# appreciation of heavy metal?



## warren1981 (Feb 5, 2015)

ive been reading various threads on this forum and it seems that heavy metal is held in little regard, yet I notice Hip Hop seems to be held in high regard. I find this interesting that such bands that appeal to me within the heavy metal spectrum such as Lost Horizon, Opeth or the heavily classically influenced Nightwish and Rhapsody of Fire, would be seen as some kind of inferior music when placed against Hip Hop. I used to exclusively listen to Hip Hop in my teens, then, I hate to say it, I somewhat grew out of it and gravitated towards power metal, which then actually got in to other genres of heavy metal, as well as classical music itself.

So my question is as this thread is titled, is there very little appreciation out there for metal bands or have people just not explored the heavy metal genre and its sub genres in any great depth?


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2015)

*groan*

There are actually several people on here who enjoy heavy metal. The problem with the threads you may have seen is when people have tried to make metal something that it wasn't - using tortured logic to claim that metal is actually the not so distant relative of classical music.

Look, it is a classical music forum. For whatever reason, people have congregated here to discuss their appreciation of classical music. While people frequently enjoy multiple genres of music, it stands to reason that the majority of people on here have a better appreciation of classical music than the average music listener. Is that directly related to a lower estimation of metal? I don't know. Personally, I can't stand metal or hip hop.


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2015)

I drank deeply from this chalice from about 1970. Just got out of my car; on my CD player - Budgie. 
But I can tell it's not western art music! :tiphat:


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

warren1981 said:


> ive been reading various threads on this forum and it seems that heavy metal is held in little regard,* yet I notice Hip Hop seems to be held in high regard.*


Not at these forums, it isn't. It is routinely scorned. The current hip-hop thread is about 90% albertfallickwang.

I like hip hop, but not metal, unless you go back to the days when Hendrix and Zeppelin were called metal.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Can't stand hip hop. And power metal is pretty good. Not my favorite.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

neoshredder said:


> Can't stand hip hop. And power metal is pretty good. Not my favorite.


At some point in my teens I listened to power metal so much that it was almost sick. If something didn't have near constant double bass drum beat, 160+ bpm tempo, high & clean male voice and fast soloing, it was almost worthless to me.


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2015)

Dim7 said:


> At some point in my teens I listened to power metal so much that it was almost sick. If something didn't have near constand double bass drum beat, 160+ bpm tempo, high & clean male voice and fast soloing, it was almost worthless to me.


Thank you for your courageous honesty.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

dogen said:


> Thank you for your courageous honesty.


Did I say something that requires courageous honesty, in other wonds something embarrassing? Oops


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2015)

Dim7 said:


> Did I say something that requires courageous honesty, in other wonds something embarrassing? Oops


It can't be any more tragic than my own misdemeanours!! Judas Priest anyone???


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

GreenMamba said:


> Not at these forums, it isn't. It is routinely scorned. The current hip-hop thread is about 90% albertfallickwang.
> 
> I like hip hop, but not metal, unless you go back to the days when Hendrix and Zeppelin were called metal.


GreenMamba you are awesome!


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

dogen said:


> I drank deeply from this chalice from about 1970. Just got out of my car; on my CD player - Budgie.
> But I can tell it's not western art music! :tiphat:


I can't - help me!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Never was into heavy metal unless bands like Deep Purple were considered heavy metal. But here is a heavy metal band I like a lot:


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

This is the kind of stuff I used to listen to. Unusually has a female vocalist but sounds still very typical for the genre. Doesn't even really sound much like metal, now does it?


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2015)

Dim7 said:


> I can't - help me!


Perhaps your grandmother would like this...






...mine did.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Grandmothers these days...


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

dogen said:


> It can't be any more tragic than my own misdemeanours!! Judas Priest anyone???


One of the few truly metal bands I ever liked, but even then I'm keener on the older stuff - the four albums from Sad Wings of Destiny to Killing Machine. Pity the production on all four of them was dire.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2015)

elgars ghost said:


> One of the few truly metal bands I ever liked, but even then I'm keener on the older stuff - the four albums from Sad Wings of Destiny to Killing Machine. Pity the production on all four of them was dire.


