A common misconception that I see advertised across less-cultured corners of the online metal community is that "metalcore is not metal." This is astonishing to me, considering the differences between Lady Gaga and, say... Converge. If anyone tries to look me in the eyes and claim that Converge isn't metal because of the suffix -core, that may prompt a punch to the gut. So why did this misconception become so widespread? Well it is due, in part, to the arrival of melodic metalcore. Commonly used synonymously with metalcore, melodic metalcore is actually quite different from its predecessor.
If metalcore, sometimes known now as "metallic hardcore" to make up for this genre confusion, is hardcore punk with metal tendencies, then melodic metalcore is metal with hardcore tendencies. Taking influence particularly from thrash metal and melodic death metal, melodic metalcore is a much more technically proficient, musically-minded substitute in comparison to metalcore's raw, chunky riffage and aggressive beatdowns. While maintaining the hardcore-influence through midtempo breakdowns, melodic metalcore focuses significantly more on standard song structures and have choruses in which clean vocals are used.
The genre began in the late '90s with bands like Shadows Fall, Darkest Hour, Unearth, All That Remains, God Forbid, Prayer for Cleansing, and Killswitch Engage, but it took until the early 2000s for these bands to really gain traction and release their now-quintessential works. The style boomed after this early surge of bands, with major releases and relatively mainstream success coming from subsequent bands such as Atreyu, As I Lay Dying, Avenged Sevenfold, Parkway Drive, Trivium, August Burns Red, and Bullet for My Valentine, among others. It's here where our core misconception was established. Progressive metalcore bands like Protest the Hero, Between the Buried and Me, SikTh, and The Human Abstract also began to arrive on the scene.
A handful of these bands, most notably Atreyu and Bullet for My Valentine, made use of whinier, more emo-tinged clean vocals, often singing of lyrical themes more prevalent in emo, pop punk, and post-hardcore such as breakups. This would continue on as the genre became more and more popular: the late 2000s brought bands like The Devil Wears Prada, A Day to Remember, Bring Me the Horizon, blessthefall, and Asking Alexandria into the fray, which, combined with the onset of things such as Warped Tour, resulted in a wave of "scene" listeners, primarily of a younger audience. This negatively associated the genre with the "teenybopper label," despite many of the bands that had originated the style still being relatively respected and enjoyed by "true metalheads." It is important to note that public reception and subjective opinion has no legitimate correlation to musical quality, as I enjoy many of the bands that are considered "non-metal" by elitist crowds.
Recommended '00s melodic metalcore listening:
1. Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
2. Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance (2002)
3. Unearth - The Oncoming Storm (2004)
4. Protest the Hero - Kezia (2006)
5. Darkest Hour - Deliver Us (2007)
The 2000s also brought about two significant subgenres of melodic metalcore. The first to surface was nintendocore, an offshoot of melodic metalcore that took influence from video game music, particularly chiptune and bit music. It often is a melting pot of melodic metalcore, post-hardcore, mathcore, and noise rock sensibilities, with bands sometimes being far more abrasive than many of their melodic metalcore counterparts. Lyrical themes are often gaming references, and full of tongue-in-cheek early internet-era humor. The most popular of these artists would have to be HORSE the Band, though others such as Sky Eats Airplane, Totally Radd!!, Iamerror, I Shot the Duck Hunt Dog, Heccra, and Random Encounter.
Recommended nintendocore listening:
1. Totally Radd!! - Shark Attack Day Camp (2004)
2. Sky Eats Airplane - Sky Eats Airplane (2006)
3. HORSE the Band - Desperate Living (2009)
4. Monomate - Grand Battle (2010)
5. Heccra - Heccra-Kazooie (2013)
The other, more prominently-featured melodic metalcore offshoot of this time was trancecore. Sometimes referred to as electrocore, electronicore, and most infamously crabcore, trancecore mixed aspects of melodic metalcore with trance, pop punk, synthpop and a plethora of other genres as well. Being rooted in electronic dance music, trancecore was far more accessible and catchy than some of the earlier waves of melodic metalcore (and most metal in general). As a result, many of the bands blew up in popularity such as Enter Shikari, Attack Attack!, We Came as Romans, The Word Alive, Asking Alexandria, I See Stars, Crossfaith, and Jamie's Elsewhere.
Recommended trancecore listening:
1. Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies (2007)
2. Attack Attack! - Someday Came Suddenly (2008)
3. We Came as Romans - To Plant a Seed (2009)
4. Asking Alexandria - Stand Up and Scream (2009)
5. The Word Alive - Deceiver (2010)
In the 2010s, melodic metalcore began to tie itself closer to its metallic hardcore relative. Bands that had previously or concurrently established themselves as hardcore-influenced metal acts also found ways to include melodic choruses and passages, blending the styles in a seamless fashion. Among these were While She Sleeps, Erra, Architects, Wage War, Phinehas, Bury Tomorrow, Miss May I, Ice Nine Kills, and melodic hardcore giants Counterparts. Other lesser-known artists took the reigns on developing their own sounds such as Silent Civilian, Malrun, and Times of Grace. Many giants of the genre jumped ship in favor of more alternative metal-centric sounds such as All That Remains and Avenged Sevenfold, but others continued to grow and thrive in their own ways, with Parkway Drive and August Burns Red laying considerable claim on the metalcore community at large.
Recommended '10s melodic metalcore listening:
1. While She Sleeps - This is the Six (2012)
2. August Burns Red - Rescue & Restore (2013)
3. Erra - Augment (2013)
4. Architects - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (2016)
5. Counterparts - Nothing Left to Love (2019)
As quickly as "true metal fans" are to discredit music that's catchy or appeals to a wider audience, melodic metalcore stands as a testament as to why progression in music doesn't always mean becoming more underground. Listening to death metal and black metal bands like Cannibal Corpse or Mayhem, one would never really guess that metal-related things could ever reach as wide of an audience as these melodic metalcore bands have. Music serves to inspire, to reach out with whatever message the listener needs to hear. To some, Avenged Sevenfold's Waking the Fallen may be a first step towards a life of metal listening. I know it was mine. Without these bands to bridge the gap between popular music and underground metal, a good chunk of today's modern fanbase may not exist. It's up to music like this to continue to innovate, to initiate a wake of new metal listeners.
Note: Hello all! It's bittersweet to inform you all that this is the last entry of Zach Buddie's Guide to Metal... It seems as though I've covered, in a general sense, all there is to cover. Of course, there's always going to be more music, there will always be bands that I miss, and there will always be new innovation that could lead to all-new genres! But for now, it's time for me to continue onward. With that being said, I might take up another project: a guide to alternative music, of sorts. I've been getting into a lot more post-punk, dream pop, shoegaze and the like... perhaps I'd take on that challenge sometime. Who's to say? But for now, thank you all so very much for reading, I hope you've enjoyed listening to things you may not have listened to before!
~Zach
Friday, May 15, 2020
Friday, May 1, 2020
Symphonic Metal
Symphonic metal is a difficult genre to pin down. Most, if not all, styles of metal (or music in general) can easily have the 'symphonic' title bestowed upon it somewhere, as long as symphonic or orchestral elements are utilized in an otherwise unexpected formula. Does simply making use of non-guitar stringed instruments define an entire genre?
Symphonic metal, sometimes known as orchestral metal, operatic metal, or (in more specific cases) "cello metal," is at its core a style of metal that takes major influences from the instrumentation of Western classical music. It has its roots in symphonic rock, progressive rock, and the epic grandeur of 1990s power metal, though has since become equally as affixed to the conventions of gothic metal as well, sometimes to the point of lumping the genre terms together synonymously. Despite this misconception, symphonic metal can just as easily be applied to extreme metal subgenres like death metal and black metal. Vocals are a key element to symphonic metal, with bands often utilizing what's called as a "beauty and the beast" vocal style, with an operatic female vocalist juxtaposed against a more gruff male vocalist. Choirs are also commonly used.
