Why do people like metal so much?

[Zorg Machine]

I would classify Hammerfall as heavy rock and Amon Amarth is just the kid of music that I can't stand.
I can listen to any kind of music genre except for metal. There's just something about it that I find annoying and I have never been able to finish a true metal song.

 

[motormind]

I love metal. Especially mercury. You gotta love a fluid in which even bowling balls float!

 

[Bruin]

Because it sends shivers down my spine, and leaves me in awe of the musicians skill.
Because I can relate to the emotion.
Because one moment, it can be soothing and melodic, and the next, harsh and aggressive.
Because I look for more meaning in my music than "Oooh baby, yeah".

That is why I love it.

Because it's loud and the few that truly like it push it onto their other friends that it's good. It's rebellious and the new audience of metal is within the age ranges of enjoying things that are rebellious.

Musically, it's a train-wreck. I think it's more so a genre built off of a belief system, not the music itself, I think.

Personally I'd rather listen to orchestral music than the bellowing and caterwauling of somebody named "Ogre" who doesn't wear a shirt.

If you can call this caterwauling and a train-wreck, I pity you.


No, that music is just cheesy and we should have left it behind in 1990.

Everybody feels as if they can "relate" with metal, for some reason. I've come to the conclusion that everybody has either gone through a traumatic experience that is not dissimilar to a live action version of "Dante's Inferno" or everybody just thinks they have.

Personally, the majority of new metal these days does not interest me. I draw the metal line at Alice in Chains and Ozzy. Like I said, screaming into a microphone is not much different than doing karaoke on acid, running a butterknife across your guitar is almost more boring and less skillful than Guitar Hero and repeatedly playing the E string on a bass is perhaps one of the worst examples of talent there is.

So, let's recap:

Not all metal is bad, no. Unnecessarily angsty music is bad; of whatever genre, at least that's what I think. If all your songs concern death when the only real death you've experienced is the death of a pet, you should not be making music. And generally the saddest musicians who have felt the pain of loss don't slam their faces into their guitars to assuage the pain or otherwise mold their sadness into something.

It seems to me like a different branch of the black-wearing, never-tanning, spiky-wristbanded "Angry 80s-90s Music" Tree, just beyond "Grunge" and "Screamo".

Not that I think its arch nemesis, Rap, is any better, or their twisted half-brother Pop.

 

[Outright Villainy]

Well I don't like all types of metal. Death core and Metalcore get pretty damn boring very quickly, and I hate nearly all vocalists from either genre. I think a great example of the typical metal vocal style done right is Randy blythe from Lamb of God.
If that was clean singing it wouldn't be half as epic.

I like it when it fits the tone, something grim or relentlessly angry, and with some emotion behind it. Way too many metal bands just have growling for the sake of it, and without any emotion it's nothing. That's what makes it work.

 

[Vilcus]

Screamo and Grindcore (and whatever else is horribly simmilar to them), make my ears bleed. However, the ones where you can hear their lyrics, and they don't just go for that heavy sound are awesome. I also love any song that sounds like I could fight to it.

 

[BlackStar42]

No, that music is just cheesy and we should have left it behind in 1990.

Everybody feels as if they can "relate" with metal, for some reason. I've come to the conclusion that everybody has either gone through a traumatic experience that is not dissimilar to a live action version of "Dante's Inferno" or everybody just thinks they have.

Personally, the majority of new metal these days does not interest me. I draw the metal line at Alice in Chains and Ozzy. Like I said, screaming into a microphone is not much different than doing karaoke on acid, running a butterknife across your guitar is almost more boring and less skillful than Guitar Hero and repeatedly playing the E string on a bass is perhaps one of the worst examples of talent there is.

So, let's recap:

Not all metal is bad, no. Unnecessarily angsty music is bad; of whatever genre, at least that's what I think. If all your songs concern death when the only real death you've experienced is the death of a pet, you should not be making music. And generally the saddest musicians who have felt the pain of loss don't slam their faces into their guitars to assuage the pain or otherwise mold their sadness into something.

It seems to me like a different branch of the black-wearing, never-tanning, spiky-wristbanded "Angry 80s-90s Music" Tree, just beyond "Grunge" and "Screamo".

Not that I think its arch nemesis, Rap, is any better, or their twisted half-brother Pop.

James Hetfield saw a bus fall on his friend and bassist Cliff Burton, and wrote several songs about it. He also wrote the song "The God That Failed" about the death of his mother. Thomas Youngblood wrote the song "Don't You Cry" about the death of his father. So yes, musicians do mold their sadness into something. And no-one said to relate to a song, it has to be about death- I love the song The Cage, which is about freedom.

As many people have said before, not all metal is screaming- Simone Simons, Roy Khan and Tarja Turunen are all classically trained opera singers. I don't know where you get this "butterknife across the guitar" image from- metal songs are definitely the hardest to learn on guitar. I know from experience.

 

[Bruin]

James Hetfield saw a bus fall on his friend and bassist Cliff Burton, and wrote several songs about it. He also wrote the song "The God That Failed" about the death of his mother. Thomas Youngblood wrote the song "Don't You Cry" about the death of his father. So yes, musicians do mold their sadness into something. And no-one said to relate to a song, it has to be about death- I love the song The Cage, which is about freedom.

As many people have said before, not all metal is screaming- Simone Simons, Roy Khan and Tarja Turunen are all classically trained opera singers. I don't know where you get this "butterknife across the guitar" image from- metal songs are definitely the hardest to learn on guitar. I know from experience.

I haven't heard their music.

