Further Reading
The saying goes that the devil has the best tunes, and to judge by the popularity of Heavy Metal and it’s offspring, this is a proverb that certainly seems to hold. Countless classic bands have emerged from this genre, and though it is classed as a specialty style, there are many artists who fall within it’s umbrella who are beloved by all. Heavy Metal is a very special genre; it is one of the few forms of popular music with such an unabashed and unimpeded outpouring of pure, raw emotion, no matter how dark or powerful. It is rock and roll distilled to it’s purest form: that of dark, unrelenting volume to bow it’s listeners beneath it’s sound waves in what resembles an almost trance-like meditation. Through this novel approach to creating music, it has managed to spawn some of the most innovative and exciting bands out of any scene. Heavy Metal is all about breaking the rules and doing things your way, no matter what you’re told, so it’s no surprise that it has been such a hotbed for the fostering of creative talent. It does not set out to please: all that it’s listeners and fans require of it is that it must rock, and from thereon in the musicians are free to do as they please.
Thus, musically, Metal primarily celebrates freedom of expression and individuality. But unlike other musical genres that also do that, Metal imposes harsh stylistic and technical demands upon those who would tread it’s path: becoming an adept practitioner of Metal is no mean feat, and in many ways resembles the path of a classical musician in that you must have an exceptional deal of technical discipline, and a single minded love of your art in the face of a wider, disinterested society. It is because of this indifference or antagonism from the mainstream and popular culture at large that makes Metal culture so strong. It is seen as something special and private, unspoiled and unsullied by soulless commerciality.
Metal places a high emphasis on technical ability because it is a genre that celebrates excellence and single-minded devotion to one’s art: this is one of the reasons why it is such a special form of modern music. Unlike so many other forms of art that encourage mediocrity and banality, Metal alone flies the flag for uncompromising belief in one’s self and the importance of doing things differently. It is an important and continuingly relevant art form that preaches the romantic notion, even now.
And this precisely where Metal get’s it’s distinctive sound from. What is often mistaken by outsiders as mindless aggression is in fact the positive expression of pure energy, of the inextinguishable spirit of man bursting aflame from furious electric guitars and wonderfully oversized drum kits. It is not the sound of anger, but of the primal urge and the will to life. This is another reason why it is perhaps slightly more difficult to get into than many other easier forms of music. But like all things that take time to absorb, there is a reason for that process, and the results are unbelievably rewarding.
This brief overview, however, does not begin to describe the endless varieties that can be spawned from the metal movement; indeed, within alternative culture itself there are fierce divisions about what styles deserve to bear the insignia of metal and which should be ostracized and out-turned. The passion of the music understandably goes to make for very passionate fans, and so it is no surprise that such conversations become quite heated and divisive. Indeed, some show more disdain for forms of metal than they do mainstream music: this shows how widely the various styles differ beneath the umbrella of metal.
The most recent innovation within the genre of Metal happened during the nineties with the advent of Nu-Metal, where bands blended heavy music with hip hop beats and pop choruses. Though railed against by many of the metal community, the genre was a wide commercial success, with many bands going on to have long and successful careers. It showed a wealth of innovation from the genre-chemistry performed therein, and continues to be very popular. The most famous of the bands would be the rave-metal of Linkin Park, but you can also find tickets for the darkly minded rap-metallers of Papa Roach or the party rock of Fred Durst’s Limp Bizkit.
However, as stated, many disagree with the pop overtones that Nu-Metal harbours. If you are likewise minded why not check out some classic thrash metal with it’s unrelenting drums and supercharged guitar lines. Bands such as the mighty Slayer continue to fire out their anthems of death and war, as do the much respected Metallica, who brought a good deal of interesting qualities to the metal genre.
If thrash is the right amount of volume for you, but you need something a bit more interesting, why not mix your metal with some prog and pick up some tickets to the enigmatic space metal of Tool or the excellence of Oceansize. Bands such as these have pushed the boundaries of what is possible within the metal blue print, and deserve to be recognised as true innovators and pioneers.
Indeed, perhaps they have influenced the bands experimenting in the relatively new subgenre of metalcore, where the sounds and motifs of classic metal are mixed with a distinctively modern approach. These are bands at the cutting edge of metal who still have their feet firmly in their roots: for these reasons this genre is very exciting and definitely one to watch. Bands working in this area include such titans as the award winning Bullet For My Valentine, the truly iconic Trivium and the ferocious Avenged Sevenfold.
Whatever genre of metal you identify with, we are sure that here at boxoffice.co.uk you will be able to find tickets to let you rock out to the fullest extent. The metal is calling you: are you adequately prepared?
