Melodic DEATH metal???

[MindInsane]

So I have a question for some of you metalheads..

Why are bands like In Flames, Soilwork, and Dark Tranquility considered a genre of Death Metal? Is it the vocals? The fact that someone was too darn lazy too look past the vocals and realize that it's about as far from Death Metal as Hanson is? Now this is purely my opinion...but I don't think these types of bands are in a death metal category. I consider music like Bloodbath, Kataklysm, Entombed, and Obituary death metal. It's downtuned and heavy to the extreme..the type of heavy that hits you in the chest and vibrates there. In Flames is too happy sounding (don't get me wrong..I LOVE In Flames, Dark Tranquility etc..) I just think it should be called something else...melodic is correct...but Death??

What do you guys think?? My brother and I argue about this subject occasionally..I thought I'd see what other people thought?

:Shedevil:

 

[LegionsOfTheDead]

Well I actually think the description is pretty accurate.

Think about it, most melodic death has fast double bass drums, gutteral vocals, downtuned guitars, and most of it sticks to the drums/bass/guitar/vocal line up. All of which are pretty common features of Death metal.

The only difference is, instead of "chugga chugga" heavy type riffs, the guitars play more melodic and less abrasive riffs. Which is where the "melodic" part of "melodic death" comes into it.

Make sense?.... coz it sure didn't to me! lol

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

First of all, i'm not into In Flames or Dark Tranquility

Speed Strid (Soilwork) doesn't use guttural vocals, the only song (that I remember) where he uses guttural vocals is Follow The Hollow. I agree that most of the genre should not be considered death metal. Some Of Soilwork's stuff (early) is as extreme as early Death (speed wise) but the music is indeed more melody oriented, and I consider Soilwork to be more in the thrash vein with a little of death metal influence.

 

[Deadly Embrace]

Alright your not happy with the "classification" of Melodic Death Metal. What do you suggest we call it? ..........And where would you find it?.............if you took it out of the Black/Death Metal section, in a record store? Also what if a group goes from Straight up Death Metal, & then changes into Melodic Death Metal. Where would you find them? Spilt them up? Etc., Etc.
What I'm getting at is it's basically Death Metal in origin, so you find many different types within it's scope. Thats what sets it apart from all other classification's..............

 

[Plague Witch]

I think the labels serve only a basic purpose, that being to establish a GENERAL concept of the sound. When you get down to it, you can find elements in nearly every band that are not typical of a certain genre. The labels are far too restrictive, and almost always create a different mental image than the actual sound of the band that you're trying to describe. Regardless of what you call it, you still wind up going into specific detail to try to describe the sound (at least with talented bands like Soilwork and In Flames, etc.) because "Melodic Death Metal" or "Grindcore" etc. don't always cut it.

 

[Stun]

Heh, yeah like Children of Bodom. You could call them melodic death metal, but it wouldn't really describe them very well.

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

Basically death metal in origin?not quite. If you compare any of those melodic death metal bands to early Death or Obituary you'll find quite a big difference. If I take out the vocals from Darkane, the music reminds me more of thrash than death metal. Anyway you have your opinion and I agree with MindInsane. I have a question for anyone that's willing to answer it, what genre would describe Terror's 2000 music? the music is more intense than Soilwork and Speed uses the same vocals, but the music is clearly thrash, not melodic death metal. Bands like Darkane, Soilwork and Terror 2000 don't use typical death metal vocals (although Darkane uses a lot of growls on the first album)

 

[Diluvial_bloodshed]

Oh, my first reaction when I saw the headline was someone trying to pass off Testament as melodic death metal.

I haven't a clue why people put Arch Enemy as death metal, with a prefix or not.

Nor do I know why people consider Hatebreed or Dying Fetus metal in any form.

 

[Stun]

Hehehhe what could Dying Fetus be besides technical death metal? Well, in one word I could describe it: overkill.

 

[MindInsane]

Hey everyone..thanks for all the great replies! I was just wondering if I was the only one who thought that...evidently I'm not! (Yay)! It's all in the vocals I tell ya! HA!

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

no problem man

(btw i'm having a similar discussion on the general music board, oh well what can I do? )

 

[Deadly Embrace]

MindInsane you never answered my question.....................lets here what you say?...................

 

[MindInsane]

More like melodic thrash....or just melodic metal....I just don't think death belongs in the label...that's all...

 

[Stun]

Labels are stupid anyway. Words don't give meaning to music, the music does.

But In Flames and CoB used to be death metal, and I would call their earlier cds melodic death metal (Lunar Strain, Subterranean, The Jester Race / Something Wild).

 

[Chuut-Riit]

Well, and Bands like Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates have an unquestionable DEATH Metal part.


@Diluvial Bloodshed: Your avatar is proving excellent taste of music