Subgenres in Metal DO Matter (and this is why)
Tool isn’t correctly labeled as a “progressive speed djent symphonic lightcore” band. So what? Subgenres are NOT about going heavy-handed on the gatekeeping and labels.
This one goes out to all you gatekeepers who freak out if Tool isn’t correctly labeled as a “progressive speed djent symphonic lightcore” band as well as those who take a steaming crap on those gatekeepers. Things are not so black and white.
Subgenres in metal do matter when put into context of the history and culture of metal. These labels do matter, BUT their purpose is not to accurately and meticulously label every band as purple or indigo.
Sam Dunn’s Heavy Metal Family Tree
When I first got into metal, one of my many roadmaps through the metal genre was the Heavy Metal Family Tree and the series Metal Evolution by Sam Dunn and his production Banger TV. Especially when I wasn’t sure what other noises were out there, and my dad didn’t have music from every single subgenre, I had to look to sources like this.
After watching the Metal Evolution series, I remember going to Google and looking up the Family Tree and making a list of all the bands subgenres I wanted to explore further. I especially wanted to explore the subgenres that weren’t covered in the series. From there on out it was a full on music rabbit hole.
But I knew the history of each, where they got their influences from, and at what point in time they happened. More importantly, I was able to see how the music grew and morphed into what it is today.
The Essentials
While it’s easy to categorize and put a BUNCH of bands into on subgenre, I don’t think the purpose of having these subgenres is strictly for organization. We really just need a handful of prominent bands to define a subgenre.
For an easy example, glam metal can be defined by just a few bands:
Motley Crue
Ratt
Cinderella
Poison
If you like those bands, you might also find interest in Steel Panther, Nevermore, or Bon Jovi. But even bands like Motley Crue and Bon Jovi evolved into a less candy-coated group with the times. So do we need another subgenre for the Bon Jovi era that made “The Circle”? No. You know what they’re known for.
Audible Time Markers
Subgenres also serve as markers on the time line of music history. Without The Beetles, there wouldn’t be The Sex Pistols. Without The Sex Pistols and punk, there wouldn’t be Napalm Death. Without Napalm Death, there wouldn’t be Obituary or Death. And so on and so on.
If some greenie asked you “isn’t all metal loud screaming music?” Of course, you’d say, “no!” Look at Black Sabbath – the fan-proclaimed start of all metal – and they sound absolutely NOTHING like the new metal being released today.
Metal has evolved and branched off into new sounds throughout time.
The Most Important Part: Communication!
I’m sure we can all recall a time when someone said “Here, you’d like these guys! They’re kind of a new-er sounding thrash band.” You’ll all of a sudden have an expectation going into listening to the band: a fun thrash band with modern production and probably more death-like scream styles.
These are all descriptors for writings and verbal communication for a medium you can’t visually show in an Instagram grid. You can understand an artists’ style by quickly swiping through their online portfolio or social media, but not so much with metal.
And when you’re a subpar writer on SubStack, you kind of rely on words to describe a band to get readers to actually click ‘play.”
For Example:
Earth-crushing doom band summons slayers with powerful guitar melodies in one fist and pounding riffs in the other. This 8 minute song is like adventuring through the caverns of Mount Doom.
This song displays the beautiful dualities between soaring ethereal wave-making and throwing your neck out during a breakdown. Both the synths and growls give it a touch that makes it feel like it’s meant to be played at the end of an anime episode.
Which one did you click on first?
The Personalities of Metal
While pretty much all metalheads enjoy a lot of the same bands…there are clear personalities of metal that stem from each of the subgenres.
For example, you can see the clothing style and attitude of a black metal fan can be quite different to a nu metal fan. Subgenres have just as much tribalism (if not more) than just expressing tribalism for just the metal genre.
Fans of some subgenres may take life more or less seriously than others. Simply put, people are shaped by music and the creators who made it. Deathcore fans tend to be more happy-to-lucky people who like lounging in sweatshirts, whereas Goth metal fans lean more towards putting more effort in their appearance and perhaps are more introverted than deathcore people.
Closing Thoughts
It’s really not always all about Locking Horns and arguing why System of a Down doesn’t belong in the metalcore category? While these kinds of discussions can be fun and anxiety-inducing, that is just simply not the true meaning of Christmas.
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