In the early 1990s, symphonic metal was a power metal offshoot. Bands like X Japan, Angra, Kamelot, Royal Hunt, Thundercross, Nightwish, and arguably most famously Rhapsody all solidified the orchestra as a valuable tool in their metal quests. But where power metal bands were using symphonies to accentuate their grandiosity, gothic metal bands like Lacrimosa and Estatic Fear were using it to cloak the listener in an enveloping gloom, a darkness akin to that of doom metal. Also of note was the death metal band Therion, which began to heavily rely on symphonic and orchestral elements as well. As the decade progressed, symphonic black metal began to arise, taking hold as its own animal. Bands like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Arcturus, Summoning, and Diabolical Masquerade took notes from the symphonic gothic metal immediately preceding them, and used the darkness of the orchestra to create an icy, windblown sonic landscape.
Recommended '90s symphonic metal:
1. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)
2. Therion - Theli (1996)
3. Nightwish - Oceanborn (1998)
4. Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands (1998)
5. Summoning - Stronghold (1999)
In the 2000s, all four of these main branches of symphonic metal continued to spread. The core sound of symphonic metal began to bloom in this era, with bands like Nightwish leading the charge for operatic metal superstars such as Within Temptation, Epica, and Delain. The power metal of Rhapsody continues onward, as well as newcomers like Dark Moor, Cain's Offering, and Shaman. Symphonic gothic metal saw the appearance of Sirenia and After Forever. Therion had since moved away from their initial death metal sound, but bands like Hollenthon, Septicflesh, Eternal Tears of Sorrow, and Fleshgod Apocalypse quickly move in to take up the symphonic death metal torch. Symphonic black metal continued to thrive as well, with major contributions from artists like Sigh, Anorexia Nervosa, and the established greats of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth. Arcturus moved away from the black metal sound in favor of a progressive metal and avant-garde metal-oriented style. Also of note is the surge of symphonic elements in folk metal music, such as that of Turisas.
Recommended '00s symphonic metal listening:
1. Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory (2000)
2. Therion - Secret of the Runes (2001)
3. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (2002)
4. Nightwish - Once (2004)
5. Septicflesh - Communion (2008)
As far as the 2010s go, it seems as though most of the fundamental four of the symphonic metal genre crossovers have only continued to improve upon themselves. First off, symphonic death metal is (in my opinion) the strongest of the main four to begin with, and Septicflesh's constant pouring out of quality material is a beautiful representation of why this sound just works so well. Symphonic power metal came back in a big way as well, with plenty of new blood in the form of Dragonland, Orion's Reign, Orden Ogan, Ancient Bards, Gloryhammer, Light Bringer, and Pathfinder, to name a few. Symphonic black metal continues to thrive with bands such as Carach Angren, Shade Empire, Aquilus, and Caladan Brood. Symphonic gothic metal, however, seems to have fallen by the wayside, becoming more and more enveloped in the prevailing "pure" symphonic style of Epica, Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation, who have since incorporated alternative metal aspects into their sound. Speaking of alternative metal, the brief fluttering success of Apocalyptica (the band with the label "cello metal") also saw for a surge in symphonic metal in the mainstream eye. Symphonic progressive metal like Myrath and Wilderun, as well as symphonic folk metal like Equilibrium and Wintersun, both have solidified themselves as powerful forces in the symphonic metal system by now as well.
Recommended '10s symphonic metal listening:
1. Septicflesh - The Great Mass (2011)
2. Dragonland - Under the Grey Banner (2011)
3. Carach Angren - Where the Corpses Sink Forever (2012)
4. Epica - The Quantum Enigma (2014)
5. Wilderun - Veil of Imagination (2019)
Overall, symphonic metal has established itself as its own animal within the metal scene, but it does so in an almost viral way; weaving itself in and out of other pre-existing metal genres, and leaving its mark with a grand presence that few styles of metal can equal. From its subtle haunting choirs to its full-fledged orchestras, symphonic metal will continue to innovate and integrate into the cracks and crevices of the metal world for years to come.
Note: Hey all! Sorry this is a bit of a shorter one, but it's finals week... I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there, good luck to those finishing up their semesters, and thank you for reading!
Symphonic metal, sometimes known as orchestral metal, operatic metal, or (in more specific cases) "cello metal," is at its core a style of metal that takes major influences from the instrumentation of Western classical music. It has its roots in symphonic rock, progressive rock, and the epic grandeur of 1990s power metal, though has since become equally as affixed to the conventions of gothic metal as well, sometimes to the point of lumping the genre terms together synonymously. Despite this misconception, symphonic metal can just as easily be applied to extreme metal subgenres like death metal and black metal. Vocals are a key element to symphonic metal, with bands often utilizing what's called as a "beauty and the beast" vocal style, with an operatic female vocalist juxtaposed against a more gruff male vocalist. Choirs are also commonly used.
In the early 1990s, symphonic metal was a power metal offshoot. Bands like X Japan, Angra, Kamelot, Royal Hunt, Thundercross, Nightwish, and arguably most famously Rhapsody all solidified the orchestra as a valuable tool in their metal quests. But where power metal bands were using symphonies to accentuate their grandiosity, gothic metal bands like Lacrimosa and Estatic Fear were using it to cloak the listener in an enveloping gloom, a darkness akin to that of doom metal. Also of note was the death metal band Therion, which began to heavily rely on symphonic and orchestral elements as well. As the decade progressed, symphonic black metal began to arise, taking hold as its own animal. Bands like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Arcturus, Summoning, and Diabolical Masquerade took notes from the symphonic gothic metal immediately preceding them, and used the darkness of the orchestra to create an icy, windblown sonic landscape.
Recommended '90s symphonic metal:
1. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)
2. Therion - Theli (1996)
3. Nightwish - Oceanborn (1998)
4. Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands (1998)
5. Summoning - Stronghold (1999)
In the 2000s, all four of these main branches of symphonic metal continued to spread. The core sound of symphonic metal began to bloom in this era, with bands like Nightwish leading the charge for operatic metal superstars such as Within Temptation, Epica, and Delain. The power metal of Rhapsody continues onward, as well as newcomers like Dark Moor, Cain's Offering, and Shaman. Symphonic gothic metal saw the appearance of Sirenia and After Forever. Therion had since moved away from their initial death metal sound, but bands like Hollenthon, Septicflesh, Eternal Tears of Sorrow, and Fleshgod Apocalypse quickly move in to take up the symphonic death metal torch. Symphonic black metal continued to thrive as well, with major contributions from artists like Sigh, Anorexia Nervosa, and the established greats of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth. Arcturus moved away from the black metal sound in favor of a progressive metal and avant-garde metal-oriented style. Also of note is the surge of symphonic elements in folk metal music, such as that of Turisas.
Recommended '00s symphonic metal listening:
1. Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory (2000)
2. Therion - Secret of the Runes (2001)
3. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (2002)
4. Nightwish - Once (2004)
5. Septicflesh - Communion (2008)
As far as the 2010s go, it seems as though most of the fundamental four of the symphonic metal genre crossovers have only continued to improve upon themselves. First off, symphonic death metal is (in my opinion) the strongest of the main four to begin with, and Septicflesh's constant pouring out of quality material is a beautiful representation of why this sound just works so well. Symphonic power metal came back in a big way as well, with plenty of new blood in the form of Dragonland, Orion's Reign, Orden Ogan, Ancient Bards, Gloryhammer, Light Bringer, and Pathfinder, to name a few. Symphonic black metal continues to thrive with bands such as Carach Angren, Shade Empire, Aquilus, and Caladan Brood. Symphonic gothic metal, however, seems to have fallen by the wayside, becoming more and more enveloped in the prevailing "pure" symphonic style of Epica, Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation, who have since incorporated alternative metal aspects into their sound. Speaking of alternative metal, the brief fluttering success of Apocalyptica (the band with the label "cello metal") also saw for a surge in symphonic metal in the mainstream eye. Symphonic progressive metal like Myrath and Wilderun, as well as symphonic folk metal like Equilibrium and Wintersun, both have solidified themselves as powerful forces in the symphonic metal system by now as well.
Recommended '10s symphonic metal listening:
1. Septicflesh - The Great Mass (2011)
2. Dragonland - Under the Grey Banner (2011)
3. Carach Angren - Where the Corpses Sink Forever (2012)
4. Epica - The Quantum Enigma (2014)
5. Wilderun - Veil of Imagination (2019)
Overall, symphonic metal has established itself as its own animal within the metal scene, but it does so in an almost viral way; weaving itself in and out of other pre-existing metal genres, and leaving its mark with a grand presence that few styles of metal can equal. From its subtle haunting choirs to its full-fledged orchestras, symphonic metal will continue to innovate and integrate into the cracks and crevices of the metal world for years to come.
