Metal and Genre-Bending

The first metal song that I heard was 'Not Falling' by Mudvayne while watching this scary movie called Ghost Ship, which I loved. The song was perfect for that scene/movie and I remember wanting to find more about it. This was before your phone can just listen and tell you what song was playing so I had to get good at googling. Then when I watched the Saw movie franchise, they had a song called 'Forget to Remember' included in one of the movies and I was a fan. I did not like much of their older songs prior to 'Not Falling' and was hardly listening to anything ‘hard’ at the time. Now that I have heard some harder stuff hearing that song today it’s funny realizing how hard I thought their music was. I love Chad Grey’s scream and saw him live a few times when he was with HELLYEAH and those were fun concerts. One of which was a new years show which was fun. 

Their vibe was a lot different than my favorite band growing up that I was used to hearing when it came to rock music which was Tool. I really liked how it’s more than just music when it comes to them and there always seemed to be more than meets the eye when it came to their music, especially Maynard. I always identified with his weirdness.

This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality

Embrace this moment, remember, we are eternal

All this pain is an illusion

~Parabola by Tool

While I love the band, I hate most of their crazy fans. They are talented but I am not obsessed. Though I did get a really large poster of their 10,000 days artwork and other merch. Trying to get tickets to their concerts are a nightmare and you have to be super lucky or you will miss out. One year I was so desperate to go, I tried to get on it early to get tickets and they were sold out before I had a chance and were being resold for ridiculous prices. Apparently, their concert tickets usually sell out quickly and I just didn’t know. I was determined to go though and figured I would wait until it got closer to the day of the concert hoping to get tickets.

The day of the concert came and I found a craigslist post of someone who had an extra ticket from a friend who cancelled and, thankfully, they ended up being really cool and did not make me pay for the ticket. The concert had already started when I got there but I was just glad to be there and experience a Tool concert for the first time. I couldn’t believe I was hearing them live. When they came to town again, I was better prepared to score tickets so I could see the full show. I have always related with their music and sound. They really showcase music as an art form, which is what sets them apart from other bands in my opinion.

I am surrendering to gravity and the unknown

Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the sun

I choose to live

~Gravity by A Perfect Circle

As I get older, I found myself identifying more with A Perfect Circle than Tool, at least lyrically. The song Judith and Passive I really like but the one I most identify with is called TalkTalk from their 2018 release Eat the Elephant. It really showcases how I feel about many people who say they are religious. I found that Maynard more clearly lets you know how he feels in A Perfect Circle than in Tool. Going as far as to name a song after his mother, who was the topic of many his other songs. I don’t count Tool or any other project he does ‘metal’ but rock. This is just the closest I had to metal for a long while.

I also found I really liked this band called Chevelle and I learned that the lead singer was heavily influenced by Maynard, which you can hear in how he sings. Similar to Chad Gray, I liked how their lead singer screams. I remember being in high school and listening to their album Wonder What’s Next and how it helped get me through. I really loved their sound and still do. Same thing with Deftones, though I did not devour them as much as Chevelle. There is something about the way they all sing it is just so haunting and beautiful, with a subtle rough edge to it. Oh, and the song Passenger is just too perfect. Their voices meld and fade in and out together so well. I remember the first time hearing that song and it was epic. I got to see Chevelle live and realized how much noise they make for 3 dudes. I know many of their songs and was able to scream along, which was fun. I love going to concerts and theirs was no exception.

You're waiting on miracles

We're bleeding out

Thoughts and prayers

Adorable (Crisis)

Like cake in a crisis

~TalkTalk by A Perfect Circle

Although the metal and rock genre are mostly male a dominated genre, there are a few bands that feature female artists that I really love. It really makes me happy when I find a girl in a band who can rock out just as hard. I know some people who do not care much for girl rock/metal groups and I can understand that. In 2016 I found this band called Amaranthe, which just looking at the band you might expect another Evanescence. But by listening you realize they are much more. I found them way better with a totally different sound/vibe. 

