Metal? What is Metal?

[Silverwulf]

Metal has become a generic term these days. It used to represent a particular genre, but it's become so watered down with sub-genres that everyone interprets it different anymore. Now days, casual listeners seem to label any music with heavily distorted guitars as "metal."

I could say the same thing about country music. There's hardly anything "country" about what they pass off as country music these days.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Well, when you consider that rock and roll is a sub-genre of bop, and thus bebop, and thus jazz... so the real question is, is metal jazz?

I understand the reason for labeling, and it makes perfect sense. It's easier to say "Sounds like heavy metal" than it is to say "Sounds like Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Iron Butterfly, Judas Priest and Iced Earth". So you end up with sub-genres like rock, hard rock, heavy metal, punk, etc...


But, then you have crossover bands that don't fit the standard descriptions, so you make new ones. Like what happens when someone combines heavy metal with punk, and you get this heavy, thrashy metal sound? Or someone takes hardcore, forgoes the politics and starts singing about emotions? What happens when punk bands stop sounding like punk bands post the punk revolution?

Anyway, I don't get too bent out of shape about it. I feel sub-genres do nothing to detract from the music provided you don't let it... and learning about the histories of each sub-genre and how they came to be is an interesting process in and of itself.

 

[kiff]

WTF would you call Hendrix?

I'd call him sir!

 

[Riff Blister]

Yeah, it really has got to a point where you just roll your eyes back. Too much! Just go on Wikipedia and look up “List of rock genres “. I guess I find more interesting than annoying. Actually, one of my favorite things about rock music is how over the years it has changed and still is changing. It’s like a living breathing entity. I mean, what other form of music comes in so many different sizes and colors so to speak? Classical, Blues, Country, Polka, Blue Grass? Sure they may all have there own sub genres but nothing compared to what has happened with rock and roll. Creative musicians over the years have taken parts and pieces of all of “the above” and used them to develop new and different styles of expression. The ultimate melting pot. Modern human expression in so many forms.
So, all the labels, is it marketing? Sure, how could it not be? It is after all the music business for the most part. How about as a communication tool? If I wanted turn you guys on to this band from Sweden that I’ve been hooked on, Witchcraft, I at least have a point of reference to start from. That might not be the best example because as much as I love that band I’m not sure which Wikipedia tag I would use. I just wanted to put in a plug for Witchcraft. :lol: Their “Alchemist” album gets heavy rotation.
I think you know what I mean though.
Then again, when’s the last time you went out to buy a new pair of tennis shoes?
Tennis shoes? Are you kidding me? Try walking, running, skateboarding, basketball, cross training. I just want something comfortable to hang out in my %$#*& yard with!!!!

Ok caffeine has burned off now. LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL!!!!! 8)

 

[Riff Blister]

Oh, I almost forgot.

Maybe the most important question is: is Metal rock 'n roll?

Which genre? :lol:

 

[Paulie]

What's funny about this is that people's interpretations of what these sub genres are can be completely different. I view Ozzy as Metal. He would probably view himself the same. But many people consider him hard rock. There are also people like my in laws that listen to classical music exclusively who would consider any medium distorted guitar sound as "metal". There will only be more of these sub classes in years to come, but one thing is clear - nearly all of them are rooted in blues.

Also my 2 cents: I think old school original rock and roll (Chuck Berry, Buddy Holley, etc...) has more in common geneticly with modern day country music than modern day 'metal'.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

What's funny about this is that people's interpretations of what these sub genres are can be completely different. I view Ozzy as Metal. He would probably view himself the same. But many people consider him hard rock. There are also people like my in laws that listen to classical music exclusively who would consider any medium distorted guitar sound as "metal". There will only be more of these sub classes in years to come, but one thing is clear - nearly all of them are rooted in blues.

Also my 2 cents: I think old school original rock and roll (Chuck Berry, Buddy Holley, etc...) has more in common geneticly with modern day country music than modern day 'metal'.

