Understanding Technical Metal

[General Zaroff]

I'm not too familiar with Tech Metal because I don't know what's Tech and what's not really. I mean I know the bands people consider Tech (Necrophagist, The Faceless, PsyOpus, Spawn Of Possession, Theory In Practice) but I don't know why it's considered Tech.

Do you just have to have a good ear? I know nothing about music theory and such. I always see discussions about how Tech this band is, how complex they are, etc.. but could never understand why.

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[ShredHeadJHJ]

Tech usually means the music is very technical. The songs will usually have a lot of riffs & tempo changes. Sometimes the riffs will only rarely repeat themselves. Instead the riffs will sometimes go into variations of the same riff. Tech songs usually have guitar or keyboard solos, sometimes a hand full of them in a song. There will usually be a lot of time changes throughout riffs & fills, & sometimes even tempo changes in songs. Depending on the genre Tech Metal has crazy off the wall vocals a lot of times.

If you can't listen to a band like Dillinger Escape Plan, Psyopus, or even Necrophagist & tell why they would be considered Tech then you need to have your ears checked.

I tend to think of Progressive as being a more open term than tech. Sure, it should be technical with tempo & time changes, but I think the difference is that Progressive bands have movements in many of their songs instead of being technical just for the sake of it. They have the ability to put more than one song together & make the pieces fit.

Anyways, that's my personal take on it based on what I know.

 

[Valerie]

Technical just means the bands play really complicated and hard to play riffs and solos. It can also mean using non-standard time signatures, arrangements and such. That's all.

 

[Jimm O)))]

All I had to say on the subject has already been said. Shredhead pretty much summed it up.

 

[Belligerent]

The Tech Metal genre is oversaturated at this point. I honestly can't tell the difference between The Faceless and Necrophagist. The Faceless might have some metalcore influences but that's about all.
Not a genre I take much interest in.
Also I'd like to give it up to Beneath The Massacre for some of the worst metal I've heard in years.

 

[panzerfaust666]

the faceless have a totally different sound, with the addition of keyboards...they sound totally different than necrophagist.

 

[Belligerent]

Could have fooled me.

 

[Hatebreeder]

I find the Faceless much less interesting than Necrophagist, particularly because of the metalcore influences. They put on a decent show, though.

You don't have to understand the music to recognize technical metal, it is usually made obvious by complex instrumentation and tempo/time signature changes.

 

[cookiecutter]

Tech usually means the music is very technical.

:zombie: NO FUCKING WAY!

 

[ShredHeadJHJ]

yes wai

 

[Phrozenspite]

The Tech Metal genre is oversaturated at this point. I honestly can't tell the difference between The Faceless and Necrophagist. The Faceless might have some metalcore influences but that's about all.
Not a genre I take much interest in.
Also I'd like to give it up to Beneath The Massacre for some of the worst metal I've heard in years.

while I see the point you're making thats a very massive over generalization given that there really isn't any band that sounds like Necrophagist to the point you described? Wank or not they have a very clean and melodic sound for something so technical... as much as they're bashed for songwriting I think Muhammad is a compositional genius when you look at the actual form of some of the shit he writes its downright perfect

 

[Satanstoenail]

Tech usually means the music is very technical.

Wisdom.

IMO technical metal has more to with odd time signatures than any of the other factors mentioned.

 

[ShredHeadJHJ]

So, I put something I didn't need to put, big deal. We all make typos.

& you're right about what you said. Odd times can only push the music so far if the music is somewhat repetitive though, that's why Tech Metal songs usually have a lot of crazy riffs too. They both go hand in hand.

 

[Wires & Waves]

essentially death metal that values difficult musicianship before quality songwriting

 

[~Derek~]

The Tech Metal genre is oversaturated at this point. I honestly can't tell the difference between The Faceless and Necrophagist. The Faceless might have some metalcore influences but that's about all.
Not a genre I take much interest in.
Also I'd like to give it up to Beneath The Massacre for some of the worst metal I've heard in years.

The Faceless sounded exactly like a core band when I heard them and when I read they were tech death I was surprised. I dont know if I'm a big tech death fan or have thje potential to be since about the only bands I listen to in it are Nile, Cryptopsy, Dying Fetus, and Origin.

 

[Chairman Kaga]

You'll know if a death metal song is technical when you have a hard time trying to headbang to it, but it isn't always true though.

 

[Phrozenspite]

essentially death metal that values difficult musicianship before quality songwriting

well if by songwriting you're talking purely about feeling or any of that subjective shit then i agree with you... but from a musical standpoint the songs are extremely well composed to even approach actual tech skills

 

[ShredHeadJHJ]

essentially death metal that values difficult musicianship before quality songwriting

That can definitely be true on some accounts, but there are simple power chord Death Metal bands that write just as bad of music as uber technical chaotic bands.

The Faceless are a Tech Death band with Core influences, but it definitely doesn't show through on their whole album. It's a good contrast I think, but it's much more Tech Death than Core.

 

[St. Onan]

Technical metal is often a good way to express frustrated urges for other men who look like guitars.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Technical metal is often a good way to express frustrated urges for other men who look like guitars.