AboutMike Rogers Expertise I can answer pretty much any questions about metal: bands, genres, songs, etc.
Experience I am a life-long metal fan, I'm a guitarist in a metal band, I've been to a huge amount of concerts (including every Ozzfest) and have met a lot of famous metal musicians, including Phil Anselmo, Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne, Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, Dee Snider, etc.
Education/Credentials I graduated from high school, but decided not to attend college to commit to my band full-time.
Expert: Mike Rogers Date: 2/25/2008 Subject: In a Predicament
Question Hello. I am having difficulty finding the precise style of metal to my preferences, and I was wondering if you could help. I am passionate about music (of many genres) but I'm incredibly ignorant...I have not been exposed to very many artists due to various circumstances, one of them being that I have/had been a Christian all my life until a questioning period begun a couple of years ago (I am twenty-one now). Anyway, I am in a bit of a predicament, as I still retain many of the same morals and reasoning, thus (obviously) this affects my choice of music. Another major issue is that I often find popular, repetitive music irritating and pretentious, and it has been difficult for me to find music to my tastes.
I do not know much about metal, but I know what I like in music, and in the rock and bits of metal I have heard, so here is an example:
I thoroughly enjoy dramatic, complex, music in minor keys that is creative and experimental, that transitions ingeniously to other "stages" in a song's duration, with driving riffs and a strong melodic vein (that may or may not always be present).
I am sort of a sensitive person, anyway, and I cannot handle dark or gruesome lyrics, nor the deep "growl" often associated with certain types of metal - I do like screaming - so long as it is well-balanced with proper singing, throughout song and/or album, (from a talented vocalist, preferably, but...understandably, he/she doesn't have to sound like an opera singer).
These are not metal bands, but (of the little music I have heard) here are some bands I deeply enjoy, and they might give you more of an idea of what I like:
- Rush, specifically "2112" - I bought this recently and I cannot get enough of this album.
- Muse
- Tool (though I do not yet own any of their music for reasons previously listed)
- Queen
- Nirvana
- Nine Inch Nails (though again, I do not own their music). I love industrial as well, but have difficulty finding music in that genre for the same reasons I've listed here regarding metal.)
I suppose my preferences are very specific, but could you recommend any artists with all of the things I described?
I appreciate your reading my question.
Answer Based on your appreciation for experimentalism, I would thoroughly recommend progressive and/or avant-garde metal. Actually, a lot of these bands were heavily influenced by Rush. Some of the major "prog-metal" bands include Dream Theater (very melodic, dramatic, and often beautiful, yet still very heavy and featuring some of the best guitar solos I've ever heard), King's X (it's kinda debated on whether or not they're metal, but that doesn't really matter. Their music is complex, yet riff-based, soft, yet hard, and altogether amazing), *NSYNC (hey, everybody needs some comic relief), Queensryche (mostly remembered for their hits Silent Lucidity and Empire, most people don't know that their repertoire was mainly based on "rock operas" like Operation: Mindcrime, which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest metal albums of all time), Opeth (you said you didn't like death metal, but I have to mention these guys simply because of Damnation, a non-metal album they released that is one of the most moving albums I've ever heard), Fantomas (you said you liked experimental music, and you can't get much more experimental than this. I must warn you, it is VERY bizarre, and admittedly, can be a bit too much for some people), Symphony X (influenced by classical music, an acquired taste, but I find it very powerful), Pain of Salvation (just imagine Iron Maiden with complex time signature changes), Ayreon (mix of folk music, classical music, electronica, and metal; also use the rock opera format), and Fates Warning (arguably the first prog-metal band, although I think it was Queensryche. These guys still released some essential metal albums, such as No Exit, Perfect Symmetry, and the compilation Chasing Time). I would also suggest checking out some early progressive rock bands, such as Uriah Heep, Kansas, King Crimson, Jethro Tull (no, really), Yes, Pink Floyd, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. And, since you mentioned Muse as one of your favorites, I would suggest checking out Radiohead's OK Computer, which is very similar to Muse's style, but (in my opinion) better.
Well, I hope I was of help, and I hope I didn't take too long (I know I have a tendency to ramble sometimes, although I really do feel that Blue Poles is a fascinating work of art, and one of Pollock's best, and........oops), but anyway, good luck, hope you enjoy the bands, and yes, 2112 is indeed, a WONDERFUL album.
