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Explanation of this style of music

First, I have to say that this particular style of music is an evolution and nothing more. Like any art, it's not for everyone. Second, I will apologize in advance if there is anything I say in here that is outright incorrect (based upon fact, not opinion), or if I fail to get the message across. It is, after all, only my opinion. The reason I am writing this is because I want people to understand and stop judging. Particularly parents.

Having been born shortly after the birth of Rock and Roll (an afterthought, perhaps?) I can safely say that I have lived it's evolution and for the most part have flourished in it's wake. No, I am not a musician. I love this music too much to spoil it with my lack of talent. I leave the creation of this music to those born with the gift of it. I have flirted with musical instruments from the accordian - forced upon a helpless 8 year old pre-magician - through the bass guitar. Many I have enjoyed, all were a challenge. No, the creation of sweet sound is for those born with the talent and the will to realize it. I shall stick with it's enjoyment and live as a consummate beneficiary of their many hours of devotion.

In this dissertation, I will attempt to explain to you the styles of music collectively known as Heavy Metal, or more colloquially, "metal". There are a number of styles, just as there are in any other type of music, as well as any number of mixes of them. The styles of metal easily lend themselves to comparison with the style of the classics. If that statement insults all you classical snobs out there, then good, you need it! Wake up! It's music. It's here, and it's NOT going away. No more today than in the 50's, when parents were shocked with Elvis' moves, and the 60's, when the Beatles made fathers want to bring back the chastity belt!

Another thing. I don't speak, read or write music. I don't pretend to know a lot of the foreign words used to define musical tempo or style. What I do know, is that for all my ignorance of the discipline of music, I do understand music. For me that's enough, at least for now. For this reason, I will not attempt to titillate you with some pseudo-educated blather to tell you about these styles of music. I will speak with my heart, as does Edgar Allen Poe in his wonderful appreciation of music, available here.

The general styles of metal I will touch on are metal in general, doom, death, thrash, and black metal. If that doesn't at least pique your curiosity, then you may as well not read on. It's a style of music, nothing more. It's what we like. Just try and remember that there are a lot of people out there who don't like the styles of music you do. Di gustibus.

Metal In General
From it's birth, music has represented emotion. It is the universal language. No matter what tongue you speak or don't speak, communication is always possible with music - albeit at a much more emotional level. Music transcends linguistics. In the same vein as Offenbach or Strauss represent music to move to, the music of Bach stills us. Just as many of the great composers were chagrined in their time as failures and wannabes, so many of today's artists are blasphemed with cheap labels of diabolical intent by ignorant and close-minded fools.

The styles of music represented herein came about as the natural evolution of the heavier, louder side of rock. Just as Elvis' "moves" and overtones shocked people, so do some of today's performers shock. The psychedelic Jimi Hendrix and Iron Butterfly gave rise to a heavier, steamier sound. Guitarists like Ted Nugent tried to bring about the strong lead guitar but, like Ted, who in his first attempt (with the Amboy Dukes), proved to be well before his time, many had to wait. Years later, Ted came back with a new group and some of the strongest and most respected lead breaks ever heard, possibly revolutionizing the lead guitarists role in rock bands.

While the guitar warriors were breaking new ground showing what the electric guitar was capable of, groups like the Doors and the Moody Blues brought us further into our own psyche, showing us that we didn't have to settle for three and four minute AM radio commercialism, and that we could let the music take us on mysterious journeys. Then came Pink Floyd. Floyd opened doors to the soul that we may not have known existed. They say what we say, they ask what we ask. They just do it a whole lot better! I remember an episode of M*A*S*H where Hawkeye was trying to explain classical composers to Radar so he could impress some nurse. He touched on some of the greats, but when he got to Bach, all he could say was "ahh, Bach". And that's all that needed to be said. So in that vein, Ahhh, Floyd! Pink Floyd is the Bach of the 20th century.

