Metal

[Rconsole]

Originally Posted by ArienSun

Here's my short list of favs:

Metallica
Black Sabbath
Godsmack
Led Zeppelin (if they're metal)

Ditto.
I tend to center myself upon 1 or two bands for months at a time and listen to them non-stop lately its been Metallica (they never get old) and Linkin Park. Billy Talent, a new Canadian band is good too

I saw Metallica/Godsmack a while back and it was an awesome show.

METAL ROCKS

[Falagar]

I'm not sure you can call Led Zeppelin metal (though they may have been the inspiration for much of it), they're more...heavy blues rock or something. But they're definitely one of the greatest bands ever.

[Curubethion]

Okay, don't kill me if I insult anyone...
Is metal music? As far as I can tell, it only involves screaming and lots of power chords. I'd prefer the power chords with at least some semblance of singing.

[Rconsole]

I guess that depends on your definition of music...
some people say rap isn't music, because it is basically people talking, and some say that the Backstreet Boys aren't artists because they don't play instruments. That kind of question in this kind of thread will give you quite a few different answers...

[Curubethion]

Well, I do agree with those two viewpoints as well.

[ArienSun]

I agree that rap isn't music because they aren't singing or playing instruments. But metal isn't always just screaming. There's definitely singing involved. Sure there are some bands that just scream, but the musical instruments they are playing is music.

[Rconsole]

Well in my opinion Rap is music because it has a beat...but the rapper is not a musician
so it depends on if you think that it's the music that makes it metal or if it's the band that makes it metal, because in this thread i see everyone naming the bands that they like, for instance Metallica can be screaming or if you listen to something like "The Unforgiven" you would say it's nothing like Metal.
if none of that makes much sense to you don't bother because rereading it i can barely understand it myself

[Falagar]

Originally Posted by Curubethion

Okay, don't kill me if I insult anyone...
Is metal music? As far as I can tell, it only involves screaming and lots of power chords. I'd prefer the power chords with at least some semblance of singing.

It's called growling. Depends on the band and genre, screaming isn't necessary for it to be metal. I felt the same way before I actually decided to listen to it. Try later Katatonia. Early Metallica is another good example. Then there are those that have both growling and singing (see Opeth, progressive metal band. Brilliant band by the way, some of their more melodic songs include Face of Melinda, Dirge for November, even non-metal people should be able to swallow those and they've just released a new album called Ghost Reveries and they just visited Norway and I really wanted to go ot their consert and...what was I saying again? Oh, right). Ehm...yeah, as I said, there are a lot of different subgenres within metal, as with most types of music. I'm pretty fond of progressive metal, viking metal, heavy metal, power/epic metal (Blind Guardian! Check out Nightfall in Middle-earth, a concept-album on the Silmarillion...I love those guys) and doom metal as well as some gothic. Not so fond of subgenres like Death and Black Metal, which are the two least melodic and the two with the most growling. Though I think I may have a go at DarkThrone soon...
It may be hard to get used to in the beginning, but it's definitely worth it. IMO, of course.

According to the Wikipedia, metal is characterized by

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

[...] distorted guitars, loud bass, and generally very powerful drums.

No mention of screaming or growling. By the way, try the different "101 Rules of [insert sub-genre]-metal"-links on this page for some fun reading (though perhaps funnier if you actually know something of the different genres): http://www.metalstorm.ee/fun/index.php

Originally Posted by Extended rules for power metal

37. Tolkien is the Holy Ghost.

[Beren3000]

Originally Posted by Rconsole

so it depends on if you think that it's the music that makes it metal or if it's the band that makes it metal

Wow! That's an interesting question. I have always considered such songs as "Nothing Else Matters" and "The Unforgiven" as metal, simply because Metallica sing them. I think that what makes it metal is not just the band or the music, it's a combination of band, music and lyrical content. I mean, you wouldn't find a boyband singing lyrics like those of "The Unforgiven", would you?

[Curubethion]

I just readjusted my viewpoint...what I don't like is "hardcore", with indistinguishable lyrics. That kind of screaming sounds kind of like Gollum to me. If I can hear words, it's not too bad.

[Rconsole]

Lol ya that's a bit too much for me...in grade 8 at a talent show a few of the goths at my school were doing ....that, and it was a girl singer, we didn't understand a thing she said the entire time, then at te end she dropped and lay on the stage for like 30 seconds and nobody clapped...ya that was pretty awkward...anyway, back to metal

[Curubethion]

That's exactly what I was talking about. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Miss Cassandra]

METAL!


I love the stuff.

[Curubethion]

Wow, I've had a bit of a turnaround on metal, and now I love a bunch of stuff I've heard...particularly power metal.

Why metal is so awesome