Note: Hey all! Sorry this is a bit of a shorter one, but it's finals week... I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there, good luck to those finishing up their semesters, and thank you for reading!
Friday, April 24, 2020
Post-Metal
It's no secret that the metal community tends to create microcosms. Sounds that a handful of bands begin to do, trying to break away from conventions and monotonies of the status quo, end up catching on and becoming entire waves or even subgenres of their own. Some of these styles, to the beginner or untrained ear, can be hard to truly encapsulate with words as to what makes them a distinct thing. Maybe it's how eclectic the style can be, or maybe it's a particular playing method... in the case of post-metal, it's about the atmosphere.
Post-metal doesn't have any one unified sound, per se. Instead, it aims to play metal that's ascended from the formulas that other metal styles may be boxed into. Long, drawn out crescendos of songs, often with minimal or nonexistent vocals reminiscent of post-rock, washy, reverb-laden instrumentation often seen in shoegaze... but with the grit, honesty, and distortion of a metal band. "Post-" as a descriptor, often means something along the lines of "new," "experimental," or "atmospheric," when in reality post-metal aims to be all three.
The genre was first applicable to bands from the early nineties branching out of sludge metal. Sometimes post-metal bands are referred to as "atmospheric sludge metal," though post-metal has since grown into its own animal, with atmosludge serving as a meeting point between the post-metal and sludge metal rivers. Among these '90s atmospheric sludge metal bands were post-metal's progenitors: Neurosis, Nada, Godflesh, Lvmen, Dirge, Red Harvest, nd Gigandhi. This first wave of bands was still very much a sludge metal movement, so the aggression and hardcore punk-esque attitude was still present in their works.
Recommended '90s post-metal listening:
1. Gigandhi - Rafflesia (1996)
2. Red Harvest - Hybreed (1996)
3. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)
4. Lvmen - Lvmen (1998)
5. Dirge - Down, Last Level (1998)
In the 2000s, post-metal took on a whole new level of meaning. The term now became an applicable label to almost any sort of band that was pushing boundaries in ways almost polar opposite to that of progressive metal bands. Post-metal was slower, more drawn out, more wishy washy and dreamlike, opting to experiment through textures in a manner most similar to ambient artists. The genre still held its ties to sludge metal, with the massive success of bands such as Isis, Cult of Luna, Pelican, Minsk, Rosetta, Amenra, Ghost Brigade, and The Ocean. However, post-metal extended its limbs surely and effectively to other branches of metal: from the folk metal and atmospheric black metal of Agalloch, to the shoegaze of Jesu and Alcest, to the drone metal of Boris and The Angelic Process, and to the strange avant-garde metal of Kayo Dot. Post-metal was an underlying theme in the development of many major metal movements.
Recommended '00s post-metal listening:
1. Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye (2003)
2. Isis - Panopticon (2004)
3. Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites (2005)
4. Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (2006)
5. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (2006)
What the 2010s did for post-metal, perhaps most notably, was led to its connection to blackgaze, a subgenre of atmospheric black metal. In the aforementioned developments with bands like Jesu and Alcest, black metal began to creep more and more into the post-metal world, having the binding threads of huge, distant-sounding walls of guitar strums and focus on atmosphere. Bands like Deafheaven, Altar of Plagues, Furia, Oathbreaker, and Blut aus Nord among others would all create a wave known to some as post-black metal. That's not to say that the other post-metal offshoots died off, quite the contrary. Sludge metal-rooted post-metal still reigns as well, with bands such as Blindead, Sólstafir, Thou, Obscure Sphinx, Old Man Gloom, and Waste of Space Orchestra releasing incredible works. Heavyweights like Neurosis and Dirge would continue as strong as ever as well. Not to mention the groundbreaking collaboration between Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas, Mariner. Even post-death metal is in the works at this point, thanks to the band Ulcerate. Post-rock and shoegaze remain as strong as ever in these bands as well, with Russian Circles, Holy Fawn, Toundra, Year of No Light, and This Will Destroy You.
Recommended '10s post-metal listening:
1. Alcest - Écailles de lune (2010)
2. Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All (2011)
3. The Ocean - Pelagial (2013)
4. Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)
5. Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas - Mariner (2016)
Post-metal defies explanation in the greatest of ways. It pokes its head into as many facets of metal as it can, and leaves its mark. The mark of post-metal is shrouding the listener in impenetrable and dreamlike atmosphere, cloaking the metal machismo with the hypnotic walls of sound we've come to know and love. And it will continue to leave its mark for as long as there are musicians welcoming textures and soundscapes where simple traditional note selection and structuring cannot scratch the itch.
Post-metal doesn't have any one unified sound, per se. Instead, it aims to play metal that's ascended from the formulas that other metal styles may be boxed into. Long, drawn out crescendos of songs, often with minimal or nonexistent vocals reminiscent of post-rock, washy, reverb-laden instrumentation often seen in shoegaze... but with the grit, honesty, and distortion of a metal band. "Post-" as a descriptor, often means something along the lines of "new," "experimental," or "atmospheric," when in reality post-metal aims to be all three.
The genre was first applicable to bands from the early nineties branching out of sludge metal. Sometimes post-metal bands are referred to as "atmospheric sludge metal," though post-metal has since grown into its own animal, with atmosludge serving as a meeting point between the post-metal and sludge metal rivers. Among these '90s atmospheric sludge metal bands were post-metal's progenitors: Neurosis, Nada, Godflesh, Lvmen, Dirge, Red Harvest, nd Gigandhi. This first wave of bands was still very much a sludge metal movement, so the aggression and hardcore punk-esque attitude was still present in their works.
Recommended '90s post-metal listening:
1. Gigandhi - Rafflesia (1996)
2. Red Harvest - Hybreed (1996)
3. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)
4. Lvmen - Lvmen (1998)
5. Dirge - Down, Last Level (1998)
In the 2000s, post-metal took on a whole new level of meaning. The term now became an applicable label to almost any sort of band that was pushing boundaries in ways almost polar opposite to that of progressive metal bands. Post-metal was slower, more drawn out, more wishy washy and dreamlike, opting to experiment through textures in a manner most similar to ambient artists. The genre still held its ties to sludge metal, with the massive success of bands such as Isis, Cult of Luna, Pelican, Minsk, Rosetta, Amenra, Ghost Brigade, and The Ocean. However, post-metal extended its limbs surely and effectively to other branches of metal: from the folk metal and atmospheric black metal of Agalloch, to the shoegaze of Jesu and Alcest, to the drone metal of Boris and The Angelic Process, and to the strange avant-garde metal of Kayo Dot. Post-metal was an underlying theme in the development of many major metal movements.
Recommended '00s post-metal listening:
1. Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye (2003)
2. Isis - Panopticon (2004)
3. Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites (2005)
4. Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (2006)
5. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (2006)
What the 2010s did for post-metal, perhaps most notably, was led to its connection to blackgaze, a subgenre of atmospheric black metal. In the aforementioned developments with bands like Jesu and Alcest, black metal began to creep more and more into the post-metal world, having the binding threads of huge, distant-sounding walls of guitar strums and focus on atmosphere. Bands like Deafheaven, Altar of Plagues, Furia, Oathbreaker, and Blut aus Nord among others would all create a wave known to some as post-black metal. That's not to say that the other post-metal offshoots died off, quite the contrary. Sludge metal-rooted post-metal still reigns as well, with bands such as Blindead, Sólstafir, Thou, Obscure Sphinx, Old Man Gloom, and Waste of Space Orchestra releasing incredible works. Heavyweights like Neurosis and Dirge would continue as strong as ever as well. Not to mention the groundbreaking collaboration between Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas, Mariner. Even post-death metal is in the works at this point, thanks to the band Ulcerate. Post-rock and shoegaze remain as strong as ever in these bands as well, with Russian Circles, Holy Fawn, Toundra, Year of No Light, and This Will Destroy You.
