1. THURSDAY OCTOBER 4, 2007
RE
By DYLAN MOO oduc-
CONWELL-EG
AN write an intr
hen I firs t sat down to favorite of all
metal, my
W
ting
tion to heavy s, it seemed like a daun -
musical genre ned an d mis
e most malig ea of explain-
might be th and the id
task. Metal sic,
form of mu possible.
understood is almost im
ve it so much e reader, find out for
ing why I lo to let you, th ery-
So I decided is list for ev
ething on th -
yourself. T here is som has whatever you’re look
bgen re that ques your
one, some su on. And if anything pi .
ing for, so read afraid to give it a listen
’t be
interest, don ht be glad you did.
You just mig
BRITISH M THRASH M
ETAL Perhaps the m ETAL
Heavy metal go
t
in England. Thes its start in the early ’70s original British ost direct descendent of th
e
born style of th metal scene is the mainly U
out of the same e first bands, growing .S
sc ’80s, thrash m rash metal. Beginning in th .-
rock, shared th ene as early punk etal bands took e early
e loud, fast ener power of Iron the speed an
Clash and the gy of the M
Se to the fire. Thra aiden and added even mor d
dose of musical x Pistols, but added a sh metal is as e fuel
The early Britis ability to the equation. you’ll ever hear fa
h be stunning. Th , and the leve st as anything
considered som metal bands are today l of virtuosity
ca
musical acts of e of the most influential bands vary gr e vocal stylings of thrash m n
eatly from clas et
al
British scene is l time, and the ’70s aggressive ye sic-rock falset al
lls to to
point for an introdefinitely a good starting dizzyingly fast , but the music is always
duction to the ge , and the solo
s never disapp
IF YOU LIKE: Fa nre. IF YOU LIKE: oint.
Insane
classic-rock styl st, chugging guitars, speed, great gu
itar
e vocals, raw en solos, varied
ergy vocals
THEN CHECK
O THEN CHECK
Iron Maiden, B UT:
lack Sabbath Anthrax, Slaye OUT:
Megadeth, A r,
nnihilator
E TAL
HAIR M one prob
ably
list, this ly, hair metal
s on this Put simp
subgenre on. ble “big-
Of all the e least introducti r the unmistaka l was a
fo ta
needs th e ’80s. Named bands, hair me synth-
ow ned th favored by the oppy and s
s t times p ou
hair” stylerand of metal, a betraying a seri metal era
iverse b s
er time s from the hair ay, but,
d th
hile at o nd tod
heavy, w ck influence. Ba ated pop artists ht us
-ro sd
classic discounted a hair bands bro ug
are often the days of the
,
in reality cellent music. more
some ex y songs,
nth-heav
wer, sy ruses
IKE: Slo o
IF YOU L emes, catchy ch
upbeat th
HECK
THEN C n Halen,
OUT: Va
pard,
Def Lep r, Dokken
Slau ghte
CROSSOVER POWER METAL
In its infancy, thras
h
scene, and, being metal was largely a West Coast The beginnings of thi
s
concurrent L.A. pu
as such, its exposu at some point in the one are a little fuzzy as well, but
nk scene was ine re to the decided it would be
late ’80s or early ’90
s, someone
a literal “crossing- vit
over” of the two sty able. The result of a
make it as fast as thr good idea to take hair metal and
just that: crossover. les was dubbed ash. With that, powe
yelled vocals and Crossover combined the raw soun born. Power metal ba r metal was
DI
speed and shredd Y ethic of punk with the blazing
d, style vocals, epic (an nds are known for their virtuoso-
d
while mixed, were
ing solos of thrash, speed, and, most of often corny) lyrics, blazing
(and still are) often and the results, RIDICULOUS) guita
all, ridiculous (and I
mean
spectacular. r work. Power metal
IF YOU LIKE: Punk starting point for any is an excellent
heavy metal novice,
vocals and lyrics, -style accessible than many as it is more
metal speed and
thrash- watered down at all. of the other genres, but not
virtuosity
THEN CHECK OU IF YOU LIKE: Long,
T: “epic” songs, insane
D.R.I., Municipal
Waste, guitar solos, break-ne
The Escaped, R.K.
