Discussions about Music >> What do you look for in your music?
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Enigmatick
Wednesday 16 March 2011 - 05:55:46
This is something of an experimental thread. I'm trying to see if metal fans are, indeed, looking for the same thing in their music. I mean, metal's a VAST, diverse genre, so there's bound to be some diversity in what we look for, no? But then again....

Anyways. What do you look for in your music? It's kind of a broad topic, I know, but I'll help by giving an example.

I look for something otherworldly. Something that grabs me by the balls with its atmosphere and takes me to a whole other world, where Nothing is the same, where I'm more than I really am. I look for music that allows me to escape. That's one of the reasons I can't listen to hardcore- it's got some nice grooves and is angry as Hell and all, but it's just too...REAL. It's music performed by middle-class white guys for middle-class white guys, it just doesn't contain anything ethereal.

On top of that, I'm looking for profound, complex emotion. Again, that's why I'm not a huge prog metal fan- everything is flawlessly executed, but it sounds like the band is simply making music for the sake of making music- not because they have any kind of conflicting emotions that can only be expressed through this medium. There needs to be a Desire for something Evil, a quest to become one with melancholy, a burning, Extreme Anger, a real emotional PURPOSE for the music, not just the simple Desire to make music.

So that's what I look for, how about you?


Mercenarion
Wednesday 16 March 2011 - 06:26:35
When I look through music, I always look for certain things.

Atmosphere: When I hear something like Portal, it emanates a dreary feel throughout it. It gives a Ethereal feeling that I can relax to. But bands such as Cannibal Corpse (for example) are just music, no background force to keep me coming back to them, no fiendish meaning behind it in some kind of atmosphere.

Classical/Avant-garde styling: Yes, this one is specifically for me. Take a band like Mirrorthrone. It is about 40% Baroque influence with the rest of the sound being metal. I thoroughly enjoy classical as much as metal, and seeing bands that harness both of these, I have made it something that I look for in metal. Take most Grindcore; the structures are weak and barely any influence is shown, just Insanity; no structural quality alike to classical. This point is only because of love for classical and avant-garde.

Skill: This is obvious. If a band barely has any skill at all (look towards most nu-metal), then they give off the point that they aren't even trying. When a band expresses their talent to the utter limits, it shows they have passion for what they are doing. The skill can range from any level: from perfect structure to Extreme technical proficiency. Devil Doll had perfect structure to their music, but very low technical proficiency. Now, most technical Death Metal bands have Extreme amounts of technical talent (structure is weak, but still exists). When bands appear with both of these traits at once, they are perfect.

**Just a little add-on, not major. I prefer bands to have meaningful, mind-wrenching or profound lyrics.

psycho_metal
Wednesday 16 March 2011 - 14:00:45
Energy/Power: This is the main thing for me. I like bands that play their songs with their whole energy and Power, that you can feel it when you listen to it. Music that makes you euphoric, and gives you energy.

Atmosphere: When a band creates a certain atmosphere, it makes you forget everything around you, it takes you with it, and like Merc said, you can relax on it.

Skill: Although I don't mind bands with simple riffs, but well, isn't it great when a band blows you away with it's awesomely played guitar and drums riffs? Though technicality is not really important for me.

Originality: Well not that much necessary, but if a band is special in what it does, then it caughts my attention.

Intelligent Lyrics: I like bands with intelligent and meaningful lyrics. And who catch up interesting themes, or tell good stories.

Bass: I don't know how to describe this. The Bass is my favorites instrument, and thus I like bands where you can hear the Bass clearly.


Raina
Wednesday 16 March 2011 - 15:27:42
In simple terms: Killer vocals, Killer melody, Killer solos. Or not so Killer, but with a good atmosphere, originality, synergy that seems catchy/appealing to me. I simply listen to music that gets some emotion out of me.


miniradman
Friday 18 March 2011 - 15:05:16
depending on what genre
 
Black Metal : I try to find atmosphere mainly, but not the type that almost sounds like harsh sounds. Also I try and find bands that usually do a very high tempo whilst maintaining some Element of melody. Also It may seem weird but I also look for elements of folk or Pagan in the music. Thats why I like Taake so much.
 
Death Metal : I mainly go for Brutality when it comes to Death Metal, melody is not such a major thing to me (unless its melodic death) and neither is atmosphere. I'm not a huge fan of old school death so I don't like the slower stuff. But then again I don't want to listen to something that sounds hollow and pointless.
 