Recommended '10s post-metal listening:
1. Alcest - Écailles de lune (2010)
2. Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All (2011)
3. The Ocean - Pelagial (2013)
4. Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)
5. Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas - Mariner (2016)
Post-metal defies explanation in the greatest of ways. It pokes its head into as many facets of metal as it can, and leaves its mark. The mark of post-metal is shrouding the listener in impenetrable and dreamlike atmosphere, cloaking the metal machismo with the hypnotic walls of sound we've come to know and love. And it will continue to leave its mark for as long as there are musicians welcoming textures and soundscapes where simple traditional note selection and structuring cannot scratch the itch.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Folk Metal
Folk metal is a tricky style of metal to encapsulate in a single blog post, since it varies so wildly depending on its geographic location. Many of these metal genres I've discussed before have ties to some sort of place: Thrash metal has the Bay Area in California, death metal had the Tampa area of Florida, and second wave trve kvlt black metal resides in the forests of Norway... but folk metal has a unique and differentiable sound depending on what cultures produced it. So let's talk about it.
So what is folk metal? Generally, it's described as a fusion of metal with traditional folk music, usually with heavy usage of folk instruments, including but not limited to the flute, violin, or accordion. However, while retaining folk melodies in their music, some bands rely more on standard metal instrumentation. Lyrical content of the genre is most commonly related to nature, mythology, paganism and fantasy. In some ways, this may seem overlapping with Viking metal, and that assumption would be keen. Viking metal and folk metal have long had overlapping sounds, bands, and fanbases. However, I find that folk metal has often (though not always) removed itself thoroughly from a black metal background, allowing for a wider range of experimentation.
Folk metal found its origins in the United Kingdom in the 1990s. It will continue to be a primarily European style for its duration. Bands like Skyclad and Waylander would lead the charge, injecting jaunty folk music into their more traditional heavy metal sound. As the idea began to spread, so did its geographic influence. Bands from many countries would begin to contribute their own forms of folk music in metal contexts: Ireland provides Cruachan and Primordial. Spain comes forward with Mägo de Oz. Norway would provide Isengard, Borknagar, and Storm; all of which are heavily black metal-influenced and cross over into Viking metal. Germany produced Falkenbach, Subway to Sally and Empyrium. Sweden comes forth with more mighty Viking metal-crossovers with Vintersorg and Thyrfing. Before long, each of these countries and more would develop their own distinct sound within the folk metal spectrum.
Recommended '90s folk metal listening:
1. Skyclad - Prince of the Poverty Line (1994)
2. Empyrium - Songs of Moors and Misty Fields (1997)
3. Falkenbach - ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri... (1998)
4. Primordial - A Journey's End (1998)
5. Vintersorg - Ödemarkens Son (1999)
Waylander, Cruachan, and Mägo de Oz in particular would lead a specific subgenre of folk metal that would take off a bit more than other regional variants: Celtic metal. The origins of the genre lie Celtic folk music being injected into things like Celtic rock or Celtic punk. Celtic metal is localized on regions with Celtic roots like the British Islands, France, Spain, Switzerland and Germany, but in the last years the genre has expanded worldwide. Other famous bands include Eluveitie, Suidakra, and Tuatha de Danann.
Recommended Celtic metal listening:
1. Cruachan - Tuatha na Gael (1995)
2. Waylander - Reawakening Pride Once Lost (1998)
3. Mägo de Oz - Finisterra (2000)
4. Eluveitie - Spirit (2006)
5. Suidakra - Crógacht (2009)
In the mid-1990s, another distinct style of folk metal arrived: Medieval folk metal. As the name would imply, Medieval metal takes most of its traditional elements from Medieval folk music. It arrived as an offshoot of the German Neo-Medieval movement of the 1990s, alongside its tamer but oft-crossed over genre Medieval rock. Led by bands such as Subway to Sally and In Extremo, Medieval metal quickly gained an ardent but niche following. Most folk instrumentation is relatively period-accurate, with heavy emphasis on things such as the shawm or hurdy-gurdy. Bands following the initial wave include Schandmaul, Ignis Fatuu, Saltatio Mortis, Folkstone, and Obsequiae, among others.
Recommended Medieval folk metal listening:
1. Subway to Sally - Bannkreis (1997)
2. In Extremo - Verehrt und angespien (1998)
3. Saltatio Mortis - Aus der Asche (2007)
4. Ignis Fatuu - Es werde Licht (2009)
5. Obsequiae - Suspended in the Brume of Eos (2011)
Folk metal flourished in the 2000s. As word got around of a new method of expression musical and cultural tradition through the modern vessel of metal music, more and more regional variants began to pop up. Some bands continued to meld the genre with black metal and Viking metal, leading to the massive success of some of the genre's biggest bands: Finland's Moonsorrow, the United States' Agalloch, and Ukraine's Nokturnal Mortum, just to name a few. Others would take a much more symphonic, epic approach to the sound, like Germany's Equilibrium, and Finland's Ensiferum and Turisas. Others still would take a lighter path, making fun and bouncy music sometimes influenced by traditional folk styles like humppa and joik, such as Finland's Korpiklaani and Finntroll. Some bands stuck to a more metal ideal and fused with power metal like Elvenking and Týr, or maybe progressive metal like Wuthering Heights and Orphaned Land.
Recommended '00s folk metal listening:
1. Ensiferum - Ensiferum (2001)
2. Korpiklaani - Spirit of the Forest (2003)
3. Finntroll - Nattfödd (2004)
4. Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet (2005)
5. Turisas - The Varangian Way (2007)
In the 2010s, folk metal was primarily led by the bands established in the prior decades. Moonsorrow, Primordial, Falkenbach, Orphaned Land, Nokturnal Mortum, Elvenking, and many more all continued to release incredible music. Among the new blood were bands such as progressive metal fusion bands like Wilderun and Lör, atmospheric black metal legends Negură Bunget, previously-mentioned Medieval metallers Obsequiae, and other names that rose to prominence such as Arkona, Dalriada, Tengger Cavalry, Triddana, Falconer, Myrath, Aiumeen Basoa, and the wonderful melodic death metal band Æther Realm.
Recommended '10s folk metal listening:
1. Negură Bunget - Vîrstele pămîntului (2010)
2. Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa (2011)
3. Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014)
4. Wilderun - Sleep at the Edge of the Earth (2015)
5. Lör - In Forgotten Sleep (2017)
In summary, folk metal remains one of metal's most varied and most acquired tastes. On paper, it doesn't seem as though traditional folk music would have much of a place in such a genre like metal, but upon further inspection, one comes to realize that it embodies everything that metal stands for: being true to your roots, expression of individualism, and the creation of a culture. Metal in itself is a culture. Folk metal simply introduces one culture to another.
So what is folk metal? Generally, it's described as a fusion of metal with traditional folk music, usually with heavy usage of folk instruments, including but not limited to the flute, violin, or accordion. However, while retaining folk melodies in their music, some bands rely more on standard metal instrumentation. Lyrical content of the genre is most commonly related to nature, mythology, paganism and fantasy. In some ways, this may seem overlapping with Viking metal, and that assumption would be keen. Viking metal and folk metal have long had overlapping sounds, bands, and fanbases. However, I find that folk metal has often (though not always) removed itself thoroughly from a black metal background, allowing for a wider range of experimentation.
Folk metal found its origins in the United Kingdom in the 1990s. It will continue to be a primarily European style for its duration. Bands like Skyclad and Waylander would lead the charge, injecting jaunty folk music into their more traditional heavy metal sound. As the idea began to spread, so did its geographic influence. Bands from many countries would begin to contribute their own forms of folk music in metal contexts: Ireland provides Cruachan and Primordial. Spain comes forward with Mägo de Oz. Norway would provide Isengard, Borknagar, and Storm; all of which are heavily black metal-influenced and cross over into Viking metal. Germany produced Falkenbach, Subway to Sally and Empyrium. Sweden comes forth with more mighty Viking metal-crossovers with Vintersorg and Thyrfing. Before long, each of these countries and more would develop their own distinct sound within the folk metal spectrum.
Recommended '90s folk metal listening:
1. Skyclad - Prince of the Poverty Line (1994)
2. Empyrium - Songs of Moors and Misty Fields (1997)
3. Falkenbach - ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri... (1998)
4. Primordial - A Journey's End (1998)
5. Vintersorg - Ödemarkens Son (1999)
Waylander, Cruachan, and Mägo de Oz in particular would lead a specific subgenre of folk metal that would take off a bit more than other regional variants: Celtic metal. The origins of the genre lie Celtic folk music being injected into things like Celtic rock or Celtic punk. Celtic metal is localized on regions with Celtic roots like the British Islands, France, Spain, Switzerland and Germany, but in the last years the genre has expanded worldwide. Other famous bands include Eluveitie, Suidakra, and Tuatha de Danann.
