The Importance of Bass Guitar In Metal Music

[Dammnare]

I am not an expert in music and I always wondered the importance of bass guitar in metal music.Now before you start bashing me , I am not trying to mock anyone I just want to know how bass changes a song.

Usually bass is hard to hear for me in songs so I can't see what would happen if a song would played without bass guitar.Can anyone give me a cut of a song played without bass and with bass so I can notice the difference ? I just open this thread to be informed about it I looked for it in wiki but couldnt find anything.

 

[CadenZ]

Most of the time the bass is in the background, and hard to hear if you're not specifically listening to it. However, if you would cut the bass guitar from the mix, you would notice it immediately. It fills out the sound landscape, which sounds very hollow and thin without the bass.

There are of course exceptions, but most often this is the rule.

 

[Frosties]

^ that's true a lot, but actually in metal, a lot of the times you probably wouldn't even notice it gone.

 

[Jackehh]

hmm just listen to and justice for all, the raw, sort of "thin" or "shallow" sound is perfect of example of music that has little to no bass

the importance of bass in metal music? Listen to gojira or watershed

 

[CadenZ]

^ that's true a lot, but actually in metal, a lot of the times you probably wouldn't even notice it gone.

Actually in metal you would notice it very clearly, unless the guitars are maxed on the bass frequencies which would make the sound really grunty, or if we're talking about Meshuggah (8-stringed guitars). The heavy bottom sound made up by the bass guitar and (bass) drums is a key element in metal music and the solid foundation the sound is built upon. The guitar riffs/melodies and vocals steal most of the attention, but if the bass would be cut, the sound would immediately lose its bottom foundation.

I've made this observation several times when mixing recordings, with bass=solid sound, no bass=thin sound.
The same thing has become obvious many times when I've been rehearsing with different bands without a bassist, or when the bassist for some reason (bad cable, doesn't know the part, collapses from having drunken too much tequila) quits playing in the middle of a song.

 

[Cognitive Intercourse]

As CadenZ mentioned, the bass is pretty much the anchor that keeps everything all together. Without it. everythintg would sound brittle, cold and sterile. For examples of how much bass contributes to metal, just listen to Iron Maiden. Without Steve Harris' bass pounding rhythms, the songs would just fall apart and sound like crap. Also listen to some of Dream Theater's heavier material or Cliff Burrton's work with Metallica. You would DEFINITELY notice a difference without that pounding bass driving the songs along.

 

[Dammnare]

Nice answers and it is true about the Burton and Iron Maiden work of bass and also in some songs it is very clear to hear and rhythms hold the music together but for example in Blackwater Park as an album I can't get the bass feeling in heavy songs.Some people talk about the bass slap part in the end of BWP but unfortunately I cannot hear it.(Except the Leper Affinity maybe)

 

[Luann]

As his name says, it helps with the low frequencies, giving a more round sound, plus it plays riffs, fills, and everything to help with the music.

 

[x_OPETH_x]

it's an absolutely integral part of any western music..... it's a rhythmic AND melodic instrument, it bridges the gap between drums and guitar.

I myself, prefer music where the bass takes a bit more limelight -
bands like :

Intronaut
Necrophagist
Guthrie Govan
Hiromi's Sonicbloom
Pat Metheny Group
Porcupine Tree
Return to Forever
Wayne Krantz
Tal Wilkenfeld


definitely check out Intronaut for a prime example of outstanding basswork in a metal band. It's not self-righteous prog (a la Dream Theater), it's actually pretty brutal but still has its melodic yet complex moments.

 

[Wander]

Reminds me of how we played a gig full of metal songs without a bassist in my old band. But I guess that having two guitarists and double bass all the way made up for it! ... Maybe.

 

[αlphaWhore]

Nice answers and it is true about the Burton and Iron Maiden work of bass and also in some songs it is very clear to hear and rhythms hold the music together but for example in Blackwater Park as an album I can't get the bass feeling in heavy songs.Some people talk about the bass slap part in the end of BWP but unfortunately I cannot hear it.(Except the Leper Affinity maybe)

Actually the bass is pretty up in the mix on Blackwater Park... I think the problem here is you can't tell what the bass sounds like by itself. Try listening to recordings of bass solo or get a friend to play bass in front of you... As soon as you figure out the way the bass sounds like it will be a lot easier to hear on any song.

Sorry about the crappy english btw.

 

[Frosties]

Actually in metal you would notice it very clearly, unless the guitars are maxed on the bass frequencies which would make the sound really grunty, or if we're talking about Meshuggah (8-stringed guitars). The heavy bottom sound made up by the bass guitar and (bass) drums is a key element in metal music and the solid foundation the sound is built upon. The guitar riffs/melodies and vocals steal most of the attention, but if the bass would be cut, the sound would immediately lose its bottom foundation.

I've made this observation several times when mixing recordings, with bass=solid sound, no bass=thin sound.
The same thing has become obvious many times when I've been rehearsing with different bands without a bassist, or when the bassist for some reason (bad cable, doesn't know the part, collapses from having drunken too much tequila) quits playing in the middle of a song.

