I am ignorant on which is which...would somebody please explain the differences between Death, Black, Goth and any other type of metal in between?
Death, Black, Goth, etc ~ Please explain
- Thread starter JesusChristPose
- Start date
MetalManCPA
Papa Opeth
JCP -
I am a genre idiot - so I can't help you.
Plus - I really could care what genre a group falls into. If the music is good - that's all it takes.
I am a genre idiot - so I can't help you.
Plus - I really could care what genre a group falls into. If the music is good - that's all it takes.
I agree if music is good that is all that counts, but I am curious as to how these categories work...like what about Dark Tranquility? Opeth? Somebody put Borknagar into the Black Metal category, say what? And then Katatonia what about them?
Who made up these categories anyway? I have an inquiry mind and really would like to know.
Who made up these categories anyway? I have an inquiry mind and really would like to know.
J.
Old Fart
When I read reviews of bands and they have lumped them into a category, I usually go along with it. I think Borknagar should be considered black metal. Katatonia- Gothic. Dark Tranquillity- death. Opeth- hmmmmm. Prog death maybe.
Blame it on the media that has to have a name for everythig
Blame it on the media that has to have a name for everythig
Devilish monster from the hill
tick tick tick tack
- Jan 5, 2002
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The best way to know about every genre is to hear it!
just listen to those bands, and you would see the difference between them, and then it would be easier for you to catagorize other bands.
doom: My Dying Bride
black: Emperor
power: Rhapsody
death: Deicide
just listen to those bands, and you would see the difference between them, and then it would be easier for you to catagorize other bands.
doom: My Dying Bride
black: Emperor
power: Rhapsody
death: Deicide
Russell
__
Ah, but what about when you want to describe a band to someone else? What would you use without genres?
Over-genrefication annoys me, but they are necessary I feel.
JCP - listening lets you sort it out in your own mind, it's really the best way
Misanthrope
Latin, NOT Mexican.
Death = gore, sometimes satanism
Black = Paganism, sometimes satanism ( look for the guys who look like mimes )
Doom = Slow, admosferic, extra crap like female vocals and violins.
Goth = rock and roll for depressed metal kids.
Heavy metal = rock and roll with annoying opera-wannabe voice
Power Metal = Apply more metal elements and fantasy crap ( as in D&D fantasy, you know dwarf, elves, dragons, trolls all that crap ) to heavy metal.
Melodic death metal = trash metal ( in counted ocations actually death metal ) with a lot of speed ( you know tupatupatupa )and a lot of harmony ( twin guitars ala maiden )
Folk Metal = Metal with happy folk themes, See viking metal.
Progressive Metal = Metal ( any kind ) with anything that sounds either weird or unusual
Death/jazz metal = Metal using harmony and other crap from jazz ( my fav genre ). Can sound and sometimes be considered progresive.
Grind Metal = Extra fast brutal death metal ( other explanations are just too long )
So now that you know...isnt it pretty much useless since everyone calls themselves a genre and end up doing another thing?
Black = Paganism, sometimes satanism ( look for the guys who look like mimes )
Doom = Slow, admosferic, extra crap like female vocals and violins.
Goth = rock and roll for depressed metal kids.
Heavy metal = rock and roll with annoying opera-wannabe voice
Power Metal = Apply more metal elements and fantasy crap ( as in D&D fantasy, you know dwarf, elves, dragons, trolls all that crap ) to heavy metal.
Melodic death metal = trash metal ( in counted ocations actually death metal ) with a lot of speed ( you know tupatupatupa )and a lot of harmony ( twin guitars ala maiden )
Folk Metal = Metal with happy folk themes, See viking metal.
Progressive Metal = Metal ( any kind ) with anything that sounds either weird or unusual
Death/jazz metal = Metal using harmony and other crap from jazz ( my fav genre ). Can sound and sometimes be considered progresive.
Grind Metal = Extra fast brutal death metal ( other explanations are just too long )
So now that you know...isnt it pretty much useless since everyone calls themselves a genre and end up doing another thing?
MetalManCPA
Papa Opeth
He sings with a growl...
Pounding drum beats...
Speedy riffs...
Some keyboard mixed in...
I could go on, but explaining to someone else how a band "sounds" to me is a lot easier then saying - "They're a death metal band, with a touch of goth", and all I'll get in response is "Huh?".
Personally - I don't consider music labelling a necessity at any level. I'm not sure this happens, but I bet there are artists out there that actually try to fit into a category, and lose their individuality. Broad-based categorization is fine: Classical, Jazz, Rock, Metal - but once you start digging, and coming up with new genres every year because someone added a new bass lick or something - the musical waters become muddy.
