This thread is basically about "how metal are you?". For those unfamiliar with the Mohs Scale of Rock and Metal Hardness, its a scale which uses certain criteria to see how "hard" a song is. Its not exactly perfect but I think its a neat little tool. Heres the scale,
Personally I listen to a lot of stuff that can rank up to 9, but most of my favorites are comfortably around 7. When you get to 10 and 11 I just can't stand that total lack of any....well singing and cohesion.
What says you peoples?
Rough outline of the levels:
1. As soft as rock gets. May be an otherwise 2 song without any guitar to distort, or a song which is generally slow and light.
2. Soft rock. A lot of early rock is here; if you're not really sure if they're using an acoustic or an electric guitar, this is probably where you want to put it.
3. Rock sans intensifier. A bit faster/louder/darker than 2, but still pretty soft. The heaviest soft rock and the softest hard rock can both be found here.
4. Relatively harder rock. This is about where you can start finding punk, as well; lighter than this and you can't usually muster the kind of anger you need for punk. This is pretty much as heavy as Rock n' Roll got.
5. Hard rock that is definitely still rock. The love songs start thinning out here, but lyrics at this stage can be about just about anything. The very softest of alt-metal can also get this low, but it is very rare.
6. Difficult to tell if it's rock or metal. This is pretty much as far as you can get on just an acoustic guitar. Most Glam Metal and softer post-grunge can be found here. This is where you'll also find softer Alternative Metal.
7. Classic metal and most power metal. After this point the number of punk bands begins to decrease, with the remaining examples predominantly of the hardcore punk variety. The music is pretty fast and noisy at this point. The lyrics start to become darker, though vocalists still use clean, melodic styles most of the time. The heavier sides of Glam and post-grunge can be found here as well as most Nu Metal. Viking and Folk metal starts showing up around here. The lightest Groove Metal can be found here.
8. Most thrash metal, and heavier forms of power metal along with some classic metal. Lyrics are usually very dark at this point. Vocal style is usually a snarl, but clean singing is also common. Occasionally growls and screams will be employed. The harder side of hardcore punk is here, and metalcore (fusion of thrash metal and hardcore punk) starts to predominate. Whether purists want to hear it or not, the lighter and more atmospheric side of black metal also starts here. You'll also find yet more viking/folk metal populating this region. Most Groove Metal is here. This is pretty much as heavy as you can get with radio airplay (with a few exceptions).
9. Lighter death metal (especially Melodic Death Metal) or harder thrash metal. You'll also find a lot of the less abrasive 'true' black metal here. Here is about where you start to get singers growling or screaming for most of the song (This is also probably the highest level that can be attained with only clean singing). Lyrics may be very violent or just generally extremely dark. This is the last zone where you are likely to find hardcore punk that doesn't have a substantial metal or noise infusion. This is also about where metalcore starts to transition to deathcore (which also begins around this level). Most viking/folk metal that has a significant infusion of black metal or death metal falls here. A lot of the heavier side of Groove Metal is found here.
10. Most death metal and black metal. Lyrics start to get positively disturbing and/or gorny and the singer will always be growling or screaming. The hardest variants of thrash metal, Melodic Death Metal, and viking/folk metal can hit this point, but that is quite uncommon. At this point hardcore bands become indistinguishable from metal to anyone who's not a loyal fan of both genres. Grindcore starts here. While it is possible for a metalcore band to get this high, its very rare. Groove Metal at this level usually has a lot of Death Metal influence.
11. And Beyond: Anal **** is here, along with the harder side of grindcore especially the subgenres of pornogrind, noisegrind and goregrind. The most extreme death metal (a good portion of the brutal death metal and slam death metal subgenres end up up here) and black metal also lies here. The very heaviest mathcore (technical, chaotic hardcore) can also reach this level. Growling or screaming will start sounding almost inhuman, and Careful With That Axe is a favorite trope. Significant elements of this class are experimental in nature, although Stealth Parodists commonly make their way up here as well.
List of examples [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness]
(Scroll down some)
1. As soft as rock gets. May be an otherwise 2 song without any guitar to distort, or a song which is generally slow and light.
2. Soft rock. A lot of early rock is here; if you're not really sure if they're using an acoustic or an electric guitar, this is probably where you want to put it.
3. Rock sans intensifier. A bit faster/louder/darker than 2, but still pretty soft. The heaviest soft rock and the softest hard rock can both be found here.
4. Relatively harder rock. This is about where you can start finding punk, as well; lighter than this and you can't usually muster the kind of anger you need for punk. This is pretty much as heavy as Rock n' Roll got.
5. Hard rock that is definitely still rock. The love songs start thinning out here, but lyrics at this stage can be about just about anything. The very softest of alt-metal can also get this low, but it is very rare.
6. Difficult to tell if it's rock or metal. This is pretty much as far as you can get on just an acoustic guitar. Most Glam Metal and softer post-grunge can be found here. This is where you'll also find softer Alternative Metal.
7. Classic metal and most power metal. After this point the number of punk bands begins to decrease, with the remaining examples predominantly of the hardcore punk variety. The music is pretty fast and noisy at this point. The lyrics start to become darker, though vocalists still use clean, melodic styles most of the time. The heavier sides of Glam and post-grunge can be found here as well as most Nu Metal. Viking and Folk metal starts showing up around here. The lightest Groove Metal can be found here.
8. Most thrash metal, and heavier forms of power metal along with some classic metal. Lyrics are usually very dark at this point. Vocal style is usually a snarl, but clean singing is also common. Occasionally growls and screams will be employed. The harder side of hardcore punk is here, and metalcore (fusion of thrash metal and hardcore punk) starts to predominate. Whether purists want to hear it or not, the lighter and more atmospheric side of black metal also starts here. You'll also find yet more viking/folk metal populating this region. Most Groove Metal is here. This is pretty much as heavy as you can get with radio airplay (with a few exceptions).
9. Lighter death metal (especially Melodic Death Metal) or harder thrash metal. You'll also find a lot of the less abrasive 'true' black metal here. Here is about where you start to get singers growling or screaming for most of the song (This is also probably the highest level that can be attained with only clean singing). Lyrics may be very violent or just generally extremely dark. This is the last zone where you are likely to find hardcore punk that doesn't have a substantial metal or noise infusion. This is also about where metalcore starts to transition to deathcore (which also begins around this level). Most viking/folk metal that has a significant infusion of black metal or death metal falls here. A lot of the heavier side of Groove Metal is found here.
10. Most death metal and black metal. Lyrics start to get positively disturbing and/or gorny and the singer will always be growling or screaming. The hardest variants of thrash metal, Melodic Death Metal, and viking/folk metal can hit this point, but that is quite uncommon. At this point hardcore bands become indistinguishable from metal to anyone who's not a loyal fan of both genres. Grindcore starts here. While it is possible for a metalcore band to get this high, its very rare. Groove Metal at this level usually has a lot of Death Metal influence.
11. And Beyond: Anal **** is here, along with the harder side of grindcore especially the subgenres of pornogrind, noisegrind and goregrind. The most extreme death metal (a good portion of the brutal death metal and slam death metal subgenres end up up here) and black metal also lies here. The very heaviest mathcore (technical, chaotic hardcore) can also reach this level. Growling or screaming will start sounding almost inhuman, and Careful With That Axe is a favorite trope. Significant elements of this class are experimental in nature, although Stealth Parodists commonly make their way up here as well.
List of examples [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness]
(Scroll down some)
Personally I listen to a lot of stuff that can rank up to 9, but most of my favorites are comfortably around 7. When you get to 10 and 11 I just can't stand that total lack of any....well singing and cohesion.
What says you peoples?
