Selfsurprise
Well-known member
I know. This belongs on the serious topic discussion subforum, as befits the sober sincerity of Metal Archive.com's "MTLZ R SRZ BZN" stance, but I felt posting it here was the more democratic and inclusive thing to do... :3
Does anybody else other than me get an indescribably peculiar pleasure in conjuring-up imaginary subgenres for metal? As a genre it is undeniably both renowned and reviled for multitudinous mutant strains of itself, and the many sub-sub-genres within those strains. One can't swing a cacodaemon in the genres cramped quarters for all the veritable varieties. If one takes black metal as a notable example, for most fans of the field a pure and quite easily definable subgenre if there ever was one, then you'll find a whole fleet of attendant microgenres within - bestial BM, raw BM, depressive/suicidal BM, dodgy neo-nazi BM, christian BM (who would've guessed! sometimes it is rather hilariously labeled "unblack metal"), anticosmic BM, ambient BM, vedic BM, Tolkien inspired BM, and far too many more to go into here.
The purpose and intended response to this thread, I hope, isn't to bemoan or defend metal's apparent sublime-diversity-bordering-on-novel-absurdity. I'm really just proposing that the thread is a place to exercise your imaginative muscles and come up with some potential subgenres within the spectrum of the titular genre. You can take the thread as seriously or sarcastically as you please, I'm open to both humourous and sober proposals. I only ask you don't derail the topic by pouring scorn upon or actively promoting the phenomena of microtrends and multiplicity in music, metal or otherwise. I intend to post an irregular series of proposals for subgenres, both sublime and silly (probably both simultaneously if I'm honest) in which I wonder how such a style would sound and develop, to which anyone can wade in on or ignore entirely and post their own proposals if it so pleases them.
I'm something of a lapsed metalhead, and I get the impression that many of you here are full-fat metal fans or otherwise share metal sympathetic leanings. Ross Scott is also apparently a particularly impressive species of metalhead, which lead me to my first proposal for a subgenre - and hopefully one we can all contribute to...
Ross Scott Metal
^ Ross is clearly very thrilled by the prospect of actually becoming a subgenre.
If Tolkien can have a whole slew of symphonic black metal bands dressed in sparkly cloaks and unconvincing prosthetics in his honour, then I don't see why our beloved Ross can't damnit! I'm thinking that Ross Scott Metal (RSM) would draw heavily on the more unpretentious elements of death metal, some of the no-frills but actually memorable traditional songwriting of thrash metal and NWOBHM. Given Ross's avowed love of the game Quarantine and of epic classically-inflected soundtracks, there might even be subtle hints to punk and symphonic electronica in the styles sound too. Thematically RSM songs and records tell somewhat neurotic yet extremely insightful stories based on the perspectives of video game protagonists, often resulting in entire concept albums centred on the plot of specific games, typically told through the angry outbursts and poor life decisions made by the main characters. RSM singers are notorious for deliberately aping Mr. Scott's accent and vocal delivery, sometimes to degree of actually speaking rather than singing or screaming as is usually de rigueur. RSM drummers are often regarded as being overwhelmingly incompetent by their bandmates and are regularly beaten into contributing to the band's efforts.
Does anybody else other than me get an indescribably peculiar pleasure in conjuring-up imaginary subgenres for metal? As a genre it is undeniably both renowned and reviled for multitudinous mutant strains of itself, and the many sub-sub-genres within those strains. One can't swing a cacodaemon in the genres cramped quarters for all the veritable varieties. If one takes black metal as a notable example, for most fans of the field a pure and quite easily definable subgenre if there ever was one, then you'll find a whole fleet of attendant microgenres within - bestial BM, raw BM, depressive/suicidal BM, dodgy neo-nazi BM, christian BM (who would've guessed! sometimes it is rather hilariously labeled "unblack metal"), anticosmic BM, ambient BM, vedic BM, Tolkien inspired BM, and far too many more to go into here.
The purpose and intended response to this thread, I hope, isn't to bemoan or defend metal's apparent sublime-diversity-bordering-on-novel-absurdity. I'm really just proposing that the thread is a place to exercise your imaginative muscles and come up with some potential subgenres within the spectrum of the titular genre. You can take the thread as seriously or sarcastically as you please, I'm open to both humourous and sober proposals. I only ask you don't derail the topic by pouring scorn upon or actively promoting the phenomena of microtrends and multiplicity in music, metal or otherwise. I intend to post an irregular series of proposals for subgenres, both sublime and silly (probably both simultaneously if I'm honest) in which I wonder how such a style would sound and develop, to which anyone can wade in on or ignore entirely and post their own proposals if it so pleases them.
I'm something of a lapsed metalhead, and I get the impression that many of you here are full-fat metal fans or otherwise share metal sympathetic leanings. Ross Scott is also apparently a particularly impressive species of metalhead, which lead me to my first proposal for a subgenre - and hopefully one we can all contribute to...
Ross Scott Metal
^ Ross is clearly very thrilled by the prospect of actually becoming a subgenre.
If Tolkien can have a whole slew of symphonic black metal bands dressed in sparkly cloaks and unconvincing prosthetics in his honour, then I don't see why our beloved Ross can't damnit! I'm thinking that Ross Scott Metal (RSM) would draw heavily on the more unpretentious elements of death metal, some of the no-frills but actually memorable traditional songwriting of thrash metal and NWOBHM. Given Ross's avowed love of the game Quarantine and of epic classically-inflected soundtracks, there might even be subtle hints to punk and symphonic electronica in the styles sound too. Thematically RSM songs and records tell somewhat neurotic yet extremely insightful stories based on the perspectives of video game protagonists, often resulting in entire concept albums centred on the plot of specific games, typically told through the angry outbursts and poor life decisions made by the main characters. RSM singers are notorious for deliberately aping Mr. Scott's accent and vocal delivery, sometimes to degree of actually speaking rather than singing or screaming as is usually de rigueur. RSM drummers are often regarded as being overwhelmingly incompetent by their bandmates and are regularly beaten into contributing to the band's efforts.