Then there were the inevitable "mixes" of style. Groups like Deep Purple, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Yes came to represent "the long songs", where simply breaking with tradition was not enough. Their music became the modern symphony. Though they boasted incredible individual talents and often exploited them, their thematic music was representative of more than just one style. Many had all the talents of the performers of love songs, anger songs, dance numbers etc. These groups, and there have not been many of them, could take the moody mysticism of a Pink Floyd or Moody Blues, and blend it with the strong leads of Clapton, Nugent or Hendrix and come up with veritable symphonies.. As the louder side of rock and roll awoke the talents of blues groups like Earth to become Black Sabbath, and came to be chagrined by polite society because of some assumed association with devil worshipping and the like - an incredibly inane accusation - many of these bands were edged out of the mainstream and into what we lovingly call "the Underground". Mind, it's not due to lack of following that this music was moved out of the mainstream, but instead to censorship. Of course, there are bands out there who capitalize on representations of evil and some who even believe it themselves, but for the most part they are just musicians with something to say, and their own way of saying it. They don't mince words, they don't pretty it up for AM radio, and they certainly don't bow to the Victorian whims of western society. They tell it as they feel it, as music was meant to be told. In a word, they are true champions. We do, after all admire those with the courage to be different, to be honest, and to call it as they see it. How much better off would all of our lives be if we were all just honest with one another? Its obvious to me that society as a whole does not have the courage to ask itself that, let alone find out. If it did, what use would we have for governments or corporations? Hard to fathom isn't it?

In my youth, groups like Black Sabbath were referred to as hard rock. Since their music was so popular and they did so well commercially (the true telling of success is that people buy it, isn't it?), many followed. A new genre of music was born. I am personally a fan of classical music, opera, blues, and all stages of rock and roll. I like some rap and some western music. All in all, I love music.

Soon "hard rock" became known as Heavy Metal because of the heavy overtones of electric guitar and bass and the often harsh lyrics. But, as in any large-scale type of music, and don't fool yourself, heavy metal has a huge world-wide following, splinter styles broke off. Some "made it", some did not. Here I will present a brief description of some of those that did make it. Further, and as usual, Europe is a strong player in metal music. I would go as far as to say stronger than the U.S. While the U.S. has no shortage of metal maniacs, the European connection is tremendously powerful and inspiring. Not just England, but Germany, Norway, Finland and Denmark are all players. In fact, there are even subcultures known as Norwegian metal and the like.

Of particular note in the category of "mixes" of metal styles, is that of Doom/Death, probably one of the most popular and one of my personal favorites. There are many fine samples of this mixture of slow tones and growling vocals. The first that come to mind are early My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Funeral, Ras Algethi and Skepticism, The Gathering and Celtic Frost. These mixes are outstanding examples and really deserve a genre all their own. Secondly, and perhaps even more enjoyably, is the rise of "Viking" and "Gothic" Metal. Some of the metal musicians, particularly Bathroy, rose above the traditions of their styles and in forming Viking Metal did us a huge favor. What they did was take the long told epics of their forefathers, and put them to heavy metal styles of music, sort of a mixture of Death, Black and Doom metal but with overtones of history. I think that the epics told of the Vikings lend themselves perfectly to metal music, and urge anyone interested in metal to check out this style. In addition to Bathroy, check out certain Bolt Thrower and Amorphis discs as well as Ancient Wisdom. A note on Head-banging. Don't knock it till you've tried it! Although when you get to be my age it pays to be somewhat conscious of "the morning after". :-) And moshing? Well, the music is often very energetic, and pent up energy wants to be released. Look at what our parents thought about rock and roll dancing. "Kids these days...they don't know how to dance". C'mon, you've heard it, possibly even said it. Admit it. Moshing is a sort of free-for-all dancing with everyone rather than a partner.

