Why Metal music makes us happy

[Wardnath]

All five of those bands employ melodic singing. They're also very good.

Don't make judgements like that in future, please?

What made me laugh is how he used Korn as an example of metal that doesn't sound like noisy screaming... clearly he's never heard their first 2 albums.

Well I haven't heard them either, so I'll've to take your word for it.

As for those who say metal can't be creative, I'll just leave this here:

 

[MisterGobbles]

[
I like to think of A7X as the everyman's metal band. They don't really have any screaming (well, they do, but not really anymore), and the song arrangements are very melodic most of the time. They're kind of the modern-day Iron Maiden. If you don't like them, then that may indicate one of two things: 1) you are just not a metal person, or 2) the things you like are much heavier, and you are MORE of a metal person.

You know, Avenged Sevenfold are an anomaly to me... I love all kinds of metal, light, melodic, heavier stuff, really extreme stuff, industrial, black metal, pop metal... everything.

But I cannot for the life of me appreciate that band. I just hear it and it sounds so boring to me or something. Some of the riffs are good and stuff (Beast And the Harlot is a good example), but the guys voice just sounds like he's putting it on and makes me do a big 'MEH', as do the arrangements.

I know this has nothing to do with the music, but I also find their faces very, very punchable

One of the reasons it may sound boring is that most of their songs are mainly based around the same four chords, speaking as someone who knows most of their material on guitar. I personally like it and find it catchy, but a lot of places will have parts that you could swear was from another song by them.

As for the singing, yeah the vocals can definitely get annoying. Shadows sounds better live in my opinion, and Zacky V. should really just keep away from the mic. He also looks like one of those goddamn street punks from the 90s.

Also, just curious, what would your definition of pop metal be? Attack Attack?

 

[Peter Donaldson]

Finally someone who gets it, and gets MAJOR bonus points for liking Carcass. I love metal, especially death and thrash metal. Some bands I like are Morbid Angel, kreator, Carcass, Rammstein,Dethkolk, megadeth, metallica, slayer, slipknot, meshuggah, gorefest, machine head, cannibal corpse, etc. I appreciate metals emotion and complexity and of course, being fucking heavy.

Oh and i'm 17 for all of you who think teenage metalheads only like crappy metalcore and deathcore bands like bring me the horizon (I think they suck) and Between the Buried and Me.

Megadeth is the band that got me started into metal and I will forever be a megafan.

Don't like screamed vocals very much but I really like death growls. Though I understand why some people don't, it's an acquired taste.

I also listen to other types of music, rock, alternative, and some rap (especially Eminem,to those who think rap sucks, you should give Eminem a try.

But back to metal, I love moshing. The primal expression of emotion. ALmost got a black eye at my last concert (it swelled up but didn't turn black), but I didn't care I had so much fun. Mayhem festival this summer is going to be sick.

I wish more kids at my school liked metal. I really do not have anyone who likes the same bands I do in my grade, which sucks but oh well.

 

[Plazmatic]

Metal (particularly Death Metal) is probably the most mis-understood popular music genre I can think of, and has been since I was a kid in the 80s jumping up and down on my bed to Obituary and Slayer.

The biggest misconception people seem to have is that this musical style somehow makes people feel angry and violent... and hey, that's ok. I can understand why people would think so - on the surface it does sound noisy and angry and the imagery often focuses on dark themes that can seem angsty or childish.

Even the most devoted Slayer fans can't deny the crap-tasticness of their early album covers....​

But.... this couldn't be further from the truth. It's all about release, catharsis and a joyfully primal expression of the chaos and aggression in us as humans, refined into something wholly positive and beautiful that, while it sounds like angry noise to most, makes us feel really, really good.

Anytime I've been to a metal gig the atmosphere has been thoroughly joyful and everyone is best buddies with total strangers for an hour or two.

Remember - the fat hairy dude in the Cannibal Corpse t-shirt who just knocked you over meant it in a manly bonding way.

