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Melodic death metal? WTF? I'm actually more of an electronic music fan, but they both suffer from the same disease: hundreds of sub-genres with less than 10 pr

by r3bl 11y ago

Melodic death metal? WTF? I'm actually more of an electronic music fan, but they both suffer from the same disease: hundreds of sub-genres with less than 10 producers/bands that can accurately represent them. I hate sub-genres of music.

self_awareness 11y ago
I actually like sub-genres, especially metal sub-genres. Death metal, melodic death metal, math metal, black metal, doom metal, death suicidal black metal, funeral metal, funeral doom, drone, heavy metal, power metal, viking metal, pagan metal, folk metal, vampire metal, gothic metal, catholic metal, brutal death metal, technical death metal, trash metal, sludge metal, all of them have more than 10 bands, can you imagine? :)
- v4n4d1s 11y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_subgenres https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_subgenres
JimmyM 11y ago
I think there is a similar core issue (not problem) in both mega-genres, that they tend towards extremity - so anything that represents a particular extremity (e.g. slow despair - Doom, guttural aggression - Death, shrieking hatred - Black) is obviously going to be identifiable. But then since they are defined by extremity, anything less than the most extreme examples or with more competing influences than the purest examples has to be classified in a different way. Hence melodic death metal, DSBM, post-black metal, sludge, grindcore, etc... Extremity also breeds community, so you get definitions influenced by the kinds of people who listen to them. Would you want a ton of people expecting gabber turning up to a generic hardcore night? It's a very different feel. Similarly you wouldn't want people who were expecting Depressive Suicidal Black Metal (DSBM) turning up to a second wave black metal gig. Personally I like sub-genres, I think they're useful for people.
bombtrack 11y ago
I've been a fan of metal for so long that I get such a kick out of seeing how non-fans react to it [0]. As far as metal sub-genres go, "melodic death metal" is about as standard as it gets. I could see why it seems ridiculous to outsiders, but in my brain it's processed just as normal as describing a sandwich as "peanut butter and jelly". I don't hate sub-genres as much as some people. I think they're useful and it can be fun to debate the merits of why one band fits into one or the other. It's no longer interesting and fun when people get elitist, exclusionary or militant about it though. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYCiTx7TwEI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYCiTx7TwEI

by r3bl 11y ago

self_awareness 11y ago

I actually like sub-genres, especially metal sub-genres. Death metal, melodic death metal, math metal, black metal, doom metal, death suicidal black metal, funeral metal, funeral doom, drone, heavy metal, power metal, viking metal, pagan metal, folk metal, vampire metal, gothic metal, catholic metal, brutal death metal, technical death metal, trash metal, sludge metal, all of them have more than 10 bands, can you imagine? :)

v4n4d1s 11y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_subgenres https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_subgenres

JimmyM 11y ago

I think there is a similar core issue (not problem) in both mega-genres, that they tend towards extremity - so anything that represents a particular extremity (e.g. slow despair - Doom, guttural aggression - Death, shrieking hatred - Black) is obviously going to be identifiable. But then since they are defined by extremity, anything less than the most extreme examples or with more competing influences than the purest examples has to be classified in a different way. Hence melodic death metal, DSBM, post-black metal, sludge, grindcore, etc... Extremity also breeds community, so you get definitions influenced by the kinds of people who listen to them. Would you want a ton of people expecting gabber turning up to a generic hardcore night? It's a very different feel. Similarly you wouldn't want people who were expecting Depressive Suicidal Black Metal (DSBM) turning up to a second wave black metal gig. Personally I like sub-genres, I think they're useful for people.

bombtrack 11y ago

I've been a fan of metal for so long that I get such a kick out of seeing how non-fans react to it [0]. As far as metal sub-genres go, "melodic death metal" is about as standard as it gets. I could see why it seems ridiculous to outsiders, but in my brain it's processed just as normal as describing a sandwich as "peanut butter and jelly". I don't hate sub-genres as much as some people. I think they're useful and it can be fun to debate the merits of why one band fits into one or the other. It's no longer interesting and fun when people get elitist, exclusionary or militant about it though. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYCiTx7TwEI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYCiTx7TwEI