Does being brutal make a band good?

[AlphaTemplar]

A lot of metalheads seem to consider brutality a virtue, extoling how heavy and extreme a band is. This really, really bothers me. I can record a jet engine, throw a bunch of distortion on it, and add some unintelligble grunting. That doesn't make it music. Bashing your head against a brick wall is pretty brutal, pretty insane, pretty extreme. But it's still stupid as fuck. Interesting melody and rhythm, creativity, instrumental/vocal talent, artistic vison and feelability (the degree to which you connect with the music) make a good band. Heavyness is merely a tool to make music interesting.

Agree? Disagree? Want some food?

 

[Mort Divine]

Brutality for brutality sake is stupid, but some bands that are brutal and sensible at the same time are cool.

 

[metal paddy]

Brutality for brutality sake is stupid, but some bands that are brutal and sensible at the same time are cool.

I AGREE WITH THE MASTER

 

[Carcassian]

Agree? Disagree? Want some food?

Yes, yes, just eaten. In that order.

 

[Zephyrus]

Agree

 

[TylerTheNuke]

well, i guess it depends on your standards. if you consider "slightly skilled" good, then brutality makes a band good. My standards are somewhat higher then that.

 

[Death Aflame]

no.

 

[Susperia]

Brutality for brutalities sake is ridiculous. I'm also quite tired of the whole 'so brvtal' thing right now..

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

Conan was brutal!

 

[Carcassian]

I'm really digging the chick from Battelore at the minute. I could be pretty brutal with her.

 

[CAIRATH]

I always laugh when I read news items on Blabbermouth about bands saying that their next album is going to be "their most brutal yet" or something stupid like that. That generally pretty much means "it sucks". Brutality can be good when combined with good song writing and some hint of melody/groove. But brutality for brutality's sake (as someone already pointed out), is just plain stupid and boring.

 

[cookiecutter]

I like brutalness in metal and I do consider it a virtue. If a band is brutal I can forgive it more if it is bad in other places. However a bad brutal band is still bad. When a band is brutal, writes good riffs, and has good vocals, I will like it a lot.

 

[Puckfiend]

More brutal doesn't equal better.

Compare Judas Priest's Painkiller to Sad Wings of Destiny.

Painkiller is a more brutal album, but Sad Wings is better by a mile.

 

[Ender Rises]

Brutal=/=Good but it certainly helps. If it gets too brutal it gets boring as hell, and quite pointless. I think that brutality is slightly less important than feeling, skill, and plain ole good moosick, but it is an important part of a band. I agree, and yes, I'm quite hungry.

 

[Consuming Impulse]

not always, but it helps. its seems like most of the melodic bands suck that includes all the gothenburg bands. thats right. i said it. espicially opeth. i use to like em but now i have devoleped a hatred to them now.

 

[Vital Remains]

brutality definitely makes a band good. but there has to be some clever musicianship in their too, not just random noise. some of the older cephalic carnage stuff just sounds like stright up static to me.

 

[Life Sucks]

Brutality doesn't make a band good. I would much rather listen to regular/old school death metal than that br00thal modern Unique Leader crap. However, I definitely do prefer death metal and black metal to traditional and power metal.

 

[Teh Grimace]

if a band is trying to be really really fucking brutal, then brutality for brutality's sake is exactly the point and therefore = good.

melody is overrated.

noise/dissonance >




edit: also i would like some tacos. chicken fajita w/grilled jalapenos.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

A lot of metalheads seem to consider brutality a virtue, extoling how heavy and extreme a band is. This really, really bothers me. I can record a jet engine, throw a bunch of distortion on it, and add some unintelligble grunting. That doesn't make it music. Bashing your head against a brick wall is pretty brutal, pretty insane, pretty extreme. But it's still stupid as fuck. Interesting melody and rhythm, creativity, instrumental/vocal talent, artistic vison and feelability (the degree to which you connect with the music) make a good band. Heavyness is merely a tool to make music interesting.

Agree? Disagree? Want some food?

Of course not. There are of course good brutal bands but brutality (just like technicality) are not in and of themselves musical virtues. They have to be used well.

 

[Thraxz]

I'm really digging the chick from Battelore at the minute. I could be pretty brutal with her.

Her anus would bleed.