Although not really typical ‘metal’, I really like how they blend rock and electronic/pop and make it upbeat. You can’t be sad while listening to their music, unlike Evanescence. The lead singer, Elize, is gorgeous and I love her voice. My husband and I went with a friend to see them live in 2017 and even batman made an appearance and rocked out with us (pictured above)! I had a great time seeing them live and I want to see them again. 

They are from Sweden and have actually been around now since 2011. I was surprised by how many albums they already had by the time I discovered them. Also realizing they have 6 members in the band, with 3 doing vocals only. Elize does the main clean vocals and there is a guy who does clean vocals and a guy who does unclean vocals. And the way they blend all of them into a song is great. If you want to give their sound a test, I would suggest to check out a song called Maximize. 

My husband and I loved their music so much we had one of their song’s played at our wedding. While scrolling through their music videos on YouTube I come across this video- which is the exact song we used. I love it so much. That made me tear up.. I love how music connects us in small ways.

There is an all-girl metal band called Conquer Divide where they scream and when I first heard them, I swear I thought it was a dude screaming but then I watched a music video of theirs and was proven wrong. I have listened to a few other songs of theirs and am really impressed with them. I don’t know much about them and they are still new to me but I like their sound. Here is the music video I saw.

Another band to check out with a scream that will surprise you is a band called The HellFreaks and I actually stumbled on their music video for Weeping Willow while browsing YouTube for a different one and they got my attention. After seeing and hearing that I was very impressed. The video includes blood so if you do no like that then you might want to avoid the music video but here is a link to it- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrM6Yq6rcSs&ab_channel=NapalmRecords. 

From Metal there are many subgenre’s that stem off from that, one of which I have discovered a liking for is industrial metal. The first one that comes to mind is one my husband introduced me to called Rammstein, which I really enjoy their sound even if I have no idea what they are saying sometimes. The more I listen, the more I learn of the language and how it sounds. I know much of it is ridiculous and I don’t take seriously at all but there are a few songs that really stand out to me. Sonne is a special one to me and I almost have some of it memorized. 

I was able to see them live when they came to the states in 2012 and they were great. I kept a list of all songs they played live, which included Sonne and Du Hast, and quite a few well known songs. I think it was a weekday but it turned out to be a good thing because once at the stadium there were not as many lower level higher priced seats sold so they moved everyone from the upper levels closer to the stage. Concerts are so exciting. Another industrial band I recommend that really scratches the itch is called 3TEETH. Finding them in 2020 made me rediscover this genre outside of just Rammstein or Rob Zombie. If you want to try them out, I suggest the song Slum Planet.

One big thing that I love about rock and metal just as a whole emulates the idea of ‘there is more than meets the eye’. The lyrics I have heard to some rock and metal songs are some of the darkest, deepest, most human things I have heard. They are not fake or made up but experienced and lived. Not even old school country could top some lines I have heard. It really does remind me that we are all human and share many of the same emotions. Even the dark ones. 

I think sometimes we get scared and feel ashamed of an emotion because it felt wrong or bad to feel them when they are meant to be felt and worked through. That is what music helps for me. Sometimes I just need validation and did not know I needed it. Sometimes just by listening to music it can offer all the release you need, if you let it. I feel so many things listening to music.

Today we shall no longer live in shame and regret

Of our inability to coexist in accord with nature

We must embrace our superior position upon this planet

And recognize it as a resource for our disposal

~Slum Planet by 3Teeth and Mick Gordon

Metal is not always dark and gloomy though. Not at all. I think that is biggest assumption when it comes to metal is it’s all negative and deep but I actually love when metal bands do not take themselves seriously at all. Every metal band is different and sing about different topics with varying degrees of seriousness. 

I found this German metal band called We Butter The Bread With Butter and their song ‘20 km/h’ is about riding in their scooter and how fast it can go. I love it. Even their name is crazy and I am about it. This other band called Powerwolf is amazing vocally (he is classically trained) but they sing about being werewolves and vampires. Just Google them and tell me that they take themselves seriously. If you see them they have on white make up like they are vampires and someone looking at their song titles might be concerned if they took them seriously but they are really just having a good time doing their own thing and not harming anyone.