It was. I listened to Sad Wings recently on Spotify; very weedy sound!

It was the early stuff I liked too; the first time I saw them was on the Sin After Sin tour.

Hey, Rob Halford's gay. Who'd have thought it? :lol:


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

I have a lot of past with heavy metal... I still have 500+ records. I don't listen to it anymore but I have fond memories and would never part from the records. I used to have very long hair, wear leather pants and jacket and a denim vest with patches. Also sometimes long chains and make-up. I really lived the lifestyle for years.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

*heavy metal:* no
*symphonic metal:* YES!






Edit: lmao! the internet thinks she is a mezzo. how could anyone mistake such a bright, soubrette/coloratura soprano voice for a mezzo :lol: (on second thought, maybe they just have her confused with the group's main singer, who is a contralto/dramatic mezzo).


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

warren1981 said:


> ive been reading various threads on this forum and it seems that heavy metal is held in little regard, yet I notice Hip Hop seems to be held in high regard. I find this interesting that such bands that appeal to me within the heavy metal spectrum such as Lost Horizon, Opeth or the heavily classically influenced Nightwish and Rhapsody of Fire, would be seen as some kind of inferior music when placed against Hip Hop. I used to exclusively listen to Hip Hop in my teens, then, I hate to say it, I somewhat grew out of it and gravitated towards power metal, which then actually got in to other genres of heavy metal, as well as classical music itself.
> 
> So my question is as this thread is titled, is there very little appreciation out there for metal bands or have people just not explored the heavy metal genre and its sub genres in any great depth?


I started my music listening when I was young with early metal (Sabbath, Purple, Sir Lord Baltimore, Uriah Heep, etc).

As soon as I discovered prog (King Crimson, YES, PFM, National Health, Henry Cow, Magma, etc) , I found metal very uninteresting. It just couldn't hold up to the musicianship, creativity, complexity, beauty, emotionalism, etc of prog.

Listening to prog lead me classical (mostly 20th century, avant-garde, 21st century).

Sometime around the early 90's, someone mentioned bands in the prog-metal genre (Dream Theater, Fates Warning, etc). I immediately became a fan. Not so much a fan of DT anymore, as they sound a little trite to me now (but there's no questioning their musicianship), but there are so many other bands in the prog-metal, tech-metal, and avant-metal genres that I love.

Pain of Salvation, Tesseract, Spiral Architect, The Contortionist, uneXpect, Sleepytime Gorilla Musem, Soen, Haken, Cynic, Opeth, Cynthesis just to name a few.

I do not like power-metal, symphonic-metal (sounds pretty much like standard metal with synth based strings added), and others.

I would say that metal constitutes about 20% of my listening, behind prog, classical, jazz.

So, all this is a long winded way of saying that I do appreciate metal, but only a limited number of genres.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2015)

dogen said:


> It was. I listened to Sad Wings recently on Spotify; very weedy sound!
> 
> It was the early stuff I liked too; the first time I saw them was on the Sin After Sin tour.
> 
> Hey, Rob Halford's gay. Who'd have thought it? :lol:


The signs were pretty plain there to see - he was one of the first to pioneer the leather and chains attire in metal.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

DrMike said:


> The signs were pretty plain there to see - he was one of the first to pioneer the leather and chains attire in metal.


C'mon Doctor! Reinforcing stereotypes, are we?


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2015)

DrMike said:


> The signs were pretty plain there to see - he was one of the first to pioneer the leather and chains attire in metal.


Sorry; the laughing emoticon was because it was obvious!


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## pierrot (Mar 26, 2012)

I like the most idiosyncratic metal bands. Such a shame the lyrics are almost always pretty damn awful.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Maps can be fun, 
and here´s one showing all countries & their number of heavy metal bands per 100,000 inhabitants, down to discerning between 0.01, 0.001, and 0 ...


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/387702750894911488


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

joen_cph said:


> Maps can be fun,
> and here´s one showing all countries & their number of heavy metal bands per 100,000 inhabitants, down to discerning between 0.01, 0.001, and 0 ...
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/387702750894911488


Scandinavia rules!


