Metal and Philosophy

[S<issors]

I think part of what attracts me to bands like Opeth and Dream Theater is their mature -even somber, in the case of Opeth- demeanor. I can't stand listening to a band (say, Metallica) where I get the feeling I've got a higher IQ than all the members combined, no matter how good they may be with their insturments. Music has always been and will always be art to me- maybe not first and foremost, but art nonetheless. Once it's devoid of any artistic touch or uniqueness, I lose interest, even if it's catchy.

On the other hand, "art-rock" like the Mars Volta often lapses into a kind of musical masturbation. I love Opeth and Dream Theater, because I feel they've both got something incredible and unique going for them, but most of all because they're goddamn fun to listen to.

Yeah, metal opens up a whole new world of inherently outside-the-mainstream music which is rife with virtuoso performance and artistic endeavors that a pop album could never equal. But my primary reason for listening to the stuff is much simpler than that:

If you love rock, why wouldn't you want it to rock HARDER?

 

[Silver Incubus]

what the hell are you talking about?

what that really says "The artists I choose to listen to are very talented and play music that appeals to them artistically and not for the pop #1, although they very well could play those pop songs better then artist themselves.

 

[Black Core]

what that really says "The artists I choose to listen to are very talented and play music that appeals to them artistically and not for the pop #1, although they very well could play those pop songs better then artist themselves.

and what has that to do with me?

 

[Silver Incubus]

I thought people were laughing at you because of you choice in music. I'm saying laugh at them. Joke with them, and let them know that your choice in music has nothing to do with them and that they are idiots for making fun of you. Essentially, you like art, and they like what they are given to like.

Well if you don't want to stand up for yourself and your self respect then I really can't help you either. My advice was simply an example that you need to talk with them, and let them know you don't care about their ignorant opinions, so if you are laughing at them when they laugh at you, they might lose the fun of teasing you and then leave you alone. They do it only because they know it bothers you, and as long as you give the same reaction and do nothing about it will continue to happen, for the rest of your life.

 

[Black Core]

oh, I see, well thanx for the advice but I already tried that, besides, laughing at them proves that I would care because I would react to it and 1 vs. 15 isn't really a fight you can win.
but on the other hand, being passive doesn't help either, they want to bring me down and sitting there doing nothing proves it's working.
Also violence doesn't solve anything. Altough I am stronger than most of em (proved that before) they just don't get it.
Some ppl will just never learn.

But this is going too far off-topic

 

[judas69]

lol

 

[infoterror]

Was your decision to listen/play metal, some teenage desire to find music that glorifies

The will to power and romantic imagination? Why, yes.

YETH

 

[Dominick_7]

I think most of the philosophies behind most metal songs are incorrect, but I like the fact that they raise important questions. Do I believe all of them want answers in their asking the questions? No. Some do some don't. I don't base my lifes philosophies on just because someone preaches a message behind a veil of music. I do however appreciate the fact that in metal you have a serious place to think about deeper things than the superficiality that pop music can bring, share ideas, and have real meaningful dialogues on important matters.

 

[Wenchmaster]

Its been some time since we've had a proper metal-inspired philosophy thread. Hence, I am quite interested in what attracted everyone here to metal. Was your decision to listen/play metal, some teenage desire to find music that glorifies and symbolizes individuality or rejection of popular society as I read Alice Cooper state in a interview? Was it a feeling or emotion that swept through your body when you first heard metal? Was it a friend or group of friends, that got you into it?

And also, how does metal fit in with your attraction to philosophy? Is it this rejection of popular society that has some appeal? The openly philosophical Black Metal element? What other reasons? I'm most interested in any findings.

My friend showed me Metallica. Basic story. Before this, I was only familiar with MTV's music, which I never understood why people liked. I knew that to some extent, people were "getting into" the music as just hopping on the bandwagon. I then discovered more thrash bands without the help of my friend, and decided that metal was a lot more fun than what the radio/TV was playing. I knew I'd found the right kind of music, considering I always played piano and was never that into classical music (even though my teacher gave me classical pieces to play), but now found something that I wanted to recreate myself and then create more music like this. The reason I got into extreme metal was simply because I saw that there was a community and a VERY dedicated following from message boards. I always thought death metal was just noise, until I heard it. I was discouraged at first, but eventually everything I disliked about the band, I eventually liked the bands for those reasons. I learned to deal with the vocals with the help of Children of Bodom, who were slightly extreme at the beginning for me, but then I realized they looked like pop music compared to the likes of the great Cryptopsy (who I thought were just noise at the time). Once I got the vocals over with, I finally saw death metal music as MUSIC. I saw the emotions behind this music and I noticed that even though it seemed like noise, it was catchy at times, and had weaved intricate melodies into parts. Then I realized that the whole gore theme with metal is just a means of being "brutal/evil" to some extent (same with all the black metal imagery like corpsepaint and chains). I finally got into black metal months after I got into death metal. It took me about a year to get into death metal, but as I kept trying and reading peoples comments, I began to see what it was all about. Then about half a year later, I gave way to black metal simply because I accepted the fact that it wasn't all about melody (even though there were black metal bands with melody that I hadn't heard of at the time), and that atmosphere was a key issue. I realize now that death and black metal, when listened to at the right time can make me feel better about the way I am feeling. If I feel depressed, for some reason listening to Xasthur just makes me feel better. I like metal because I have realized that it is serious music with a purpose and a community of members who from the beginning accepted the fact that they would never hit the mainstream and they wanted to stay underground, but also stay true to themselves, the fans, and the music they make (and its purpose). I like metal because I am living proof that metal stereotypes do not apply any more (and you'd be surprised to learn how many people still think so). I used to be quite a nerd and all I'd do is schoolwork, and I lead a very antisocial life. When I got into metal, I realized that now there would be something to discuss with people (even though it took me a long time to find people who liked metal), and this opened up the pathway to more friends and a generally more social life. It made me feel less isolated than I was. I was intrigued by the fact that I contradicted my own misconception. I thought death metal would be the last thing I'd result to, but in the end, it has made me more open to new ideas, accepting of others ideas, and has helped me develop a bigger understanding of why society functions the way it does and ways to deal with it. Metal has fueled my desire for knowledge. Everytime I hear a new band I look forward to reading about them and at least skimming over their lyrics. Metal music has given me the power to formulate my own opinion instead of take the ideas from the majority. Metal has allowed me to question authority and in ethics in general. Metal has in a way started to break down my ignorance and try to let me see that things are not as they seem.

