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

[KlassiskDronning]

I think metal and classical make a very good combo.
Seems like the musical structure is similar?
I mean both commonly use Phrygian and harmonic minor keys, and many if not most 70's metal musicians were influenced by classical music including Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhodes, EVH, various thrash/ black metal bands, Night wish, and so on. Since the scene started in Europe I can see how they can be related.
And classical alone sounds very natural and atmospheric with distortion!

Who are your top metal bands/musicians?

[pjme]

In "classical music" I can stand/love loud and nervous music. Music can be ugly, scraping, distorted and mad. But I never manage(d) to make the switch to metal/repetitive/minimalistic/new age/ new spiritualism....
Possibly there are other people here who will be enthusiastic.

[foxandpeng]

I think metal and classical make a very good combo.
Seems like the musical structure is similar?
I mean both commonly use Phrygian and harmonic minor keys, and many if not most 70's metal musicians were influenced by classical music including Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhodes, EVH, various thrash/ black metal bands, Night wish, and so on. Since the scene started in Europe I can see how they can be related.
And classical alone sounds very natural and atmospheric with distortion!

Who are your top metal bands/musicians?

Primary metalhead for many years, tbh. Classical has been an equal partner for the last however many years, with a greater leaning there in the last 3-4. There can be real similarities and discontinuities, but I instinctively feel what you mean when you suggest there is something in both. Certainly, I see similarities in the attractive challenge that both can bring and the need to spend time understanding and appreciating nuance. I think there is some debate to be had around whether the bands mentioned so far should nowadays be classed as 'metal' or whether they sit better as 'rock'...

Favourite bands are as wide and numerous as my classical tastes, I think. Some that I apparently return to often on Spotify...

Insomnium, Amorphis, Winterfylleth, Uada, Mgla, Agalloch, Drudkh, Hate Forest, Audn, Saor, Old Corpse Road, Routasielu, Dark Tranquility, Moonsorrow, Grimner, A Forest of Stars, Fen...

[Mirror Image]

When I want to listen to some rock music, I usually reach for The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, Genesis, Yes et. al. Metal has never played an active part in any of my listening to be honest.

[71 dB]

Metal music means almost nothing for me. I don't listen to rock music much to begin with and if I do, it is soft rock (Lowgold, Kashmir,...) or prog rock (King Crimson). Metal music feels dumb and vulgar to me, even when it has "classical music like" harmonies and melodies. Classical music is the more sophisticated option for me, so why bother with metal? Ironically I was born into THE country of metal music, Finland with the most metal bands per capita. 

[Jo498]

In "classical music" I can stand/love loud and nervous music. Music can be ugly, scraping, distorted and mad.

I also cannot stand loud amplified music. I rarely listen to some 60s (and other) rock and folk etc or other popular music in a broad sense but I never turn it to the volume it probably should have, not even close. For social reasons I went to bars, clubs and even concerts with loud music when I was younger but it was almost always too loud, sometimes painfully so and I never liked it (I usually didn't much like the music either but some of it would have been o.k. or nice at an acceptable volume).

[DavidW]

I went through a metal phase, but it has been years.  I'm more likely to listen to classic rock (same bands MI mentioned but also add in King Crimson and a few others), jazz and indie pop.  I'm so out of touch with metal that I haven't heard a SINGLE band that Fox mentioned.

[KevinP]

Apathy mainly. There's a lot of rock that I listen to, and a lot that I don't. Some of what I like was called metal back in the day, but that was a day before metal became the sub-culture it is today: Blue Oyster Cult, Queen's second album, etc.

By the time it gets to what's recognised as metal today, when it developed a dress code (black t-shirts promoting itself as an industry) and behaviour (head-banging), it loses me. Do a google image search for 'metal fans.' I remember the early days before the conformity developed. It wasn't mainstream, but it was image-centred either.

And whatever rebellion may once have been signaled by all the satanic imagery soon devolved into self-parody.