My Grandma used to call everything I listened to (ZZ Top to Allman Brothers to Slayer to Megadeth to Pink Floyd) 'Acid Rock!'


I hate all of this genre crap. I think M-TV (when it used to be Music Television and not Mediocre Television), Radio Stations and Record Labels created the whole labelling idea to be able to categorize things and like someone else said, target specific audiences.

What the labeling does, in my opinion, is create lifestyles and fads and attitudes of the idividuals that listen to them and buy into the crap.
What came 1st, the rapper or his clothing line? Chicken or the egg? The music or the hair.


I love bands like Widespread Panic and Phish that simply can't be categorized. Frank Zappa was the mother fucking man!!!!!!


I'm with George, I don't give a **** what it's called as long as it sounds good.

Although I thought that Waylon's son had a good idea, 'Put the O back in Country!' :lol:
I remember when CCR and Skynrd were rock, gritty and down to earth. Not polished turds with cowboy hats and boots.
I gotta say though, the chicks in Country are way hotter than they were in the 80's! :mrgreen:

 

[stephen sawall]

Metal ~ Pretty good heavy music with a lot of bad lyrics and bad choices about what to wear when playing it.

.... this definition is incomplete.

...... and yes metal like all rock is a form of jazz.

 

[Jacko123]

I dunno but I loves me some Thrash Metal long time. I think categorizing metal serves a purpose. Since the early 80's "metal" music sure has expanded and mutated into different directions, which I think is great. There's even folk metal nowadays. Whatever floats your boat.

Check out this wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_subgenres

Doesn't seem to cover a lot of the terms I hear lately ... Grindcore, folk metal, stuff like that. What amazed me is the number of "christian" ultra heavy bands, like christian death metal. He he.

 

[JOEY B.]

I'm with George, I don't give a f%&# what it's called as long as it sounds good.

Although I thought that Waylon's son had a good idea, 'Put the O back in Country!' :lol:
I remember when CCR and Skynrd were rock, gritty and down to earth. Not polished turds with cowboy hats and boots.

Andy, you are a true wordsmith. :lol: I really dig me some early ZZ Top (Deguello and backwards), and do not care what the classification is. The Rev. Billy Gibbons laid down some serious mojo, back in the day. 8)

 

[Monsta-Tone]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I remember thumbing through the channels one evening. 100 channels and nothing on, so I settle for the 'Make over of Vince Niel'

I really hate Mottley Crue, to me it sounds like the Chipmunks found a distortion pedal and forgot how to play their guitars.
Before the flaming begins, remember it's just the pre-coffee ramblings of a recovering Metal Head......Not a CNN report.


Anyway, these 2 gay guys were going through Vince's closet (2 gay guys in a closet, sounds like a joke).
One of them looks at the other one and says, 'Oh my gawd, it's like a drag queen's dream in here!' :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



I really love older ('Old School') Metal like Sabbath, Savatage, Megadeth, etc.
I hated the big hair stuff, with the exception of Van Halen, but that's self explanatory. I think it softened and Metro-Sexuallized an entire generation of heavy music.
There were so many great guitar players of that time, but most of them don't look like that anymore for a reason.

FWIW: I didn't really like Kurt Cobain, but I love what he did to Metal! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[dodger916]

...... and yes metal like all rock is a form of jazz.

To clarify this one jazz has it's roots in the blues.
In fact all jazz AND rock 'n roll has it's roots in the blues.
(Fwiw Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly were not "born" from country music).

Blues may be its Mother, but country is certainly the *******'s Father.

 

[MF]

So what is metal and all it's substyles? Is it just a label created for marketing? If you're a metal head does that mean you fit in with a certain group, a certain lifestyle, a certain look? (Perhaps at the expense any other?)....

I'm sure a big part of it is marketing, but there is a lot of metal out there and without the aid of some sort of categorization, we'd be left with an unfiltered, virtually unusable mess. Using sub genres as an identifier helps a fan of a certain band or style find more music that is similar. Metal has almost always existed on the fringe of mainstream music so there has never been an easy way for people to discover new music without the help of genre identification as an aid. As an example, i'm a big fan of Isis and i've discovered dozens of bands just through that one association that i probably never would have found otherwise. On the flipside, it also helps me avoid things that i'm relatively certain i won't like.