Thrash Metal
Coming out in the early eighties, Thrash Metal is, as the name implies, fast, furious and often repetitive. It is a natural, perhaps over-stretched evolution of the rock and roll styles of music fronted by strong lead guitarists flourishing lead breaks to die for, and rhythemic drum rolls that seem to be faster than anyone could actually drum in real life. This is also about the time the double-bass drum became popular. The beat is 4/4 but the notes are like 8th notes or something. I don't know, but it's a fast rhythm, the singing is usually in short bursts, covering a couple of bars, versus multiple measures, and there often isn't much of a chorus. The vocals are usually loud and difficult to understand, but a lot of rock and roll fans gave up on really understainding the lyrics a long time ago. That's probably why so many bands include lyric sheets now. :-) Thrash music, much like it's predecessors, is infamous for many changes in the tempo during the course of the song. Frequently, the tempo will be slower for the vocal parts, and go on up to double speed for the lead guitar riffs. Thrash music is awesome party music as it is easy to move to and doesn't take a lot of concentration to enjoy. Examples of Thrash music would be early Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, Sodom and Dark Angel.

Doom Metal
As rock musicians loved music, they could not forego their roots. Rock was born of blues, and rock musicians had the blues in them. We all do. They just know how to put it to music. Many of their attempts at traditional blues music fell short because they were making the blues in styles other than their own. That's not to say that there are no great traditional blues numbers by rock musicians, believe me, there are countless. It's just that some had to find their own way of singing the blues, again championing a style. Only when they began to sing the blues in their own style, did they succeed and a new genre was born, Doom Metal.

Doom Metal has slow tones, lower, slower melodies, and is distinctive for it's growling vocals. Doom metal is blues metal. Doom Metal frequently intermixes the same instruments of classical music, particularly strings, piano and organ. I am thoroughly convinced that if Bach or Brahms were alive today, they would be writing, possibly even performing Doom Metal. Doom has Baroque written all over it. Just listen to some of Bach's concertos for cello and orchestra and tell me the mood you're in afterwards. Then listen to some of the Doom groups like recent My Dying Bride, Candlemass, St. Vitus, Trouble, Bolt Thrower or Solitude Aeturnis. You cannot miss the connection. Doom lends itself well, almost demands, candle light and incense.

Half the time, in Doom metal you are wondering what the message is, whether to 'give up' or to keep trying. As in any blues style of music, there are no answers. The music is a sort of emotion all it's own, it's a joining of musician and listener in a common theme - "I've been in life and it often sucks". Misery does love company after all. The blues musician will write of his/her pain, loss, loneliness, desperation and countless other emotional disparities, and then perform it inviting the listener to know that they are not alone. And, as in any type of blues music, it's not for everyone. Doom is Merlyn's favorite style of metal.

Death Metal
Haha, the very name makes you wonder doesn't it? Death metal came about in the late 80's with the advent of a new group called "Death". The distinguishing facet of Death Metal is in the vocals, which are a sort of half screaming and half growling. Most of the rest of the style in this music is covered in hard rock, metal, thrash and doom. This is not to say that the Death Metal style is not in and of itself distinctive because it is. The vocalizations and inflections of Death Metal definitely give it a category all it's own. The distinctive growling of Death Metal is used often in other styles of metal music as well, so Death is probably the more common of the styles, whether by itself or a part of a mix with other styles.

Since Death Metal is a conglomeration of other metal styles, yet with it's own 'new' vocal style, it is often borrowed from. In fact, it is probably one of the most borrowed from styles. In heavy metal music, the growling is a very effective way of spreading their word. And in this particular style their word is not all that pleasant. Again, it's what you make of it, but in my opinion Death Metal is one of the more telling of metal music. It can be a warning, an invitation, a threat, whatever you make of it. It often speaks of those subjects which we tend to try to leave buried somewhere, and not let out. There is a violence in our nature after all, to deny it is to try to fool nature. Death Metal music is violent. There are many changes in the tempo, again, usually relating to what is featured at the time - vocals, lead guitar breaks etc. It's a fast style of music and the double bass drum roll is again, quite prevalent. Other examples of Death Metal are Tiamat, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Bal Saggoth, and Entombed.

