Classical fans: what's your opinion on metal music?

[71 dB]

Like Karl, I LOVE King Crimson, but, of course, they don't fall within the metal bracket but the progressive rock one. King Crimson's album Beat was actually one of the first albums of anything I've ever heard and fell in love with it.

King Crimson's music is very versatile and some aspects of it may approach metal music, but that's it. If King Crimson's Beat was one of the first albums you heard, for me discovering King Crimson took long. About 15 years ago I heard King Crimson's "The Court of the Crimson King" from their first album on radio and found it amazingly interesting rock music. I started exploring King Crimson on the internet and was blown away. I became a King Crimson fan in summer 2008 at age 37 having known nothing about them before. In Finland, the "mecca" of metal music, progressive rock is totally overshadowed and if someone is into progressive rock, it is the most commercially successful groups like Pink Floyd and Genesis. My music taste is very atypical for a Finn and this means it takes me a lot of work to discover my favorites, because hardly anyone in this country talks about music I like. This was especially true before the era of the internet and the possibility to explore music online and being influenced by people all over the World.

[Mirror Image]

King Crimson's music is very versatile and some aspects of it may approach metal music, but that's it. If King Crimson's Beat was one of the first albums you heard, for me discovering King Crimson took long. About 15 years ago I heard King Crimson's "The Court of the Crimson King" from their first album on radio and found it amazingly interesting rock music. I started exploring King Crimson on the internet and was blown away. I became a King Crimson fan in summer 2008 at age 37 having known nothing about them before. In Finland, the "mecca" of metal music, progressive rock is totally overshadowed and if someone is into progressive rock, it is the most commercially successful groups like Pink Floyd and Genesis. My music taste is very atypical for a Finn and this means it takes me a lot of work to discover my favorites, because hardly anyone in this country talks about music I like. This was especially true before the era of the internet and the possibility to explore music online and being influenced by people all over the World.

Well, my tastes are atypical for an American so we're even.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I'VE GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS!!!

My impression, as well. Perhaps also "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"

You sound right. Plus, Day Tripper could be a precursor of a song based on guitar riff?

[Pizzicato-Polka]

I really like the sound of electric guitar and adore the covers & medleys of classical pieces on it. These covers are often titled "metal covers", so I'd say I absolutely love this specific subgenre. I guess it can be called a part of neoclassical metal? I also enjoy greatly some original non-vocal pieces for electric guitars, like for example what Angel Vivaldi does.

But I'm not a fan of most of the screaming singing in the usual vocal metal, and actively dislike blasphemous and/or too vulgar lyrics. So unfortunately it's a bit hard for me to find actual metal singers to enjoy. I'd greatly appreciate some recommendations that fit my preferences, actually!

+a bit off topic, but electric violin can be great too; I like the music of Lindsey Stirling.

[drogulus]

     I liked proto-metal in the form of Blue Cheer, but I think that had a lot to do with the guitarist and that the band seemed to be "outside art". When metal became a genre my interest began to fade, though I never got all the way to disliking it. In fact, I think Metallica is one of the great all time bands, or would be if there was such a thing.

     Go to YT and watch "Enter Sandman" live in Russia from 1991.

[prémont]

Forty years ago I acquired (because of curiosity - a desire to widen my horiozon) the CD's Black Sabbath had released until then, but they didn't maintain my interest, so later I gave them to my son, who is more omnivorous beat/rock-minded than I.

[rhomboid]

I really like the sound of electric guitar and adore the covers & medleys of classical pieces on it. These covers are often titled "metal covers", so I'd say I absolutely love this specific subgenre. I guess it can be called a part of neoclassical metal? I also enjoy greatly some original non-vocal pieces for electric guitars, like for example what Angel Vivaldi does.

But I'm not a fan of most of the screaming singing in the usual vocal metal, and actively dislike blasphemous and/or too vulgar lyrics. So unfortunately it's a bit hard for me to find actual metal singers to enjoy. I'd greatly appreciate some recommendations that fit my preferences, actually!

+a bit off topic, but electric violin can be great too; I like the music of Lindsey Stirling.

