Metal is a Western form of music. Its roots are in classical, blues, jazz, punk, and other styles of music which have all originated in the West. That means a 12-tone palette with the Circle of Fifths, the respective enharmonic scales, natural major and minor scales, harmonic and melodic minor scales, and the seven applicable modes. Generally presented in 4/4 time.
Turkish music is commonly in 9/8, Indian in 7/4, and South American in 4/4 and 2/2 with accents on unusual beats to create illusions of triplets and syncopation not tradiitonally seen in Western music (Eurocentric music; South American has evolved differently). While the base key of Western music is C maj, A min or D Dorian are scales and keys commonly found in the East.
How is metal perceived by non-Western listeners at first? If an Eastern or South American band was to compose a metal song without having heard the compulsory Black Sabbath or Metallica albums as a refernce point, how would the music be different?
Can metal successfully integrate non-traditional instruments as opposed to guitars and pianos? What about steel drums, gamelan, balalaika, sitar, etc.
The eclecticism of the style and the deep forays into folk roots in the revisionist movement as of late have opened a pathway for metal to be reinterpreted from an Eastern POV.
It would be interesting to hypothesize the perception of metal as a genre from a non-Western perspective. What would it sound like? Those of you who are not Westerners or raised in the West...how has your appreciation or understanding of metal been different? Has it been less accessible? Odd-sounding? Please share and discuss.
Turkish music is commonly in 9/8, Indian in 7/4, and South American in 4/4 and 2/2 with accents on unusual beats to create illusions of triplets and syncopation not tradiitonally seen in Western music (Eurocentric music; South American has evolved differently). While the base key of Western music is C maj, A min or D Dorian are scales and keys commonly found in the East.
How is metal perceived by non-Western listeners at first? If an Eastern or South American band was to compose a metal song without having heard the compulsory Black Sabbath or Metallica albums as a refernce point, how would the music be different?
Can metal successfully integrate non-traditional instruments as opposed to guitars and pianos? What about steel drums, gamelan, balalaika, sitar, etc.
The eclecticism of the style and the deep forays into folk roots in the revisionist movement as of late have opened a pathway for metal to be reinterpreted from an Eastern POV.
It would be interesting to hypothesize the perception of metal as a genre from a non-Western perspective. What would it sound like? Those of you who are not Westerners or raised in the West...how has your appreciation or understanding of metal been different? Has it been less accessible? Odd-sounding? Please share and discuss.