Recommended Celtic metal listening:
1. Cruachan - Tuatha na Gael (1995)
2. Waylander - Reawakening Pride Once Lost (1998)
3. Mägo de Oz - Finisterra (2000)
4. Eluveitie - Spirit (2006)
5. Suidakra - Crógacht (2009)
In the mid-1990s, another distinct style of folk metal arrived: Medieval folk metal. As the name would imply, Medieval metal takes most of its traditional elements from Medieval folk music. It arrived as an offshoot of the German Neo-Medieval movement of the 1990s, alongside its tamer but oft-crossed over genre Medieval rock. Led by bands such as Subway to Sally and In Extremo, Medieval metal quickly gained an ardent but niche following. Most folk instrumentation is relatively period-accurate, with heavy emphasis on things such as the shawm or hurdy-gurdy. Bands following the initial wave include Schandmaul, Ignis Fatuu, Saltatio Mortis, Folkstone, and Obsequiae, among others.
Recommended Medieval folk metal listening:
1. Subway to Sally - Bannkreis (1997)
2. In Extremo - Verehrt und angespien (1998)
3. Saltatio Mortis - Aus der Asche (2007)
4. Ignis Fatuu - Es werde Licht (2009)
5. Obsequiae - Suspended in the Brume of Eos (2011)
Folk metal flourished in the 2000s. As word got around of a new method of expression musical and cultural tradition through the modern vessel of metal music, more and more regional variants began to pop up. Some bands continued to meld the genre with black metal and Viking metal, leading to the massive success of some of the genre's biggest bands: Finland's Moonsorrow, the United States' Agalloch, and Ukraine's Nokturnal Mortum, just to name a few. Others would take a much more symphonic, epic approach to the sound, like Germany's Equilibrium, and Finland's Ensiferum and Turisas. Others still would take a lighter path, making fun and bouncy music sometimes influenced by traditional folk styles like humppa and joik, such as Finland's Korpiklaani and Finntroll. Some bands stuck to a more metal ideal and fused with power metal like Elvenking and Týr, or maybe progressive metal like Wuthering Heights and Orphaned Land.
Recommended '00s folk metal listening:
1. Ensiferum - Ensiferum (2001)
2. Korpiklaani - Spirit of the Forest (2003)
3. Finntroll - Nattfödd (2004)
4. Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet (2005)
5. Turisas - The Varangian Way (2007)
In the 2010s, folk metal was primarily led by the bands established in the prior decades. Moonsorrow, Primordial, Falkenbach, Orphaned Land, Nokturnal Mortum, Elvenking, and many more all continued to release incredible music. Among the new blood were bands such as progressive metal fusion bands like Wilderun and Lör, atmospheric black metal legends Negură Bunget, previously-mentioned Medieval metallers Obsequiae, and other names that rose to prominence such as Arkona, Dalriada, Tengger Cavalry, Triddana, Falconer, Myrath, Aiumeen Basoa, and the wonderful melodic death metal band Æther Realm.
Recommended '10s folk metal listening:
1. Negură Bunget - Vîrstele pămîntului (2010)
2. Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa (2011)
3. Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014)
4. Wilderun - Sleep at the Edge of the Earth (2015)
5. Lör - In Forgotten Sleep (2017)
In summary, folk metal remains one of metal's most varied and most acquired tastes. On paper, it doesn't seem as though traditional folk music would have much of a place in such a genre like metal, but upon further inspection, one comes to realize that it embodies everything that metal stands for: being true to your roots, expression of individualism, and the creation of a culture. Metal in itself is a culture. Folk metal simply introduces one culture to another.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Drone Metal
Drone metal is a pinnacle of acquired taste. Characterized by fuzzy chords being held out for full minutes, laden with feedback and reverb, sometimes at paces too slow to warrant percussive instruments... drone metal is not for everybody. Behind drone metal's visage of being a seemingly impenetrable niche of near-music, however, lies a booming counterculture stuck somewhere between doom metal, ambient, and post-rock. So let's check it out.
Drone metal, as its name would imply, takes its notes from drone music. Drone is a subgenre of experimental music focusing on long, sustained tones and the repetition of singular notes. Many types of classical and regional music make usage of a single continuous drone as a backbone for melody and rhythm, but drone as a genre focuses on the drone alone, creating a hypnotic, dreamlike atmosphere. Also influential on the genre's foundations are ambient and noise. Ambient music places its focus on sound over structure, with both conventional and unconventional methods of creating minimalist, moody soundscapes. Dark ambient is particularly influential on drone metal. Noise music, on the other hand, is exactly what it would sound like: experimental music that strays from all conventions of what counts as "music," preferring to assemble sounds in a thick, harsh wall. Combining these three experimental styles with doom metal birthed the microcosm that is drone metal.
In the early 1990s, a band called Earth arrived onto the scene with a few demos that would shape the drone metal scene at large. The sludge metal band Melvins would soon create a masterwork of the whole genre, their 1992 record Lysol. Alongside these two, other bands would have similar ideas: Naked City, Black Mayonnaise, Circle, Boris, Thrones, and Corrupted would all contribute to the growing drone metal sound over the course of the decade. Lo-fi compilations such as The Way of Nihilism were made early on in the style's development too, mirroring the underground boom of the noise rock and No Wave movements of the late 1970s. Though, from a metal perspective, drone metal was drawing primarily from doom metal, the genre would combine with a plethora of others over the timeline of its existence, most notably crossovers within sludge metal, post-metal, black metal, and avant-garde metal (to which drone metal owes a lot of its fundamental ideas).
Recommended '90s drone metal listening:
1. Melvins - Lysol (1992)
2. Naked City - Leng Tch'e (1992)
3. Earth - Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version (1993)
4. Corrupted - Paso inferior (1997)
5. Boris - Amplifier Worship (1998)
In the 2000s, the lines between drone metal and post-metal were blurred even further, leading to the beginning of a wave of music with many names. Some call it metalgaze or doomgaze, alluding to the washy, reverby subgenre of alternative rock known as shoegaze, while others call it post-doom or simply atmospheric metal. Whatever the name, bands like Jesu, The Angelic Process, Nadja, and Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine all encapsulated this new sound. Drone metal as a whole flourished in its own niche sort of way, with the addition of the genre's biggest claim to fame: a band called Sunn O))). Alongside them were other more "traditional" drone metal bands such as Black Boned Angel and Khanate. Bands like Boris and Corrupted continue strong into the decade, where others like Earth and Melvins would go on to pursue a multitude of other genres (post-rock and stoner metal, respectively).
Recommended '00s drone metal listening:
1. Boris - Boris at Last: Feedbacker (2003)
2. Jesu - Jesu (2004)
3. Nadja - Touched (2007)
4. The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand (2007)
5. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (2009)
The 2010s brought a renaissance of heavy drone metal into the fray, with sludgy, funeral doom metal-influenced bands such as Bismuth, Conan, Drowning Horse, Bongripper, and Hell rearing their unforgiving brand onto the populace. Other genre combinations began to flourish, such as the introduction of post-industrial music into the drone metal formula. Bands such as Author & Punisher, The Body, and Khost would introduce elements of death industrial and power electronics, creating an even bleaker, colder atmosphere. Other bands stuck to the ambient/post-rock side of things such as Wolvserpent, Wrekmeister Harmonies, and Big Brave. Others still would push the boundaries even further, such as the unlikely blend of drone metal and psychedelic rock seen in the releases of Bong.
Recommended '10s drone metal listening:
1. Bong - Mana-Yood-Sushai (2012)
2. Hell - Hell III (2012)
3. The Body - I Shall Die Here (2014)
4. Bismuth - The Slow Dying of the Great Barrier Reef (2018)
5. Big Brave - A Gaze Among Them (2019)
As a whole, drone metal remains a small but consistent slice of the metal pie. As specific of a niche as it serves to fill, drone metal does so with the utmost ability to push its own limits, just as the experimental music it takes from as influences. Drone metal, despite being all about long, sustained notes (not unlikely to last for hours on end!), will never get stale as long as there are musicians willing to look beyond the narrow, confining conventions of "music."