This is symphonic metal, similar to neoclassical metal:

Italian band Rhapsody

https://www.youtube.com/v/rXlZZGrbEGU

[Pizzicato-Polka]

This is symphonic metal, similar to neoclassical metal:

Italian band Rhapsody

Thank you a lot for the genre name correction, and for the recommendation too! Their music sounds pretty neat, but I have to admit the fantasy stories in the lyrics kind of crack me up I like fantasy books & movies though, so maybe I'm just not in the right mood.

[greg]

Just seeing this an OP already deactivated their account? 

Well, um, in case OP comes back... I make metal music, and a lot of it is influenced by certain aspects of classical music, but in a way kind of too hard to describe.

So... the stuff I'm into is prog, death, tech death, math metal, djent. Mostly highly complex and dissonant type of stuff. But occasionally will get into some black metal or grindcore here and there.

Favorites: Meshuggah, BTBAM, Opeth, Animals as Leaders, Leprous, Haken, Car Bomb, Periphery, Cannibal Corpse, Aborted, Pig Destroyer, Deathspell Omega, Gorguts, Veil of Maya, Tesseract, Wilderun, etc.

Anyone reading who enjoys classical or jazz for the complexity and imagination might want to check those bands out. But I guess if you don't like the intense sound of metal you still might not like them.

[Jo498]

"intense" being a euphemism for extremely loud and electronically distorted?

I wonder about the hunches people seem to have about what other kinds of music friends of classical music are supposed to have an (informed?) opinion about?

Classical fans: what's your opinion on rap?
Classical fans: what's your opinion on k-pop?
Classical fans: what's your opinion on disco?
Classical fans: what's your opinion on yodeling?
Classical fans: what's your opinion on Persian classical music?
Classical fans: what's your opinion on klezmer?
Classical fans: what's your opinion on flamenco?
...

for whatever reason "metal" seems to be one of the few of such questions asked frequently whereas for most other genres it seems to be presupposed/accepted that classical listeners don't listen to or care about the music so it would be moot to ask...

[Florestan]

In my early 20s I had a metal phase but only with the more melodic stuff. My favorites were Metallica and Manowar, I also liked Halloween, Gamma Ray, Judas Priest, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Ozzie Osborne, Alice Cooper, Scorpions and others which I can't remember otoh. For whatever reason I never warmed up to Iron Maiden. With apologies for fans, I could not, and cannot, stand the barbaric, repelling, pain-inducing barking, groaning and grunting of death metal. This phase more or less coincided with my years in college, after which the interest gradually waned until it was no more. I never again felt the need to listen to such music, although if I overhear it on car radio or on TV I don't turn it off.

My favorite rock band of all times is Queen, with Dire Straits coming a second close.

[pjme]

"the barbaric, repelling, pain-inducing barking, groaning and grunting " 

[Carlo Gesualdo]

You perhaps think since I like heavy stuff, that I like metal or  metal-head, guess again...

I tolerate  very few bands, that are not straighfoward metal, the band that are  categorized UFO, normal voice or instrumental, more ''Free-Form) like in free-jazz or minimalost, and louder than  any metal or death metal, I don't like too much stardom, people whit big head in metal singer, the rock start flegm, I am so tuff, the same stuff I resent in rap, show off, so instry-metal that is more pseudo metal more than anything and louder like cult Classic band from  Nerderlands album like commercial fiasco on megadisk ''Wrede'' double LP remain a classic no  stupid vocal, no death metal growl, most  metal head hate it, most punk hate it too. The only real metal band I listen to since child hood is not 100% metal, sometime it's rock, sometime it's electro, ambient, you get it more an experimental   band more than anything GODFLESH, because there are not a Power-metal band, that talk about silly thing, save de princess, I am a brave jknight most kill the dragon...

I recently bought a record of K.K Null first band: A.N.P release  live in CBGB Kyoto (JPN) wich is ten time louder than any metal you don't beleive me do you?, most metal head hate or punks hate A.N.P earlier work is closer to  Free-Jazz, and for K.K second band that is  more ''noise-rock'', a term that foggy for me, that could ne Velvet Underground to lame pseudo punk.

