From: pw15@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Philip  Wang)
Subject: Re: Metal and classical
Reply-To: pw15@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Philip  Wang)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 15:43:03 GMT

In article <BsxDpG.Fnn@world.std.com> azog@world.std.com (Azog Thoth) writes:
>Ive been wondering about this for some time now, and figured that I
>may as well ask the net...
>I find that many people who are into very heavy metal, and also into
>(some degree) classical music (such as Mozart), and wanted to get
>your opinion, and also offer a possible explaination, at least for
>my part...

True to an extent. I grew up on classical music and started listening to rock
almost three years ago. My first rock albums ever were Def Leppard, Iron
Maiden, and Styx, and within months I went on to things on the heavier end
of the scale.
>
>But I must state that the above observation usually seems to work for
>people into real metal, such as Sepultura (sp?), Nuclear Assault, etc.
>Not industrial or pop metal (which for me, into falls Soundgarden, which
>I do like, Ministry, Motley Crue, etc).

The bands you mention (Nuclear Assault, Sepultura) I believe are jazz based,
not classical. Classically influenced bands I think (on thrash / death /
grind scale) are Morbid Angel, King Diamond, Helloween, Metallica, and a
bunch of others I can't remember right now. Pop rock music and more mainstream
heavy metal tends towards blues (ie Tesla, Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake,
etc.), which also influenced stuff in the early "rock'n'roll" days, so I
suppose since generally people like the old '50s stuff (I don't, though) they
usually like the more popular kinds of heavy metal with the heavy blues
influence.

>For me, the enjoyment of being able to switch from classical to thrash
>is in the tecnique of both types of music, and the imagination, and 
>lastly, the delivery. In my eyes, one cant deny that the energy needed
>to create stuff like Kreators sound is quite impressive, and if you
>think a lot of it is noise, listen to the guitar work. Theres a lot of
>technical stuff in there, or at least there is IMHO. 
>
>So is there any sense to what I am saying?
>
Yes there is. But don't forget jazz. Not a jazz fan, myself, but you can't deny
that good jazz is hard to play and hard to learn, and most of all the best in
jazz and classical offer so many directions musically that almost anything is
possible. (However, I find that Glenn Danzig took a neat approach in blues
by playing it in minor as opposed to the typical major key). If you notice,
some of the best rock musicians and bands were classically influenced or 
classically trained. Much more complex arrangements and more intersting things
to play in these realms here, in my opinion and based on my nearly 15 years
experience as a classical musician (yeah, I started playing at age 3).
>-- 
>Billy D'augustine
>azog@world.std.com
>
>"Obliteration of mankind. Under a pale grey sky. We shall arise!"
Who's qote? Sounds like Sepultura. Is it?

philip


"Washington Boulevard, east-bound. Thirty-three...Can I get a transfer, man?
Ninety-five cents?! FUCK YOU I'LL SKATE TO THE BEACH, AND I'LL LOOK BETTER
GETTING THERE!!!" - Faith No More, "Death March"
e-mail Philip Wang at pw15@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu
Newsgroups: alt.thrash,alt.rock-n-roll.metal.heavy