don't quite know how to completely explain it but know it when I hear it. 80s tranny bands aren't it. Almost down to every last song.
The confusion - I think - comes when non metal bands make metal songs or when metal bands make non metal songs.
I seriously never have had a problem with this since I always liked other kinds of music than metal.
One acid test for metal (to me) is if it sounds at all like Sabbath. If it does, you might have a metal song on your hands (now I mean Ozzy Sabbath and not God knows whatever that came after). But there re metal songs out there that don't sound like Sabbath.
Prodigal Son by Maiden is a tune that seems to hover right at the edge of what defines metal but - to me - it is firmly in that category. Ditto for Free Man by Angel Witch and even The King by Accept. Though the presentation may be decidedly subtle or even 'gasp' laid back the songs have the underlying power and brooding, ominous themes that define metal to me.
Contrast that with Planet Caravan from the premier metal band of all (Black Sabbath) which is more an acid rock tune than a metal one or Born to be Wild from Steppenwolf that famously mentions heavy meal but is not and it gets sort of confusing to some.
I guess tl;dr version is - I don't quite know how to completely explain it but know it when I hear it. 80s tranny bands aren't it. Almost down to every last song.
Yeah the darker and more ambient music with atmosphere blended into metal I have being getting into a lot.
Pretty good way of putting it. There are plenty of rock bands who get debate about whether they're heavy metal or not. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Motorhead, AC/DC probably border close to metal without actually being metal although plenty will say Motorhead is more metal than rock n roll as the band call themselves. It is pretty hard to explain what constitutes as metal and what doesn't plus trying to explain why people like metal too.
Radagast
Senior Member
Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" is, IMO, built on bass. Yet I would not call it a "metal" song.
Emerson,Lake,& Palmer , IMO, have some very dark songs. I would not even consider the them "metal"
Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" is a great song, but is it "metal" just because they recorded it
(Crazy Train as well).
My ear says "metal" when I hear a grinding guitar, fast moving bass, but little melody and no harmony. Artwork that must feature blood, chains, knives, etc. , if they don't convey the dark evil negative message, then what.
All are welcome to appreciate as they please, but I'll keep carrying the Beatles message, "All you need is Love" .
Emerson,Lake,& Palmer , IMO, have some very dark songs. I would not even consider the them "metal"
Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" is a great song, but is it "metal" just because they recorded it
(Crazy Train as well).
My ear says "metal" when I hear a grinding guitar, fast moving bass, but little melody and no harmony. Artwork that must feature blood, chains, knives, etc. , if they don't convey the dark evil negative message, then what.
All are welcome to appreciate as they please, but I'll keep carrying the Beatles message, "All you need is Love" .
Ar-Pharazon
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Lemmy doesn't consider Motörhead to be heavy metal, but rock 'n' roll.
Sounds metal to me.
Sounds metal to me.
Vehicle
Aging Metalhead
Preach it brother. That was my first thought. I've never looked any further than that. Sure, I hear the lyrics, but that's not, and never has been, my attraction to metal. It's always been the grinding, the pounding. The thump in your chest.
If anything, the deep, dark, sinister lyrics kinda make me chuckle and wonder just how much these people believe what they're writing and how much is just for show, to sell records.
Just to clarify, I'm not a huge metal fan. Maiden, mainly. I have a handful of stuff.
It has the power, but to me would only loosely fit into the definition. Really hard to pigeonhole that one.
The Barbarian, Knife Edge, etc maybe not strictly metal but I wouldn't balk if someone called them metal.
Blizaard of OZ recorded Crazy train. It isn't the definition of metal but I'd easily add it as a metal song.
My ear says "metal" when I hear a grinding guitar, fast moving bass,[/quote]OK
Then we obviously have a much different definition for the term. Metal can be among the most obviously melodic music forms in rock. In fact, very often it is the melody that makes it metal.
That's only a part of it (and not even the dominant part).
Who are among the first to write metal songs.
Radagast
Senior Member
Usually I just find something else to listen to, I out grew "metal" when I turned 14.
If it's your bag, then enjoy it. Banging my head against door frames , to me , is a pointless pursuit. As much as I have tried, I have not found much to like in "new" music sense 1985. Monotone, melody lacking, cookie cutter music has taken music where it is choking for a fresh breath of real talent . American Idol and such make me gag in a bag. I've seen nothing in the last 25 years that will last 100 or 200 years like the Beatles, or Pink Floyd, or Led Zeppelin. Elvis, Sinatra, Crosby, Gershwin, Mozart, Beethoven will also be remembered. No one is going to remember Madonna or Lady GaGa. Honorable mention may include the Foo Fighters & Pearl Jam.
Sorry guys, I'm just very disappointed with this generation. Even my parents liked some of the Beatles and Beach Boys songs.
If it's your bag, then enjoy it. Banging my head against door frames , to me , is a pointless pursuit. As much as I have tried, I have not found much to like in "new" music sense 1985. Monotone, melody lacking, cookie cutter music has taken music where it is choking for a fresh breath of real talent . American Idol and such make me gag in a bag. I've seen nothing in the last 25 years that will last 100 or 200 years like the Beatles, or Pink Floyd, or Led Zeppelin. Elvis, Sinatra, Crosby, Gershwin, Mozart, Beethoven will also be remembered. No one is going to remember Madonna or Lady GaGa. Honorable mention may include the Foo Fighters & Pearl Jam.
Sorry guys, I'm just very disappointed with this generation. Even my parents liked some of the Beatles and Beach Boys songs.