Is moshing unsophisticated behaviour? Damn right it is. That's why it is great. Thinking we are sophisticated creatures is arrogant. We are primal, tribal, instinctive beings. We have not yet evolved past our fundamental primal nature. Sometimes it is a good thing to remember that and embrace it for a while, beat our chests and howl and let all of life's frustrations out through beautiful music and noise.

Though to most peoples' ears, it is but a raging cacophony, if you were fortunate enough to be born with ears that enjoy this kind of music, there literally is no other musical style that can give you the same joyful adrenalin filled primal rush. I'm 30 now and a fan of all kinds of music from cheesy pop to classical, but it's always metal I go back to because it is the one genre that consistently excites me.

As someone on this forum once pointed out: 'Metal is an expression of chaos through order (i.e.. structured notes) and it is beautiful and it is Zen.'

My questions to you is:

Do you 'get' metal and/or extreme metal?

Are you a fan? Are you indifferent? or does it make want to scream 'ARGH TURN IT OFF!'?

If you are a fan, tell us why and how it makes you feel to throw on some good old blast beats and death growls

To finish, I shall leave you with some sexy melodic death metal to make your eardrums happy

The reason people like metal is because of the music, and usually not the lyrics, (well non death metal any way) if you took out the lyrics, and put it better singers with comprehensible language (or no singers at all), it would sound better even to you.

The actual singers do nothing for the songs except make them worse and alienate people from the genre.

There was a study on this about 4 years ago, but I can seem to recall were it was from (it said 80% of a group of 10000 people who considered themselves metal heads agreed that the songs sounded better with out the screemo. (i think is may have been in new scientist magazine but I am not sure)

I my self am into the genre but when I found out that I could take out the lyrics on some songs, I simply listened to the music with out the singers.

 

[Hazzaslagga]

I agree with everything you just said. That said, I'm not a big fan of the more aggressive metal, like death metal. To me it seems like it's taken out everything you just said in favour of being shouty and making teenagers think it's cool. I'm looking at you, Papa Roach.
I think there can be grace in death metal, but it's rarely there any more. A good example I find of angry music also having meaning is Nine Inch Nails.
Even some of the death metal bands that do have meaning behind there work usually have a fan base of angsty 14 year olds who think it sounds cool, and the meaning gets lost.

I'd disagree, i find that teenage metalheads very rarely like death or extreme metal, they're usually into metalcore and bands lke papa roach as you mentioned.
Personaly i agree with the OP about it bringing out our shouty chaotic selves and by god we love it. Even a catholic monk in Italy thought it was the most energetic music out there and even sang a while in a band.

 

[Peter Donaldson]

I used to be like you. Death growls are just an acquired taste.

 

[Chased]

Agreed 100% with the OP. Take for example Gojira, an extreme metal band from France. They constantly sing about preserving the environment and not taking the things we have for granted.

Spoiler

Also when reading this thread I was listening to this metal tune.

Spoiler

Used tags to save interewbs load time.

The reason people like metal is because of the music, and usually not the lyrics, (well non death metal any way) if you took out the lyrics, and put it better singers with comprehensible language (or no singers at all), it would sound better even to you.

The actual singers do nothing for the songs except make them worse and alienate people from the genre.

There was a study on this about 4 years ago, but I can seem to recall were it was from (it said 80% of a group of 10000 people who considered themselves metal heads agreed that the songs sounded better with out the screemo. (i think is may have been in new scientist magazine but I am not sure)

I my self am into the genre but when I found out that I could take out the lyrics on some songs, I simply listened to the music with out the singers.

Just because you don't like the lyrics or style that some people do doesn't mean that everyone else does. I can't stand when people make assumptions like that.

 

[Wardnath]

Also, props to the Escapist community for not being full of those elitist metal-types who bash everyone's taste saying "that's not metal".

Good music doesn't necessarily need to be metal, really. For example, I think Dead Can Dance is a fantastic band (and they seriously are). But I'm not gonna say they're metal when they're clearly not, am I?

And while I'm at it, there's some seriously shitty music out there that is metal.

