5 ms·

As an avid death metal fan, I think that overall this article isn't wrong, but there's much more to be learned from the subjective experience of violent music.

by lukev 8y ago

As an avid death metal fan, I think that overall this article isn't wrong, but there's much more to be learned from the subjective experience of violent music. Which is to say: just ask a fan, and they'll tell you. Using "negative" emotions to evoke a positive response is way, way older than metal. It's a technique as old as humanity itself, and is present the oldest stories we have (e.g, Homer, Gilgamesh and Beowulf.) Storytelling and emotions are not straightforward things and the emotional response we get is not linearly tied to the subject matter. To suggest that a metalhead must be negative and violent because they listen to Cannibal Corpse is tantamount to saying that someone must be suicidal because they enjoy a good performance of Hamlet.

Insanity 8y ago
I like that last sentence especially. That's a good way of putting it. What makes people who don't listen to the music associate it with 'negativity' is not just the music itself though. It's the way some fans dress as well. Or the mosh pits / wall of death etc they might hear about. People are quick to judge, and the way you look will factor into that. But it's a generalisation people make. It happens that people whom I've known for some time react surprised when they find out my favourite genre of music is metal because I don't fit their 'picture' of what someone should look like who likes that kind of music. :) (At least, if they haven't seen me at home with band shirts on)
- fhood 8y ago
  I was pretty irritated by the articles supposition that certain personality types may prefer "violent" music while others do not. Sure everybody has their preferences, but the violence of the lyrical content has nothing to do with why I like metal. And actually the people in the mosh pit at Gojira showed a great deal more empathy and kindness than the screaming masses at the last The Weeknd concert I was dragged to.
  - Insanity 8y ago
    I agree, usually the pits are not as bad as it looks from the outside.
  - mrob 8y ago
    Every time I've been in a mosh pit, it's been notable how everybody looks out for each other. If somebody falls down then everybody near them stops and helps them up. Despite the surface violence, nobody gets seriously hurt. Admittedly this was many years ago, so it might be different now, but the feeling was always more like sparring than a real fight.
    - rootw0rm 8y ago
      we must go to different shows. I've seen chicks get laid out by a dickhead dude too many times.
      - lukev 8y ago
        There are two kinds of concerts for sure. Sometimes it just depends on the crowd. Interestingly, with respect to the original subject, the smaller shows for more extreme bands are usually full of really friendly folk who will instantly stop to help someone, or lay down the law on someone being too rough to smaller people. The rougher pits I've been in tend to be for the larger shows that trend towards a more "hardcore" style. You get more aggressive punk kids in that situation.
  - dvlsg 8y ago
    Agreed. I saw The Acacia Strain the other night (more deathcore than death metal, I suppose), and in between screaming lyrics like "I am the end of the world", they were talking about making sure to reach out to your friends / family for help if you were having any negative / suicidal thoughts, not to taking yourself too seriously, and tossing glow sticks into the crowd while they played in front of inflatable balloons. I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition.
mkirklions 8y ago
Ive been listening to some 'terrible' music. It might be screaming metal, it might be ear catchy rap music, but whatever the case- It takes me away from the mundane for ~3 minutes. I put it as an equivalent of eating sugary foods. This is a very primitive feeling in my body.
- lukev 8y ago
  There is no metric on which metal is objectively "terrible" or "sugary." While some is more primal, the majority (including several bands mentioned in the article) is quite musically intricate, with substantive rhythmic and harmonic complexities (though it's unlikely one would be able to appreciate these without acclimatizing to the music itself first.) I'm not a rap fan, but I presume it's the same way. Don't beat yourself up for liking things, and don't sell whole genres of expression short. People devote their lives and talents to these things; why shouldn't they be as deep and expressive as the experience of the humans who created them? It's very unfair to dismiss entire modes of expression as saccharine or inferior just because they don't meet your preconceptions of what complex art looks like (or whatever you're after.)
lostgame 8y ago
>> To suggest that a metalhead must be negative and violent because they listen to Cannibal Corpse is tantamount to saying that someone must be suicidal because they enjoy a good performance of Hamlet. You, sir, win the thread here. This comparison is both necessary and logical.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
brusch64 8y ago
There is a good song of a German singer / songwriter Funny van Dannen - "Menschenverachtende Untergrundmusik" (inhuman ? underground-music) which says basically the same thing. A German grindcore Band sang a cover version of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCYZdIna_s4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCYZdIna_s4 Google tranlate tranlates a part of the song to something like this: And because I'm always so peaceful, I need a bit of war to compensate and that's why I like listening alone to inhuman underground music, inhuman underground music.
tinmandespot 8y ago
Touche!!
lukev 8y ago
Also, since this thread/reply has gotten popular and the topic is a passion of mine, I'm going to unashamedly hijack it to link to a few of my favorite, more accessible bands in case anyone reading is curious and wants to explore more. These bands showcase most of what people like about death metal, are lyrically inoffensive (mostly) and with melodic structures that are accessible to newcomers to the genre. As such, they largely fall into the "melodic death metal" sub-subgenre. Yes, yes, I know I' get shit from people into more "real" death metal, but the point here is to provide an introduction. These particular samples even have largely intelligible growls. Amon Amarth - Highly melodic, viking-themed metal. Good fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARnBgW5XgSo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARnBgW5XgSo Insomnium - Intense but more melancholic, really showcases the emotional range available within the genre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZMWKCgvaDY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZMWKCgvaDY Dark Tranquillity - More modern sounding and philosophically themed, they are a personal favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjzDU7V7es https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjzDU7V7es Death - This is the band that started it all. Actually where Death Metal gets its name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbp60IX_jFQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbp60IX_jFQ
- vibrato 8y ago
  And Arch Enemy is currently the best band in the world!
  - kuroguro 8y ago
    Nonsense, Alissa belongs to The Agonist! :)

