Skill Or Attitude - Which Do You Prefer?

[Raumien]

Me and my friend were talking about this, he prefers attitude in a band to skill. He could care less if the production is shit and a few of them are off on their notes some, as long as it sounds metal and they have attitude. Myself, I adore technical metal and Progressive metal bands and their technicality. Things like Watchtower, later Death, Spastic Ink and so on. I see his point with attitude, I like a lot of thrash bands that had little variation and basically relied on speed and one cool riff per song to sound cool....it's a tough call for me. As much as I love technical shit, nothing like a group of aggressive metalheads churning out speed-metal with simply killer riffs can get me going the way it does. Which do you prefer?

 

[no country for old wainds]

Skilled composers, rather than skilled performers.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Stuff like playing one hundered notes per second really doesn't impress me, unless of course it fits into the musics concept and structure (ie King Crimson, not metal I know but still a perfect example of complexity being used to convey a concept). To me music (especially metal) is all about composing a song, creating an atmosphere and having a concept that all match up well with one another.

 

[Raumien]

Stuff like playing one hundered notes per second really doesn't impress me, unless of course it fits into the musics concept and structure (ie King Crimson, not metal I know but still a perfect example of complexity being used to convey a concept). To me music (especially metal) is all about composing a song, creating an atmosphere and having a concept that all match up well with one another.

I agree with you very much, but I can put on some old Kreator or Anthrax's Fistful of Metal and those riffs and drum beats just grab my attention like nothing from KC's Discipline or classic Yes, featuring the amazing Rick Wakeman on keys, Bruford on percussion and so on. So i have a feeling I care about attitude more than I think I do.

 

[Caelum Adustum]

Skilled composers, rather than skilled performers.

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

I don't really care. if its good its good

 

[chris-o-fer]

I think when you have the skill, the attitude will come.

 

[Spirit In Black]

of those two I'll take Skill...........but good songwriting is what I look for

 

[Gory Elephant]

I think when you have the skill, the attitude will come.

I think that is entirely backwards. In my most humble opinion, some of the greatest bands EVER have very little of what most would call "skill".

Perhaps some of the young'uns in the room will not appreciate this example, but who could deny that some of the later releases from some of the bigger bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, etc... are easily more technically skilled then their earlier stuff, but who also could deny that their earlier stuff was far more meaningfull, and ass-kicking in general?

Just my opinion.
Mike.

 

[Raumien]

Actually, a lot of 'skilled' bands seem to release incredibly bland shit when is comes to attitude. Dream Theater, Opeth, Meshuggah.....the first two bands I enjoy, but they've put out some boring stuff.

 

[Esteban]

Skilled composers, rather than skilled performers.

Exactly, playing a billion notes per second means shit if you can't write a decent piece of music. In fact, very skilled players do have a tendency to show off and ruin the music, so it's not that great to be extremely good in the technical area IMO.

 

[byrne]

there are very few metal bands who write particularly well composed music - in the sense of song structure, use of a variety of instruments to create different effects and composition generally telling a story, conveying an idea or sharing an experience.

spirt in black is right

i think you have confused well composed with well written. in their greater/broader sense, i guess they are the same thing, but well written to me is more related to the genre than composed ... especially in comparison to the works of some classical pieces.

anyhow, i voted for more skillful because pure 'attitude' whether it genuine or created by a record company, wont neccessarily result in good music. attitude adds to a skilled performers ability. unskilled performers who have attitude generally turn out to be rubbish. eg: slipknot.

btw: what new slayer, megadeth, metallica is more skilled than old stuff?

how is st anger more technical than ride the lightning?
or risk more skilled than peace sells, but whos buying?
or god hates us all more skilled than show no mercy?
wtf?