Case in point.

 

[Gentleman_Reptile]

Honestly, I CANNOT STAND the growling and screaming and wet, sloppy mumbling of extreme metal.

If your going to bother writing lyrics, at least write them so the rest of us can understand them for shits sake. And DO NOT tell me "Oh you get used to it after a while" or "I can totally understand what they are saying" because that is a downright filthy no good stinking lie and you know it.

I enjoy power metal with lyrics about riding a flaming hydra across the barren kingdom to slay the demon king and rescue the hot princess. Sure it makes just as little sense as incoherent agression singing but at least you'll have an awesome picture in your mind. Instead of an angsty douchebag with a convulsive drool disorder and speech impediment screaming into a rubber gumboot.

 

[Lexodus]

Considering I'm going to THIS:

I agree with everything you just said. That said, I'm not a big fan of the more aggressive metal, like death metal. To me it seems like it's taken out everything you just said in favour of being shouty and making teenagers think it's cool. I'm looking at you, Papa Roach.
I think there can be grace in death metal, but it's rarely there any more. A good example I find of angry music also having meaning is Nine Inch Nails.
Even some of the death metal bands that do have meaning behind there work usually have a fan base of angsty 14 year olds who think it sounds cool, and the meaning gets lost.

I'd disagree, i find that teenage metalheads very rarely like death or extreme metal, they're usually into metalcore and bands lke papa roach as you mentioned.
Personaly i agree with the OP about it bringing out our shouty chaotic selves and by god we love it. Even a catholic monk in Italy thought it was the most energetic music out there and even sang a while in a band.

Don't forget Sir Christopher Lee.

 

[Mutie]

Metal (particularly Death Metal) is probably the most mis-understood popular music genre I can think of, and has been since I was a kid in the 80s jumping up and down on my bed to Obituary and Slayer.

The biggest misconception people seem to have is that this musical style somehow makes people feel angry and violent... and hey, that's ok. I can understand why people would think so - on the surface it does sound noisy and angry and the imagery often focuses on dark themes that can seem angsty or childish.

Even the most devoted Slayer fans can't deny the crap-tasticness of their early album covers....​

But.... this couldn't be further from the truth. It's all about release, catharsis and a joyfully primal expression of the chaos and aggression in us as humans, refined into something wholly positive and beautiful that, while it sounds like angry noise to most, makes us feel really, really good.

Anytime I've been to a metal gig the atmosphere has been thoroughly joyful and everyone is best buddies with total strangers for an hour or two.

Remember - the fat hairy dude in the Cannibal Corpse t-shirt who just knocked you over meant it in a manly bonding way.

Is moshing unsophisticated behaviour? Damn right it is. That's why it is great. Thinking we are sophisticated creatures is arrogant. We are primal, tribal, instinctive beings. We have not yet evolved past our fundamental primal nature. Sometimes it is a good thing to remember that and embrace it for a while, beat our chests and howl and let all of life's frustrations out through beautiful music and noise.

Though to most peoples' ears, it is but a raging cacophony, if you were fortunate enough to be born with ears that enjoy this kind of music, there literally is no other musical style that can give you the same joyful adrenalin filled primal rush. I'm 30 now and a fan of all kinds of music from cheesy pop to classical, but it's always metal I go back to because it is the one genre that consistently excites me.

As someone on this forum once pointed out: 'Metal is an expression of chaos through order (i.e.. structured notes) and it is beautiful and it is Zen.'

My questions to you is:

Do you 'get' metal and/or extreme metal?

Are you a fan? Are you indifferent? or does it make want to scream 'ARGH TURN IT OFF!'?

If you are a fan, tell us why and how it makes you feel to throw on some good old blast beats and death growls

To finish, I shall leave you with some sexy melodic death metal to make your eardrums happy

Well worded, sir. You are a credit to The Tribe.