The downside to sub categorization is that it has makes it difficult to categorize your own music when you don't conform to one single style. That's where you end up with weird hybrid genres like ambient-post-metal, electronic grindcore and all kinds of other ridiculous nomenclature that people feel the need to slap on you. However, it's always the bands that innovate a new sound that are the most memorable....so if your music is hard to categorize, you may be on to something!

Maybe the most important question is: is Metal rock 'n roll?

a big resounding YES. i'm sure you'll find lots of "tr00 kvlt" metal fans that will argue you on it, saying what they listen to has more in common with classical music than rock...but they're delusional idiots.

 

[Mungo Zen]

If you ever have the chance watch the documentary "Heavy Metal, a Headbangers Journey". It is about the culture of Heavy Metal, but references a really cool "family tree" of metal, which covers everything from glam and hard rock thru to black and death metal. However it treats Metal as a giant family, no matter what the style.

 

[clutch71]

If you ever have the chance watch the documentary "Heavy Metal, a Headbangers Journey". It is about the culture of Heavy Metal, but references a really cool "family tree" of metal, which covers everything from glam and hard rock thru to black and death metal. However it treats Metal as a giant family, no matter what the style.

+1 Great documentary. The guy is a social anthropolgist and I believe he used the documentary as his thesis. I watched it with my dad (who I get my love of music from) and though he doesn't like "Metal" he enjoyed the documentary. Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, Zeppelin, MC5 (though punkers claim them) were the forebearers of Metal. There was no genre for it at the time.

They wanted a darker, faster, heavier, melodic feel to the music. Not every song had to be about social change, war pigs excluded. It was Ok to write lyrics about Tolkien, magic, Satan and other things considered somewhat evil. Most of these bands when they first came out, really didn't fit the venues or other bands they were touring with and eventually created a cult following.

I think that's a part of what is "Metal," being attracted to something that is outside the mainstream. I'm a relatively conservative individual. At work my dress is corporate casusal to full blown suits, short Hair and realtively clean shaven depending on the season. I'm a corporate image of a younger corporate manager. When Music comes up at work with members outside of my department, most are surprised to learn that I'm a metal head. "Oh, did you watch American Idol last night?" "No, who one last year?" They never know. Pop and most crap they play on the radio is here today, gone tomorrow. Most Metal bands tend to last.

For me metal is hard driving, no compromise, out of the mainstream Rock and Roll. It's the off shoot of rock that is the off shoot of the blues and jazz. It was driven in part by guitar and amp technology. Let's face it, Iron maiden played through an early 60's Fender Bassman, isn't going to have the same feel.

 

[stephen sawall]

I asked my friends daughter what is metal ? She told me it is old peoples music. :roll:

 

[dodger916]

To clarify this one jazz has it's roots in the blues.
In fact all jazz AND rock 'n roll has it's roots in the blues.
(Fwiw Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly were not "born" from country music).

Blues may be its Mother, but country is certainly the *******'s Father.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Thought you'd get a chuckle from the George!

BTW, I can't stop loving that handsome headshell!!

 

[wildrat666]

Maybe the most important question is: is Metal rock 'n roll?


yepp metal is rock n roll.!!!!!!!

 

[Jacko123]

Ahahahahahhahahahahhahaha :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I asked my friends daughter what is metal ? She told me it is old peoples music. :roll:

 

[Elixir]

Metal has evolved over time and certain bands once classified as 'metal' can no longer hold that moniker. It's the truth folks and you gotta accept it in this current age of labeling everything and anything in order to classify it under it a genre>subgenre> and so forth.

Just like Green Day is no longer Punk, Hair bands, glam rock, 60's and 70's rock (led zepplin and such) are no longer under the Metal banner. Certain bands like Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Black Sabbeth can still be considered Metal though, they've done a good job staying the course.