Metal depreciation thread

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That's right. If you've ever thought metal was the greatest fallacy in modern music, this is the topic to artculate your disgust. Hell, if you like Metal, please feel free to defend the mindless crashing, bashing and the talentless vocals, but expect a raging debate!

<insert defence here> Well I don't have much to say, if you don't like it then you don't like it! But I do! I have no arguement

everyone likes metal deep down and those who pretend otherwise are really just tight-arsed, stuck-up repressive types in denial.

so there

It's not just a bunch of noise -- it's not random -- but I can see how you might perceive it as such. And as for talentless vocals . . . who have you been listening to?

To be honest I think the same about all metal that I happen to hear.

Also, if you're in defense of metal, please elabourate on why its good:

Maybe not. But by the same token I just can't accept there's any skill involved.



Ah but i beg to differ....
As I observe it people just conform to metal because it often conveys the sort of credibility that people are after, the image of a rage-stricken soul. Deep down, such 'fans' seem to be affectating the years old-question, 'what's so good about metal?'

I would also want to know; who have you been listening to?

Your sweeping-generalization falls flat if we can mention just one example of unquestionably talented vocalisation. So heres my two word argument: Rob Halford.

The musical skills exhibited by the best metallers has equalled (in terms of pure instrumental ability) the leaders of the classical and jazz genres. The difference with metal is its had the raw power to inspire millions of followers.

The reasons I love heavy metal:

*anti-conformist lyrics (e.g., "Fight the Good Fight," Triumph; "Tom Sawyer" and "Free Will," Rush; "War Pigs," Black Sabbath)
*really, REALLY loud guitars!
*Loud Fast Rules
*dissenting attitude
*it makes me feel alive
*it's great to scream along with after a hard day/night
*some of the best guitarists in the world are metal guitarists (e.g., Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Ruth, Kirk Hammett)
*did I mention really, REALLY loud guitars?

there's definitely something to be said for really loud guitars.

talentless vocalists is a bit of a stretch an all - I can think of several who disprove the myth *cough* Maynard James Keenan *cough* and you could say the same for loads of whiney indie bollocks.

some metal, notably a lot of 1980s hair-metal crap, fits the stereotype. Sabbath on the other hand (as well as Motorhead, Tool, Deftones, Fear Factory, Type O Negative, Moonspell, Ministry...) rock.

Ner ner ner

Here's my biggest defense:

There is almost an entire metal album (touched by the crimson king, demons & wizards) which is dedicated to the Dark Tower series.

IT'S STEPHEN KING FANSONGS!! !

There's also a lot of King references, and a LOT of Tolkien references, in Blind Guardian's lyrics.

There's my defense; if you're into either author, it might turn your opinion a bit.

Heavy Metal "music" has been around longer than you might think. It is reported that the genre was created in 1842 in a Clapton alley at old London town when Henry Crinklebottom, after the commonplace sound of local cat "Toodles" emptying the dustbins and wailing it's sorrows, decided to record the sound onto gramaphone adding only the odd "yeah, yeah" into the original cat recordings and inspired by his original source called the song "death cat of hell", thus setting the precedent for Heavy Metal"music" .

Kissinger and Toodles followed up this underrated masterpiece with other classics such as "cat demon of Satan" and when Royalty (in the form of the queen's fourth cousin, twice removed) showed interest in this controversial music there was a number one hit single in "deadly death cat of hell" and no-one could get enough of Crinklebottom and his new cat on the block but there were mumblings of too much similarity in all the songs and rumours of late nights and wild partys and fights with this young rebel cat Toodles and sadly the cat got creamed had gone out to play one time to many when he got ran down by a milk-float after being chased by other cats on one of these now infamous wild nights. The hits soon began to dry up for Crinklebottom.

He tried to recreate the good times with collaborations with other cats and but just couldnt recreate the wonderful gargelling noise of Toodles RIP and sales began to dry up leaving Crinklebottom homeless for a time and heartless detractors derided Crinklebottom with cruel jibes such as "look what the cat dragged in" though Crinklebottom knew he had an ear for mindless wailing and wasnt quite finsihed with the music business.....

After many years as a sideshow entertainer in smoky backstreet pubs, Crinklebottom recreated some shortlived mixed succes with the critically acclaimed album "Hounds of Hell" with "Rocky the Dog" but soon found that although the dog images and lyrics went down brilliantly and set the standard for many a heavy metal t-shirt and song, the actual "dog" sound wasnt quite as appealing as cat for metal, though notably it has took an upturn in recent years with bands such as motorhead adopting a "dog" vocalist.

The wonderful sounds of clashing metal dustbins and cat wailing has inspired many a metal band to sound just exactly the same as the original "Cat in the dustbin" original AKA "death cat of hell, many claim that all the metal bands are just copy-cats, though the "new metal" bands and their undead legions of fans insist they are, rebelious, groundbreaking and cutting edge, us old-timers in the know cant help but have a wry smile whenever we hear a metal song and think of "that darn cat" in the alley who almost by acccident, got the fur ball rolling. We cannot thank Crinklebottom and the clueless rebel, stray cat Toodles. Without Toodles the cat (or any other cat and dustbin combination) there would be no Heavy Metal as we recognise it today.

Well I like Motorhead and Sabbath and I suppose I should hear more of these metal songwrites

If these lyrics are so good, could someone quote some of them?

Drummers such as Neil Peart of Rush and the late Cozy Powell, guitarists such as Richie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen and Michael Schenker, vocalists such as David Coverdale are all masters of their art. You may not like metal, but the musicians in the bands do have a vast set of technical skills. They must surely be more skilful than the current set of manufactured boy-bands??
I apologise if the artists that I have mentioned are not strictly metal - I'm just trying to illustrate the point.

I agree on the talentless vocals, 90% of metal singers just kind of growl angrily. A metal singer who actually sings, with maybe some growling/shouting mixed in is necessary for me to enjoy it.

But I do enjoy it off and on, mainly for the insane guitar solos and stuff

top marks for mentioning Schenker!

I for one, lack the physical capacity to render a convincing death-metal growl (at least i assume so, im waaay to inhibited to risk that level of embarrassment!) So there must be some skill involved.

When such vocalists actually get to a spoken word or quiet passage they often reveal themselves as having quite a good singing voice. Perhaps most of them ARE actually genuine singers, they just choose to use that style.

Phil Anselmo for instance, an untrained ear would never guess he could do any technical stuff unless you check out the earlier releases. Chuck Schuldiner (RIP) - trademark death metal growl, but crucially IN TUNE. Its still proper tuneful singing, just using a different projection technique. Tom Araya - The speed he sings at, in conjunction with the flawless tightness of the band (Slayer) - that requires a fine mastery of rhythm usually associated with the better hip hop performers.

I used to think that Heavy Metal was just unmitigated crap until I came across a group called Apocalyptica, and their first CD: "plays Metallica by four cellos". It was the first time I'd actually heard the variation and quality of the music instead of the clash-bang of over-done bass levels. I'd recommend the CD to anyone who has doubts about the potential of Heavy Metal.

(But I still hate car radios and those people who think I should be listening along with them to their iPods.)

I couldn't bear to listen to Metallica, so I hope Apocalyptica bear no resemblance!

Very well said