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## Aleksandar (Feb 21, 2015)

Except Black Sabbath, most of the metal i like is from the thrash sub-genre. Slayer is my favorite metal band. I also enjoy records by Vio-lence, Nuclear Assault, Metallica, Anthrax,Strapping Young Lad...


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## Lucifer Saudade (May 19, 2015)

From what I have observed most veterans here (and even users in general) don't gravitate towards Metal (and Hip Hops fares little better for that matter). 

I have seen some Tool/ Radiohead appreciation for what's it's worth. There's always Metal forums though


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

Aleksandar said:


> Except Black Sabbath, most of the metal i like is from the thrash sub-genre. Slayer is my favorite metal band. I also enjoy records by Vio-lence, Nuclear Assault, Metallica, Anthrax,Strapping Young Lad...


Not doom? I mean, the whole genre is based on ripping off Sabbath. That's why it's my favourite.


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## Frost15 (Oct 27, 2021)

Bumping this old thread to state that here stands another huge heavy metal fan. It's actually my favorite genre along with Jazz and Classical. I specially enjoy its extremest forms such as black, death and thrash metal, specially when infused with prog tendencies. I actually do find many similarities between metal and classical music. Luc Lemay, the mastermind behind Gorguts, one of my favorite metal acts, has actually studied classical music composition and released a piece of his own in the album 'Colored Sands' called "The Battle of Chamdo" 



Other artists such as Deathspell Omega have much influence from classical music and their compositions are quite complex and intricate. I get why many people can't enjoy metal because I when I was very young I used to think it was senseless noise but somehow I managed to grasp that behind that curtain of chaotic electric guitars and chaos there are many complex melodies and awesome movements to be found. I now enjoy metal every day. It's also a great musical form to channel certain negative thoughts and/or dark feelings


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Frost15 said:


> Bumping this old thread to state that here stands another huge heavy metal fan. It's actually my favorite genre along with Jazz and Classical. I specially enjoy its extremest forms such as black, death and thrash metal, specially when infused with prog tendencies. I actually do find many similarities between metal and classical music. Luc Lemay, the mastermind behind Gorguts, one of my favorite metal acts, has actually studied classical music composition and released a piece of his own in the album 'Colored Sands' called "The Battle of Chamdo"
> 
> 
> 
> Other artists such as Deathspell Omega have much influence from classical music and their compositions are quite complex and intricate. I get why many people can't enjoy metal because I when I was very young I used to think it was senseless noise but somehow I managed to grasp that behind that curtain of chaotic electric guitars and chaos there are many complex melodies and awesome movements to be found. I now enjoy metal every day. It's also a great musical form to channel certain negative thoughts and/or dark feelings


I mentioned exactly The battle of Chamdo as probably the best example I can think of of metal with classical influences in a thread about that argument.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I'm a part-time metalhead! You are not alone  I liked metal since the early 80s and listen to it almost every day. Always something to discover. It took me a long time to dare listen to Mayhem and also actually Metallica back in 85 or so. So extreme (for me at the time)...I was used to Ozzy, Maiden, Def Leppard and Motörhead in the beginning, then slowly went more extreme. Favorite bands are Napalm Death and Satyricon, favorite guitar hero is Randy Rhoads, Dimebag and maybe Rune Eriksen ("Blasphemer" from Mayhem). I found out that Dimebag Darrell copied Randy Rhoads and Rhoads copied Brian May of Queen. Early Queen is kind of metal and my first love in rock music after being strictly classical as a boy. Queen is also kind of classical too!


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

In a late response to the OP I’ve always been partial to Cobalt and Titanium but Nickel and Manganese are ok too!


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## Judas Priest Fan (Apr 27, 2018)

As my name suggests, I am a fan of Heavy Metal 

But since discovering Classical Music a few years ago, I almost never listen to Metal any more. I just don´t have the energy or aggression in me now that I´m getting older (I´m 56).