Well, you obviously have a lot more experience than me, but I play bass, so I know what to "look" for, if I want to hear the bass. And a lot of the times (which is actually especially true with the heavier stuff, which is probably why I can't for the life of me hear Meshuggah basslines under the guitars), I just can't hear it. Or at least, I can't be sure.

I have to say, that probably the latest album that really caught me bass-wise, was actually the Ne Obliviscaris EP playing. Absolutely brilliant - the dude knows when to be upfront and play some great bass leads when needed, and knows when to be in the background as well.

 

[Holocaust on the Moon]

To hear the impact bass can have in metal, listen to Atheist's Unquestionable Presence.

 

[CadenZ]

Well, you obviously have a lot more experience than me, but I play bass, so I know what to "look" for, if I want to hear the bass. And a lot of the times (which is actually especially true with the heavier stuff, which is probably why I can't for the life of me hear Meshuggah basslines under the guitars), I just can't hear it. Or at least, I can't be sure.

Actually we're on the same page here; I agree with you on that the bass can be hard to discern in a metal band's sound, and harder in metal than in many other genres. What I was trying to point out is that whether you can hear the bass lines or not, you will notice it's gone right away if it would disappear. One can hear the bass all the time but can't always place it in the landscape, at least until it's gone.

 

[RoadKing]

As was mentioned earlier, bass is fundamentally important to pretty much all "Western" music styles, not just metal. I do agree that the bass is often buried in the mix entirely too much, though, particularly in metal. I also think that this is a crying shame, and any band suffering from this malady should immediately fire their producer!

The bassists works with the drummer, really more as one giant, cohesive instrument to define what is for me at least, the most important element of the music, the GROOVE. If you ain't got groove, you ain't got shit in my book! How lame would Pink Floyd's "Money" sound without Roger Waters' unforgettable, pulsing groove driving the song? Can anyone here imagine Iron Maiden being half the band they are without the relentless galloping pocket driven by Steve Harris? Or shit, Opeth for that matter... both Mendez' & DeFarfalla's contributions to the band's epic sonic signature simply cannot be overstated. Even the decidedly more straightforward but totally grooving walking basslines of a guy like Tommy Shannon (SRV & Double Trouble) are vital to what is essentially, the heartbeat of the song! And don't even get me started on funk... THERE IS NO FUNK without da bass inya face!

I've often found that a really sweet, grooving bassline will hook me on a song faster than anything, often without me even realizing at first what it is that's drawing me into the music. Conversely, music with a lame or undiscernable bassline will almost instantly turn me off, sounding completely lifeless and flat to me.

It really is a shame to me that bass players are often thought of as nothing more than failed guitarists, and that their vital contributions are so often underappreciated and disrespected. A great rhythm section will elevate an average band into a damned good one, and a shit rhythm section will instantly sink even the very best guitarist or singer.

Groove or die, bitches!

 

[Rogue Eagle]

Usually bass is hard to hear for me in songs so I can't see what would happen if a song would played without bass guitar.Can anyone give me a cut of a song played without bass and with bass so I can notice the difference ?

Metallica - ...and justice for all

An album lacking bass!

 

[BrandonS]

Bass isn't important in modern metal, and no Opeth's Watershed isn't what you would call metal when asking about bass in metal. (Over half of the CD is rock for crying out loud) The fact of the matter is, bass is usually so low you can't hear it or the tone is really lame. The bands doing the more "prog" thing are bringing up the bass and giving it a good sound but they don't really fall under the umbrella of metal. Songs can stand by themselves without it, obviously, but once you start going to the more clear styles of prog, bass is very important and needs to be more present.

 

[Wander]

I actually agree with Roadking with most things. Bass IS important for me to be heard even on metal albums as it is fundamental to the groove of the song.

I have to mention Symphony X here as some of their albums (eg. Divine Wings Of Tragedy) have absolutely great bass lines going in the background.

 

[Donnie Darko]

I think the bass in metal is quite important, or at least it should be. The bass is a rhythm instrument & should follow the drums but remain independent from the guitar, following only when necessary. Unfortunately, many metal bassists simply follow the guitar all the time, which causes the sound of the bass to be lost.

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

Bass isn't important in modern metal, and no Opeth's Watershed isn't what you would call metal when asking about bass in metal. (Over half of the CD is rock for crying out loud) The fact of the matter is, bass is usually so low you can't hear it or the tone is really lame. The bands doing the more "prog" thing are bringing up the bass and giving it a good sound but they don't really fall under the umbrella of metal. Songs can stand by themselves without it, obviously, but once you start going to the more clear styles of prog, bass is very important and needs to be more present.

I really fail to see how bass isn't important in modern metal...take away the bass from any death metal record in the last 10 years and see how thin it sounds. Even Fredrik and Martin from Meshuggah have said that it would sound real thin, and they already play in bass range.