What is the definition of metal god dammit!?

[NAD]

Because I'm confused at how groups like Isis and others are somehow NOT metal.

Metal consists of riffs that are heavy, and that's it. What am I missing here? Leather chaps? Wimpy harmonized happy-go-lucky leads? Ball-less vocals? WTF!?!?!?

 

[lizard]

let's get one thing straight: Isis is metal.

 

[Lies and Perfidy]

 

[lurch70]

no fucking way ... ISIS is not metal
I know why NAD likes them as they have a TOOL vibe ... and TOOL is no way fucking metal either.

JK had a good definition of metal one time ... he will chime in I am sure.

Listen to the Brit

 

[lizard]

well let's keep in mind Adrian has a Clay Aitken CD.

 

[NAD]

Isis has a Tool vibe?

 

[Chromatose]

they stopped being metal the second all the art fags with their emo haircuts and with pants that have been split up the backs of the legs and their converge hoodies started listening to them.

although they're still metal to everyone else, just not those kids, because they don't listen to metal.

 

[lizard]

well I don't have split pants OR an emo haircut

what Isis does bring to the metal table is a jamband vibe.

 

[lurch70]

may I suggest starting a subforum called Royal Faggage .... where discussions can take place about such bands as Isis, Agalloch, Kayo Dot ... etc.

 

[NAD]

may I suggest starting a subforum called Royal Faggage .... where discussions can take place about such bands as Isis, Agalloch, Kayo Dot ... etc.

yesssssssssssssss

But I'm seriously fucking confused! Isis, Meshuggah, Today is the Day, and many other such bands base their sound on HEAVY RIFFERY right? That part cannot be argued, just want to get that out of the way. I'll say it again, they BASE THEIR ATTACK ON THE HEELS OF HEAVY RIFFERY RRRRAAAAARRRR!!!

And that's it. Heavy riffs = heavy metal. That's what metal has always been to me and I'm trying to see where I've gone wrong all these years.

 

[lurch70]

it's more than heavy riffage NAD ... it's an attitude more than anything.
if you ask ISIS themselves, they will probably tell you they are not metal

 

[Erik]

Isis is OBVIOUSLY not metal. They're heavy, but they owe more of their influence to <various hardcore bands> than Black Sabbath, Judas Prtiest, Iron Maiden, Kreator, Celtic Frost, Darkthrone and other pillars of metal. Heavy riffs does not equal metal. To me, it's perfectly obvious which bands are metal and which are not, I can't COMPREHEND why anyone would consider Isis metal, they're just not. I'm not saying they suck, they're just not heavy metal in any shape or form. Now Meshuggah get under the definition though.

 

[NAD]

So it is about buttless leather chaps then!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!113895

 

[Chromatose]

so the melvins aren't metal either, am I right?

 

[Erik]

Isis is not metal. They have heavy riffs, but not metal riffs. They also do not have metal vocals, though maybe if a band played 100% heavy metal but insisted on using hardcore style vocals they'd probably qualify as metal still.

 

[lurch70]

so the melvins aren't metal either, am I right?

right

 

[NAD]

So metal is a tribute to the past then, if you stay within the predetermined boundaries of what has come before, you are metal, otherwise you are not. That's foolish! How on earth (pun intended) did the originators like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden come up with their schtick then? Sure they were influenced by blues and classic rock, but for the most part they developed their own sound. They were doing something new.

so the melvins aren't metal either, am I right?

Seriously. You put 99% of so-called metal bands of the last 10 years up against just one Melvins riff, a bad one at that, and it'll rip the corpsepaint off them all.

 

[Erik]

No, metal always evolves, but if it has pretty much NO MUSICAL CONNECTIONS to previous metal bands WHATSOEVER (i.e. Isis) then it can hardly be metal. If a new, original metal band BUILDS UPON PREVIOUS METAL but CREATES SOMETHING NEW (i.e. Negurã Bunget draws on 90's Norwegian Black Metal, The Chasm fuses thrash and death metal with neoclassicisms) it's still METAL.

 

[lizard]

there are obviously some here who are afraid of progress.

 

[Erik]

There are obviously some here who can't see the difference between "progressing within the genre" and "being something ENTIRELY THE FUCK DIFFERENT". Isis are progressing within their genre, which is *core, something, I don't know. Just like a country band doesn't progress the genre of metal, neither does Isis, because GUESS WHAT! THEY NEVER PLAYED A FUCKING NOTE OF HEAVY METAL IN THEIR LIVES!

EDIT: Though they probably played "The Trooper" in the rehearsal room sometime, I think everyone does that