Many Metal songs that I like(d) just seem so simple now in comparison to Classical music compositions. I still like Metal, but I just prefer Classical these days. What sounded really killer on an E guitar a few years ago, is just laughably easy compared to many violin pieces.


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## Frost15 (Oct 27, 2021)

I think the Classical influence on Metal can be better seen when we hear piano covers of metal songs. Some of these bands even claimed being influenced by Stravinsky, Mahler and Bach among others.
Some examples from a few of my fav bands:

Dissection: Where Dead Angels Lie
Thy Darkened Shade: Revival Through Arcane Sins
Ulcerate: Extinguished Light
Abigor: Totschläger (A Saintslayer's Songbook) (Full album)
And my absolute fav band, Deathspell Omega: Kénôse (Full Album)
With drums: The Repellent Scars of Abandon and Election
The Fires of Frustration


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## Frost15 (Oct 27, 2021)

I can totally understand that. Metal is a very intense form of music and demands a lot of energy. What I can't agree with is the complexity. There is some really complex metal out there. It's more extended in extreme genres like Death Metal. Actually there is a genre called Technical Death Metal where you can find music so complex that even classical composers would be impressed =).
An example: First Fragment and they are very influenced by classical music La Veuve (only guitar and bass)

Then you have more brutal approaches, like Defeated Sanity's (btw this band's drummer is one of the very best in the game and his father was a very famous Jazz musician, and he actually played in the band a few years before dying). Imposed Corporeal Inhabitation

And then of course you have the symphonic, epic approach of power metal, whose more know exponent is Rhapsody (their most famous guitar player, Luca Turilli is very passionate about classical music and uses a very similar approach to his compositions and playing style): Dark Fate of Atlantis

Those three examples proof that metal can get really complex when it comes to playing skills. I know guitar players that have been playing for over 20 years that struggle to play some of that stuff.


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## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

Judas Priest Fan said:


> As my name suggests, I am a fan of Heavy Metal
> 
> But since discovering Classical Music a few years ago, I almost never listen to Metal any more. I just don´t have the energy or aggression in me now that I´m getting older (I´m 56).
> 
> Many Metal songs that I like(d) just seem so simple now in comparison to Classical music compositions. I still like Metal, but I just prefer Classical these days. What sounded really killer on an E guitar a few years ago, is just laughably easy compared to many violin pieces.


I don't even draw the comparison in the first place. The respective complexity (or simplicity) of classical and metal inhabit different realms and serve different functions for me.

Metal can range from being simplistic but effective (like I don't think of Judas Priest as being a very cerebral band, mostly focused on just rocking out and they do it well) to more complex arrangements like Maiden or a lot of death metal.


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## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

Frost15 said:


> Bumping this old thread to state that here stands another huge heavy metal fan. It's actually my favorite genre along with Jazz and Classical. I specially enjoy its extremest forms such as black, death and thrash metal, specially when infused with prog tendencies. I actually do find many similarities between metal and classical music. Luc Lemay, the mastermind behind Gorguts, one of my favorite metal acts, has actually studied classical music composition and released a piece of his own in the album 'Colored Sands' called "The Battle of Chamdo"
> 
> 
> 
> Other artists such as Deathspell Omega have much influence from classical music and their compositions are quite complex and intricate. I get why many people can't enjoy metal because I when I was very young I used to think it was senseless noise but somehow I managed to grasp that behind that curtain of chaotic electric guitars and chaos there are many complex melodies and awesome movements to be found. I now enjoy metal every day. It's also a great musical form to channel certain negative thoughts and/or dark feelings


Glad to see some love for Gorguts on here!


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## Judas Priest Fan (Apr 27, 2018)

GucciManeIsTheNewWebern said:


> ...............(like I don't think of Judas Priest as being a very cerebral band, mostly focused on just rocking out and they do it well) to more complex arrangements like Maiden or a lot of death metal.