Another subgenre of metal called Hardcore is different in distinct ways. Many of the bands have a very chaotic nature to them, even more so than usual. The time signatures change a lot between hard, soft, fast then slow, then build up to a breakdown. Sometimes it will make you think the song changed to a different artist but then you realize no it is the same one. Some people might not like that but I kind of like the chaotic nature of the music. It leaves you never knowing what to expect, which is some I love about genre-bending artists and songs. 

There is one in particular called The Browning with a similar sound to Amaranthe in that they blend metal and electronic, though The Browning is less poppy. The way they blend metal and electronic elements blows my mind. I have yet to find another group like them and I do keep searching. The best song that really encompasses their sounds is called Gravedigger. It starts out with the beat and slows down almost to a stop just to bring it back again just like techno songs. I highly recommend them. I am still learning to decipher what exactly the lead singer is saying in some of their songs but reading their lyrics they are about some real stuff that anyone can identify. Disconnect lyrics below talk about this generation of technology obsessed generation.

A whole generation disconnected, minds infected, souls rejected.

Everybody losing track of what respect is.

Overly obsessed with image, no perspective.

A whole room full of white screens and black souls.

Like cattle staring down into a black hole.

~Disconnected by The Browning

I am especially intrigued about how they got the idea of blending metal and techno. Like the type of songs that I used to hear at rave clubs I attended in the past that make you get up and stomp. They are about to come out with their new album and it sounds so good. I just realized while watching a podcast with the lead singer and he has a separate group with their wife who is featured on their song OMNI, which is kinda cool. Now they get to have their wife on tour with them. 

I am very impressed with their new stuff so far starting with Poison, released September of last year with their last album since then released 2021. I really vibe with their lyrics as well, new and old. They are uplifting in a way and very raw. I have yet to see them live and I cannot wait. I found on YouTube where he is recording his vocal and I learned that he does his vocals on the inhale so that is why it sounds so unique. The way the music blends together is so perfect. Here it is if you want to check it out- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZGcGjjeAPQ

I am really into anything that doesn’t fit into the typical genre sound, anything that pushes the box of the genre. It seems like I am starting to see more and more blending of genres, which makes me happy. When Lil Nas X blended country and rap/hip hop that made me happy and it seems like country is taking a new sound and evolving as a genre to something different. 

Killed off religion and made up a new one

Where no one can question at all if it's ever your fault

Ayy, what's that called? I can't recall

Oh yeah, you're in a cult

~TokSik by STARSET

Music is meant to change with the times and not be so one dimensional. Plus, everyone has different music tastes so there is an audience for everything. I think it is really too bad that metal and rock as a whole gets stereotyped as this something negative. Every time I go to a rock or metal show there is always the nicest people and they tend to look out for each other. There is so much we can learn from rock and metal bands if only we gave them a listen but no clearly if you listen to one metal song it will make you want to go homicidal when it can actually be cathartic or hella validating. It is all in how you use it. I don’t believe any type of music is bad.

Another hardcore band I really like and have seen  live now twice, though one time we had to leave early so I don’t count it as much. The band is called Upon a Burning Body and they are actually from Texas as well so another reason I love their music. They had a really fun live show and I could tell they are a great group of guys and the lead singer I find really attractive. They brought out a corn hole game and were letting any kids from the audience win something really easily, which they didn’t have to do. Their music is very energetic and fun. Usually not dark but they released a song this year called Another Ghost about addiction and it is different for their sound but I love it.  I highly recommend it- 

Face your fears and reap the reward

Nothing in life worth having comes easy

So let go of the life you've known

Don't let fear control

~Extermination by Upon a Burning Body

I found this playlist on Spotify called Rocktronic I have been following for a while. Recently there was this image of the featured artist HVDES and I decided to give a listen. I discovered she had just released an album with a black horse on it, which intrigued me so I listened to her song called House of Cards (Paper Castles) and it is so good. I had no idea it was exactly what I was looking for. I really enjoy the message of the song Don’t You Dare Go Hollow. 