"Core" : well... ya'know. Good Melodies, breakdowns, good vocals. I also like a little bit of progressiveness in these genres as well. Especially in Deathcore and Metalcore. It just adds that extra touch of atmosphere and feeling to the music. Also emotion plays a huge part in Post-Hardcore/Screamo bands. So I look for that as well.
 
In general I tend to like things that are a little more upbeat than your regular music. Thats why I like Power and melodic death metal. I also love high energy solos and a good solo is usually the highlight of any song or even album. Also originality, I might listen to thing because it migh sound like some other band that I like, but I don't want to listen to something that sounds like a cheap rip off of a mainstream band. Also skill factor and team work, After All they are in a band and unless its like Putrid Pile they might need to work like a band. This usually reflects the outcome of the music. Even though they might have some awesome solos or breakdowns in it.
 
Thats about it.

vikingman369
Saturday 07 May 2011 - 17:11:52
1. Personal Connection
2. Skill
3. Originality
4. Atmosphere
5. Re-playability
6. Heaviness
7. General Appeal


ryan5
Friday 13 May 2011 - 15:00:02
Soild riffs
Blast beats
Skill (Opeth have an abundance)
Catchiness (Marilyn Manson for example. My opinion.)
Solid growls (Mikael Akerfeldt=best DM vocals)
Solid Clean vocals (Blowsight, The Bereaved)
Friday 13 May 2011 - 15:18:35
Damn, I just posted a long paragraph justifying heaviest bands, and the site screwed up as I submitted the comment. Ah, whatever, I'll write it Down again, except condensed.
 
ANYWAY
As for heaviest bands, it depends on someone's defenition of heavy. Most people see it as non-stop noise and Loudness that's directionless and monotonous--chugging, blast beats, unintelligeble shrieks and growls... that don't let up for an entire album--no variety, just 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH' through a whole CD.
As Far as that defenition goes, bands like Intense Hammer Rage and Hellacaust win that contest.
Buuuuut I find that kinda stuff boring. My heavy is when a band uses sheer atmosphere (along with a good downtuned bass or guitar) to purvery, as Sunn O))) called it-- 'sonic doom'. An atmosphere that's crushing and obliterating, but doesn't rely on cliches to make the music appear heavier. It's like being lost in the defenition of 'heavy'. So bands that fall under that category would be:
Sunn O)))
Darkspace
Propergol
...and there're bands that fall under this category that aren't all avant-garde and whatnot, but the ones listed above are just the heaviest of their kind (IMO).

Praxilla
Sunday 05 June 2011 - 18:17:17
I've tried to get into the more raw black metal. Especially the bands that seem to be very much against melody...But I find that even in metal I prefer some type of melody. Metal instruments can create melody without the piano or an opera singer. But it depends on how the band chooses to use their instruments. If they want to be extremely Brutal I may or may not be able to get into to it regardless of how good the lyrics may be.

One of my favorite genres is dark ambient/dark classical . Think Dargaard and Grabesmond. I like the dark ambiance of the music.  I would even say I actively look for something that has an almost "Occult" sound. And something slightly meditative(Well I can meditate to it, anyways). I prefer my Medieval and classical music Dark as opposed to the more lively groups (Which is why I like a lot of the bands from Cold Meat Industry and Draenor Productions).

And Therion have that perfect combination of metal and symphony that is rare to find in metal(I thought Aesma Daeva might have it but I wasn't so impressed with them).

As Far as metal, a lot of the bands, including The Black Metal bands that I prefer have some sort of tinge of melody in something other than the intros, outros, or other instrumentals. I enjoy the dual interplay between the male and female voices and the dark orchestrations in old school Opera IX. Ulver uses acoustic guitars which is a break to the harshness of the music. Satyricon occasionally has some folk elements. Sometimes the riffs are enough for me(Sarcofago, Rotting Christ and Mercyful Fate, for example). It's weird. But it just depends.


DoomMetalPrincess
Saturday 18 June 2011 - 00:05:24
I kinda take after my DAD when it comes to what I look for, which is basically heavy riffs and clean vocals, but heavy to a certain degree.
I don't mean heavy to the point where the guitarist sounds like he's sawing a Hole into his guitar. Usually melody doesn't matter, but some melody isn't bad either. A few good examples would be Novembers Doom album Amid it's Hallowed Mirth and 5FDP's album The Way Of The Fist.
And as for the vocals, they really don't have to be clean, but to a point where I can understand what the vocalist is saying. Like in Saliva's album Back In Your System.

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