What is Heavy Metal?
1.
Contrary to about 400 of the definitions already listed here, Heavy Metal has nothing to do with Marilyn Manson. Heavy Metal is a genre of music inspired by American Blues music, in which people began to exploit the characteristics of the electric guitar to create louder, more discordant sounds. Heavy Metal is characterized by fast tempo, agressive rythm, and grandoise lyrics, often involving such themes as drug abuse, death, or political issues.
Megadeth, Metallica, Judas Priest = Metal
Marilyn manson, Linkin Park, rapcore music = Not Metal
2.
A type of music that most people like better than rap, according to thumbs up/down votes in the rap and heavy metal catagory. see for you self
No comment in this area///
3.
Probably the most controversial of all rock music for its lyrics and image. Its loud, aggressive music and characterized by the electric guitar play the central role in the music backed up with vocals, drumming and base. It branched off of psychedelic music and blues rock in the 60's. The original heavy metal band is no doubt Black Sabbath and it has been going on for 30-35 years.
The idealogy of the music is very romantic which means it is a praise of imagination, emotion and fantasy. Another central theme heavy metal obsessed apon is chaos which involves mental illness, confusion, war, hell demons and what not. Bands go at this theme to find excitement within it or deep personal and emotional involvement or it can be the band reflecting on the human condition from the outside. Finally, the prime reason of its controversy is its anti-Jeudo Christian imagery and themes like Satan, hell and evil. Like written earlier, metal bands make songs about evil because it goes back to chaos. Also, Jeudo-Chrisitanity is the very foundation of Western civilization and making negative (or anti) songs about it means it is the ultimate rebellion. She further explains why they make songs about evil to question society what is really profane. Yes, but there are still bands who use satanic imagery simply as a gimmick to look rebellious or simply just having fun being offensive. There are some themes of hedonism themes (sex, drugs, rock & roll etc) as praise or sometimes negative criticism. And some metal bands do start bands to blow off teen angst just like any other type of rock music. But the difference is, heavy metal is against the idea of rebellion to be cool and hip. So, understand there is more to heavy metal music than the old, tired "kill your mother/rape your dog" stereotypes.
It has branched out into many sub-genres over the years. It started in the early 70s with traditional metal and then New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWBHM in short), then thrash metal and hair metal in the 80s. 2 children sub-genres Black metal and death metal arose in the late 80s from the parent thrash metal. The 90's is considered the depression of heavy metal when its popularity started to die down. Nu-metal/rapcore, which only a few of them should be considered heavy metal at all, became popular in the mainstream. Doom metal were born in the underground then in the shadow. Now in the 00's, metalcore bands are hitting mainstream while most nu-metal bands popularity withered away.
traditional metal - Black Sabbath and Judas Priest
New Wave Of British Heavy Metal - Iron Maiden and Judas Priest
thrash/speed metal - Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax, Sepultura, Overkill, Megadeth, and Kreator
hair metal - Motley Crew, Kiss, Poison, and Whitesnake
black metal - Burzum, Emperor, Mayhem, Enslaved and Dark Funeral
death metal - Death, The Possesed, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower and Dying Fetus
nu-metal (most nu-metal shouldnt be even counted as heavy metal) - Korn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, and Linkin Park
doom metal - Cathedral, Katatonia, Theatre of Tragedy and My Dying Bride
sludgecore - Crowbar, Eyehategod, Soilent Green and Iron Monkey
power metal - Manowar, Blind Guardian, Primal Fear and Memory Guardian
modern metal (or groove metal) - Pantera, Pissing Razors, Machine Head and Skinlab
metalcore - Lamb of God, Caliban, Killswitch Engage, and Annubus Rising
4.
gold, lead, platinum, mercury, etc...
This gold chain around my neck is so heavy I can't stand.
5.
Pretty much everyone who bashed metal here has probably only listened to false bands like Slipknot. Most of the definitions about how metal sucks were extremley biased. Because I'm bored, I'm going to dissect this bullshit definition.
"Can you sing about something else besides Satan?"
Groups like Nuclear Assault and Sacred Reich sang about the government and war. In fact, I don't even think those bands sing any songs that go like "HAIL SATAN!". There's other bands who sing about that too. I've also heard many other metal songs about ancient Egypt, medievel times, etc etc (most notabley with Iron Maiden)
"Can you sing at all?"
Rob Halford can hit a 5th octave. Nuff said. Oh and I also suggest Iron Maiden, Edguy, Dream Theater, Hammerfall, Blind Guardian, Helloween...
"Can you not be such goth fucktards?"
Goth fucktards? Leather, spikes, and chains are hardly gothic. Gothic metal is it's own genre, and I'm not referring to "z0mg im so gawthik" bands like Slipknot and Korn, I'm talking about bands like Type-O-Negative, Paradise Lost, etc.
"Can you focus more on music and maybe write some non-retarded lyrics and maybe get someone who can actually sing to sing them?"
Again, using Iron Maiden as an example, alot of their songs are about history, and they aren't the only ones who do so...and refer to the list of bands above who can actually sing.
"Can you make it a little more normal and a little less like goth vampire shit?"
Refer to what I said about gothic metal
"Can you make it a little more closer to rock & roll?"
I hear alot of influences from early rock and roll in groups like Raven, Motorhead, Anvil, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Exciter.
"Can you go five seconds without mentioning Satan?"
Refer to my first answer.
"^And why the fuck do you do that anyways in the first place?"
Bands who DO sing about Satan do it for the same effect as a horror movie. Sure, some if it is cheesy as hell (like Venom for example), but that doesn't mean theres anything wrong with enjoying it.
"Do you even know the difference between something that sounds like shit and noise and mud vs. something that actually sounds good?"
That's a little subjective now...
Before you bash heavy metal, look more into it...
See
6.
An excellent animated movie based on the Magazine. The original far outshines it's sequel, Heavy Metal 2000.
Heavy Metal is a great movie, even if it is old and cheap looking.
See
7.
A song by Judas Priest, one of the pioneers of heavy metal.
I hate you.
See