I am really happy to see more and more female vocalists in different genres you would not expect reminding everyone that metal and rock is not just a man’s genre. I started a playlist specifically for female metal artists or bands with at least one female in their lineup called FemMetal. Stumbling around on the internet I found a website under the same name, https://femmetal.rocks/ 

I love just stumbling around onto music. There was once I was looking for this song called Rings of Saturn and I stumbled on this band by the same name so I decided to give some of their songs a listen and I ended up liking one a lot. If you want to give it a listen its called The Macrocosm. It looks like they also have instrumentals of their music. Sometimes I am not feeling lyrics and just want melody or the rhythm. Lyrics can be too distracting sometimes and are not always necessary. I think it would be a really fun experience to go on tour or travel with a band. I could never do it but it’s fun to imagine.

The band A Day to Remember blows my mind. I remember listening to them for the first time and their sound goes from sounding like some emo teen song to some heavy breakdowns and hardcore guttural metal screams peppered throughout. One of my favorites from them is called Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End. The breakdown on that song is great. 

It is crazy to realize it is the same guy singing. I had to look up to make sure that was correct (didn’t want to credit the wrong person) and on their Wikipedia page it mentions ‘Self Help Fest’ which is called that because most concertgoers at their shows feel like the music is really helping them. They made a good point by stating that, at the end of the day, isn’t that what music is supposed to be about anyway? Which I could not agree more.

The more I learn about metal bands doing things like this and talking about mental health more I think there is a reason why there is stigma against it. For the longest time rock was seen as the ‘devils music’, but I think the fears are unfounded. I can understand if the certain aspects of the genre are not your cup of tea. 

I used to not be into any bands that had any screaming in it at all but that is no longer true and I am glad because then I would not have heard the bands that I have. I am glad that I have stayed open to trying new music and bands. I love learning about how genre’s and bands came about. Every music artist has their own story that someone somewhere can identify with.

A band included with one of those ‘Self Help Fest’ is called Motionless in White and their sound is crazy good as well, though in a totally different way. I find myself frequently impressed by them. Each song of theirs has a different influence which you can hear as each song plays if you listen closely. I have heard influences from Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Korn, Rob Zombie, and they even do a cover of Rammstein’s Du Hast which I actually really dig. I hope to see them live one day as I imagine they are great live. They have such versatility with their sound, which I really vibe with because I often get tired of the same sound.

What makes a band a rock band versus a metal band? Well, if there are any extended guitar solos or a major breakdown then probably metal, and definitely metal if they randomly go BLEGH! in the song. But do genre’s really matter? Or are genre’s simply labels we make up as we go? It seems like more and more I see music artists breaking down barriers and blending their music where it is hard to tell which genre it fits into so it becomes a genre all its own. This makes me happy to see. 

Many people I have met either like country, rock or rap or hip hop but usually never all 3 which is crazy because metal, being a subgenre of rock, has its roots in blues, R&B, and country. As I am looking around in Spotify more, I am finding bands that sound very much like classic bluesy psychedelic music and it gives me hope for what the future holds in music. 

Politicians hide themselves away

They only started the war

Why should they go out to fight?

They leave that role to the poor

~War Pigs by Black Sabbath

Added 10/21- I watched the induction of Ozzy Osbourne to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame yesterday on Disney Plus and it made me want to re-listen to his stuff today as well as Cher as I honestly hadn’t in forever. I played the song ‘War Pigs’ and remembered at work during a team building activity my group being called the War Pigs and my boss played it every time it was our turn. I am reading the lyrics now it gives me hope all over again. I think Maynard was invited to sing one of Ozzy's songs and I totally felt for him as his voice is not the same range as Ozzy’s and he has never liked being in the spotlight or understood the obsession with lead singers specifically. I can understand because honestly, I did not recognize many names of the talented guitars players who played on stage during the show, which makes me sad because every member of a band is important and should be remembered. Also, the Browning is about to release a new album and what they have so far is.. golden. I cannot wait for the full release and tour? I have already seen some concerts next year that I am interested in. 

 All that stuff about heavy metal and hard rock, I don't subscribe to any of that. It's all just music. I mean, the heavy metal from the Seventies sounds nothing like the stuff from the Eighties, and that sounds nothing like the stuff from the Nineties. Who's to say what is and isn't a certain type of music? ~Ozzy Osbourne