I don't see music labeling as overly important, but it is necesery (if not for the fans, then for the promoters). Besides adding Black, Death, or Goth in front of the word metal, it is also helpful to include where the band is from (this, of course, only applies when you're trying to explain a band to another metalhead). For instance, American death metal and European death metal are very different. Black metal, however, has more universal themes. If one wishes to be very specific he/she could also name the actual country, or even a city, from which a particular band comes from. Bands from northern portions of the world are usually more melodic and black metal oriented (North America, Scandinavia, Great Britain). Bands from southern (and warmer) parts of the globe are usually more brutal and less melodic (South US {Florida, N. Carolina, Texas etc...}, South & Central America etc...). Of course there are some exceptions. Cryptopsy is from Canada and they are very brutal and not too melodic. Still it is without a doubt that bands from Sweeden (deat or black) have a very distinctive sound, and bands from Norway have a very distinctive sound as well. England's premier black/death metal bands, namely Cradle of Filth and Hecate Enthroned are, likewise, very similar.
falling bird
schoolgazer
Power Metal = Apply more metal elements and fantasy crap ( as in D&D fantasy, you know dwarf, elves, dragons, trolls all that crap ) to heavy metal.
And(if i might add something) singers who sound like eunuchs.
Very good explanations btw
And(if i might add something) singers who sound like eunuchs.
Very good explanations btw
MadTinus
Language enthusiast
Standard genre descriptions are:
Black: lots of treble/little bass in the sound, mostly fast buzzy guitars, sharp screeching voice, fast drums, Black Metal in pure form should be "evil/satanic" music. Examples: Marduk, Dark Funeral, Darkthrone...
Death: low growling voice, down-tuned guitars, fast double bass drumming, lyrics about gory subjects or occult stuff. Pure Death Metal has lyrics about Death and related things though (quite obvious I guess...). Examples: Nile, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel...
Gothic: romantic music for people who dress like vampires, sometimes a little Black Metal involved. There's the old gothic, originating from the 80's, like Sisters Of Mercy, The Cure etc. Now you've got gothic metal bands like Tristania, Trail Of Tears etc. that are called Gothic Metal, usually atmospheric music with keyboards, and vocally a combination of clear female vocals and raw male vocals.
Doom: slow, atmospheric and depressive music. Usually Death Metal-like vocals (low-growling), but sometimes also lamenting clear vocals are used. Examples: My Dying Bride, Shape Of Despair (ultra doooom!), Anathema's first album...
The problem today is that that there's hardly any pure Death, Black or whatever bands anymore, pretty much every band incorporates influences from several genres in their music. But just listening to a lot of music should give you an idea of the different genres and how to divide them a bit.
Black: lots of treble/little bass in the sound, mostly fast buzzy guitars, sharp screeching voice, fast drums, Black Metal in pure form should be "evil/satanic" music. Examples: Marduk, Dark Funeral, Darkthrone...
Death: low growling voice, down-tuned guitars, fast double bass drumming, lyrics about gory subjects or occult stuff. Pure Death Metal has lyrics about Death and related things though (quite obvious I guess...). Examples: Nile, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel...
Gothic: romantic music for people who dress like vampires, sometimes a little Black Metal involved. There's the old gothic, originating from the 80's, like Sisters Of Mercy, The Cure etc. Now you've got gothic metal bands like Tristania, Trail Of Tears etc. that are called Gothic Metal, usually atmospheric music with keyboards, and vocally a combination of clear female vocals and raw male vocals.
Doom: slow, atmospheric and depressive music. Usually Death Metal-like vocals (low-growling), but sometimes also lamenting clear vocals are used. Examples: My Dying Bride, Shape Of Despair (ultra doooom!), Anathema's first album...
The problem today is that that there's hardly any pure Death, Black or whatever bands anymore, pretty much every band incorporates influences from several genres in their music. But just listening to a lot of music should give you an idea of the different genres and how to divide them a bit.
Kveldssanger
Black Adder leads us all
It seems that in every forum a thread about labels is destined to start eventually. In my opinion labels are both a help and a nuisance. When describing something they could be helpful but sometimes they get out of hand and we see some ridiculous results like "this band plays prog/industrial/death/black with gothic influences". Or leads to topics like "is Nu-metal a metal genre or not?", "are Cradle of Filth black metal or not?". At this point labels have become not only useless but annoying in my opinion. I think that the labels can only be used for putting similar bands under the same category, so when someone is reading a review can get a general idea of what the band sound like. The point metalman makes about describing the music is logical but when writing a review you can't describe every element of the music and be sure that the reader will have a clear picture, but when you say for example that the X band plays death metal close to Deicide's style the reader can easily imagine what it must sound like. You may say that the reader may not have heard what Deicide sound like, so of course you also need to describe some elements of the music. The point I'm trying to make (not very well I admit) is that label can be useful if they aren't used too extensively.
