Black Metal >> What got you into black metal?
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wasteoflife!
Sunday 07 April 2013 - 05:16:48

citation :
InfinityZero says : Black Metal is characterized by a few things, but those things don't necessarily need to apply. Like metal in general, Pathos and attitude is really important in what makes a Black Metal band black metal.
 
* Thin, Cold production with an emphasis on tremolo-picked guitar riffs and bass that isn't high in the mix.
 
*Typically not super-technical or super-skilled
 
*Raspy, high pitched screamed vocals, as opposed to the low guttural growls of death metal.
 
*An emphasis on atmosphere, especially with interludes used as breaks or bridges to Push a song forward
 
*Typically, a more free-form song structure, including things like long repetitive soundscapes, again in an attempt to support an atmosphere or motif.
 
*Lyrical themes about satanism, nature, folklore; the grandiose and theatrical
 
*Sometimes artsy and avent-garde; experimental stuff is really readily appreciated in Black Metal, from what I've experienced.
 
Skeletonwitch wouldn't be considered Black Metal because they really portray the stylistic elements of thrash moreso than black metal.


wow! i have a 'tiny' bit more respect for you for explaining that so well

miniradman
Sunday 07 April 2013 - 15:15:31
One thing InfinityZero might have Forgotten in that list is that Black Metal bands are [B]typically[/B] fast. You'll find that Black Metal bands will often go past the 300bpm mark... which is pretty dang fast

InfinityZero
Sunday 07 April 2013 - 16:36:56

citation :
miniradman says : One thing InfinityZero might have Forgotten in that list is that Black Metal bands are [B]typically[/B] fast. You'll find that Black Metal bands will often go past the 300bpm mark... which is pretty dang fast

 
Hm, I never really considered speed a Black Metal trait, honestly. I think most of the biggest classic Black Metal songs (Freezing Moon, Towards the Pantheon, Dunkelheit, every Darkthrone song Ever) are either slow or medium-paced, except for the speed of the tremolo-ness. But I guess if you're counting that, Black Metal can get pretty fast. But then again, is speed a unique trait to the sub-genre?

miniradman
Sunday 07 April 2013 - 16:44:37
Hmmm, it may not be unique to The Black metal genre itself. However many Black Metal bands out there use their high paced tempo as their main focal point in their music. I also believe it's the trait which really solidifies Black Metal as one of the "extreme metal" genres.

Is Freezing Moon not fast for you? Man how fast is fast enough for fast?

wasteoflife!
Sunday 07 April 2013 - 20:40:11
i think spped might have been a trait at the start maybe, i have definitely heard a lot of bands of late where it's pretty damn slow "Krohm" for example pops into mind.

InfinityZero
Wednesday 10 April 2013 - 02:19:30

citation :
miniradman says : Is Freezing Moon not fast for you? Man how fast is fast enough for fast?

 
The intro is super doomy and the solo is almost something one would expect to hear from blues or jazz. The fast section doesn't last long. But anyway, I think speed is so common throughout metal subgenres that it doesn't ADD anything to Black Metal to say that it's fast. If anything I'd say the more notable trait for Black Metal in terms of tempo is that it can range drastically in how slow or fast it is. Play some Moon and then listen to Nortt to compare

wasteoflife!
Wednesday 10 April 2013 - 09:54:16

citation :
InfinityZero says :

citation :
miniradman says : Is Freezing Moon not fast for you? Man how fast is fast enough for fast?

 
The intro is super doomy and the solo is almost something one would expect to hear from blues or jazz. The fast section doesn't last long. But anyway, I think speed is so common throughout metal subgenres that it doesn't ADD anything to Black Metal to say that it's fast. If anything I'd say the more notable trait for Black Metal in terms of tempo is that it can range drastically in how slow or fast it is. Play some Moon and then listen to Nortt to compare


really! you got doom and jazz out of that song, i thought that was just a fast paced Black Metal song where the start and solo weren't the same pace or sounding as the rest of the song

miniradman
Wednesday 10 April 2013 - 11:34:58
Well the roots of Black Metal come from jazz and blues and Mayhem is one of those second wave bands who still showed their strong influence back in the 90s.


citation :
Play some Moon and then listen to Nortt to compare

Although I can hear the difference in tempo, these Two bands are completely different; different influences and play different permutations of black metal. So we're not really comparing apples with apples here are we?

But you know, I think there are enough fast Black Metal bands our there who have made a quite tempo an integral part of their music.

  1. Marduk
  2. Behexen
  3. Taake
  4. Sargeist
  5. Immortal
  6. Endstille
  7. Tsjuder
  8. Nattefrost
  9. Watain
  10. Dark Funeral
...and the list goes onI'm not saying all Black Metal bands are fast, or a band must be fast to be called black metal. However it's something you can expect from black metal...


wasteoflife!
Wednesday 10 April 2013 - 20:36:35


citation :
miniradman says : Well the roots of Black Metal come from jazz and blues and Mayhem is one of those second wave bands who still showed their strong influence back in the 90s.


Black Metal came from jazz and blues thats some weird shit, i cant hear any of that shit in second wave Black Metal at all, maybe i need to listen to more jazz and blues....yeah right

InfinityZero
Thursday 11 April 2013 - 01:24:28

citation :
wasteoflife! says :
Black Metal came from jazz and blues thats some weird shit, i cant hear any of that shit in second wave Black Metal at all, maybe i need to listen to more jazz and blues....yeah right

 
I barely see a connection to blues in metal MOST of the time, but when it comes to Fusion jazz... it's impossible to ignore the Insanity of that genre rubbing off on thrash and speed metal. As Far as Black Metal goes, I think flamenco has some stylistic similarities. After All, that's where tremolo picking comes from
Blues was the biggest influence on metal's creation--without blues there would be no metal. Seriously, listen to some blues guitar solos and then listen to the solo in Freezing Moon. Listen to big blues guitarists like Robert Johnson. He's absolutely amazing (plus there was a story going around about him in the 20s and 30s that Satan taught him to play the guitar!)
 
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