Why are keyboards in metal so hated?

[Entropiastrife]

I find that its pretty like 80% of metalheads who hate keyboards in metal, 10% dont care and only like 10% actually enjoy them. Why is this? Other than saying they are "gay". Can we have an actual reason? They are the most versitile instrument in terms of the tones you can get and work in pretty much every style of music. I find they can always bring an extra element to the music and make it more interesting. It makes everything sound more powerful and full, and takes the music places you cant with the basics. true sometimes they are done wrong and sound cheesy, but that is the same with every instrument. People say it sounds like videogame music.... is that a bad thing? videogames have sweet, evil music usually. Like fucking most boss battles. To me keyboards breathe new life to a music form that otherwise gets quite repetetive at times. I would really like to see metal start using keyboards more. it helps keep the music less stagnant imo

Be specific with what you say, not something that can be said about instrument. We are talking about keyboards done by skilled musicians

So if you hate keyboards, tell us in a non-retarded way why?

 

[Scourge of Malice]

Because most bands use them in a boring, cliche and/or cheesy way.

 

[Entropiastrife]

Because most bands use them in a boring, cliche and/or cheesy way.

be more specific because you could say that about anything, like power metal double bass drumming or generic thrash riffs. I am talking about keyboards when they are done right, obviously, not when done shitty

 

[Teh Grimace]

1. because it takes a sense of timing and dynamics to write good keyboard parts, qualities most metal musicians do not have.

2. because bad keyboards make decent music gay.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

Because most bands use them in a boring, cliche and/or cheesy way.

No it's because most metalheads are afraid of liking something that isn't "tough and angry" sounding. So they ridicule them.

 

[Dän]

I dont mind keyboards in metal, i think, if done used right, they will enhance songs. But more often than not they do suck and take away from the other instumetns in use

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

Most keyboards sound too artificial. It's acceptable when used for intros and interludes, but when you have synthesized strings screeching throughout your entire album it gets annoying (COF, Dimmu, Emperor). I do enjoy "primitive" keyboard instruments such as piano, organ (especially the godly Hammond B3), mellotron, harpsichord, and even old Moog synths, as they all have a unique sound as a real instrument should. Playing a sample of an orchestra and manipulating the tone and pitch sounds like shit.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

Most keyboards sound too artificial. It's acceptable when used for intros and interludes, but when you have synthesized strings screeching throughout your entire album it gets annoying (COF, Dimmu, Emperor). I do enjoy "primitive" keyboard instruments such as piano, organ (especially the godly Hammond B3), mellotron, harpsichord, and even old Moog synths, as they all have a unique sound as a real instrument should. Playing a sample of an orchestra and manipulating the tone and pitch sounds like shit.

Frankly I prefer keyboards throughout the song, only doing intros and such means it's just tacked onto the song, not really an important part of it. But using the keyboard throughout the whole track you have a plethora of sounds at your disposal that the average metal band does not. If done right the keyboards can be as good as the guitars.

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

"If done right" IMO means using the right keyboard, as stated in my previous post.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

"If done right" IMO means using the right keyboard, as stated in my previous post.

Sure. I have yet to hear keyboards that are really bad. Yes I've heard plenty of cheesy keyboards but that was mostly because the keyboard wasn't very advanced and the production was sub-par, not because the part itself was bad.

 

[Entropiastrife]

No it's because most metalheads are afraid of liking something that isn't "tough and angry" sounding. So they ridicule them.

its not about the tone of an instrument that makes it tough an angry though, its the notes. the chopin revolutionary etude, for example, sounds evil and angry as hell, but its played on piano. besides, a distorted organ or synth lead can sound just as nasty as a distorted guitar. but then people say it sounds like a videogame as an insult, so you cant win

 

[Dän]

I think a good example of keyboard use can be shown with CoF 'The principals of evil made flesh' album...yeh i know a lot of you think cradle suck, but i like em.
anyways i think that the KeyBoards are used at the right times and not over exesivly, as they have done on pretty much every subsequent realease after dusk...
I think keys should back up what is being played, and they can create a great atmosphere

 

[Thoth-Amon]

its not about the tone of an instrument that makes it tough an angry though, its the notes. the chopin revolutionary etude, for example, sounds evil and angry as hell, but its played on piano. besides, a distorted organ or synth lead can sound just as nasty as a distorted guitar

Yes I understand. My point is that most metalheads associate keyboards with "wimpy" music and hence automatically go "oh those are keyboards this is gay" regardless of whether it actually is or not.

 

[Scourge of Malice]

be more specific because you could say that about anything, like power metal double bass drumming or generic thrash riffs. I am talking about keyboards when they are done right, obviously, not when done shitty

Well when they're done right I don't mind them at all... I'm actually a big fan of keyboards.

I think a lot of times they also stand out too much. I like when they are use more for atmosphere instead of as another lead. When a keyboard does a lead it usually just sounds so electronic and fake.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

I think a good example of keyboard use can be shown with CoF 'The principals of evil made flesh' album...yeh i know a lot of you think cradle suck, but i like em.
anyways i think that the KeyBoards are used at the right times and not over exesivly, as they have done on pretty much every subsequent realease after dusk...
I think keys should back up what is being played, and they can create a great atmosphere

Actually Principle was the album I was thinking of when I wrote about "cheesy keyboards"... . But honestly I think that's a good album. Their best keyboards however were in Cruelty... didn't sound as plastic as their other albums.

 

[Dän]

^ lol
i really love the keys on pricipal, expecially on the forest... i love it
cruelty and median i didnt like teh keys as much, but yeh they were still pretty on some songs like cthulu dawn and others alike

 

[Thoth-Amon]

^ lol
i really love the keys on pricipal, expecially on the forest... i love it
cruelty and median i didnt like teh keys as much, but yeh they were still pretty on some songs like cthulu dawn and others alike

Oh man, the organ on Beneath the Howling Stars sounds GREAT!

 

[Dän]

Ill give it a listen to now, havent listen to cradle for ages...

 

[Thoth-Amon]

Ill give it a listen to now, havent listen to cradle for ages...

The keys are more authentic sounding and more atmospheric on Cruelty than on the first 3.

 

[Imp!]

Keys are great, but just like shitty guitar tone they can be annoying... Keys are in many many songs, and are pretty good without question, Dio's "Rainbow in the Dark", is this metal or what? Deep Purple's keys are awesome too.