Strange! Priest have some very deep, meaningful lyrics in their music. Especially the 70´s albums.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

It's funny how one eventually comes around to music once abhorred but I've been listening some different metal bands since last summer. Portnoy era Dream Theater, Cathedral, a bit of Megadeth, and I just discovered the Russian band, Abysskvlt. I think I'm basically a doomer. I don't like the fast and furious stuff. I love Cathedral.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

starthrower said:


> It's funny how one eventually comes around to music once abhorred but I've been listening some different metal bands since last summer. Portnoy era Dream Theater, Cathedral, a bit of Megadeth, and I just discovered the Russian band, Abysskvlt. I think I'm basically a doomer. I don't like the fast and furious stuff. I have no taste for the fast drumming or speedy guitar solos which is why I can't totally warm up to DT. But they do have some great songs when they're not wanking away. I love heavy riffs and good vocal melodies. I love Cathedral.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Looks like I posted on this thread almost 7 years ago. Time sure flies...

My taste in music can be boiled down to the following attributes (no particular order): very high level of musicianship, complexity, deep and broad levels of emotional and/or intellectual content, lack of repetitiveness, avoidance of verse>chorus>bridge song format, avoidance of simple 'hooks'. I didn't make a conscious choice to only like music with these attributes, but over the years, that's where my tastes ended up. Music that does not have these attributes, tends to bore me.

Within the above list of attributes, I am somewhat style or genre agnostic. As long as music has most or all of the above attributes, it's style is not as important.

With that being said, the various genres* of music I listen to, all have most or all of the above attributes. Progressive-metal, technical-metal, metal-fusion, avant-garde metal, all fit the above attributes. So for me, the metal sounding instrumentation is kind of secondary to those other attributes I mentioned above. The metal guitars, drums, vocals, etc, are the style that sort of sits on the surface of underlying complexity and sophistication of the music. I do not listen to the above subgenres of metal because they are metal, but because they have most of those criteria I mentioned above. 

*the other genres of music that fit the criteria that I love in music are:

Classical - 20th century, avant-garde, modernism, serial, atonal
Jazz - fusion, post-bop, chamber jazz, avant-garde, M-Base
Prog - avant-prog, Canterbury, Zeuhl, classic era prog,


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Complexity without great songs doesn't cut it for me. A band like Haken can play great but the songs are okay. A band that deserves more exposure is District 97. Those kids are amazing! They write great songs with killer riffs and plenty of complexity to satisfy the prog nerds. And their lead singer is great. And she's beautiful as well.


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

Quite surprised to find a heavy metal thread here!


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

LOL.

There was a time when I liked some Heavy Metal, but that was the late 60s and early 70s. That music, while very heavy at the time, hardly measures up to the doom and sturm and Metal of today. I hate "metal" vocals, or whatever they call that. 

Yeah, I'm talkin' early *Iron Butterfly* and *Uriah Heep*. Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

39 years ago, this week, I was watching Thin Lizzy's last ever UK gig at the Reading Festival. RIP Phil Lynott. 🎸 










I won't mention the abomination of having to suffer Ian Gillan singing Sabbath songs. Some things are better left unsaid. The epic plastic bottle fights before and during the Anvil or Hanoi Rocks sets is the stuff of legend. 🍾


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Waehnen said:


> Quite surprised to find a heavy metal thread here!


There's been multiple, some more civil than others. There's a surprising amount of overlap between classical and heavy metal fans. I suspect it has something to do with both fostering a kind of outsiders' mentality that's open to atypical musical experience that aren't readily found in popular culture. There are some other abstract similarities, from both often valuing high levels of musicianship to both tending towards forms more complex than typical pop song forms, especially when it comes to progressive metal and its off-shoots. Plus, I think more than any other popular genre metal also tends to aim for a kind of "epic, grand" aesthetic that was endemic in classical music especially of the romantic and post-romantic/early-modern eras.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

warren1981 said:


> ive been reading various threads on this forum and it seems that heavy metal is held in little regard, yet I notice Hip Hop seems to be held in high regard. I find this interesting that such bands that appeal to me within the heavy metal spectrum such as Lost Horizon, Opeth or the heavily classically influenced Nightwish and Rhapsody of Fire, would be seen as some kind of inferior music when placed against Hip Hop. I used to exclusively listen to Hip Hop in my teens, then, I hate to say it, I somewhat grew out of it and gravitated towards power metal, which then actually got in to other genres of heavy metal, as well as classical music itself.
> 
> So my question is as this thread is titled, is there very little appreciation out there for metal bands or have people just not explored the heavy metal genre and its sub genres in any great depth?


