[quote=“scherpschutter, post:20, topic:1537”]Do you really think Black Sabbath is better than Led Zeppelin, Frank?
As originators BS seems to me mainly responsible for all these death, voodoo, horror, and yes black sabbath things, which all are a bit silly (and gave heavy metal a bad name), and not really essential for the musical aspect of heavy metal (they are more essential to the ‘show off’ aspect of it, just like those impressive light shows are essential to the show off aspect of prog rock)[/quote]
yes I do… they sang about real life - drug use, war, depression, and redemption. Zep sang about Tolkien.
It’s true that they had a different background, mainly folk and blues, but that’s why I prefer them to more straightforward metalists like Black Sabbath. As for the lyrics, or more in general the contents of their music: I don’t think neither Zep nor Sab was very interesting in this aspect. The things you mention (drug use, war, depression etc.) are all signs of the times, it was customary to sing about them. Those ‘folkie’ lyrics of Zep were customary too in these days, prog rockers like Yes also were very much into it.
Yes it was a sign of the times but Sabbath took their songs to the mainstream (for the most part). It was a counter to the counter culture - no more flower power but nuclear war and drug abuse - no smiles and sunshine but gloom and doom.
At the risk of pissing people off, I’ve always kind of viewed metal as the “American professional wrestling” of music. Granted, there’s some talent and meaningful stuff out there in some of it, but there’s also too much posing and posturing (the imagery, the amped-up testosterone) for me to take too much of it seriously.
Granted, I don’t really listen to lyrics all that much, but the doom and gloom stuff never really had much appeal to me.
That said, I can throw on Sabbath, Maiden or old Ozzy every now and then and enjoy it. In terms of musicianship, though, Sabbath didn’t hold a candle to Zeppelin.
If you really want to talk of the origins of metal, you’d have to mention the MC5 and Blue Cheer. Both bands were nowhere near as good as what came after, but they’re definitely some of the first.
As much as Zep influenced metal, I have a hard time putting it in the same league as Metallica and Biohazard. It’s way better than that from an artistic/creative/textural standpoint at least, I think.
I was just thinking, it’s funny how King Crimson never seems to get mentioned in discussions about metal. 70’s era (as well as more recent KC) is dark and extremely heavy.
Yes but it as well is very lyrical. In the house of the Crimson King offers a great variety is musical nuances. From hard experimental so soft and tender…
I think today’s DREAM THEATER is close to KING CRIMSON, like Crimson’s, their music is a fuse of metal and symphonic rock and the musicians are virtuoso
I guess people like lordradish, Alk0 and me are attracted to other groups than Frank cum suis because we’re not looking for ‘the real thing’ in metal. I guess to Frank groups like Dream Theater or Queensryche (and Led Zeppelin too) aren’t the real thing, they’re too far away from the tradional doom metal he prefers. What is an asset to me, is a drawback to him. Vice and versus.
See, I never liked Dream Theater, (or most other modern prog). A bit too over-the top for me. I was kinda bummed when they opened up for Yes a few years ago. That said, I respect the hell out of their musicianship.
I think is, what it really comes down to for me, is I don’t really like a lot of “loud” music. I do occasionally, but anything in the realm of speed/death metal just annoys me. I’m no fan of punk either. My musical tastes are generally pretty old fartish, funny, cuz I’m only 37.
I never had issue with Queensryche. I never liked Dream Theater. My metal tastes are more varied than I may have let on - My favorite metal band first and foremost is Iron Maiden. The stuff that came out of the NWOBHM scene is some of the best and most interesting out there. I love doom metal which is true but I like a lot of what is considered extreme metal - Unleashed, Vader, Decapitated, Sodom, etc. I like punk as well. I love ska music too…