Friday, April 3, 2020
Stoner Metal
Of all the metal subgenres that Black Sabbath created, stoner metal often pales in comparison to its predecessors heavy metal and doom metal. But in 1971, with the release of Sabbath's masterpiece Master of Reality, one song shaped an entire genre: "Sweet Leaf." The fuzzy, blues-injected riffage, the plodding, midtempo feel, and of course the subject of recreational marijuana usage all led down a singular path: the path to stoner metal.
So what constitutes as stoner metal? Is it just metal music that centers itself around pot? Not exactly, it has a very distinct sound and style to it, just as much as any other subgenre I've covered here before. It takes the slow doom metal blueprint and lines it with influences from blues rock, psychedelic rock, and eventually (naturally) stoner rock, an offshoot of hard rock mentioned in my very first post. Stoner metal aims to bring the blues back into the metal formula. The genre is very closely linked to sludge metal, sometimes to the point of the genre terms being used interchangeably, but stoner metal has a much more carefree, less aggressive air to it that sets it apart fairly distinctly.
Though "Sweet Leaf" was released all the way back in 1971, stoner metal as a whole didn't begin to take form until the early 1990s. Early stoner rock bands like Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu didn't precede the metal counterpart by much, and often would blur the lines between rock and metal from song to song. The early '90s saw the arrival of bands that would remain hugely prevalent forces throughout the genre's entire existence, solidifying themselves as forerunners and trailblazers, such as Sleep, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Melvins, Kyuss, Earth, Blood Farmers, Motorpsycho, and Clutch. Also prevalent were traditional doom metal bands that took more and more psychedelic influence such as Trouble, Saint Vitus, and Cathedral. The later '90s brought more bands to the fray such as Spiritual Beggars, Acrimony, Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, Spirit Caravan, Goatsnake, the Atomic Bitchwax, and Sons of Otis.
Recommended '90s stoner metal listening:
1. Sleep - Holy Mountain (1992)
2. Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley (1994)
3. Melvins - Stoner Witch (1994)
4. Down - NOLA (1995)
5. Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics... (1997)
In the 2000s, stoner metal continued strong with both already-established bands just as much as newcomers. Stoner juggernauts like Sleep and Electric Wizard both released their magnum opuses (Dopesmoker and Dopethone, respectively) in the first few years of the decade. The 2000s saw the sludge-stoner crossover take full effect, with the arrival of bands like High on Fire, Kylesa, Ufomammut, Big Business, and Boris (being a particularly interesting crossover of drone metal and noise rock as well). Other bands still such as Solace, Om, YOB, The Hidden Hand, Church of Misery, and The Sword continued the style teetering on the edge of one thing or another, whether between stoner and doom metal, or between stoner rock and metal.
Recommended '00s stoner metal listening:
1. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone (2000)
2. Sleep - Dopesmoker (2003)
3. Boris - Pink (2005)
4. High on Fire - Death is This Communion (2007)
5. Kylesa - Static Tensions (2009)
The 2010s saw a continuation of the 2000s, where bands both new and old would continue strong doing the tried and tested stoner metal formula. High on Fire holds the reigns in many ways, leading the charge of the new wave of stoner bands. Sleep makes a phenomenal comeback after 15 years of silence with 2018's The Sciences. A new wave of progressive metal-tinged stoner bands arrive, such as Mastodon and Baroness, who have both moved away from their previous sludge metal sounds. New bands like Elder, Stoned Jesus, Mutoid Man, Alunah, Spaceslug, Khemmis, and Turbowolf all release respectable additions to the genre's repertoire, alongside other reigning giants from decades prior like The Sword, Church of Misery, Electric Wizard, Kylesa, and Solace. Even notorious independent garage rock/psychedelic rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard tried their hand at the stoner metal sound (incredibly, if I may add) with their 2019 record Infest the Rats' Nest.
Recommended '10s stoner metal listening:
1. The Sword - Warp Riders (2010)
2. Elder - Dead Roots Stirring (2011)
3. High on Fire - De vermis mysteriis (2012)
4. Sleep - The Sciences (2018)
5. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rats' Nest (2019)
It's genres like this that aim to show how far a simple idea can go. Of course the binding thread between these bands is a mutual love for marijuana and doom metal, but such a simple yet specific concept should have, for all intents and purposes, fallen flat on its face within five years of surfacing. But thanks to the creativity, ingenuity, and passion that bands continue to breathe into the genre's style, stoner metal prevails as strongly as ever.
So what constitutes as stoner metal? Is it just metal music that centers itself around pot? Not exactly, it has a very distinct sound and style to it, just as much as any other subgenre I've covered here before. It takes the slow doom metal blueprint and lines it with influences from blues rock, psychedelic rock, and eventually (naturally) stoner rock, an offshoot of hard rock mentioned in my very first post. Stoner metal aims to bring the blues back into the metal formula. The genre is very closely linked to sludge metal, sometimes to the point of the genre terms being used interchangeably, but stoner metal has a much more carefree, less aggressive air to it that sets it apart fairly distinctly.
Though "Sweet Leaf" was released all the way back in 1971, stoner metal as a whole didn't begin to take form until the early 1990s. Early stoner rock bands like Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu didn't precede the metal counterpart by much, and often would blur the lines between rock and metal from song to song. The early '90s saw the arrival of bands that would remain hugely prevalent forces throughout the genre's entire existence, solidifying themselves as forerunners and trailblazers, such as Sleep, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Melvins, Kyuss, Earth, Blood Farmers, Motorpsycho, and Clutch. Also prevalent were traditional doom metal bands that took more and more psychedelic influence such as Trouble, Saint Vitus, and Cathedral. The later '90s brought more bands to the fray such as Spiritual Beggars, Acrimony, Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, Spirit Caravan, Goatsnake, the Atomic Bitchwax, and Sons of Otis.
Recommended '90s stoner metal listening:
1. Sleep - Holy Mountain (1992)
2. Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley (1994)
3. Melvins - Stoner Witch (1994)
4. Down - NOLA (1995)
5. Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics... (1997)
In the 2000s, stoner metal continued strong with both already-established bands just as much as newcomers. Stoner juggernauts like Sleep and Electric Wizard both released their magnum opuses (Dopesmoker and Dopethone, respectively) in the first few years of the decade. The 2000s saw the sludge-stoner crossover take full effect, with the arrival of bands like High on Fire, Kylesa, Ufomammut, Big Business, and Boris (being a particularly interesting crossover of drone metal and noise rock as well). Other bands still such as Solace, Om, YOB, The Hidden Hand, Church of Misery, and The Sword continued the style teetering on the edge of one thing or another, whether between stoner and doom metal, or between stoner rock and metal.
Recommended '00s stoner metal listening:
1. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone (2000)
2. Sleep - Dopesmoker (2003)
3. Boris - Pink (2005)
4. High on Fire - Death is This Communion (2007)
5. Kylesa - Static Tensions (2009)
The 2010s saw a continuation of the 2000s, where bands both new and old would continue strong doing the tried and tested stoner metal formula. High on Fire holds the reigns in many ways, leading the charge of the new wave of stoner bands. Sleep makes a phenomenal comeback after 15 years of silence with 2018's The Sciences. A new wave of progressive metal-tinged stoner bands arrive, such as Mastodon and Baroness, who have both moved away from their previous sludge metal sounds. New bands like Elder, Stoned Jesus, Mutoid Man, Alunah, Spaceslug, Khemmis, and Turbowolf all release respectable additions to the genre's repertoire, alongside other reigning giants from decades prior like The Sword, Church of Misery, Electric Wizard, Kylesa, and Solace. Even notorious independent garage rock/psychedelic rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard tried their hand at the stoner metal sound (incredibly, if I may add) with their 2019 record Infest the Rats' Nest.
