What makes a band metal?
I ask this because once you start listening to the instrumental part of a song, the word heavy loses meaning. Most people (especially those who dont listen to metal) just consider it heavier rock. If i hear the same drum beat in a pop-punk song, and in a death metal song, how is one heavier than the other. With guitar you can add distortion, but as somebody said before "slipknot is not metal, just distortion". Distortion will not make a band metal, because it is also seen in many other types of music. You cannot just say that all metal vocalists scream, because there are bands that do not, like Iced Earth and Nevermore. The singers from Iced Earth and Nevermore are two of the best singers I've heard in a band recently. Metal does not use purely rock riffs; in Riding the Snake around 2:40 Steve Digiorgio plays a sweet jazz climb on the bass. And in Urotsukidoji the bass solo is more jazz than "metal".
I can seperate death/black metal from other types of music, but I do not usually put death and black with metal. Almost all death/black (I am trying not to generalize) has monotone, repetetive vocals, simple repetetive drum beats and guitar riffs. It took me and my friends about 5 minutes to learn Six Feet Under - Revenge of the Zombie, and we have only been playing a year or two. Death/black metal lacks the complexity and creativity I see in my favorite "metal" bands. The songs of Testament, Nevermore, and old Iced Earth are all very complicated and well-written. They are very good at not following the basic pattern of intro, verse, refrain, verse, refrain, bridge, refrain.
My favorite metal bands tend to be ones that are as hardcore as death metal, but much more talented, like Testament, Nevermore, Iced Earth, Slayer, Sepultura, etc.
People are too concerned about labling bands. Most people here won't listen to Slipknot because its "nu-metal". I don't think it sounds like Korn, or System of a Down, or any of that crap. But it seems to have been grouped there, and if i cared about what other people thought of the music I listen to, I probably wouldn't be listening to metal in the first place. I like bands that are really "heavy" like Testament and Slayer, but that doesn't mean I don't like other types of metal. I like Crossbreed, even though they have techno, and are not that heavy.
I am not trying to say that metal is better than all other forms of rock, but pretty much everybody I know who used to listen to just rock or rap, after hearing metal liked it better. There are metal bands with better vocals, instruments, meaning, and song-writing than rock bands. I do not consider nu-metal metal, i think it is just rock. And I think real metal is an advanced form of all those bands.
I am not trying to advocate Slipknot in this post, nor am I trying to insult all death metal. Do not post a reply argueing about death metal. I am only interested in what you think makes a band metal. I do not dislike all death metal either, I like the more creative ones, like Morbid Angel, and Skyfire.
I ask this because once you start listening to the instrumental part of a song, the word heavy loses meaning. Most people (especially those who dont listen to metal) just consider it heavier rock. If i hear the same drum beat in a pop-punk song, and in a death metal song, how is one heavier than the other. With guitar you can add distortion, but as somebody said before "slipknot is not metal, just distortion". Distortion will not make a band metal, because it is also seen in many other types of music. You cannot just say that all metal vocalists scream, because there are bands that do not, like Iced Earth and Nevermore. The singers from Iced Earth and Nevermore are two of the best singers I've heard in a band recently. Metal does not use purely rock riffs; in Riding the Snake around 2:40 Steve Digiorgio plays a sweet jazz climb on the bass. And in Urotsukidoji the bass solo is more jazz than "metal".
I can seperate death/black metal from other types of music, but I do not usually put death and black with metal. Almost all death/black (I am trying not to generalize) has monotone, repetetive vocals, simple repetetive drum beats and guitar riffs. It took me and my friends about 5 minutes to learn Six Feet Under - Revenge of the Zombie, and we have only been playing a year or two. Death/black metal lacks the complexity and creativity I see in my favorite "metal" bands. The songs of Testament, Nevermore, and old Iced Earth are all very complicated and well-written. They are very good at not following the basic pattern of intro, verse, refrain, verse, refrain, bridge, refrain.
My favorite metal bands tend to be ones that are as hardcore as death metal, but much more talented, like Testament, Nevermore, Iced Earth, Slayer, Sepultura, etc.
People are too concerned about labling bands. Most people here won't listen to Slipknot because its "nu-metal". I don't think it sounds like Korn, or System of a Down, or any of that crap. But it seems to have been grouped there, and if i cared about what other people thought of the music I listen to, I probably wouldn't be listening to metal in the first place. I like bands that are really "heavy" like Testament and Slayer, but that doesn't mean I don't like other types of metal. I like Crossbreed, even though they have techno, and are not that heavy.
I am not trying to say that metal is better than all other forms of rock, but pretty much everybody I know who used to listen to just rock or rap, after hearing metal liked it better. There are metal bands with better vocals, instruments, meaning, and song-writing than rock bands. I do not consider nu-metal metal, i think it is just rock. And I think real metal is an advanced form of all those bands.
I am not trying to advocate Slipknot in this post, nor am I trying to insult all death metal. Do not post a reply argueing about death metal. I am only interested in what you think makes a band metal. I do not dislike all death metal either, I like the more creative ones, like Morbid Angel, and Skyfire.