Parasite
Captain Evil
I all too often come across people who insist that lables need to be done away with. While they are not the most important aspect of the music, nor should a person shun a band JUST for the fact that they are labled as this or that, they are important. We can't just call everything "music".
Dan : Bob, do you like music?
Bob : Yes, I do.
Dan : Cool! Me too, here, you can borrow my Dark Tranquility CD, and I will borrow your N'Sync CD, and we will be satisfied by this transaction, since we both enjoy music.
<next day>
Bob : Danny, I did not enjoy this cd.
Dan : Oh, but why? You told me you liked music!
Dan : Bob, do you like music?
Bob : Yes, I do.
Dan : Cool! Me too, here, you can borrow my Dark Tranquility CD, and I will borrow your N'Sync CD, and we will be satisfied by this transaction, since we both enjoy music.
<next day>
Bob : Danny, I did not enjoy this cd.
Dan : Oh, but why? You told me you liked music!
This is my look on the "system"... remember that. The first that comes to my mind when I hear the category word. I dont saying that this is the way it is or something.
(Sorry for my bad spelling)
Heavy metal: High opera screams and slim men in tight clothes (not gay clothing). Guitars are quite weak but with some really fast solos.
Power metal: I hate it! Heavy metal but faster and more geeky. The chorus lines sounds like a bad fotball fan song and the texts is about the fantasy world. Hammerfall should be executed!
Death metal: The toughest and roughest! Big men that looks like our mate Arnold but with many tatoos and often long hair.
Its not so melodic but its heavy as hell and is great live. Much growling and stuff. Sometimes it sounds good like "The Crown" and sometimes something has got terrible wrong "Cannibal Corpse". The bands are often not so serious but just wants to play gigs, look strong and drink lots of beer.
Black metal: Very dark riffs and often very fast. The bandmembers are often really slim and they often wears makeup. There is much atmosphere and much satanism. These guys takes their music seriously.
Doom metal/rock: These guys are smart and filosofic. But they dont have positive thoughts about the world and humanity. Much pain, rain and suffer. Very musical though and very, very atmospheric. They take their music seriously. The can also be really soft and there are not so much fast notes. Good music that shouldnt be compared to death metal at all. I place Opeth at this category.
Please dont flame me....
(Sorry for my bad spelling)
Heavy metal: High opera screams and slim men in tight clothes (not gay clothing). Guitars are quite weak but with some really fast solos.
Power metal: I hate it! Heavy metal but faster and more geeky. The chorus lines sounds like a bad fotball fan song and the texts is about the fantasy world. Hammerfall should be executed!
Death metal: The toughest and roughest! Big men that looks like our mate Arnold but with many tatoos and often long hair.
Its not so melodic but its heavy as hell and is great live. Much growling and stuff. Sometimes it sounds good like "The Crown" and sometimes something has got terrible wrong "Cannibal Corpse". The bands are often not so serious but just wants to play gigs, look strong and drink lots of beer.
Black metal: Very dark riffs and often very fast. The bandmembers are often really slim and they often wears makeup. There is much atmosphere and much satanism. These guys takes their music seriously.
Doom metal/rock: These guys are smart and filosofic. But they dont have positive thoughts about the world and humanity. Much pain, rain and suffer. Very musical though and very, very atmospheric. They take their music seriously. The can also be really soft and there are not so much fast notes. Good music that shouldnt be compared to death metal at all. I place Opeth at this category.
Please dont flame me....
Misanthrope
Latin, NOT Mexican.
MadTinus
Language enthusiast
:Shedevil:
I actually think Death Metal is usually a lot more serious than Black Metal. A lot of Black Metallers think they're so cool and "serious", but are actually just childish and yeah... funny! Death Metal lyrics are often not that serious, as with a lot of those gore bands, but musically it's definitely very serious, and music is what it should be about...
Misanthrope
Latin, NOT Mexican.
*brings gasoline and a lighter*
About heavy metal i disagree, they are gay clothes.
And about black metal, they do take their music seriously, just not themselves.
"I actually think Death Metal is usually a lot more serious than Black Metal. A lot of Black Metallers think they're so cool and "serious", but are actually just childish and yeah... funny! Death Metal lyrics are often not that serious, as with a lot of those gore bands, but musically it's definitely very serious, and music is what it should be about..."
I actually agrees with you on this...but I have never really thought so much about it. Theres alot of false image in the black scene...
But I still think that black bands is often more serious than death bands. Often...
I actually agrees with you on this...but I have never really thought so much about it. Theres alot of false image in the black scene...
But I still think that black bands is often more serious than death bands. Often...
MadTinus
Language enthusiast
Black Metal is often too serious about the wrong thing, namely being as "evil" as possible and put the music in second place, you don't see that in Death Metal.
