blast beats

[FRUGiHOYi]

Ok, I think I know what it is now. The very end of the song Ambush by Sepultura is a blastbeat, right?

 

[Ermz]

The ending to Deliverance is awesome. Who said they were trying to play "polyrhythms" anyway? I think you just made that up. It is an awesome rhythm. Deliverance is one of Opeth's most intelligently crafted songs, and you are wrong.

Well if they weren't trying for it, then they must not have had high hopes for thar riff to start with. It has absolutely nothing going for it apart from initial shock value (w0w, d00d, cannut belief dis hevy shit from 0peth, lolz) and the fact that it's gimmicky. It's like that riff alone ended up being representative of the entire album.

Almost every interview or review of 'Deliverance' I've read, the interviewer/reviewer has to go into great detail about how great and unique the ending to Deliverance is. It's almost brought up in every single interview, where some naive, air-headed fan asks Opeth if that's the direction they'll take with their music.

Almost every video piece of Opeth made post-Deliverance has to have at least one segment dedicated to some shots going to the rhythm at the end of Deliverance. It's mandatory. Really, because that riff is just *so* representative of Opeth's musical integrity.

Get over it. It was a cheap riff, thrown together (hmm, possibly not the best choice of words, since it's only one chord) for initial head-banging value, and people hold it up like it's the next coming of jesus.

Go listen to some 'New Millenium Cyanide Christ' and lose that boner. If the end of Deliverance was featured anywhere on MAYH or SL, baby jesus would be crying for a long time.

 

[Justin S.]

Im amazed at the virtually consistent line drawn between those who play instruments (and at least have basic idea of what they are doing) and those that are just listeners.
When Moonlapse said "primitive" in origin, i doubt he meant "simplistic" in application which is what some seem to be suggesting (or that they "suck"- thanks for the well reasoned "critique"). Only an ignorant fool would claim, for example, that Trym's drumming is "easy". His athleticism, combined with his very musical cymbal and fill work are amazing, especially so on Prometheus. As a former drummer, i highly respect his work, and the potential of blastbeats in general. It is true that in most BM bands they are a generic given; the exact same goes for the mandatory rolling-double-kick of death metal, or the ride work of jazz. ALL music contains standards that define it within a genre. Stop ripping on blastbeats like anything you listen to isnt just as overused and watered down.
Blast beats may project a more overt aggression (i prefer urgency) and get the 'primitive' label, but they also up the ante on complexity (they can vary greatly- there is no one and only blast beat tempo/structure etc.), as the blast beat replaces the more simplistic standard, and demands that the drummer add color on top of a far more demanding base beat. I just dont understand peoples wholesale dislike/dismissal of them, outside of a purely listening experience, in which i fully agree that they are a difficult aesthetic, and cannot express the full range of emotion- however they can be very effective in communicating aggressiveness of all sorts or even a numb, or profound sadness. With a band like Emperor, they can even amplify a feeling of majesty, or epic scope.
Bring on the blastbeat fanboy flames!!!

 

[Justin S.]

By the way, blast beats are most often (exaclty as the name inplies) common beats simply sped up! Are we trying to impose arbitrary tempo restrictions on music? How are you reacting any differently than the many who criticise the use of double bass in death metal as unlistenable, too fast, or a gimmick. To the non-"extreme" metal fan, all this sounds the same, and Lopez is no different than Trym.

 

[Ermz]

Wholehearted agreement here. I was watching the 'Emperial Live Ceremony' DVD again today and that cemented in my mind that Trym is awesome and blastbeats don't have to form the forefront of inherently 'generic' music. Emperor is quite the contrary.

 

[Justin S.]

And thats pre-Prometheus. On it there is FAR more variation. Too bad people cant visual see what he is doing on that record (damn break up). Im not usually one for gross exaggerations of musical talent, but that guy (and band for that matter) is fucking amazing.

 

[Justin S.]

sorry for all the spelling errors; its late, its my birthday (shameless plug : ), and ive had a few beers...

 

[Justin S.]

(HUGE SNIP)...Deliverance outro is ghey!

w0rd.

 

[Bored]

JUstin S. that was fucking beatiful man.. couldnt have said it better myself.. at last someone who apprecaites good old fashioned blast beats..

 

[Ermz]

That's pretty nice. You have a way of conveying drunken humour even on forums. A man's gotta respect that.

 

[Justin S.]

Bored,

Thanks for the compliment. I wish more people besides Moonlapse would routinely respond to my posts! I dont spend 10 minutes thinking/typing them out to convince myself of opinions i already hold; feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Moonlapse,

Yes, alcohol is an intresting little liquid... Im much more amusing in person

 

[Bored]

Justin
no problem man.. that was fucking sweet for a while i was like is there no one in this forum that feels like i do about blastbeats? and then you post that paragraph.. what can i say buy YES