Metal = Romanticism?

[death metal black metal]

Like gangster rap, black metal drew a great deal of its charisma from its claims of countercultural authenticity, a realness defined not by criminal boasts and urban play-by-plays but by an ultimately spiritual fidelity to misanthropy and infernal nihilism—an uncompromising (if easily parodied) Satanic sensibility salted with occasional bursts of violence, obscenity, and tabloid controversy. But as the genre grew in popularity, an interesting mythological transformation occurred. Classic bands like Ulver, Windir, and Enslaved left the Christian devil aside to reach for an older, pagan stratum of Norse and heathen lore (”Viking metal” is now its own subgenre). In their quest to express the atmosphere of awe and gloom that permeates these ancient ways, black-metal acts began extending and deepening their use of melodies, both folkloric and epic. What emerged was a powerful dark-side Romanticism, perhaps the most unalloyed descendent of old-school Sturm und Drang that we have.

http://metal-blogs.com/death/2007/11/14/environmentalism-romanticism-and-heavy-metal/

It's nice to see someone taking popular music seriously. I think I like any movement that combines Romanticism with an aversion to the Nanny State, and the selfish fatuousness of most people, rich or poor.

 

[Pessimism]

Woo-hoo!

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Viking metal isn't a subgenre.

Also I love and hate these topics at the same time because they seem like ANUS blog reposts (and probably are).

 

[Rabid Headbanger]

RIIIIIIIP RIIIIIIDE!

 

[Mort Divine]

Viking metal isn't a subgenre.

Also I love and hate these topics at the same time because they seem like ANUS blog reposts (and probably are).

Well duh, it is a form of folk metal - something of a sub-sub-genre. Folk metal with scandinavian folk scales used in the guitars as opposed to just folk instruments tacked on.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

*insert age old "Why do people consider Amon Amarth viking metal?" argument*

 

[Rabid Headbanger]

Cuz teh sing boot vikins.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

zakly

 

[S<issors]

First off, ANUS devotees are among the very lowest forms of internet scum. I think it's safe to say that their whole ideology can be summed up by the phrase "pretentious pseudointellectuals' collective wet dream."

That said, they -and people like them- are often successful at weeding some really obvious truisms out of their (inarguably impressive) knowledge of metal history. Hence, this. Cool times.

 

[death metal black metal]

Viking metal isn't a subgenre.

I agree, because there's no consistent musical-aesthetic distinction. I can only think of a few contenders for that name anyway, with Enslaved's early albums leading the pack.

 

[S<issors]

there's no consistent musical-aesthetic distinction.

I can't believe how many fifty-page threads have elapsed on forums like this before people were able to get their heads around this concept

 

[Alter]

ANUS knows nothing.


Why do you like them?

 

[Mephistophiliac]

*insert age old "Why do people consider Amon Amarth viking metal?" argument*

The lyrical content? That tends to cause all sorts of trouble with the "Viking metal" thing.

 

[WNxScythe]

Sounds like Anus.

And I hate Anus with a passion.

 

[MasterOLightning]

The problem with ANUS isn't so much the message as the methods.

 

[WNxScythe]

It's both.

Their methods though are what are most easily laughed at, seriously. Their message... kinda just pisses me off.

I mean look at this review of "Hell Awaits"

Rhythmic emphasis comes entirely through guitars, which lead drums because the linear complexity tracking of the song moves fluidly through the variations of riffing which move, ambient, through patterns over the percussive components of the song, allowing drums to maintain greater simplicity and to unleash guitars to freedom of voicing over predictable rhythm upholding self-defined major components of each song. Slayer's composition is often called chromatic, meaning that it uses linear scales, but more appropriately it is nihilistic: a note or chord becomes the basis for invention of new recombinant pieces of information, creating a self-specialized evolutionary compositional space for the conception of each song.

Who writes like that??? And did he seriously call a chord "nihilistic"??? I'm sure Araya turned to King and said, "Dude play a nihilistic phrase that evolves into a self-specialized compositional space"

These kids need to get out of their parents' basements.

And this "commentary" on their hosting of mp3s:

Our Artist DB offers 128k/s MP3 files of underground metal artists. These cassette tape-quality downloads let you hear before you buy, enforcing natural selection by eliminating purchases of garbage through ignorance. For releases that are out of print, we keep these works of art alive by using FLAC lossless sound files. We believe this strengthens the genre artistically and if not within the letter of the law is within the spirit of higher civilization.

 

[Alter]

It's both.

Their methods though are what are most easily laughed at, seriously. Their message... kinda just pisses me off.

I mean look at this review of "Hell Awaits"



Who writes like that??? And did he seriously call a chord "nihilistic"??? I'm sure Araya turned to King and said, "Dude play a nihilistic phrase that evolves into a self-specialized compositional space"

These kids need to get out of their parents' basements.

You are right in full.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Yeah, silly. Finding what isn't there...eh. It's cool to find deeper meaning in metal music, but not like that.

I agree, because there's no consistent musical-aesthetic distinction. I can only think of a few contenders for that name anyway

Word.

 

[hibernal_dream]

I sometimes hate those reviews too, but can't see anything wrong with that particular one. It's not attributing any meaning at all, it's being purely analytical dissecting what is there. Slayer's music can be described as nihilistic by inference from the fact it uses chromaticism. It is something that remains true even if the band denied that they intended to do so. If, on the other hand it said "slayer by its use of nihilism portrays the void of nothingness inherent in our existence" that would be attributing meaning which doesn't exist.

 

[skeptik]

It's both.

Their methods though are what are most easily laughed at, seriously. Their message... kinda just pisses me off.

I mean look at this review of "Hell Awaits"



Who writes like that??? And did he seriously call a chord "nihilistic"??? I'm sure Araya turned to King and said, "Dude play a nihilistic phrase that evolves into a self-specialized compositional space"

These kids need to get out of their parents' basements.

And this "commentary" on their hosting of mp3s:

You're pretty stupid. The art is not the artist, and is certainly not subject to the limitations of the artist.