Recommended '10s stoner metal listening:
1. The Sword - Warp Riders (2010)
2. Elder - Dead Roots Stirring (2011)
3. High on Fire - De vermis mysteriis (2012)
4. Sleep - The Sciences (2018)
5. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rats' Nest (2019)
It's genres like this that aim to show how far a simple idea can go. Of course the binding thread between these bands is a mutual love for marijuana and doom metal, but such a simple yet specific concept should have, for all intents and purposes, fallen flat on its face within five years of surfacing. But thanks to the creativity, ingenuity, and passion that bands continue to breathe into the genre's style, stoner metal prevails as strongly as ever.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Metalcore
Metalcore is an incredibly misunderstood genre term, and goes forever unappreciated by many "true metal" elitists due to its connotation to be whiny, "too poppy," or whatever else people use to describe the scene that appeared in the genre in the mid- to late-2000s. What I aim to do here is to shed some light on the origins and history of the genre, and hopefully draw in new fans from both in and outside of the metal community.
Metalcore, or "metallic hardcore" as some will hear it described, is exactly what the namesake would suggest: a combination of metal music and hardcore punk. If you're a repeated reader of these genre timelines, then you'll know that this is not the first time this combination has been attempted (see: thrash metal and grindcore), but what differentiates metalcore from these prior styles really lies in one fundamental: the breakdown. Metalcore focuses heavily on the hardcore side of things, injecting metal's technicality and/or tone into what by all accounts would simply be an energetic hardcore band. The breakdown is a point in a track, usually towards the middle, where the tempo slows and riffs emerge that are meant to initiate moshing as a form of crowd participation. Moshing can be found in nearly every metal genre, but metalcore aims to make it a staple.
Metalcore saw its first wave in the early 1990s. Hardcore punk bands like Integrity, Rorschach, Earth Crisis, Starkweather, Merauder, Converge, and Deadguy were among the first to produce the metalcore sound. The death metal and thrash metal influence shows clearly in a lot of these bands, despite the framework of their material being relatively textbook hardcore. Anywhere from Black Sabbath to Joy Division to Celtic Frost could have some sort of contributing factor to the metalcore ideal. Some of these bands, like Merauder, even took influence from early groove metal and the booming New York hardcore scene. As the 1990s went on, more and more bands began to gain traction, including Hatebreed, Shai Hulud, Catharsis, Poison the Well, Acme, Cave In, and Zao. Bands like this, with a massive influx of unified would, would be the ones to carve the niche that defines and codifies metalcore as it is today.
Recommended '90s metalcore listening:
1. Integrity - Those Who Fear Tomorrow (1991)
2. Earth Crisis - Destroy the Machines (1995)
3. Hatebreed - Satisfaction is the Death of Desire (1997)
4. Zao - Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998)
5. Poison the Well - The Opposite of December (1999)
A subgenre development nearly as old as the genre itself but taking a much more chaotic track is called mathcore. What mathcore does as a style is takes the already raw, aggressive and spastic metalcore and injects it with dissonant, angular riffing, unconventional and constantly shifting time signatures, and an unparalleled sense of compositional incomprehensibility. Made popular by bands such as Deadguy, Botch, Converge, and of course the ever-popular The Dillinger Escape Plan, the 1990s saw incredible artistic merit in the subgenre. Linked closely to grindcore, the 2000s saw bands such as Ion Dissonance, Gaza, Daughters, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, and Car Bomb, among others. The style is still prevalent and boundary-pushing today.
Recommended mathcore listening:
1. Deadguy - Fixation on a Coworker (1995)
2. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)
3. Botch - We Are the Romans (1999)
4. Converge - Jane Doe (2001)
5. Gaza - I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die (2006)
Metalcore thrived in the 2000s, and its style began to take a drastic shift away from what had previously existed. Obviously, metallic hardcore bands continued strong: Converge, Shai Hulud, Poison the Well, Integrity, and Hatebreed all continued strong well into the decade. New metallic hardcore bands would pop up left and right, with releases from bands like Cursed, Every Time I Die, Skycamefalling, Hopesfall, Norma Jean, Terror, Nostromo, and Kickback. However, some metalcore bands would often inject more and more clean-sung, melodic death metal-inspired accentuations to the genre, resulting indirectly in the creation of melodic metalcore (which I will give its own entry in the future). Among these bands were Misery Signals, 7 Angels 7 Plagues, August Burns Red, Underoath, and Undying. This would eventually lead to genre speciation, with bands like Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, and All That Remains holding the helm of melodic metalcore, an evolutionary offshoot of metallic hardcore, and often receiving the brunt of criticisms from "true metal" communities. Progressive metalcore began to show up as well, taking technical and avant-garde aspects of progressive metal and breathing new life into the very formula that metalcore had ridden on for a decade now. Bands like SikTh, Between the Buried and Me, Burst, and (arguably) early-career Mastodon all contributed to this sound distinct but reminiscent of mathcore.
Recommended '00s metalcore listening:
1. 7 Angels 7 Plagues - Jhazmyne's Lullaby (2001)
2. Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child (2002)
3. Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)
4. Misery Signals - Controller (2008)
5. Converge - Axe to Fall (2009)
Let's backtrack a bit. Also in the 1990s arose a subgenre that, in my personal opinion, has done nothing but improve with time: deathcore. Though it didn't gain widespread attention or traction until the early and mid-2000s (explaining its placement in the timeline), deathcore aimed to combine the existing metalcore sound with the growled vocals and blast beats of death metal. The first handful of bands to use this sound, such as Damaged, Day of Suffering, Deformity, and Abnegation, often took elements of deathgrind as well, making the sound far more inaccessible than standard metalcore. As the style began to solidify into more of its now-recognizable sound though, bands like Animosity, The Red Chord, Despised Icon, and Job for a Cowboy aided it in eventually sweeping the world of MySpace. Big bands appeared in the late-2000s, among them Whitechapel, All Shall Perish, Chelsea Grin, Suicide Silence, Carnifex, Oceano, Impending Doom, After the Burial, and Winds of Plague. The subgenre was often held to a very low standard, as the gimmicks of the genre eventually became pitfalls, and the whole movement seemed to be very follow-the-leader. Since this wave of popularity though, there have been bands like Fit for an Autopsy, Thy Art is Murder, and Shadow of Intent that continue to breathe new and amazing life into the deathcore world. Also there's a bunch of "fake slam death metal" bands out there like Within Destruction that have created their own microcosm in the style.
Recommended deathcore listening:
1. Deformity - Murder Within Sin (1999)
2. The Red Chord - Fused Together in Revolving Doors (2002)
3. Whitechapel - This is Exile (2008)
4. Thy Art is Murder - Hate (2012)
5. Shadow of Intent - Melancholy (2019)
2010s metalcore still manages to take the forefront of both metal and punk scenes. Converge, Every Time I Die, and The Dillinger Escape Plan are still as strong as ever, if not stronger. Bands from the metallic hardcore style are coming back in a huge way, in what I've sometimes seen labeled as the "Entombedcore" movement; referencing the muddy, sludgy tone of the legendary Swedish death metal band Entombed. Bands like Code Orange, Knocked Loose, Jesus Piece, Vein, and early Oathbreaker all contributed greatly to the style's success. Atmospheric metalcore has begun to take a huge hold on the scene as well, with bands like Architects and Silent Planet carving a niche in the already booming progressive metalcore/djent scene (fronted by bands like Erra, Currents, and Northlane). Huge strides are being made with melodic metalcore-infused metalcore, further blurring the lines between the two, with bands such as Fit for a King, Oh Sleeper, Counterparts (also melodic hardcore, a genre of hardcore punk often wrongly-attributed to more traditional-sounding metalcore bands), and While She Sleeps. This isn't to say that classic metallic hardcore bands aren't as prevalent though, as new life is breathed into the genre every day with releases from bands like All Pigs Must Die, Rise of the Northstar, Incendiary, Ithaca, and Employed to Serve, among others. Also, RIP The Chariot, amirite?
Recommended '10s metalcore listening:
1. The Chariot - Long Live (2010)
2. Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind (2012)
3. Erra - Augment (2013)
4. Architects - Lost Forever // Lost Together (2014)
5. Every Time I Die - Low Teens (2016)
Overall, metalcore is one of my personal favorite genres of metal. It's incredibly diverse; so many facets can be discovered and explored because of how flexible the idea of 'metal+hardcore' can be. Converge, Misery Signals, and Knocked Loose all sound so different from each other, but all exist under the same idea. That's the brilliance of a simple concept: the pieces fit together like it was meant to be. I trust that with these new, refreshing bands appearing so frequently, and the genre's rich history, metalcore will remain a strong and prevalent force in metal for years to come.
