Defending Metal

I don’t know why I always feel the need to defend metal.  It’s my favourite type of music, but when I tell most people I like metal, they give me a look like I just shot someone.  Everyone seems to have a preconceived notion about what metal is, most thinking that it is just some guy screaming into a microphone while the band plays really loud guitars with no direction or skill.  But what people probably don’t realize, is that metal is the most varied type of music around.  There are a ton of subgenres and even the most anti-metal person could find something they like.  Most have heard of a few genres such as Death Metal, Speed/ Thrash Metal, or Glam Metal, but a few of the more obscure ones like Progressive Metal, Power Metal and  Folk Metal have produced some of the best bands in recent years.  Sometimes, a distinct sound pops up in a country, spawning a completely new genre, such as Iron Maiden and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.  Or bands like In Flames and At the Gates from Gothenburg Sweden, who are credited with the creation of Gothenburg Metal, which is an offshoot of Melodic Death Metal.  Then there is Norwegian Black Metal, started by bands like Mayhem and Burzum.  This genre is much darker than most and usually confused with Death Metal, though each genre has its own distinct sound and characteristics.

My favourite bands are usually a combination of genres.  Ensiferum for example, is considered Black Folk Metal, Folk Death Metal or Viking Metal.  They combine chugging bass lines, growling vocals and traditional folk instruments, such as violins or flutes.  Their subject matter usually consists of Viking battles or tales about heroism, which is quite different from anything heard on the radio, at least in North America.

The vocals are usually a topic of debate when discussing metal.  Again, most assume that metal musicians can’t sing, but if they took the time to listen, they would realize that some of the best singers in the world come from Metal bands.  Listen to Dream Theatre (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjINXbJ3vdo), Sonata Arctica (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDfcnUivQII) or Falconer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iswq0SWBRFA) and you will see what I mean.  In fact, the singer of Falconer is a classically trained singer whose clean vocals soar over the heavy guitars.  If you listen to those songs, you might be saying, hey those don’t sound like metal, and you’re right.  Those are examples of Progressive and Power Metal bands, though those bands do have much harder offerings as well.

There are different types of Progressive Metal bands- Dream Theatre probably being the most well known- but Death Metal fans will argue that.  Most would claim that Opeth is the most progressive of all bands, with their mix of clean and harsh vocals and an average song length of ten minutes.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij0IBNb0JtU)  Listen to the variety in this song and you will notice how they effortlessly transition from intricate guitar riffs to softer melodic tones.  There are also a number of time signature changes so the eleven minute song never seems stale.  The thing I like most about progressive music is that it doesn’t follow a pre determined format. (Verse- Bridge- Verse- Bridge-Course-Verse-Course… etc.)  The music is allowed to choose its own direction, never conforming.

I could go on all day about each and every genre, but I thought I would move onto Metal music video.  I will agree that most are not as ground breaking as they could be (watch any metal video and you will see that it is either shot in a forest or a warehouse), but most of these bands do not make the millions that Pop singers make.  But there are the few rare videos that stand out, Chthonic’s videos for example.  Chthonic is a Melodic Black Metal band from Taiwan.  They mix Death and Black Metal vocals against some of the heaviest guitar riffs around.  They also mix in traditional instruments, such as the Oriental Violin, played by lead singer Freddy Lim.  You might not know it by looking at him, but Freddy Lim is the leader of amnesty in Taiwan.  My two favourite metal videos are by this band.  The video for Broken Jade mixes animation and live action sequences of the band, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heF_NPJbv8Y) while their latest video for Supreme Pain for a Tyrant features something I have never seen in a Metal video before… a dance number.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jYsu5-TJQ8)

 

Anyway, as the title of the post points out, I always feel I have to defend my choice of music, but really, it is okay if you don’t like metal.  One of the aspects that appeals to me is that it is not popular.  I feel like it is something I own.  Also, tickets to a concert don’t run me $100 a head.  I can go to a metal show, featuring four bands for about $30.  The setting is more intimate and you are not confined to a seat.  Metal isn’t for everyone and as Sam Dunn says in his excellent documentary- Metal: A Head Banger’s Journey- either you get it or you don’t.  And the people who don’t get it, probably never will.