Heavy Metal in My Blood - Essay Example

Heavy Metal in My Blood Metal music has for years been seen as rebellious and counter culture. This is because it was brought to the spotlight by the hippie movement which appeared to go against everything the society considered orthodox at the time (Gross, 1990). The costumes worn by members of the bands that played this music were also a reason why the mainstream society found the music to be unacceptable. These costumes included the application of corpse paint, bullet belts and other accessories like spikes made the more orthodox, older generation cringe. All of this music has been associated with Satanism by some due to costumes its performers and enthusiasts wear. The charge of Satanism is reinforced by the attack of the music on Christianity and glorification of Satan in some of the lyrics, thus it is not entirely without cause (Walser, 1993). The blanket charge of Satanism however fails to put into consideration that just like in any other genre, what the music says depends on the musician (Arnett, 1991). Black metal music has a general affinity to themes of war, catastrophe and apocalypse as well as rebirth. With all the flack mentioned above that this music takes; it is understandable if some find it difficult to understand why I would consider it influential. To a sound engineer, however, the arrangement of the seemingly cacophonous vocals to produce music is a curious feat (Chapman, 2012). To me one of the subgenres of black metal, symphonic metal is even more fascinating than the others since it combines the socially unacceptable metal with elements of the supremely proper classical and opera music without any apparent crash or discordance in the music produced. There is also the psychological benefit that I personally get in that the music gives me peace Black metal is a study of how music can inform human emotion. Typically, reference to heavy metal is used when talking about the Norwegian style. The Norwegian style is characterized by tremolo in the guitar sounds, another characteristic is that where trebly sounds are not used, guitars are played in high pitch (Kahn-Harris, 2006). True to the apocalyptic message of heavy metal, the ultimate objective is to create a sound of dread. The fact that the objective of creating dread through sound is regularly met and surpassed in this kind of music is a major influence to me as a student of sound and as a player. It helps me to see the effect that sound engineering can have in a day to day setting and in the lives of real people. It also inspires me to experiment with other combinations of sound in instrumentation in all forms of music to create specific emotions. The music therefore has a lot of influence on me as a performer, a student of sound and as a human being. Combination of black metal which is mostly at the fringes of societal acceptance with opera and classical music shows that music is just music. Symphonic metal is an acknowledged subgenre of metal which is what I regularly play. This music is a combination off heavy drums, guitars as would be expected of heavy metal and, in different instances, a performance of heavy metal includes one or more elements of the classical music. Elements included in symphonic metal are symphonic instruments such as the violin and many others (Wallach, Berger & Greene, 2011). In some instances, choirs like in the opera are included in the harmony, as a result of the combination with opera, the music is also known as opera metal with another reference being operatic metal. The above-mentioned combination is influential to me as it shows that there are no real differences in music as these genres can be married to produce something acceptable by most. Ultimately the differences between preferences in music, just like differences on other matters of opinion is just people insisting on staying in the extreme ends of the spectrum. They are not insurmountable differences and they only exist in the minds of those who hold them. It is therefore for this reason that symphonic metal influences my thinking on the society in general and of the possibilities available for different genres of music. As a player metal music gives me freedom to experiment with my guitar and to express myself. Metal music allows the player of instruments to let themselves go and play hard (Bryson, 1996). Unlike other genres of music which are controlled and limit the extent of sound, metal music gives me the license to play my instrument hard. Therefore, when I am playing the guitar, I am not too restricted as to be a bystander in the music I play while the audience dances and has fun. Playing any instrument in a metal band requires physical stamina since it is involving (Wallach, Berger & Greene, 2011). When doing this, the music resonates throughout my person. This influences me as a musician since I am able to experience what the audience experiences. The experience is not just from an audio perspective but also from the physical angle. The freedom I experience allows me to come up with new ways of playing and also exercise the creativity that comes with experience. Freedom that black metal offers me to experiment influences my technique and enjoyment as a player. The technique influences what I offer to black metal fans by making it more enjoyable for them while my ability to enjoy what I do as a musician enables me to continue playing for longer. There has been debate on the kind of influence heavy metal music has on the enthusiast’s temperament. There is a school of thought that argues that heavy metal music causes people to be violent (Arnett, 1991). The head banging associated with this music and its apparent link to Satanism makes people draw the conclusion that heavy metal breeds violence. The conclusion that this music is violent is as a result of the fact that Satanism is associated with ritual murders and other occurrences of that nature. My experience, however is that heavy metal actually makes me calm. It takes away the need for me to vent my frustrations elsewhere or even to bottle them up. The kind of energy I expend in playing the guitar and dancing along acts as a form of projection against whatever it is that affects me for the moment. The music has also not made me desire to join the occult or decapitate an animal as most would assume it does to everyone. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the effect this music has on the individual is dependent on the individual themselves and the character of their influence in life. My take on the influence of the music on my temperament is borne out by research. A study conducted at the University of Queensland in Australia concluded that extreme music helps to process anger. The researchers after studying 39 loyal fans of different types of extreme music in the 18 to 34 age bracket found that the music reduced sadness and induced positive emotions such as happiness and peace (Guardian Music, 2016). The research found that when the participants were experiencing anger that would turn violent, they preferred music with an equal magnitude of explosiveness as a counter-balance. While this research was performed in a controlled environment, it goes a long way towards refuting that black metal and other forms of extreme music are a cause of violence and to validate my experience that this music is a positive influence on temperament. In conclusion, research on the complexity of symphonic heavy metal is a gold mine for a sound enthusiast, the way the different sounds combine to create acceptable music is a great influence to me as a person and also to many other sound engineers. The effect of this music on temperaments is not always what the popular literature has made it out to be and there is a lot of positive influence that may be attributed to this music. In my musical journey, I have realized that I cannot do without heavy metal, not only because I am a fan but also because of the positive influence it has in my life as a person as well its capacity to improve my skills as a sound engineer. References Arnett, J. (1991). Adolescents and heavy metal music: From the mouths of metalheads. Youth and Society, 23(1), 76. Bryson, B. (1996). " Anything but heavy metal": Symbolic exclusion and musical dislikes. American sociological review, 884-899. Chapman, P. M. (2012). “Heavy metal”—cacophony, not symphony. Integrated environmental assessment and management, 8(2), 216-216. Gross, R. L. (1990). Heavy metal music: A new subculture in American society. The Journal of Popular Culture, 24(1), 119-130. Guardian Music. (2016). Listening to 'extreme' music makes you calmer, not angrier, according to study. the Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/22/listening-heavy-metal-punk-extreme-music-makes-you-calmer-not-angrier-study Kahn-Harris, K. (2006). Extreme metal: Music and culture on the edge. Berg. Wallach, J., Berger, H. M., & Greene, P. D. (2011). Metal rules the globe: Heavy metal music around the world. Duke University Press. Walser, R. (1993). Running with the devil: Power, gender, and madness in heavy metal music. Wesleyan University Press. Read More