Hip Hop love? Where? 🧐 I've tried with a dedicated thread but got little no response. Doesn't kill my love for it but it's pointless posting where's little interest. 

Not a big metal fan but I can appreciate the musicianship of the more melodic instrumental stuff:


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

ando said:


> Not a big metal fan but I can appreciate the musicianship of the more melodic instrumental stuff:


Holy Wars is one of my favorite songs to play on guitar. Very demanding to play up to speed. There's a handful of instrumental metal bands, more recently than there used to be. One example:


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I'm not a fan.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm not a fan.


Of Animals as Leaders or metal in general?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Eva Yojimbo said:


> Of Animals as Leaders or metal in general?



I have yet to hear metal that is sophisticated and well written and not overly technical.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I have yet to hear metal that is sophisticated and well written and not overly technical.


Sophisticated and technical tend to go together... not sure where the line for "overly technical" is. "Well-written" is really vague without specifics. Metal is a large genre with dozens of sub-genres and thousands of artists from all over the world. If you don't like any of it then there's a good chance it's the more superficial aspects you aren't a fan of, which is fine since the genre is the very definition of an acquired taste... but so is classical.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Here's some examples of what I'd call "sophisticated" metal, but in different ways: 

Structural and harmonic sophistication: 





Rhythmic sophistication: 





Lyric sophistication (and more rhythmic sophistication): 





Melodic... well, I don't know how sophisticated it is, but the melodies are very sticky: 





These examples also cover four very different sub-genres: classic progressive metal, "djent," alternative metal, power metal. There's other metal genres quite different from these as well. 

Now, it's all relative of course. I'm not claiming the kind of sophistication found in the most sophisticated jazz or classical; but by popular music standards? Yes, much of this is very sophisticated. I'd even suggest that rhythmically metal doesn't take a back seat in sophistication to much of any music. The fact that are metal drummers out there capable of playing 3-4 different time signatures with different limbs is extraordinary.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)




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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I picked up Eternal Blue by Spiritbox. They combine pop vocal melodies with metal riffs.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I will check out Spiritbox some day. I'm all for old school death metal these days. Even had a short chat with Karl Willetts of Bolt Thrower/Memoriam on facebook. He is really cool it seems


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## John O (Jan 16, 2021)

Merl said:


> 39 years ago, this week, I was watching Thin Lizzy's last ever UK gig at the Reading Festival. RIP Phil Lynott. 🎸
> 
> I won't mention the abomination of having to suffer Ian Gillan singing Sabbath songs. Some things are better left unsaid. The epic plastic bottle fights before and during the Anvil or Hanoi Rocks sets is the stuff of legend. 🍾


I was there too!
I remember they played O Fortuna from Carmina Burana on the PA between sets.
Didn't Sabbath have a silly Stone Henge Set? Was it the inspiration for the one in Spinal Tap?
And was it Steel Pulse who never came on because the audience kept throwing plastic bottles at the stage because they didn't like reggae?


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I think a steel Pulse lasted a song and a half which I was gutted about cos I loved them. And yes Sabbath had that silly stonehenge set. I've seen every incarnation of Sabbath live but Gillan was the worst. He murdered the old songs and the new material was utter garbage. Doing Smoke on the Water as an encore was too much fir anyone to take. Most embarrassed I've ever been at a gig, ever.


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

starthrower said:


> It's funny how one eventually comes around to music once abhorred but I've been listening some different metal bands since last summer. Portnoy era Dream Theater, Cathedral, a bit of Megadeth, and I just discovered the Russian band, Abysskvlt. I think I'm basically a doomer. I don't like the fast and furious stuff. I love Cathedral.


I'm guessing you'll find more current or former metalheads here than any other nonclassical genre. I'm not sure why, but Eva Yojimbo proffered a very good theory.

