this is something i just learned so i'd though i'd share. the term black metal was started by musicians who wanted to distance themselves from the death metal genre, which was putting out a bunch of stuff that sounded the same. the idea, from Varg Vikernes account, was to have each band have its own subgenre, so "black" metal was one of the terms used (possibly adopted from venom's album under the same name). the idea, though ridiculous, was that by adopting a different subgenre "whatever" metal, would be unique, or at least not copying the "other" metals. anyhow, i forget exactly who adopted which term, but black metal was the one that the media picked up on, for the sake of labeling a bands with this semi-new sound. basically some people are really picky about labels and some aren't.
the thing that attracts me to "black" metal is the, i guess, more experimental use of instruments within metal music. some stick to just blastbeats and/or keyboards or vocal style and that's enough to be "black". but i think stuff with electronica, violins, saxophones, choirs, or even full orchestras is really intersting and it gives a band an identity. and i love the mix of clean and harsh vocals, which you don't really count on in death metal. so then you start drawing the line of prog metal, or progressive black metal, or whatever.
the philosophy of black metal widely varies. you have your strict satanists or evil people, then the people who use the evil/satanist ideas as metaphor to challenge tradition, and then the ones that are labeled evil simply b/c of their music, irregardless of lyrics or image. for me, metal as a whole is a way of thinking. i got into it for the pure energy, it became an outlet for aggression and rebellion, and it evolved into more or less a lifestyle (in the sense of confidence of identifying with something that didn't care if i was an outsider, that accepted me and others as is). i have always been a very reserved person, but i have met lots of friends at shows. i feel like the kind of people you meet at shows generally go through the same shit you do and are attracted to the music for the same reasons, it's an automatic common bond. "brothers in metal" or something from one of those dumb songs. unfortunately the bad thing is that you are stereotyped for your looks, haircut, shirt, whatever. you're evil or you're an addict or a child molester or a poser or something. but at the same time it maybe keeps away the judgemental people.
anyway to reccommend a few interesting bands; Borknagar, Vintersorg, Arcturus (prog/blackish); Samael, The Kovenant, Pain (um, electronic influenced maybe?), Opeth, Amorphis, Agalloch (prog/death) Neurosis, Isis (slow hardcorish); Cynic, Meshuggah (weird time signatures); Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, Within Temptation (female vocals). |