Not long ago, I decided to explore some rock that I had always heard about but never heard much of, including early Judas Priest (Stained Class). I found it better than I expected but not something I particularly want to listen to again and again. So yeah, apathy.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Not a big fan of metal music. I love Deep Purple's Highway Star, but I don't think it's metal. I personally think that a good orchestral version of Highway Star would sound excellent. 
I like Sex Pistols and some pop music in the 1980s.

[KlassiskDronning]

Not a big fan of metal music. I love Deep Purple's Highway Star, but I don't think it's metal. I personally think that a good orchestral version of Highway Star would sound excellent. 
I like Sex Pistols and some pop music in the 1980s.

Well, it is definitely hard rock/old school metal. Definitely not the horrible screamo that some people think of when they hear "metal" lol

[KlassiskDronning]

I also cannot stand loud amplified music. I rarely listen to some 60s (and other) rock and folk etc or other popular music in a broad sense but I never turn it to the volume it probably should have, not even close. For social reasons I went to bars, clubs and even concerts with loud music when I was younger but it was almost always too loud, sometimes painfully so and I never liked it (I usually didn't much like the music either but some of it would have been o.k. or nice at an acceptable volume).

Oh, geez. Just because it's "loud and distorted" =/= bad. I play metal music(including black metal) on piano and it actually sounds like Bach. I have been studying music practically my whole life so I think I know a little more than you'd expect.

[KlassiskDronning]

In "classical music" I can stand/love loud and nervous music. Music can be ugly, scraping, distorted and mad. But I never manage(d) to make the switch to metal/repetitive/minimalistic/new age/ new spiritualism....
Possibly there are other people here who will be enthusiastic.

What is new spiritualism.

[KlassiskDronning]

Metal music means almost nothing for me. I don't listen to rock music much to begin with and if I do, it is soft rock (Lowgold, Kashmir,...) or prog rock (King Crimson). Metal music feels dumb and vulgar to me, even when it has "classical music like" harmonies and melodies. Classical music is the more sophisticated option for me, so why bother with metal? Ironically I was born into THE country of metal music, Finland with the most metal bands per capita. 

Olet Soumolainen? Ole hyvää Olen Tanskalainen ja Saksalainen. Soitan klassista ja metallia sähkökitaralla ja se kuulostaa hyvältä. Ei tyhmä. Memaat on voimakas. Kippis! 

[KlassiskDronning]

Apathy mainly. There's a lot of rock that I listen to, and a lot that I don't. Some of what I like was called metal back in the day, but that was a day before metal became the sub-culture it is today: Blue Oyster Cult, Queen's second album, etc.

By the time it gets to what's recognised as metal today, when it developed a dress code (black t-shirts promoting itself as an industry) and behaviour (head-banging), it loses me. Do a google image search for 'metal fans.' I remember the early days before the conformity developed. It wasn't mainstream, but it was image-centred either.

And whatever rebellion may once have been signaled by all the satanic imagery soon devolved into self-parody.

Not long ago, I decided to explore some rock that I had always heard about but never heard much of, including early Judas Priest (Stained Class). I found it better than I expected but not something I particularly want to listen to again and again. So yeah, apathy.

There are some pretty aggressive classical music pieces though. Beethoven's 5th, Schubert's Erlkönig, and Vivaldi's storm are actually quite fast and even "thrashy" I could bang my head out all day to them.

[KlassiskDronning]

Primary metalhead for many years, tbh. Classical has been an equal partner for the last however many years, with a greater leaning there in the last 3-4. There can be real similarities and discontinuities, but I instinctively feel what you mean when you suggest there is something in both. Certainly, I see similarities in the attractive challenge that both can bring and the need to spend time understanding and appreciating nuance. I think there is some debate to be had around whether the bands mentioned so far should nowadays be classed as 'metal' or whether they sit better as 'rock'...