And you misread my post. I didn't say musicians don't make music about death, I said the majority of those who write songs about death haven't truly felt the pain of it, especially in metal. Writing deplorable songs with overdone lyrics and bad guitar solos being among the most unfitting tribute to your dead of them all. Not that rappers don't do the same in their own style, or Pop stars who recently loss their pet hamster. But this thread isn't about them.

I'm talking about the people who have the audacity to call their work "music" when it's a series of bad shredding solos with the amplifier entirely on "Grain", taking breaks to scream like a howler monkey into the microphone.

 

[Sinisterair]

Metal musics meaning and the feeling it brings, sure not all metal has great lyrics but you can find a seneriro to almost any song, I do like hammerfall and i like the idea to the eqivelent, also i like amon amarth, But Metal isnt all you see it to be, I dont know if your classifying metal by vocals if so, thats a common mistake, Take a look at thrash for instance, Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, Slayer, they for the most part have comprehenisble lyircs. Also METALLICA IS THE BESTEST BAND EVA!!!!! lol

 

[Sinisterair]

Well I don't like all types of metal. Death core and Metalcore get pretty damn boring very quickly, and I hate nearly all vocalists from either genre. I think a great example of the typical metal vocal style done right is Randy blythe from Lamb of God.
If that was clean singing it wouldn't be half as epic.

I like it when it fits the tone, something grim or relentlessly angry, and with some emotion behind it. Way too many metal bands just have growling for the sake of it, and without any emotion it's nothing. That's what makes it work.

U shoulda done Sacrament.....lol Lamb of Gods Also an incredible band

 

[elcamino41383]

Yes, I already know there is a metal thread going on, but I'm wanting to ask a specific question with this one.

I know lots of people on the Escapist like metal a lot, and I also know a lot of other gamers and people seem to like metal a lot, and I'm usually one to equally accept any type of music..but metal just seems to be peculiar for me.

For the most part, I love all of the instrumentals in any sort of metal song I hear. It's loud, energetic, and just has a sort of ummph to it. The only probably I have with this is, that the vocals to most of these songs sound like the vocalist is possessed(which might be the point sometimes) or that they need cough syrup or something, and it kind of ruins the whole experience for me.

The only metal band that I have seemed to find that suits my tastes(I'm not sure if they are even metal), is Hammerfall. They seem to have exactly everything that I want out of metal. Kind of how like Queen has their rock opera take to rock & roll, Hammerfall to me kind of sounds like the metal equivalent, so...metal opera??


So in ending, why do you like metal so much? and also, can you recommend any that is more closer to my tastes?

I agree with you on the "possessed vocalist" bit. I like metal but mostly the "lighter" metal where there isn't a lot of grunting and stuff. I prefer to understand at least MOST of the words the singer is singing/saying. If you want a good sound that you can actually understand the lyrics, try 5 Finger Death Punch. Ivan can cover pretty much the spectrum of all vocals. He sings great, he can do the "rap" thing a little, and even grunt/yell with the best of them.

 

[similar.squirrel]

I think it has something to do with feeling 'badass'. You know, the whole leather trench-coat, death-doesn't-bother-me-which-is-why-I-wear-skull-motífs type thing. I personally find it extremely laughable.

That said, I like few metal bands. I tend to go for the post-rock end of the spectrum though. Bands like Red Sparowes, Russian Circles and Pelican. Opeth are also great [minus the vocals] and I have a wholly inexplicable fondness for Cradle of Filth.

Also, if you like operatic-sounding metal [that's not Hammerfall, because they're shit. I'm sorry.], then you might like Diablo Swing Orchestra.

 

[Shock and Awe]

I love the energy and how generally epic it sounds. I also find that a lot of metal artists have songs about more broad topics than that of most other genres.

I generally do not like the same metal you are talking about, it sound very silly to me. Here are some guys I bet you would like,

 

[Mr.Squishy]

Hammerfall....... wow that is sure some terrible power metal there. It's like dragonforce only gayer if that is at all possible.

Then please tell me, o great and wise one, what do you consider "not gay"?

 

[Macgyvercas]

I have nothing against metal. It's just not my cup of tea.

I'm more of a progressive/psychedelic rock kinda guy

 

[Vagabond_Samurai]

There's just something to be said about music that has the energy/power metal usually does. That being said, I wish the vocals weren't as "growly" most of the time. I like to know what the person is saying while singing...otherwise you're just screwing up awesome instrumental music.

 

[BlackStar42]

I'm talking about the people who have the audacity to call their work "music" when it's a series of bad shredding solos with the amplifier entirely on "Grain", taking breaks to scream like a howler monkey into the microphone.

That's death metal- not all metal's like that. Sorry if I sounded harsh, I haven't had much sleep lately.

 

[Bobsonnn]

POWERR METTAALLLLLLLL

I love metal cos of the technicality, and it is one of the best genres to see live easily, except maybe something like ska.
There is so much metal out there OP, its fairly easy to find some that doesnt involve pig squeals or death growls
like, say...

Maiden?

 

[sheogoraththemad]

Hell yeah!

 

[ecs]

Metal probably has more sub-genres than any other kind of music.My personal favorites include Evergreen Terrace, Parkway Drive, The Haunted, Beseech, Apocalyptica (metal cello music), Machine Head, Nothingface, plus too many others to name. It's all about the driving rhythm, while I agree a bad vocalist can ruin an amazing band (Killswitch Engage I'm looking at you) not all of them are screaming incomprehensibly.

 

[Redworld13]

Meshuggah. That is All