 

[Nile577]

Metallica's 'The thing that should not Be' reads like a continental philosophy essay title, no?

 

[RiderOfJustice]

From a young age.. My father also played zepp and sabbath and maiden all the time.. so practically all my life I have been listening to metal.. Around 2001/02 I started listening to stuff from other places in the world. Bands like dimmu borgir, kalmah stuff like that.. I was into the black metal for a while.. Then my father introduced me to Symphony x.. which has become my favorite band.. I rather enjoy music with philisophical oriented lyrics. This music im interested in takes much talent to create. The classical influnces in bands like symphony x catch my interest greatly. Rather than listening to the pop music that is popular in my country.. That music for me is just intolerable.

 

[InvisibleWounds]

My view about metal, well first I got into metal just by rapidly going up the chain of rock. First starting with godsmack, mushroomhead etc. then just growing into it. I think metal brings out the best thinkers. It takes intellingence to write and play the material that most metal bands play. Through lyrics though i find that the bands tend to place their thoughts on society and issues more than other genres. Not to be arrogant, i just personally think that more talent stands out in metal. I personally enjoy it though because i like the speed, heaviness, and and overall projection of thought

 

[InvisibleWounds]

My view about metal, well first I got into metal just by rapidly climbing up the chain of rock. First starting with godsmack, mushroomhead etc. then just growing into it. I think metal brings out the best thinkers. It takes intellingence and intellect to write and play the material that most metal bands play. Through lyrics though i find that the bands tend to place their thoughts on society and issues more than other genres. Not to be arrogant, i just personally think that more talent stands out in metal. I personally enjoy it though because i like the speed, heaviness, and and overall projection of thought.
I do not play an instrument but i do not think that blocks my view on the writing of music.

 

[Black Core]

Through lyrics though i find that the bands tend to place their thoughts on society and issues more than other genres

I think rap has way more lyrics about society than metal.
Not many genres of metal are about society. Very few that I know actually

 

[fuel126]

I started playing guitar when I was nine and was really frustrated because I felt like I wasn't going anywhere skill-wise so I started listening to metal because I wanted to get good fast

 

[Draehl]

Pretty much for the music. Having friends like mostly the same stuff really helped too.

Korn- Got me into metal. Back right when Freak on a Leash was being played non stop.
Metallica- Got me looking for other heavy stuff.
Slayer- A tad heavier.
Opeth- They pretty much opened a can of worms for me as far as exploring for more obscure music goes. At first just the melodeath bands (The Haunted, In Flames, Soilwork, etc) then even broader. Opeth are a pretty outstanding gateway band to ease people between mainstream and non-mainstream metal.

 

[Rigbonn]

Well, I started to listen to Metal because of the influence of my brother. At first, I was like "damn, this one sounds fucking awesome, a lot of noises and what not" but then I realized that there is MUCH more than just noise in this genre. Metal has become my middle name guys. That's it. There is nothing better than an awesome solo. Eargrazm.

 

[derek]

Deep.

 

[Cythraul]

Whoa! Old thread. I got into metal at a really early age (8 or 9 years old) and what appealed to me at that time was just the sound of it, and how different it sounded from everything I'd heard, and the sense that I was getting into something forbidden. Over time I've developed increasingly intellectual rationalizations for my taste in this music.

There really is something that this music taps into that I have trouble putting my finger on. There's this kind of weird, unintentional, dark intellectualism in a lot of good metal. I mean, you have these guys who are basically idiot savants making this music that is intended to be sick, grinding, antisocial, and what have you, but somehow it often ends up also being quite profound. Especially stuff like Burzum and Gorguts. I guess those guys are actually pretty smart when it comes down to it (yeah, Varg is weird and perhaps a sociopath but he is also quite articulate and a musical visionary to boot.) There is also a kind of childlike playfulness and humor in metal that I appreciate, which is something you don't find in a lot of other kinds of music that are self-consciously "serious". For me metal music is something that makes you feel small and yet it's empowering at the same time. Good metal music doesn't deal in trivialities; it's heavy and it deals with heavy subject matter, which might make you feel sort of insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but somehow listening to the music is highly motivating for me.

Listening to metal for me is a weird juxtaposition of feeling overpowered and empowered. I like different kinds of music, but to me there is something especially vital about good metal music. Again, it's hard to really put my finger on it.

 

[Judzfell]

My friend in my band wanted me to llisten to metal and write songs like aveneged sevenfold. I never liked that stuff, i was more into alternative rock, very depressing shit starts hitting me in life, and I find metal to be more soothing then some whiney faggot complaining about his life through soft rock. metal holds power, divercity, and the key to nourishment.