Favourite bands are as wide and numerous as my classical tastes, I think. Some that I apparently return to often on Spotify...

Insomnium, Amorphis, Winterfylleth, Uada, Mgla, Agalloch, Drudkh, Hate Forest, Audn, Saor, Old Corpse Road, Routasielu, Dark Tranquility, Moonsorrow, Grimner, A Forest of Stars, Fen...

So far, I think your comment is the only one that sense. I agree with you. It seems like mostly everyone here hates metal because it is newer and more associated with modern and 'ghetto' culture. Which could not be further from the truth because there are medieval, Viking, Renaissance, and Victorian elements in metal because as the other user posted northern Europe esp. Finland and Germany has the biggest metal fan base. Obviously they are not identical, but there is definitely a relation.  Beethoven was pretty much the Ozzy Osbourne of his era so it like why discriminate against the "aggressive vile music" Just makes 0 sense to me.

[Jo498]

Oh, geez. Just because it's "loud and distorted" =/= bad. I play metal music(including black metal) on piano and it actually sounds like Bach. I have been studying music practically my whole life so I think I know a little more than you'd expect.

What's the connection to what I wrote? I didn't contest your knowledge of music at all. Don't ask for the personal opinions of others, if you cannot take the mildest dissent! If you are looking for fellow headbangers, you need to ask a different question... And yes, the culture around metal is ridiculous for anyone past 22 (generously).
I just said that I dislike *any* music played very loudly with amplification, no matter if it's Punk, Disco or whaever. Nothing about "metal" or distortion in particular but of course most "metal" is included here because both bands and fans often take pride in the loudness/volume (which seems as silly as spicy food contests...)

It was precisely the point that it is NOT played on acoustic piano.
Do you think metal would be metal and as popular if it was usually played on acoustic piano and with unamplified voices...?

[71 dB]

Don't ask for the personal opinions of others, if you cannot take the mildest dissent! If you are looking for fellow headbangers, you need to ask a different question...

Yeah, and classical music forum isn't maybe the best place to find other metal-heads to begin with.

And yes, the culture around metal is ridiculous for anyone past 22 (generously).

You are wrong. There are a lot of "older" people loving metal music and they find nothing ridiculous about it when they get older. What is ridiculous and what isn't varies from person to person drastically. You can't assume something is ridiculous to someone else because you think it is. Generalizations like that don't work at all.

[KlassiskDronning]

What's the connection to what I wrote? I didn't contest your knowledge of music at all. Don't ask for the personal opinions of others, if you cannot take the mildest dissent! If you are looking for fellow headbangers, you need to ask a different question... And yes, the culture around metal is ridiculous for anyone past 22 (generously).
I just said that I dislike *any* music played very loudly with amplification, no matter if it's Punk, Disco or whaever. Nothing about "metal" or distortion in particular but of course most "metal" is included here because both bands and fans often take pride in the loudness/volume (which seems as silly as spicy food contests...)

It was precisely the point that it is NOT played on acoustic piano.
Do you think metal would be metal and as popular if it was usually played on acoustic piano and with unamplified voices...?

What the...?? I bet metal music itself is older than you. There are musicians from the time of it's "hay-day" still successful performing. How old are you anyways? There is no need for YOU to be rude and condescending. Since it is great music, the songs probably would have been popular if electric guitars/amps didn't exist at the time.

[KlassiskDronning]

Yeah, and classical music forum isn't maybe the best place to find other metal-heads to begin with.

You are wrong. There are a lot of "older" people loving metal music and they find nothing ridiculous about it when they get older. What is ridiculous and what isn't varies from person to person drastically. You can't assume something is ridiculous to someone else because you think it is. Generalizations like that don't work at all.

Thank you for stating that fact. I reported him to the moderators since that little "quote" was against the community guidelines.

[DaveF]

I enjoy Metal probably as much as the average Metal fan enjoys 16th-century polyphony.