Is this a thread for creative oxymorons?Originally Posted by Soeru
If so, let me continue-- flaccid phallus.
The Maddest Villain
Is this a thread for creative oxymorons?
If so, let me continue-- flaccid phallus.
Cookie Thief
I'm rather fond of The Apostasy, I've heard some pretty scathing reviews.
Fear and Loathing
http://www.anentity.com/demilich/download.php
Brilliant band with a truly unique sound. Unfortunately, like a lot of those bands (*cough* Wormed *cough*) they didn't release much material at all.
Cookie Thief
Ahh, Thankies
Metal music is fucking boring, aside from a few exceptions. It seems like everytime I hear a band, it's like generic chugga chugga, lame lightspeed solos with little musicality (objective of course), predictable chord changes, whiny vocals, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I like some metal, but I really think most of it sucks. I'm sorry if this came as flame, but this is metal music discussion after all, not appreciation. I would like to know what you guys like about metal.
Fear and Loathing
I'm gonna make a wager here. In this case, that you've barely heard any "metal" outside of what the radio plays.
Last edited by Dr Mario; 1st-August-2007 at 04:15.
A valid assumption, however I used to be a 'metalhead' so to say and listened to stuff like Megadeth, Dream Theater, Nevermore, Opeth, Slayer, Symphony X, even a little Children of Bodom (which I greatly regret). I haven't listened to the radio since I was a kid. I don't know what "metal" the radio plays, but I'm going to assume you're referring to 'nu-metal'?
I respect the technical proficiency required (although I won't go as far as many metalheads to say that its members are the most skilled) and of course anyone who creates music, since it is an objective art. It's just I've fallen out of it, partly due to stereotypical metalhead society (which is a terrible reason, I know) and just because I slowly shifted to different music.
There are still some metal bands I love, and some I can rock out to, but for the most part anytime I hear it now it gets boring real quick and I just press next-track on winamp.
Fear and Loathing
Fair enough. I overreached a bit there.
These days the radio mostly plays metalcore, which is arguably worse than nu-metal since it manages to be just as crap while tarnishing everything good associated with both metal and punk (I admit, the "whiny vocals and chugga chugga guitars" bit is what set me off on you. It's pretty much a textbook description of modern metalcore, and most of that stuff infuriates me no end).
I agree with you a fair bit about metal culture anyway, it varies from city to city but there's definitely a lot of objectionable elements about it from any reasonable point of view. But I'm lucky enough to live in a city with a tolerable scene, so that doesn't really effect me all that much.
But none of this addresses why I like metal. Which'd take a hell of a long description, since I don't like all the substyles and I listen to different types for different reasons. So I'll trot out the most basic part, that I'm attracted to the clash between beauty and ugliness inherent to extreme metal. Compared to the majority of western music, it's a harsh, grotesque form that speaks to me in a way that I find, for want of a better word, beautiful*. That dichtomy is probably why metal appeals to me moreso than most other types of music.
Not that I don't like plenty of other types of music, some for the same reason and some for completely different ones.
*I might even go so far as to say that liking certain types of metal is almost predicated on being able to agree with, or at least appreciate, a seriously non-standard viewpoint on what music represents.
Last edited by Dr Mario; 1st-August-2007 at 05:57.
Thanks for understanding, I suppose my main rant is that I feel nowadays metal just isn't pushing it anymore. One band I love is Maudlin of the Well, you might know them. Some fantastic metal mixed with avant-garde elements and new-age type stuff, definitely not run of the mill 'metal' I suppose.
I understand what you mean about dissonance, hell I listen to Leo Brouwer (if you knew him you'd understand what I mean hehe). I just gotta love those outside-of-the-box creepy, yet ocassionaly soothing and enticing stuff. Some of the most creepy, 'sinister' sounding music I've heard is in classical.
It seems to me like a lot of metal bands are satisfied to push out tired old stuff like either 200 bpm downtuned junk with blastbeats, lame vocals and uninspiring guitar solos or they just try too hard to be 'epic' and it comes out sounding terribly forced. I always perceived metal as the genre that appeals to one's darker side, yet it's all so diatonic very often. I just wish more artists would start thinking experimentally and do refreshing stuff.
Fear and Loathing
I can agree with that, more or less. Metal's been around for nigh on 30 years now, and there hasn't really been a new style emerging in almost a decade. In the early 90s there was the rise of modern death, black and arguably modern doom metal plus all the subgenres within them. Since then? Just the rise of Isis/Neurosis-worshipping post-metal, which itself bears more than a passing resemblance to the stoner/sludge and drone acts around before them.
So we end up with a genre where a few individual bands are pushing the envelope but there's no real "new wave" of bands driving things. Which does kind of lead me to a question I can't answer: Have bands just gotten lazy, or is metal at a point where the only substantial innovations left have to come from absorbing other genres?
I mean, I can see metal digging a lot of new territory by heading into the areas currently occupied by noise art and psychedelic bands the same way black and doom metal integrated ambient music. On the other, I still see a few bands adding new things without going outside what would normally be considered metal.
Yeah, I would really like to see something like a combination of a good metal band (like the afforementioned maudlin of the well) and a band like Ghost (noise art/psychedelic stuff) if just for experimentation. What I'm thinking is not necessarily a mix of genres, but maybe just expanding on the music ideas themselves. Stop worrying about playing diatonically all the time, and complex music is not changing key signatures constantly (although it seems many bands *cough*DREAM THEATER*generic cough* think so).
I think a problem with this is that so many people listen to a particular genre that it becomes less commercial when you branch out. It's like you can't make a metal album that features random jazz or bossa nova elements, then some folk style stuff, and expect to please everyone. So I think a lot of bands still want to make something that could be reasonably successful commercially, hence trying to narrow it down to a more specific genre.
I think metal still has a lot of room to expand, I think that as you suggested most bands either consist of members who are focused in a certain style and probably take a lot of influence from other 'similar' artists, or just want to make something that can sell and keep their wacky ideas for personal enjoyment.
It's hard to blame them I suppose, I'm fairly sure Dream Theater or Megadeth sell way more records for one disk than poor Leo will probably sell in his life.
Fear and Loathing
It seems like we're pretty much on the same page overall. Got any bands you'd care to namedrop for me to check out? I am mostly a fan of the generic "blastbeats and gurgles" death metal, but I do know a few experimental groups and it never hurts to check out some new music.
edit: You might like listening to The Angelic Process. Give their "Coma Waering" album a shot. It's basically a mix of drone, shoegaze and doom metal with a touch of noise.
Last edited by Dr Mario; 1st-August-2007 at 07:28.
Well, there's the aforementioned Maudlin of the Well, as well as Kayo Dot. I suppose other bands like Green Carnations and In The Woods are pretty good. I'm sure you've probably heard motw, but my favorite album by them is Bath, although you might like Leaving Your Body Map better (it's slightly more metalish).
Also, dare I suggest Leo Brouwer? Here's a youtube video of part of a song by him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME6i0Rcnk58
This performer plays faster than I think he's able, and it comes off a tiny bit sloppy, particularily the faster passages. However, you can make out most of the song in it. If you like it I got more of his stuff.
I forgot to mention that's he's not metal in the least, but still got that dissonance/beauty clash thing going on.
Last edited by ManWithDaPlan; 1st-August-2007 at 08:10.
Hammerheart.
Fuck yeah! Nespithe is the most unique death metal album I've ever heard. Everything from the vocals to the riffs to the solos, everything is plain original. An unjustly obscure band Demilich are.
Ascending The Divine
Anyone checked out the band Wayd yet??
Leaving for Wacken tomorrow
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