The age old question: "Metal.... Why?"

[Cem]

I'll never understand it...

and so I come to you, the public, to answer my question:

"Why is metal so appealing to so many people in this day and age?"

At this point the percentages are: 43% mainstream hiphop and pop and hannah freaking montana; then it's 43% Metal and sub categories of metal; then it's like 12% the remaining modern genres and 3% classical.

*disclaimer: these statistics are all exagerations of my personal opinions, but I don't think they're THAT far from the truth either.

[Deleted]

Because it sounds good. Why the hell else would it be so appealing?

[Cem]

But what specifically draws you to it?
do you just like how loud and crouded it sounds?

[Deleted]

Jun 7, 2009 20:08:15 GMT -5 Cem said:

But what specifically draws you to it?
do you just like how loud and crouded it sounds?

Just the fact that is sounds good.. and I don't understand what you mean by 'loud and crowded'... well, maybe the loud part I understand. But crouded? I can't see how songs like One by Metallica, Highway to Hell by ACDC, or Thunderhorse by Deathklok are considered 'crouded'.. Unless you're calling having more then an acoustic and a singer 'crouded' then you don't exactly understand music..

tl;dr expand on 'crouded'

[Cem]

YOU sir have shamed me.
I now feel quite stupid and apologize.

But I guess I mean new metal. Where the Bass line is indistinguishable from any other part of the music.

Ugh this thread was dumb.

[Deleted]

Jun 7, 2009 20:20:58 GMT -5 Cem said:

YOU sir have shamed me.
I now feel quite stupid and apologize.

But I guess I mean new metal. Where the Bass line is indistinguishable from any other part of the music.

Ugh this thread was dumb.

Nothing to apologize for, lol. And the bass line being indistinguishable is more of a matter of if you have ears for music. In most music, I can listen to it for a second, and dissect it and hear whatever part I'm wanting to hear clearly. But then again, now that I understand what you mean by crouded, I wont disagree that there are many songs that I can't do that with being it's like we're suppose to be playing find waldo, instead we use our ears and waldo's the bass line/other musical instrument.

And I can't say this thread was dumb, it gave something to think about. Short thread though, if nobody else gives their input.

[Peytral]

Well, you can't really answer this question. Liking metal, and any other genre of music, is purely based on opinion. It's also kinda like how disco was extremely popular decades ago.

Or something. Personally, I don't really like metal all that much.

[Sonic]

It really is all a matter of opinion. I mean, I love metal, but I don't like death metal, 'cause that's all satanic growling for the most part, and you honestly can't understand a word they say, lol. Metal is also about pulling off heavy, technical riffs; it's a genre that a person has to practice a lot to get good at. So it only make me appreciate the music more when I hear a particularly kickass solo, 'cause I think to myself "It must've taken that guy a while to master that..." Another thing I value is if the singer actually has a decent singing voice, or is able to pull off a scream that doesn't sound like he's being thrown into a wood chipper. 'Cause you have all these dime a dozen bands that just scream incoherently while the music just bangs on without any rhythm. If you were referring to that than yeah, that can be considered crowded.

And this isn't a dumb thread. You got people to answer you, didn't you? lol

[Captain SpExtacular]

Jun 7, 2009 18:36:14 GMT -5 Cem said:

I'll never understand it...

and so I come to you, the public, to answer my question:

"Why is metal so appealing to so many people in this day and age?"

At this point the percentages are: 43% mainstream hiphop and pop and hannah freaking montana; then it's 43% Metal and sub categories of metal; then it's like 12% the remaining modern genres and 3% classical.

*disclaimer: these statistics are all exagerations of my personal opinions, but I don't think they're THAT far from the truth either.

The genre of heavy metal appeals to a target audience. It is not popular or mainstream by any means. It is aggressive, powerful, and truthful. Most of all Metal has soul. Any band worth anything puts their own experiences into their music, whether it is good, bad, or ugly. Because of this Metal is strait foreword and brutally honest about its message, making it not appeal to everyone, and thus not popular.

Within Metal there are many sub-genres such as
Classic Heavy Metal,
Thrash Metal,
Groove Metal,
Power Metal,
Death Metal,
Black Metal,
Neo-Classical Metal,
Epic Metal,
Symphonic Metal,
Melodic Death Metal,
Progressive Metal,
Technical Death Metal,
Stoner Metal,
Doom Metal,
Folk Metal,
Viking Metal,
Sludge Metal,
Experimental-Metal,
Pirate Metal,
Cello Metal,
Gothic Metal,
Speed Metal,
Nu-Metal,
Crust Punk,
Industrial Metal,
Rap Metal,
Funk Metal,
and Drone Metal.

Each of those sub-genres covers a multiple of emotions ranging from angry to sad and everything in-between. If you enjoy a form of Metal already as it is, chances are then there is another genre almost custom fitted for who you are.

Though still considered an underground genre, Metal has maintained its audience and is slowly beginning to take hold again in American culture. But overall not a lot of people listen to metal, and the few bands the do listen aren’t that great.

PS: I cannot stress how much Emo and Metal Core of any kind do not count as metal in my book.


Examples of different Metal
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[ShAuNmAn-X]

Good answer SpEx!
I prefer thrash, groove, and death metal for the most part because it reflects my moods and the guitar within those sub genres is godlike.