Black Metal
Black Metal. Yet another name which inspires certain trains of thought eh?! It took me a while to get into Black Metal Music. It's dark, melodic, thematic, and can be scary sometimes. In short, it's great! Something you have to remember in metal music, is that you can't take things too seriously. If you do, then you can lose a part of yourself and your ability to distinguish between "reality" and "something else". When I first started listening to Black Metal I was a little shocked. I was into Doom and Death metal at the time, but for some reason the transition was hard. It's demonic music, and if you're not ready for it then it's hits you harder than you may be able to deal with. In fact, when my bud brought it over the first time, I was barely willing to give it a chance. I did though, and hated it. Over the course of a few months though, things changed, and the more I listend, the more I realized that it's just another rung on the ladder of evolution. The awesome power of Black Metal can be scary, yes, but when you learn how to use the emotional power that it builds in you, you have an outstanding time with the music. Unfortunately, it's difficult to 'defend' this music against the attacks of western culture that it is Satanic. It frequently is. Again though, it's one of those things that you just learn the limits of what to take too seriously. I am no more a devil worshiper than I am a christian - I refuse all religious labeling. In terms of music, one does not worship a band or a style or you lose yourself. If you do, then you need to get a grip. It's music; entertainment - not life.

Black Metal music is a hugely powerful musical experience. It's not for the meek and mild, and it's not for the weak minded either. Again, the vocals are very distinctive. Literally screaming they are, and the disc is usually thematic in purpose. In my case, and that of all the people I know who are into this sort of music, it's a simple matter of getting lost in the music but not the message. Black Metal is sort of the "Haunted House" of metal.

Awesome samples of Black Metal can be found in the likes of Gehenna, Bal Sagoth, early Bathory, Emperor, Dissection, and Dimmu Borgir.

Some Thoughts

Further reading. As I said, I've seen some pretty interesting internet sites where people have taken advantage of this medium to spread words of grace. So I now present them to you, such as they are. Their value to you is nothing compared to their value to the authors, but if you take anything from them at all, let it be conscious, thoughtful, rational understanding. Many people are in pain, what can we do to ease it? What will you do? What will I do?

Spinoza Ray Prozak Make sure you check out the music pages here too, they are well worth it.

Music Links

Bands

Bolt Thrower UK Home Page
The Mad Mosher's Pantera Page
The Mad Mosher's Paradise Lost Page
Bolt Thrower Index
My Dying Bride Home Page
Tiamat A great page
With Every Tear a Dream Another Good Tiamat Page
Slayer The self-proclaimed biggest Slayer site on the net. I believe him.
Black Sabbath An excellent page devoted to Sab.
The Killing Fields Another good Slayer page.
Unofficial Slayer Page

[ Band Links | Label Links | Mailing List Links | Catalog Links | General Metal Links ]

[ Verbiage | Thoughts ]

Labels

Century Media The Gathering; Tiamat; Trouble;
Defile records
Dominion Records
Earache Records Bolt Thrower;
Metal Blade Records Slayer;
Napalm Records
Noise Records Celtic Frost;
Nuclear Blast Records Novembers Doom; Winter;
Peaceville Records Anathema (Futurist Label), My Dying Bride; Paradise Lost; Pentagram;
Relapse Records Amoprhis,
RoadRunner Records Obituary;
Atlantic Records Testament; Pantera;
Visceral Records

[ Band Links | Label Links | Mailing List Links | Catalog Links | General Metal Links ]

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Mailing Lists

The My Dying Bride Mailing List
The Slayer Mailing List
The Pantera Mailing List
The Black Metal List

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Catalogs

CDNOW
Dark SymphoniesGreat choices, fair prices, plus some reviews.
Pantheon Records
Heavy Metal T-Shirts
Massacre Records

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General Metal Music Related Links

The Metal Ring I know it's on a Geocities site so be prepared for a fucking advertising blitz
The Black Sabbath Ring
BNR Metal Pages at the Univ. of Ca. at San Diego
The Univ at Tromso in Norwat, Mind On Music Data Base
Extreme Subterenea A page devoted to Black Metal (and they mean extreme)
Black, Death and Doom Metal Page in Germany - Lot's of reviews and unique links
Mega's Page of BandsA well done collection of links here.
Nordic Black Metal
Death Metal Page The claim to be the only internet death/black metal broadcast station.
Metal Maniac A very well done page - too bad it lives on that fucking Geocities server.
Russian Metal Page not bad, but not great either.
The Unofficial Doom Metal Guide

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