Influence of Classical music on metal?
- Thread starter WNxScythe
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Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
Rabid Headbanger
New Metal Member
Short answer: there isn't much. The amount of metal musicians who are/were "into" classical music to a significant extent you can just about count on one hand. Mostly you have techniques from classical that made their way into metal through other things like prog rock, the rest is vaguely "symphonic" stuff that usually doesn't have any really *specific* classical influence to it. Occasionally you can actually find a band covering classical composers but I doubt you can find many (or any) where such a composer was a noticeable and major influence on an artists work.
The classical influence tends to be overstated by many (go to the ANUS forums for plenty of discussions on this topic), probably in an attempt to make metal seem more intellectually legitimate. I've always felt that metal isn't influenced by classical music so much as it aspires to be classical music.
If you're still looking for structural influence I'll throw Timeghoul, Christ Agony and Crimson Massacre out there.
The classical influence tends to be overstated by many (go to the ANUS forums for plenty of discussions on this topic), probably in an attempt to make metal seem more intellectually legitimate. I've always felt that metal isn't influenced by classical music so much as it aspires to be classical music.
If you're still looking for structural influence I'll throw Timeghoul, Christ Agony and Crimson Massacre out there.
- May 16, 2004
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That band's insane... ridiculously dense. I can't wrap my head around it. I love some of their melodies though, really awesome. I can see the Bach influence. Thanks for the rec!
I think the similarities between Classical Music and Heavy metal have more to do with orchestration than anything else.
Satanstoenail
My Larpstyle determines my Derpstyle
genocide roach
DOOOOOOOOOOM
- Aug 18, 2002
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there is a huge influence. and you can read my various posts on the subject that will take you step by step
this is such a tired topic
~gR~
this is such a tired topic
~gR~
ShredHeadJHJ
oh noes itz a opinionn
Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself. It takes more than a synth that replicates the sound of a violin to make a band classically influenced. At least on the Black Metal side of things.
Yngwie Malmsteen did some of the same things that classical composers were doing though. If you dig deep enough enough you'll find that many of the same guys who do that kind of stuff were actually influenced directly by him & listened to classical music only as an afterthought. That was how he spawned so may imitators.
Thoth-Amon
Hypochondriac
- Apr 4, 2006
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Yes but there is some influence at least amongst certain practitioners.
Skepticism
Member
- Feb 14, 2006
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'How many' is less important in this context than 'who.' The 'who' in this case includes the likes of Tony Iommi, Glen Tipton, Jeff Hanneman, Alf Svensson, Christopher Johnsson and Varg Vikernes, so you're essentially talking about the cream of the crop.
Yeah, no one in Pantera was listening to Bach, but, you already knew that.
I mention them as Unholyunion apes the string quartet form (four movements, recapitulation etc.). Generally early stuff is black metal, later stuff is more on the gothic/electronic side.
Thoth-Amon
Hypochondriac
- Apr 4, 2006
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I remember seeing an interview with Slayer from the Hell Awaits era where they were all acting like drunk jackasses (most likely were) and Dave is saying "oh yeah we're inspired by Bach" quite seriously and I'm like "PLEASE! You guys were not studying Bach fugues when you wrote Necrophiliac!"
Hypnos
steck ihn nei!
I remember seeing an interview with Slayer from the Hell Awaits era where they were all acting like drunk jackasses (most likely were) and Dave is saying "oh yeah we're inspired by Bach" quite seriously and I'm like "PLEASE! You guys were not studying Bach fugues when you wrote Necrophiliac!"
Try "Metal Storm" which basically is a fugue for electric guitar.
Thoth-Amon
Hypochondriac
- Apr 4, 2006
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its not even close to a fugue! the only "complex" thing going on is the part that is harmonized...but hey i wasn't putting Slayer down... they're probably my fav band (own every album, seen them 4 times live)... i was just laughing at how they were trying to come off as uber sophisticated when in fact they are not
Hubster
...
hibernal_dream
A Mind Forever Voyaging
but hey i wasn't putting Slayer down... they're probably my fav band (own every album, seen them 4 times live)... i was just laughing at how they were trying to come off as uber sophisticated when in fact they are not
It's not so much that they're trying to make themselves sophisticated, rather other people claim them to be - which is absurd, I agree. They can be influenced by Bach without using him in their music.
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