Note: Sorry for not getting an entry out last week, this whole self-quarantine thing has taken quite a toll on my work ethic, admittedly. It's not going to be very fun, but with so much extra time it's allowed me to not only discover more music, but even take more time to write some of my own. Just remember to stay safe, stay healthy, and wash your hands. Thank you for reading!
Metalcore, or "metallic hardcore" as some will hear it described, is exactly what the namesake would suggest: a combination of metal music and hardcore punk. If you're a repeated reader of these genre timelines, then you'll know that this is not the first time this combination has been attempted (see: thrash metal and grindcore), but what differentiates metalcore from these prior styles really lies in one fundamental: the breakdown. Metalcore focuses heavily on the hardcore side of things, injecting metal's technicality and/or tone into what by all accounts would simply be an energetic hardcore band. The breakdown is a point in a track, usually towards the middle, where the tempo slows and riffs emerge that are meant to initiate moshing as a form of crowd participation. Moshing can be found in nearly every metal genre, but metalcore aims to make it a staple.
Metalcore saw its first wave in the early 1990s. Hardcore punk bands like Integrity, Rorschach, Earth Crisis, Starkweather, Merauder, Converge, and Deadguy were among the first to produce the metalcore sound. The death metal and thrash metal influence shows clearly in a lot of these bands, despite the framework of their material being relatively textbook hardcore. Anywhere from Black Sabbath to Joy Division to Celtic Frost could have some sort of contributing factor to the metalcore ideal. Some of these bands, like Merauder, even took influence from early groove metal and the booming New York hardcore scene. As the 1990s went on, more and more bands began to gain traction, including Hatebreed, Shai Hulud, Catharsis, Poison the Well, Acme, Cave In, and Zao. Bands like this, with a massive influx of unified would, would be the ones to carve the niche that defines and codifies metalcore as it is today.
Recommended '90s metalcore listening:
1. Integrity - Those Who Fear Tomorrow (1991)
2. Earth Crisis - Destroy the Machines (1995)
3. Hatebreed - Satisfaction is the Death of Desire (1997)
4. Zao - Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998)
5. Poison the Well - The Opposite of December (1999)
A subgenre development nearly as old as the genre itself but taking a much more chaotic track is called mathcore. What mathcore does as a style is takes the already raw, aggressive and spastic metalcore and injects it with dissonant, angular riffing, unconventional and constantly shifting time signatures, and an unparalleled sense of compositional incomprehensibility. Made popular by bands such as Deadguy, Botch, Converge, and of course the ever-popular The Dillinger Escape Plan, the 1990s saw incredible artistic merit in the subgenre. Linked closely to grindcore, the 2000s saw bands such as Ion Dissonance, Gaza, Daughters, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, and Car Bomb, among others. The style is still prevalent and boundary-pushing today.
Recommended mathcore listening:
1. Deadguy - Fixation on a Coworker (1995)
2. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)
3. Botch - We Are the Romans (1999)
4. Converge - Jane Doe (2001)
5. Gaza - I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die (2006)
Metalcore thrived in the 2000s, and its style began to take a drastic shift away from what had previously existed. Obviously, metallic hardcore bands continued strong: Converge, Shai Hulud, Poison the Well, Integrity, and Hatebreed all continued strong well into the decade. New metallic hardcore bands would pop up left and right, with releases from bands like Cursed, Every Time I Die, Skycamefalling, Hopesfall, Norma Jean, Terror, Nostromo, and Kickback. However, some metalcore bands would often inject more and more clean-sung, melodic death metal-inspired accentuations to the genre, resulting indirectly in the creation of melodic metalcore (which I will give its own entry in the future). Among these bands were Misery Signals, 7 Angels 7 Plagues, August Burns Red, Underoath, and Undying. This would eventually lead to genre speciation, with bands like Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, and All That Remains holding the helm of melodic metalcore, an evolutionary offshoot of metallic hardcore, and often receiving the brunt of criticisms from "true metal" communities. Progressive metalcore began to show up as well, taking technical and avant-garde aspects of progressive metal and breathing new life into the very formula that metalcore had ridden on for a decade now. Bands like SikTh, Between the Buried and Me, Burst, and (arguably) early-career Mastodon all contributed to this sound distinct but reminiscent of mathcore.
Recommended '00s metalcore listening:
1. 7 Angels 7 Plagues - Jhazmyne's Lullaby (2001)
2. Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child (2002)
3. Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)
4. Misery Signals - Controller (2008)
5. Converge - Axe to Fall (2009)
Let's backtrack a bit. Also in the 1990s arose a subgenre that, in my personal opinion, has done nothing but improve with time: deathcore. Though it didn't gain widespread attention or traction until the early and mid-2000s (explaining its placement in the timeline), deathcore aimed to combine the existing metalcore sound with the growled vocals and blast beats of death metal. The first handful of bands to use this sound, such as Damaged, Day of Suffering, Deformity, and Abnegation, often took elements of deathgrind as well, making the sound far more inaccessible than standard metalcore. As the style began to solidify into more of its now-recognizable sound though, bands like Animosity, The Red Chord, Despised Icon, and Job for a Cowboy aided it in eventually sweeping the world of MySpace. Big bands appeared in the late-2000s, among them Whitechapel, All Shall Perish, Chelsea Grin, Suicide Silence, Carnifex, Oceano, Impending Doom, After the Burial, and Winds of Plague. The subgenre was often held to a very low standard, as the gimmicks of the genre eventually became pitfalls, and the whole movement seemed to be very follow-the-leader. Since this wave of popularity though, there have been bands like Fit for an Autopsy, Thy Art is Murder, and Shadow of Intent that continue to breathe new and amazing life into the deathcore world. Also there's a bunch of "fake slam death metal" bands out there like Within Destruction that have created their own microcosm in the style.
Recommended deathcore listening:
1. Deformity - Murder Within Sin (1999)
2. The Red Chord - Fused Together in Revolving Doors (2002)
3. Whitechapel - This is Exile (2008)
4. Thy Art is Murder - Hate (2012)
5. Shadow of Intent - Melancholy (2019)
2010s metalcore still manages to take the forefront of both metal and punk scenes. Converge, Every Time I Die, and The Dillinger Escape Plan are still as strong as ever, if not stronger. Bands from the metallic hardcore style are coming back in a huge way, in what I've sometimes seen labeled as the "Entombedcore" movement; referencing the muddy, sludgy tone of the legendary Swedish death metal band Entombed. Bands like Code Orange, Knocked Loose, Jesus Piece, Vein, and early Oathbreaker all contributed greatly to the style's success. Atmospheric metalcore has begun to take a huge hold on the scene as well, with bands like Architects and Silent Planet carving a niche in the already booming progressive metalcore/djent scene (fronted by bands like Erra, Currents, and Northlane). Huge strides are being made with melodic metalcore-infused metalcore, further blurring the lines between the two, with bands such as Fit for a King, Oh Sleeper, Counterparts (also melodic hardcore, a genre of hardcore punk often wrongly-attributed to more traditional-sounding metalcore bands), and While She Sleeps. This isn't to say that classic metallic hardcore bands aren't as prevalent though, as new life is breathed into the genre every day with releases from bands like All Pigs Must Die, Rise of the Northstar, Incendiary, Ithaca, and Employed to Serve, among others. Also, RIP The Chariot, amirite?
Recommended '10s metalcore listening:
1. The Chariot - Long Live (2010)
2. Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind (2012)
3. Erra - Augment (2013)
4. Architects - Lost Forever // Lost Together (2014)
5. Every Time I Die - Low Teens (2016)
Overall, metalcore is one of my personal favorite genres of metal. It's incredibly diverse; so many facets can be discovered and explored because of how flexible the idea of 'metal+hardcore' can be. Converge, Misery Signals, and Knocked Loose all sound so different from each other, but all exist under the same idea. That's the brilliance of a simple concept: the pieces fit together like it was meant to be. I trust that with these new, refreshing bands appearing so frequently, and the genre's rich history, metalcore will remain a strong and prevalent force in metal for years to come.
Note: Sorry for not getting an entry out last week, this whole self-quarantine thing has taken quite a toll on my work ethic, admittedly. It's not going to be very fun, but with so much extra time it's allowed me to not only discover more music, but even take more time to write some of my own. Just remember to stay safe, stay healthy, and wash your hands. Thank you for reading!
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