Metal instrumentation

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

It is widely accepted that metal is a guitar/bass/drums/vocals genre of music. However, it is of increasing occurrence that metal bands are attempting to mix up and rearrange instrumentation in their music. Instrumental bands are becoming more common, some (black metal especially) bands are composing without the use of a bass guitar, and some adventurous bands like Sun0))) are composing guitar only music. Considering this, would it be possible to compose metal without a single guitar lick, perhaps? Or is this experimentation by virtue not metal at all?

 

[Mercy/Severity]

i don't think metal without guitar licks would be all that metal... who knows! if someone tries it we'll find out won't we?

 

[Phrozenspite]

What you're talking about there would essentially be metal structure, however you wouldn't be able to inherently call it metal... also for a side note Sunn O))) make heavy use of analog synths for bass frequencies

 

[anonymouswierdo]

Umm, first I'd like to say: I'm not sure I know exactly what you're talking about.

Second: I think Apocoliyptica uses only chellos.

 

[SacredReich]

And drums.

 

[Erik]

ya know NECROMANTIA from greece use two bass guitars instead of regular guitars and i don't think anyone would argue that they're not metal

 

[anonymouswierdo]

And drums.

I think they've done some without drums.

 

[Weizenkeim]

Karaboudjan uses heavily distorted bass instead of rhytm guitar (there is some lead guitar, but it's only soloing). fokken amazing

 

[Intoxicator]

Kayo Dot use some different instruments. Never listened to them though.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Karaboudjan uses heavily distorted bass instead of rhytm guitar (there is some lead guitar, but it's only soloing). fokken amazing

weird ass band great stuff.

 

[The_Harmathroditic_Ferret]

I personally feel a metal band should have this line up.

Guitarist
Drums
Bassist/vocalist

All these band that have these "rhythm guitarists" I find a waste. The power metal bands ust them effectively by using seperate riffs, dueling solo's, seperate arpeggios, but for most of metal, bands just have their rhythm guitarist play all the roots of the lead. When you have a guitarist doing that, it totally drowns out the bass, and you might as well not even have a bassist then.

I think the lineup should always be that three, and the only genre of metal that needs a rhythm guitarist is power metal, and avant garde bands.

 

[Crimson Velvet]

Listen to some new Profanum.

 

[Susperia]

I'm up for it. I think it's incredible how Metal-sounding classical instruments can be at times.

 

[Carcassian]

Good question, actually. I don't know - I can stand a bit of experimentation, but I think for the essence of metal to be preserved, guitars, whether they be bass or lead need to be employed.

Other bands can have a metal "attitude", or play music of a metal composition, but that won't necessarily make them metal.

 

[Helspyre]

I personally feel a metal band should have this line up.

Guitarist
Drums
Bassist/vocalist

All these band that have these "rhythm guitarists" I find a waste. The power metal bands ust them effectively by using seperate riffs, dueling solo's, seperate arpeggios, but for most of metal, bands just have their rhythm guitarist play all the roots of the lead. When you have a guitarist doing that, it totally drowns out the bass, and you might as well not even have a bassist then.

I think the lineup should always be that three, and the only genre of metal that needs a rhythm guitarist is power metal, and avant garde bands.

I don't think you quite understand what a rhythm guitarist is. In metal it's generally pretty much everything you hear on an album except the solos. Thrash would be pretty damn boring without the rhythm guitars. The lead guitarist is generally the one that comes in with the solos and the extra second guitar parts and harmonies.

In other genres of music, like blues for example, the rhythm generally follows the bass as you suggested while the lead does all the other interesting stuff.

 

[LordoftheStorms]

When you have a guitarist doing that, it totally drowns out the bass, and you might as well not even have a bassist then.

Unless, you know, the bassist actually writes a seperate bassline.

 

[VampyrRose]

Its obvious he's a fan of Morbid Angel.

 

[birdman11]

I agree

 

[ProjectedBlack]

I don't think you quite understand what a rhythm guitarist is. In metal it's generally pretty much everything you hear on an album except the solos. Thrash would be pretty damn boring without the rhythm guitars. The lead guitarist is generally the one that comes in with the solos and the extra second guitar parts and harmonies.

In other genres of music, like blues for example, the rhythm generally follows the bass as you suggested while the lead does all the other interesting stuff.

I think when bands play live there is parts of the songs where there is nothing for lead to play so I think the two guitarists simply play the same thing to get that "double heavy" effect to a riff, but generally I can always pick out two guitar tracks in the music I listen to, sometimes rythm is just not so apparent.

 

[Helspyre]

I think when bands play live there is parts of the songs where there is nothing for lead to play so I think the two guitarists simply play the same thing two get that "double heavy" effect to a riff, but generally I can always pick out two guitar tracks in the music I listen to, sometimes rythm is just not so apparent.

Definitely.