But I won't denied I like very early zeni Geva 1986 debut ''Vast Impotenz'', Maximun Money Monster(wich has more to do whit psychedelic rock than metal, my favorite Zeni Geva, like  the two following album  more ''heavy rock'' oriented: Total Castration  & the Nai-Ha short album, after this album,the band dabbled whit some ''Death-Metal' element a bit too much, not that Desire for agony was a bad album, but a bit too Death-Metal-ish toss in the mix.

I like another band from Japan that may be consider  metal  for noobs, yet it's unclear they are : Dissecting Table, listen to there early years once again really ultra loud ultr heavy , yet... is it metal... NOT, take song like  Humain Right and Answer on there early year compilation,  question is it heavy hell yes , is it metal , not.

If we talk of Metal  straight forward the first five Black sabbath. Are more hard-rock than metal, the first album eponymeous is  more Blues-laden and a reallly good album that is neglected for Paranoid that I enjoy less.  Another paranthesis should be toss, I like Born Again whit Ian Gillian, (Deep Purple  singer).The rest I don't won't to know or dislike.

Don't like ''Macho-Douche'' metal like Pantera, Metallica, Slayer it annoy me, why:

Pantera had a good guitarist ''Cowboys From Hell'' might be there more musical, less metal and more musical, but whit the other album that would come up adter: ''Vulgar display of power'' It too much I,m so tuff look at me  I.e Walk, than the band started to sound more an more like macho man, c*ck-rock, and did not like it at all, and Phil Anselmo seem antipathic not just for his , frasque  screaming white power a couple of time wearing a shirt whit triskalion ( Afrikaner racist Swastika).

Slayer and Metallica, annoy me fully the first band more than the other Slayer each album same subject : pedophile satanic priest, serrial Killers, Nazi (fuck)  this  is what they did for all there album.
Metallica ''Black album'' in more a hardrock  album made for baby-boomers, most of them like unforgiven), the first album of metallica or purile since smell achne adolescent amateurism, not my cup of tea. Another thing please oh please don't even Tal to me about Megadeath, very poppular and mainstream , hate there logo t-shirth, vocalist, too metal for me, too stardom.

Than metal don't appeal to me, perhaps it did when I was  adolescent, let's face it  some metal and rap is a bit tennager music, for those in crisis and rebellion against there parents (14 years old kind off) yah know.

Last band that has more to do whit Noise-Rock & Blues (since Blues Singer Carolyn Master) is  Of cabbage & Kings, but even if it's harder heavier more confrontational than metal it's more alternative-rock or sludge. Just like SWANS debut Filt(have deluxe triple edition and it's  the best, COP i the best argumentally speaking more refined, but Filth deluxe offer live take  of some song of COP that are more extreme than the studio album itself version of COP album.

Beside what I aid don't care about  metal, are too metal (in attitude) I am so tuff don't mess whit me blablabla, just like in rap, ''poser thoughness'' importance, wich I resent.

I realized after my 20 year old birthday, was narrow mind and that metal was not so good as a whole, that I wa snot a metal-head, that I spend too much time on this genre, miss out on old rock and blues like  my favorite  HOWLIN WOLF, before mesing up^whit electric guitar in the 70''. For the classical part, I regret not getting into classical before, but most people like my father in there classical were conformists, me naively thought classical was  fews name of Baroque J.s Bach, Ravel, Vivaldi, Mozart, beetoven, what they play on radio did not knew renaissance musiccomposer existed back than or Ars Subtilior, but always love Gregorian.

I know this post is long tedious but had to explained my though clear. I wonder if people to a certain point agree whit me or disagree, perhaps  are in the middle of tings whit my opinion?

[rhomboid]

Johansson

https://www.youtube.com/v/mBpNqnPcq7c

[Mirror Image]

Just seeing this an OP already deactivated their account? 

Well, um, in case OP comes back... I make metal music, and a lot of it is influenced by certain aspects of classical music, but in a way kind of too hard to describe.

So... the stuff I'm into is prog, death, tech death, math metal, djent. Mostly highly complex and dissonant type of stuff. But occasionally will get into some black metal or grindcore here and there.

Favorites: Meshuggah, BTBAM, Opeth, Animals as Leaders, Leprous, Haken, Car Bomb, Periphery, Cannibal Corpse, Aborted, Pig Destroyer, Deathspell Omega, Gorguts, Veil of Maya, Tesseract, Wilderun, etc.