Starthrower, I used to really be into Dream Theater. Saw them 2X and John Petrucci a couple times (once a guitarist, always a guitarist, I guess). I liked Metropolis Pt.2. After a while, I just got sick of it all. It all sounded like endless note-spinning without any purpose. Technically, it's impressive; musically, not so much. That's just my opinion. Again, my opinion; if you disagree I respect your opinion as well. More than anything( nonclassical), I like a good song, and Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, etc. put out good songs in their heyday, which just happened to be heavy. In the 80's I got into Yngwie, bought a Strat and Marshall, and tried to copy him. After a while, I realized it's just endless note-spinning and nearly every solo sounded exactly the same. He's admitted it. He said he worked on a few patterns in the harmonic minor scale, which is unusual for standard rock, some arpeggios, and diminished figures, and he just varies them a little bit, depending on the song. I think Dream Theater is somewhat held back by their lead singer, James Labrie(??). Maybe he has a good voice and range, but the quality of his voice really wears on me after a while. 

Having said all that ^ ^, I was fortunate enough to see Maiden on their Powerslave tour, Priest in the early-mid 80's, the Scorpions on their Love at First Sting tour, and many more. I saw Deep Purple 2X on their 1st two comeback albums with the classic Mark II lineup. I was fortunate to get backstage and briefly meet Ritchie Blackmore. Bad Company opened, and I went back to their hotel with them and a bunch of other people. Suffice it to say a certain white powder was flowing as freely and casually as water. LOL!

Merl., I'm jealous you got to see Thin Lizzy with Phil. There's a lot more to that band than The Boys Are Back in Town, but most, nearly all, Americans don't know it. Cheers!

Again, just my opinion. We can disagree without being disagreeable, right?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Dream Theater definitely has their flaws. And the overemphasis on the technical is one of them. The soloing by Petrucci and Rudess is my least favorite aspect unless they are playing a slower tune. But I like the riffs and the songs. At least five or six albums worth. I mainly listen to the live stuff because their studio albums are too long and I like only half the songs.

I have no interest in the neo classical metal popularized by Yngwie in the 80s. I like heavy riffs and good vocal melodies. I'm not into the speedy solos. I like guitarists who phrase and bend strings.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

The new Blut Aus Nord is good. Would call this industrial black metal if you want to categorize it


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

SearsPoncho said:


> I'm guessing you'll find more current or former metalheads here than any other nonclassical genre. I'm not sure why, but Eva Yojimbo proffered a very good theory.
> 
> Starthrower, I used to really be into Dream Theater. Saw them 2X and John Petrucci a couple times (once a guitarist, always a guitarist, I guess). I liked Metropolis Pt.2. After a while, I just got sick of it all. It all sounded like endless note-spinning without any purpose. Technically, it's impressive; musically, not so much. That's just my opinion. Again, my opinion; if you disagree I respect your opinion as well. More than anything( nonclassical), I like a good song, and Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, etc. put out good songs in their heyday, which just happened to be heavy. In the 80's I got into Yngwie, bought a Strat and Marshall, and tried to copy him. After a while, I realized it's just endless note-spinning and nearly every solo sounded exactly the same. He's admitted it. He said he worked on a few patterns in the harmonic minor scale, which is unusual for standard rock, some arpeggios, and diminished figures, and he just varies them a little bit, depending on the song. I think Dream Theater is somewhat held back by their lead singer, James Labrie(??). Maybe he has a good voice and range, but the quality of his voice really wears on me after a while.
> 
> ...


Hey, if my good friend Starthrower can do it, so can I.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Right now I'm on a King Crimson kick. Red is a pretty heavy tune. I'd call it proto metal.


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## Dulova Harps On (Nov 2, 2018)

I probably listen to punk more than Metal but listened to both heavily when I’m my teens and twenties. Now I don’t really listen to it at all. Just don’t find it satisfying at all. Of the old bands that are still touring I find Maiden still sound pretty good but Metallica sound awful to my ears.They need to retire in my opinion.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

My favorite song for some days


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