Question about all the sub-genres

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

Using that logic, black metal should be metal music performed by black people.

 

[Dak]

I was under the assumption it was labeled that because of the lyrical themes and of the band death. I could easily be wrong, as I don't really pay attention to the genre of a metal band.

There were "death" related lyrics early on, but it also had a completely unique instrumental style, as opposed to folk/power metal being about vikings and then getting named "viking metal", or folk metal being about pirates and being called "pirate metal, etc.

 

[SouthernTrendkill]

Good point. If Pirate Metal was an entirely new style of metal that happened to feature pirate lyrics, I think we could all agree that it's a real genre of metal (though we might be inclined to come up with a different name for it).

 

[Einherjar86]

However, viking metal is generally used to refer to folk metal derived from Scandinavian folk, with varying degrees of black metal influence

And doom, in my opinion. Real viking metal's gotta have some doom in it.

 

[Caecius]

Using that logic, black metal should be metal music performed by black people.

I wasn't saying every genre name was derived using the same method as death metal.

 

[Vossyrus]

Using that logic, black metal should be metal music performed by black people.

But it's black as in darkness and evil and kvlt grimness!

 

[Satanist Hobo]

but what if it doesn't fit? there wasn't always "Viking metal" or "folk metal" or "black metal," but then it happened, and you needed a new name for it.

Viking metal doesn't exist.

 

[ArneZ]

Extreme metal is the sub-genre of all.

 

[Lateralus14]

I was under the assumption it was labeled that because of the lyrical themes and of the band death. I could easily be wrong, as I don't really pay attention to the genre of a metal band.

How a genre is labeled and what defines a genre are two different questions. The difference between death metal and, for instance, pirate metal, is that, while both names may be fitting due to lyrical themes, death metal is actually defined by a musical style while pirate metal is not. So, to further WAIF's argument, a genre may be named appropriately by it's lyrical themes, but it may not exist/be defined by lyrical themes alone.

 

[waif]

How a genre is labeled and what defines a genre are two different questions. The difference between death metal and, for instance, pirate metal, is that, while both names may be fitting due to lyrical themes, death metal is actually defined by a musical style while pirate metal is not. So, to further WAIF's argument, a genre may be named appropriately by it's lyrical themes, but it may not exist/be defined by lyrical themes alone.

Uh, sure. Most of the subgenre names are somewhat arbitrary when examined out of context, with the exception of thrash, which is presumably in reference to the way the music was danced to. The names death metal and black metal evolved, depending on who you believe, out of a Possessed song or the name of the band Death and the Venom album, respectively. However, because they refer to a clearly distinct musical style, they're legit.

 

[demon_dopesmoker]

a lot of these sub-genres diverge or cross over at some point, particularly sludge/stoner metal wich usually contains influences from hardcore punk, crust punk, grunge rock, southern blues rock, doom metal, etc. its interesting to see where these styles come from and how they influence each other, often merging to form and pioneer new styles of metal music.

also there can be a lot of modern experimental stuff which can be hard to categorize because most bands are just doing their own thing anyway regardless of how people label them.

 

[Eligos]

I think that a sub sub genre is founded by both similarities by certain bands, typically within a scene, and their differences with the bands that founded the subgenre they play in.

For example, one cannot deny the similarities between Weakling, Wolves in the Throne Room, Krallice, and let's say Altar of Plagues. Their influence from shoegaze and psychedelic music and the gods of Fleurety and Ved Buens Ende, their wandering riffing style, and thick, chunky, dissonant and often counterpointed chords define the sub sub genre they're grouped into: Post Black Metal (also called USBM occasionally). Are they like Burzum? Sure. Darkthrone? A bit. Mayhem? Not really. Varathron? Ever so slightly. Master's Hammer? Not at all.

Then you can take a band from the same subgenre. I like to use Cobalt. They also play post black metal, but have reinterpreted it to include influences from other genres such as sludge and crust punk. This is totally kosher in the book of post black metal, so while their sound is more raw and aggressive than that of their peers, they do not play their own new sub sub genre of metal. The same cannot be said for them being a black metal band, though, for such a description would be a gross oversimplification and would leave Darkthrone enthusiasts griping more than they do already about such bands. They need a separation in order to purify their own interpretation of what the black metal genre stands for.