I like Metal. My personal favourites are Folk Metal and Thrash Metal, though I do have a keen ear for Death Metal and some of the more underground Doom Metal bands populating the darker parts of the world. There'll always be a special place in my heart of good ol' British New Wave Heavy Metal, but these days... it just seems like nothing's heavy enough.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Considering I'm going to THIS:

Spoiler

Same! High Five (but a really METULZ high five)!

You know, I think this year's lineup is near perfect (except Biffy, especially headlining). I just wish I could afford to go to Download too.

 

[Wardnath]

And for those of you who think harsh vocalists can't sing...

I'm amazed that Dave Hunt isn't as well known as he should be, really.

 

[Captain Pancake]

I definitely agree with the Catharsis part, thats mainly why I'm a fan. When I don't have any tension to release, I usually don't have the energy for it, but I always have it to go back to during exam time, for example.

 

[Lexodus]

Considering I'm going to THIS:

Spoiler

Same! High Five (but a really METULZ high five)!

You know, I think this year's lineup is near perfect (except Biffy, especially headlining). I just wish I could afford to go to Download too.

/brofist. \m/

Is there anything good at download? Last thing I saw was that they'd blown their money on SOAD, and the only one I liked on the list was Alter Bridge, and that band makes me jizz.

 

[lacktheknack]

The problem is, I have difficulty telling any given extreme metal song from the other. And as a classically trained ear, that's a big sticking point.

I don't need a cathartic, explosive release. I am happy if I can sit on a couch, listen to the Silent Hill soundtracks, the Fray, or newer Yeah Yeah Yeahs stuff, and just let it all drain.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Considering I'm going to THIS:

Spoiler

Same! High Five (but a really METULZ high five)!

You know, I think this year's lineup is near perfect (except Biffy, especially headlining). I just wish I could afford to go to Download too.

/brofist. \m/

Is there anything good at download? Last thing I saw was that they'd blown their money on SOAD, and the only one I liked on the list was Alter Bridge, and that band makes me jizz.

Well, I'm not too bothered about System and I've seen Alter Bridge pretty recently, but they've announced a crapload more (about 20 I think). I'd kill several people to see Rob Zombie, Danzig, The Damned Things and Clutch.

 

[Wardnath]

/snip-ified
Instead of an angsty douchebag with a convulsive drool disorder and speech impediment screaming into a rubber gumboot.

And people wonder why metalheads get as defensive as we do.

/eyeroll

 

[Tumi23]

I suppose I understand the idea behind extreme metal but I don't like it myself. If you like that kinda thing then good for you, but I just find it uncomfortable to listen to, so I don't really go much heavier than Devildriver or Arch Enemy.

I'm a fan of a lot of metal (expecially Anthrax, if you can tell by the avatar), but there are certain genres I won't touch, like death or black metal. What I really love about Anthrax is they always do it with a smile, but they've still written songs [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyABEv2rvbw&feature=fvst] that [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDWhUHybp7g&feature=related] knock [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_yKpBPHJug&feature=related] the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8miZRD5jW6M&feature=related] crap [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us_IxW5LcvY&feature=related] out [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7_pytkPrlY&feature=related] of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCN3uGx--Yg&feature=related] most [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm9hBvjCMFY&feature=related] metal [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGHsxMqpL0c&feature=related] bands [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jAeZCUBVyA&feature=related]. I'm getting into the newer metalcore andstuff though; although there's a lot of balls in it (there is in all genres, especially metal subgenres), there's still awesome bands like Parkway Drive. But the more extreme stuff I can't really handle for more than about five minutes without it grating a lot.

Anthrax is my favorite thrash metal band of them all they get alot of hate but are truly one of a kind since i heard caught in a mosh for the first time i have been hooked on them though i like joey over John bush i still think he did a great job on the greater of two evils, what i personally like the most about anthrax and agree with you on is they will always do it with a smiley i just love seeing them live Frank all crazy with the bass charlie with his amazing drum skills scott ian with his heavy rythm and joey with his retarded stage person that will make me smile evry time i see him on stage though i dont really know much about the new guitarist i still think its great that he doesn't just copy the old solos in the songs instead adds something new to the solo's