What makes a band metal, and what makes a band NOT?

[midwintertears]

I was reading through the Slipknot/Decipitated thread, where some guy was flamed for thinking slipknot is metal. Or something of the sort. Someone pointed out that the have all the 'ingredients' of making a metal band... so what makes them, or any other band for the matter, not metal? ANd what makes a band metal?

For the sake of stopping all those flamers, i declare that me no like slippy. Just curious though.

 

[OfficerDown]

Bulletbelts.

 

[Static]

Metal = metal. Dunno...you can just tell when metal is metal.

 

[Lordenlil]

NO!

YES!

 

[midwintertears]

Heh.

That was an honest question, people. So please try to answer!

 

[ChrisEmerson]

i find metal to have a lot more talent, more complex riffs, less repetition, more intelligent music and lyrics, and usually a maiden influence..

 

[ChrisEmerson]

..and not selling out to the masses

 

[Static]

I think that even shit crap like Slipknot is still metal.

Why?

Because genre has no correlation to quality. (excluding the obvious exceptions like pop)

 

[YaYo]

Metal isn't so definable these days, and that's not really a bad thing.

Slipknot are a form of metal because most of their fans consider them a form of metal. It's as simple as that really. Genre's are fluid things, their definitions change as time progresses. May not be the most ideal situation, but it's how it is.

I mean, Opeth probably aren't metal either if we use the original meaning of the word.

 

[Kushantaiidan]

NO!

YES!

BEST.POST.EVER

 

[Althor]

fuck off... you're all faggots Slip Not isn't Metal and Emperor are the Crowned Prices of Gayness get some fuckign real music into yourselves... you kikes.

 

[mindflesh]

Any debate about whether a certain band is more "metal" than another one is infantile and leads to nothing. Genre definitions (which are, like Yayo said, usually fluid) exist because they help giving us an idea of the sound of a certain band or album. You can say, for example, "Metallica stopped making metal after the black album" - and that is basically true, because it describes a certain sound they dropped. And concerning Slipknot, I think we all know their music. But if I had to give someone an idea of Slipknot who hasn't heard them yet, I'd definitely include the term "metal" somewhere, because it is a part of their sound and doesn't say anything about the quality of their music.

btw Lordenlil's post is hilarious

 

[FuckinShit]

---
GUITAR BASED music + Distortion.
Pretty simple...
that makes nightwish style bands - non metal (the music there is based on the chicks)

 

[mindflesh]

---
GUITAR BASED music + Distortion.
Pretty simple...
that makes nightwish style bands - non metal (the music there is based on the chicks)

That would include many of the bands that are categorized as rock (and especially stoner-rock)...?

 

[FuckinShit]

point

 

[midwintertears]

I agree that the word 'metal' describes a musical genre based on guitars, 'heavy' riffs, etc etc. But thats such a loose definition, that would even include disgraces to the human race, such as linkenpark and (ugh) pod. So what makes, say, emperor metal and linkenpark not?

i also suppose theres a very fine line between hard rock and metal, if 'metal' is guitar based music and distortion

Or is 'metal' just an attitude and a theatrical lifestyle?

 

[no country for old wainds]

Slipknot are metal, methinks.

 

[FuckinShit]

hard rock has got blues, metal doesn't...

and you can't say linkin park/pod's music is based on guitars..
the guitars there don't "drive" the songs, they are way way in the background - only to support the vocals.

 

[deathbearer]

Metal is characterized by harsh vocals (cookie mostor vox or black metal rasp), grindy, thrashy guitars and unconventional song structures..Slipknot is considered hard rock/or nu metal as Slipknot's music does not thrash nor grind, nor does the musianship reqire the technicality of metal..
Bands with DJ's are rap/rock and have less of the elements that would be required of the sub genres of metal..
Metal has to thrash or grind, sometimes with the use blastbeats and harsh vocals..
Nu Metal is characterized by clean melodic vocals with loud but not thrashy guitars..
Slipknot is more pop oriented than death metal and balck metal bands..

 

[stefan86]

Slipknot plays untechnichal repetitive over-distorted shit music, and they cant play live.
Thats why they aren't metal.