Anyone reading who enjoys classical or jazz for the complexity and imagination might want to check those bands out. But I guess if you don't like the intense sound of metal you still might not like them.

My biggest problem with metal stems for the need for distorted guitar as a main sound all the time. I mean you can play intensely with a clean tone and it'll sound heavy, which is something I did in a piece I wrote 21 years ago. I like a distorted lead tone as long as it's pure sounding and I strive for a horn-like tone in my own lead guitar tone. Metal is just too limited in its overall emotional scope for me, also the vocals just drive me up the wall. I haven't heard every single metal band of course, but I've heard enough to say that it's just not something I'm interested in exploring in any depth.

[Arsenic33]

Just seeing this an OP already deactivated their account? 

Well, um, in case OP comes back... I make metal music, and a lot of it is influenced by certain aspects of classical music, but in a way kind of too hard to describe.

So... the stuff I'm into is prog, death, tech death, math metal, djent. Mostly highly complex and dissonant type of stuff. But occasionally will get into some black metal or grindcore here and there.

Favorites: Meshuggah, BTBAM, Opeth, Animals as Leaders, Leprous, Haken, Car Bomb, Periphery, Cannibal Corpse, Aborted, Pig Destroyer, Deathspell Omega, Gorguts, Veil of Maya, Tesseract, Wilderun, etc.

Anyone reading who enjoys classical or jazz for the complexity and imagination might want to check those bands out. But I guess if you don't like the intense sound of metal you still might not like them.

Exactly!! That is what my point was the whole time!
I didn't mean to be so harsh... But I think it's fair to give credit where it's due!

And also Vivaldi's Storm, Korsakov's flight of the bumblebee, Schubert's Erlkönig, and many Beethoven songs hit pretty hard!💥🥊💪🏻

Just think of some British boys with powdered wigs, white face-paint with dark eyeliner, black coats, and cravats shredding these songs blasting on Marshall amps and the conductor banging his head like Beethoven. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Candlemas, and some goth metal bands have this whole aesthetic.
It's like the epitome of Brit metal....

[Szykneij]

My biggest problem with metal stems for the need for distorted guitar as a main sound all the time. I mean you can play intensely with a clean tone and it'll sound heavy, which is something I did in a piece I wrote 21 years ago. I like a distorted lead tone as long as it's pure sounding and I strive for a horn-like tone in my own lead guitar tone. Metal is just too limited in its overall emotional scope for me, also the vocals just drive me up the wall. I haven't heard every single metal band of course, but I've heard enough to say that it's just not something I'm interested in exploring in any depth.

Yes, I hear what you're saying about the distorted guitar sound, but I find the screaming, non-pitched, vocals the most unpleasant. I appreciate many hard rock bands often considered forerunners of the genre (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer that Ernie mentioned) and there are legitimate metal tunes I've heard that I've liked, so I'm not anti-metal. But, to me, melody is paramount, so those screaming vocals drive me up the wall, too.

I also don't see a particular connection between metal and classical any more than with most other genres.
 

[greg]

Metal is just too limited in its overall emotional scope for me

It can be quite narrow and focused (with the exception of prog metal, which is just like prog rock).
Sometimes the small subgenres, or microgenres, will be filled with bands that all the sound the same. 

The general appeal for me, emotionally, is that it feels like the extreme opposite of what is socially acceptable. In modern society, we are expected to basically be like a smiling robot at all times. It's exhausting and insufferable.
Concerts are great because the vibe is so different, it will feel like evil energy and power is in the air. Quite energizing. In mosh pits, you are expected to push people. IRL, you always have to walk on eggshells around people at all times unless they are close friends.
It sort of corrects the balance and brings mental peace.

[rhomboid]

Ronny James Dio, one of the premier vocals in heavy metal

https://www.youtube.com/v/R8VFpGhP0JU

[Szykneij]

Ronny James Dio, one of the premier vocals in heavy metal

https://www.youtube.com/v/R8VFpGhP0JU

I give that a big thumbs up. The vocals were powerful, but sung and not shouted. The guitar solos were melodic, with some nice parallel harmonies, and the drummer kicked butt. Great tune.