by lukev 8y ago

Insanity 8y ago

I like that last sentence especially. That's a good way of putting it. What makes people who don't listen to the music associate it with 'negativity' is not just the music itself though. It's the way some fans dress as well. Or the mosh pits / wall of death etc they might hear about. People are quick to judge, and the way you look will factor into that. But it's a generalisation people make. It happens that people whom I've known for some time react surprised when they find out my favourite genre of music is metal because I don't fit their 'picture' of what someone should look like who likes that kind of music. :) (At least, if they haven't seen me at home with band shirts on)

fhood 8y ago
I was pretty irritated by the articles supposition that certain personality types may prefer "violent" music while others do not. Sure everybody has their preferences, but the violence of the lyrical content has nothing to do with why I like metal. And actually the people in the mosh pit at Gojira showed a great deal more empathy and kindness than the screaming masses at the last The Weeknd concert I was dragged to.
- Insanity 8y ago
  I agree, usually the pits are not as bad as it looks from the outside.
- mrob 8y ago
  Every time I've been in a mosh pit, it's been notable how everybody looks out for each other. If somebody falls down then everybody near them stops and helps them up. Despite the surface violence, nobody gets seriously hurt. Admittedly this was many years ago, so it might be different now, but the feeling was always more like sparring than a real fight.
  - rootw0rm 8y ago
    we must go to different shows. I've seen chicks get laid out by a dickhead dude too many times.
    - lukev 8y ago
      There are two kinds of concerts for sure. Sometimes it just depends on the crowd. Interestingly, with respect to the original subject, the smaller shows for more extreme bands are usually full of really friendly folk who will instantly stop to help someone, or lay down the law on someone being too rough to smaller people. The rougher pits I've been in tend to be for the larger shows that trend towards a more "hardcore" style. You get more aggressive punk kids in that situation.
- dvlsg 8y ago
  Agreed. I saw The Acacia Strain the other night (more deathcore than death metal, I suppose), and in between screaming lyrics like "I am the end of the world", they were talking about making sure to reach out to your friends / family for help if you were having any negative / suicidal thoughts, not to taking yourself too seriously, and tossing glow sticks into the crowd while they played in front of inflatable balloons. I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition.

mkirklions 8y ago

Ive been listening to some 'terrible' music. It might be screaming metal, it might be ear catchy rap music, but whatever the case- It takes me away from the mundane for ~3 minutes. I put it as an equivalent of eating sugary foods. This is a very primitive feeling in my body.

lukev 8y ago
There is no metric on which metal is objectively "terrible" or "sugary." While some is more primal, the majority (including several bands mentioned in the article) is quite musically intricate, with substantive rhythmic and harmonic complexities (though it's unlikely one would be able to appreciate these without acclimatizing to the music itself first.) I'm not a rap fan, but I presume it's the same way. Don't beat yourself up for liking things, and don't sell whole genres of expression short. People devote their lives and talents to these things; why shouldn't they be as deep and expressive as the experience of the humans who created them? It's very unfair to dismiss entire modes of expression as saccharine or inferior just because they don't meet your preconceptions of what complex art looks like (or whatever you're after.)

lostgame 8y ago

>> To suggest that a metalhead must be negative and violent because they listen to Cannibal Corpse is tantamount to saying that someone must be suicidal because they enjoy a good performance of Hamlet. You, sir, win the thread here. This comparison is both necessary and logical.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

brusch64 8y ago

There is a good song of a German singer / songwriter Funny van Dannen - "Menschenverachtende Untergrundmusik" (inhuman ? underground-music) which says basically the same thing. A German grindcore Band sang a cover version of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCYZdIna_s4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCYZdIna_s4 Google tranlate tranlates a part of the song to something like this: And because I'm always so peaceful, I need a bit of war to compensate and that's why I like listening alone to inhuman underground music, inhuman underground music.

tinmandespot 8y ago

Touche!!

lukev 8y ago

Also, since this thread/reply has gotten popular and the topic is a passion of mine, I'm going to unashamedly hijack it to link to a few of my favorite, more accessible bands in case anyone reading is curious and wants to explore more. These bands showcase most of what people like about death metal, are lyrically inoffensive (mostly) and with melodic structures that are accessible to newcomers to the genre. As such, they largely fall into the "melodic death metal" sub-subgenre. Yes, yes, I know I' get shit from people into more "real" death metal, but the point here is to provide an introduction. These particular samples even have largely intelligible growls. Amon Amarth - Highly melodic, viking-themed metal. Good fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARnBgW5XgSo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARnBgW5XgSo Insomnium - Intense but more melancholic, really showcases the emotional range available within the genre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZMWKCgvaDY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZMWKCgvaDY Dark Tranquillity - More modern sounding and philosophically themed, they are a personal favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjzDU7V7es https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjzDU7V7es Death - This is the band that started it all. Actually where Death Metal gets its name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbp60IX_jFQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbp60IX_jFQ

vibrato 8y ago
And Arch Enemy is currently the best band in the world!
- kuroguro 8y ago
  Nonsense, Alissa belongs to The Agonist! :)