Simple Metal Can Be Better

From Cannibal Corpse to Breaking Benjamin, Nile to a great host of black metal bands, what exactly makes basic metal, at points, work so well compared to others? Where is the line drawn between simplicity making your project worse vs. not reinventing the wheel and it being great?! Let's talk about just that!
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#metal #heavymetal #videoessay #essay #heavymetal #jmorristhereviewguy #jmorristhereviewguy #themetaltempest #discussion

[@TheMetalTempestYT]

Do you prefer music that's very forward-thinking and experimental, or do you not mind when it's a bit basic in comparison?! Be sure to let me know down below your thoughts on this topic!!!!!!! But for now, cheers, rock on, stay heavy and have yourselves a fantastic rest of your day or night, depending on when you see this!!!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@someasianguy9751]

Forward thinking most of the time I’m often expecting modern bands to try doing something new rather than just worshipping the styles of their trendsetters

[@Poopymancer]

I def prefer experimentation but can get down with music that is more basic but refined with clear inspirations. I agree with the point on over engineered music not coming across well, like if something is too over produced it loses its spark, its soul.

[@DeagleLas]

Can I like both? Because music just clicks with you or not, and I like both extremes and the ones in between.

[@nathanielkosbab4153]

That's what draws people to prog and industrial metal, mainly bands like Static-X, Opeth, and other bands adjacent to them. They are experimental and boundary pushing, but in a comfortable way. they have their experimental, out of the box shit , and they shred in both the experimental and comfort metal ways, but also being within the genre they've decided to commit to. Its really the best of both worlds

[@ImRollingEm]

I love experimental music but i think basic metal is usually better, I feel like so many artists just make their music experimental for the sake of being experimental and when you channel your focus on just being experimental you will usually completely lose the plot when it comes to actually making a good song and most of the times end up with a jumbled up mess of ideas that isnt even that innovative, i think an experimental sound should come naturally to the artist, bands such as cynic are a great example of when experimental metal is done right imo

[@Matias-music-71]

I agree , quite often I just want some good riffs and a good melody ..., for example if I have a steak , medium rare pepper and salt .., don't ruin my steak with sauces , all sorts of garnishes etc ;)

[@pastromer8552]

what ive noticed that in music what is consider "progressive" in genre terms, odds are its actually not sonically progressive, for example most people wouldnt think of 90s black metal for being progressive but in terms of impact on music styles and cultures its more progressive than any prog metal band that was around at that time

[@mr.cornflakes1410]

Experimental definitely doesn't always mean complicated. Take something like Melvins, for example - they do some out-there stuff with relatively simple structures. The way I see it, quality of music depends mostly on the compositional skill, you can be average in terms of technique and still make great music if you know how to write songs. Technique in metal is kind of like heaviness - you do need some, but if you try basing your band's entire identity around it, you risk being boring.

[@dimitriid]

The issue I always think about on this topic is the threshold of what it's complicated: I'm very much into the complex side of things but for a lot of people, even Metallica or Iron Maiden are already fairly complicated bands/music yet for me that's the simple and straight forward music of choice and when I'm asked for 'complicated' music I can easily go grab Djent or Mathcore that's so dissonant and polyrhythmic I might as well have tried to introduce them to noise acts. So lately I've tried to actually listen to simple music, usually in the form of EDM but it can be rock and metal, just to remember to slow down and appreciate and not become the typical 'Get that 4/4 crap out of my face' kinda snob.

[@gothicshark]

I like simple beats with complex melodies, the beat gives the motion and the melody causes me to think. So the mix of complex and simple is the type of quality I like best in metal, which is why Industrial and thrash metal are so much fun for me.

[@TheEvilOverlord_Ret]

A counterexample to experimental = complicated is the John Cage piece "4:33" . Granted that's not strictly metal.

[@oleksandrbyelyenko435]

The beauty of it, that it can be 😂

[@oleksandrbyelyenko435]

The beauty of it that it can be

[@PsillyApeUSA]

Let’s take nu metal. It is usually simple but damn it’s great. It has great rhythm and groove. Then you have bands like Cattle Decapitation who are quite complicated but still able to convey it in a way that’s simple to digest if you like metal. Anyways. We can dissect it all day. But dude. You summed it up in less than ten minutes. Quite a gift you have bro!! Love the content

[@ChrysTheMusicianReacts]

I’ll listen to the clowncore guys if I just want to slap my brain around and go “hmm isn’t the weird artistry interesting?”

[@TheMetalTempestYT]

LMAO that's honestly fair

[@IvanoForgione]

I think that a band has to find their sound, and then they can either stick to it or mutate it, as long as it's done tastefully I don't care, if I love it I love it, doesn't matter if it's "derivative", as long as they've fulfillled that first fundamental step of finding their own signature sound! Slayer for example nailed it with their second album, and then kept going around those same cliches for most of their career, and I love all of their efforts. Voivod, who I also love, after finding their definitive sound with Killing Technology kept moving around and have at least 4 different phases where they sound as completely different bands (to the untrained ear). It can be done both ways effectively.

[@sixfitdip]

It always makes my ears perk up when someone adds something unconventional to a genre that takes pride in its tradition and formula. Have you listened to Autolysia new record Rainbow realms? I was so stoked to discover it and I recommend it to everybody

[@agsicodpslahavwshxausudusi7327]

I found a great experimental BM band called Labyrinthus Stellatarum a few days ago. It’s like “space BM” and it sounds very originally and they combine BM with synthwave

[@gnomueaux]

listen to Celtic Frost you get the best of both worlds

[@TheMetalTempestYT]

touche!

[@xtransxcorex]

when bands say they're experimental, I always just assume they're going for a dissonant death and/or black metal sound. ooooo another Imperial Triumphant, ooooo another Deathspell Omega, how unique. except Sleep Token, which as much as I don't like them, at least they're actually doing something that's very very rare

[@RazorSaysRawr]

This reminds me of when I said that "too much brutality can ruin a song."

[@TheMetalTempestYT]

Exactly! Heaviness does not equal great either haha