Can someone explain death metal's appeal?

[screamformechicago]

Hi. First post and all.

I'm a long-time metal listener, mostly of the classic and progressive varieties, although some power metal (Iced Earth, for ex) appeals to me. I was looking to get into a new band, and had heard a lot about Opeth. Ghost Reveries was on a lot of peoples' top ten lists for 2005! So, I thought I'd check them out.

I've purchased several albums and the Lamentations DVD. I very much enjoy the music: I like the arrangements a lot. And I think Mike's got a nice voice when singing cleanly. But I am definitely not experienced with death metal, so the death growl vocals and persistent subject matter and imagery aren't natural hits to me. Not that I can't ruminate on death and gloom as much as the next guy...

So can you explain what is the appeal for you? I'm not trolling or bashing. Just interested in hearing people articulate the nature of Opeth's (and/or death metal in general) appeal for you.

 

[the_3_toed_sloth]

This should be all you need to see:

 

[all_sins_undone]

Hi. First post and all.

I'm a long-time metal listener, mostly of the classic and progressive varieties, although some power metal (Iced Earth, for ex) appeals to me. I was looking to get into a new band, and had heard a lot about Opeth. Ghost Reveries was on a lot of peoples' top ten lists for 2005! So, I thought I'd check them out.

I've purchased several albums and the Lamentations DVD. I very much enjoy the music: I like the arrangements a lot. And I think Mike's got a nice voice when singing cleanly. But I am definitely not experienced with death metal, so the death growl vocals and persistent subject matter and imagery aren't natural hits to me. Not that I can't ruminate on death and gloom as much as the next guy...

So can you explain what is the appeal for you? I'm not trolling or bashing. Just interested in hearing people articulate the nature of Opeth's (and/or death metal in general) appeal for you.

Well, as Mikael says, the death growls add a level of intensity into the music. Now the thing is, a lot of people ween't into death metal before Opeth, like you and like myself. I was a little repelled by the death vocals, but there was something about Opeth that kept me listening. After a week or two, I was hooked, and I started to see what other people saw in the death vocals. The switch from Mikael's clean vox to death vox is insanity. It adds so much to the music. Opeth just wouldn't be Opeth without death vox.

Because of Opeth I have been able to not only tolerate, but enjoy death vox. They got me into bands like Katatonia (early stuff has death vox), Emperor, Bloodbath, Death, Morbid Angel and lots more. Anyways I hope you'll keep an open mind and hopefully fall for the almighty death vox.

 

[Mr. Josey Wales]

DRUMS

technical riffing....

headbangers paradise

im not a big fan of the barking death vocals however...i prefer mikaels style

 

[Braighs]

You sound like me before I got into Opeth. It took me about 6 months. But stuff happened in those 6 months that really made the subject matter of bands like Opeth and Katatonia hit home. Also, I knew there was a world of great music that I was missing out on. If the subject matter erks you, just know that there is much more grim stuff out there. Opeth's lyrics aren't completely negative.

 

[screamformechicago]

You sound like me before I got into Opeth. It took me about 6 months. But stuff happened in those 6 months that really made the subject matter of bands like Opeth and Katatonia hit home. Also, I knew there was a world of great music that I was missing out on. If the subject matter erks you, just know that there is much more grim stuff out there. Opeth's lyrics aren't completely negative.

Yeah, I know that Opeth is pretty mild in comparison to a lot of the death metal out there. I certainly do appreciate that about them.

BTW, I see that Opeth just announced a date at the House of Blues here in Chicago. Cool! Anyone want to come along with an Opeth nOOb?

 

[screamformechicago]

This should be all you need to see:

Well, THAT was helpful...now I understand everything...:Spin:

 

[Lietuvis]

I was into a lot of death metal before I began listening to Opeth, so it was easy for me to fall in love with their music. In my opinion, Mikael has the greatest death metal growl ever. His work on Bloodbath's RTC is top-notch as well.

I have a lot of friends that are into metal, but won't go near Opeth simply because of the death metal voice... this annoys the hell out of me.

 

[Stimuli]

Dont have time to read the other posts. However, I HATED HATED HATED HATED HATED death metal vocals... I though it was the stupidest fuckin shit i had ever herd. However, after picking up Opeth and listening through the albums countless times I love it...

the exact same thing has happened to everyone I have shown Opeth to. and I'm sure if you just keep on listening you will come to love the heavy vocals as well..

 

[screamformechicago]

I was into a lot of death metal before I began listening to Opeth, so it was easy for me to fall in love with their music. In my opinion, Mikael has the greatest death metal growl ever. His work on Bloodbath's RTC is top-notch as well.

I have a lot of friends that are into metal, but won't go near Opeth simply because of the death metal voice... this annoys the hell out of me.

Well, be kind to them. Even Mikael says on the Lamentations DVD that he totally understands why the death growl would turn people away.

 

[Lietuvis]

I never said that I'm unkind to them about it, just that they refuse to listen to the band.... only because of the death vox. (and it annoys me)

 

[Liquid Diamonds]

I wasn't able to tolerate death vocals at all at first. Opeth was also my gateway into this style of music. But now I consider myself to be a good judge of a death-vocalists ability. I view it like any other instrument or skill: It takes ability, and some are much better at it than others. I grew to respect that ability.
It's so aggressive, so... dark. I think that growls and screams can accompany a heavier brand of music in a way that clean vocals can't. They communicate something different for me.
As for death metal in general... well, I personally view it like any other genre: Some of it's good, some of it isn't.

 

[Deadlift]

Immortal fukin rules !

For me it`s a question about what i need. If i listen to metal i want more...i want faster...i want more brutal...i want agresseive. The vocie make the music sound heavier, more brutal and so on.

I like a normal voice to.

 

[Powers]

Alright mate, what you first have to realise is that Opeth isn't death metal. It's prog metal, which means it takes influence from death, black metal and prog rock (of course all of these genres take their influences from other genres apart from metal).

Thus, there is a very very broad spectrum of influence and therefore music Opeth plays and thus a very very broad spectrum of people it appeals to. So the appeal of Opeth is that there are few bands in the world like them.

And to take so many influences which are so diverse and either produce an album where these all blend together seemlessly or where they don't but you can tell that the band just didn't care because they wanted to produce something which shocked people with its diversity, is in my opinion genius.

As for death metal, I don't know. What ever appeals to me in some death metal is the same as what appelas to me in some punk, indie, pop, industrial, hXc and even emo. Sometimes a band just comes along which make me want to listen to them.

I really don't believe there's such thing as an unappealing genre. Just there are some bands i like and some i don't. Thus the appeal of some but not all death metal is that it just "affects" me, it moves me.

It's like all music mate, you'll find some bands you like and some you don't.

 

[BRI]

Death metal rulez

 

[Powers]

I agree and disagree. I think there's just as much shit DM out there ios there is punk, hardcore, pop etc. Is the glass half empty or half full really?

 

[Braighs]

^^ Sometimes. I can only take so much. But you don't have to like death metal to like Opeth - which is prog metal with growls.

 

[BRI]

Opeth are the most extreme band alot of you people listen to, because they do the death metal bits so damn well that it will appeal to anybody who knows real music when it hits them.

 

[Powers]

Exactly. As for early death metal, going back as far as possible without the suggestion that Slayer are death metal, i can only listen for so long. After a few minutes of any Death or Morbid Angel album i just find i'm sitting there going "hold on where's the variety?".

Don't read me wrong i love Death and MA, but do you get what i mean?

 

[Kenneth R.]

Passion.

it is a style of music infused with intense emotional turbulence, which i find is a fascinating musical landscape.