L. speed, ’80s-style vo ck
cals
THEN CHECK OUT:
DragonForce, Sona
ta
METAL
Arctica
SSIVE
PROGRE oint in the 1
est
980s, the b tal
e
undefined p ir metal and British m ose of
yet-
At some as- thrash metal, ha a lethal d BLACK
e togeth
t
lt of all th
added
things abou er, and to that mix was is was progressive Black me
the more tal, popular in Sc
METAL
cam resu nical of all
uosity. The e most tech brands o modern, and, ce andinavia, is one
musical virt essive metal, easily th 0s-style vocals with f rt
’8
metal. Progr s, combines distinctly esizer and even vocals oft metal. It is extre ainly, more extre of
e m m
subgenre plays of guitar, synth h, prog metal shrieking n involve high-p ely heavy, and th e
L
DEATH META
the itched sc
g dis noug . In addit
reaming e
mind-blowin ics. As if that weren’t e in strange time themes o ion, the ly
o
b ass histrion o notorious for playing usic best dark. Wh f black metal son rical and musical r
ls a nutshell, m ile it is ce gs are oft ting as an offshoot
of
bands are a rogressive metal is, in palatable rtainly n en very Death metal, originathe best-known subgenres
P
signatures. usicians. subgenre or accessible of ot the most crossover, is one of rkest of
joyed by m E: Incredible few black s, there a the meta
l the heaviest and da
en IF YOU LIK and compositional metal ba re definitely more of metal. It is by far ily detuned guitars and
av
l
instrumenta ely long songs,
nds wort
h checkin than a the genres, with he vocals. Death metal varies
m
ability, extre lyrics g out. low-pitch ed growled fast, but,
IF YOU L empo to extremely
o ften poetic heavy m IKE: Extr
emely in speed from mid-t bone-crushing sonically.
ush, s
either way, is alway not for the squeamish,
CK OUT: R u
themes, sic, dark
THEN CHE ter, Symphony X shrieking are
Death metal lyrics en dark and violent. If
a
Dream The THEN C vocals
as the themes are
oft
H
Venom, ECK OUT: ed hasn’t scared
Immorta everyth ing I’ve just mention metal a shot.
e death
l, Ulver you off yet, then giv music to be heard.
Th ere’s a lot of good
re is,
heaviest sound the
IF YOU LIKE: The vocals, dark, often “evil”
aggressive, growled
themes
GRINDCO ORE
RE METALC developments in metaleis cee
THEN
Without a do th CHECK OUT:
ub n d
metal subgen t the least accessible of most recen
t
the punk-in
flu Nile, Death,
re al
of crossover, s, grindcore, another offs l One of the aditional metal with lly, metalcore. Cannibal
tr
is
untrained ea not for the faint of heart. hoot blending of core, creating, natura of sung and Corpse,
rd n
r,
nothing but no grindcore often sounds likTo the genre of ha ntains a combinatio aggression, Arch Enemy
drums and gu ise. With extremely fast an e M etalcore co cals, and melds the ardcore with
vo fh
and screamed itars, often discordant synt d loud screamed and emotive lyrics o harmonized guitars
s s
nothing more vocals, it may actually be h parts breakdown etal elements such a lcore is a very good
th
awesome an an noise. But it can be traditional m ass drumming. Meta introduced to
-b ing
yw
give grindcor ay. So if you’re feeling br and double meone who is just be accessible genre.
e a shot. ave, place for so rt, because it is a very
IF YOU LIKE
: metal to sta So there
screaming vo High-speed guitars and dr E: Beginner you have it. The
cals, cacoph
ony ums, IF YOU LIK ggression ’s
Metal. Th Guide to Heavy
THEN CHEC
K Ha rdcore’s a etal-style complete
is is by n
o means a
OUT: Origin, n, m
and emotio sung and myriad su
listing of
all the
Genghis Tron g uitar work, cals b
but it is a genres out there,
The End, Cre , screamed
vo good plac
tin so do you e to start,
CK OUT: rs
check out elf a favor and
THEN CHE evenfold, a few of th
Avenged S on here. O
n
e bands
early Thrice might en e of them just
d up bein
what you ge
were look xactly
Photo by
ing for.
STEVE GENGLER,
TOM RASKI
REALITY EDITOR ANDY VINEBERG: 215-949-4135 ARTIST TOM RASKI: 215-949-5744 E-MAIL BACKTALK@PHILLYBURBS.COM WRITE REALITY, C/O COURIER TIMES, 8400 RT. 13, LEVITTOWN, PA 19057