Top 10 Ways Rock & Metal Are Different
I had to make this list because 1. Metal is not a sub genre of Rock 2. I`m sick of Metal entries on my Rock lists and 3. Rock & Metal deserve their own damn lists!A riff/solo speed can depend on two things.
1. strumming speed. (death metal, black metal, thrash metal etc.)
2. chord progression/changing speed. (neoclassical metal, progressive metal, power metal etc)
in both cases, metal is faster than rock.
I added this - it's a fact and not my opinion.
Actually its true, in fact in some cases rock songs become metal songs for speed. for example if you play all the licks of solos very fast and it'll turn into a metal.
You say its louder but not faster? Its certainly both louder and faster, hence the list of fast songs I gave you
I'd rather say, metal has faster/heavier solos.
...and longer, and faster, and more complex!
Yeah, this is an opinion, but here me out.
People that listen to mainstream rock, modern of classic, seem to be more casual listeners.
In the metal community, fans are dedicated. Rob Zombie said it best in Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. (Paraphrasing) "Metal fans aren't typical music fans, they are dedicated for life. I've never heard someone say "I like slayer one summer but not anymore" When someone likes slayer, they are fans for life".
Its evident when you see a metal fan with one of those cutoff denim jackets with band patches all over them. And as a concert goer myself, I tend to see some of the same people at concerts. I have made lots of friends through concerts, some of them are in their 30s, and they still have great conversations with a high schooler like myself about metal. Us metalheads eat, sleep, and breathe metal. Myself, I'm constantly looking at Metal Injection, keeping an eye on new releases, listening to new bands, etc. You just don't see that with ...more
The visitor is kinda right. Cause a genre can't be judged as fanbase.
We're comparing genres, not fanbases.
I disagree, if you only listen to the mainstream metal, you'll hear the same trends. Most people don't realize that there is a whole world of metal out there. Every subgenre has different trends and lyrical themes.
Doom Metal: Slower, good riffs, dark lyrics. Black Sabbath, Ghost, Pentagram, and Candlemass
Power Metal: high pitched vocals, fast yet melodic instrumentation, fantasy themed lyrics. Helloween, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, Sabaton.
Thrash Metal: Faster tempos, double kick drums, harsh vocals, and lyrical themes dealing with the wrongs in today's society. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus.
Death Metal: Growled vocals, fast paced instrumentation, and lyrics usually dealing with gore, the occult, or the wrongs in society. Cannibal Corpse, Death, Cattle Decapitation, Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom
Black Metal: Various tempos, dark, occult themes, guttaral vocals: Bathory, Mayhem, Immortal, Satyricon
Folk Metal: takes influence from multiple genres, ...more
Actually the opposite is true. While I love tock, Metal is MUCH more diverse and unique. Just listen to 50s rock music. Mainly about cars, partying, etc. Now go listen to some 60s and 70s Metal. You'll be surprised about how they are different.
Uniqueness depends on the genre. For example, prog rock is more unique than thrash metal. But prog metal or neoclassical metal are more unique than punk rock, alternative rock or hard rock.
At the end of the day, you are entitled to your opinion. It's just not accurate
This is true! I can't believe my eyes - finally a true statement...
The first true statement on here
Finally some consistency!
Reply@Jeffery0206, RE "Metal music only has one purpose being loud".
Wrong again! The main purpose of metal music is to be an alternative to mainstream music. This explains why metal is underground, more experimental, more extreme and overall - more unique and interesting, believe it or not.
Another purpose is the musicianship - virtuoso guitarists and drummers, more complex music and compositions, etc. Your average metal band has more technically proficient players than your average rock band.
Again, you are very wrong. And, once again, the opposite is true. Metal music has much more fans because it is darker, so many people can relate to it. I always listen to it when feeling depressed. I mean, given the choice, if you were really, really sad and deressed, it would help much more to listen to some Judas Priest than to listen to Three Days Grace. And this isn't just my opinion. I have millions of people who back Mr up on this, and, of course, science proves it as well.
I addressed this in my last comment. Pretty much most mainstream rock/metal is pretty cliché. All about sex, drugs, and relationships. If you investigate metal at least a little bit, you'll find yourself to be wrong. In my years of listening to a wide variety of music, the best lyrics are in progressive rock/metal, punk rock, thrash metal, and grindcore
Maybe, maybe not. But lyrics isn't the thing that can divide two things.
They are very similar. If you could elaborate as to how they aren't, I could refute this better. Among the metal community, several bands, like AC/DC, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Guns N Roses, HIM, and Alice in Chains to name a few, are debated on whether or not they are metal or hard rock. All metal really is is a heavier, more rebellious version of traditional rock and roll.
Like the comment below, yes, they ate very similar. Guns N Roses, Can Halen, ACDC, Kiss, etc have been mistaken for metal bands many times because if the similarities. I don't want to be rude, but you are very ignorant about this topic.
I have a post on this list (with proof). Everything I have explained on there. Anyone could check it if someone wants to know about the basic structure of hard rock and metal riffs.
Hard rock-= slow+power, metal= fast + power.
I added this because this list needed at least one relevant and significant difference.
Listen to Master of Puppets by Metallica - the riff sounds like music that could be played on cellos. Or you can imagine a modern Paganini playing electric guitars. Same for the riff to Holy Wars by Megadeth.
So, metal is stylistically related to classical music and that’s why metal goes well with classical - they are compatible. Classical music is art music and it was the music of the European aristocrats.
Rock music (except prog rock) is based on blues - blues is the folk music of Afro-Americans in rural areas.
This is the biggest difference. “Blues based vs classical based” is used to determine if a band is rock or metal.
Prog rock is influenced by classical and similarly to several metal subgenres, it is considered art music and is often called art rock.
I would never say metal is strictly based on classical. Because blues is the root of all rock and roll, and the first metal bands were playing bluesy metal because bluesy music was very popular back then. As trends changed, some metal bands were taking influence from classical and jazz.
Blues influenced metal isn't as common, but it's there. Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Orange Goblin, and The Sword are the most notable of those
Well both have the basic setup, guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. Quite a few metal bands have keyboardists, but obviously not as much as mainstream rock. If you listen to folk metal bands, like Ensiferum or Cruachan, they have a lot of traditional instruments from their countries traditions. Ensiferum has a lot of traditional Nordic Folk instruments and Cruachan Irish.
Not really. It depends on the genre. Plus music arrangements. For instance if you are talking about punk rock and prog metal. Then punk rock has only four instruments - rhythm guitar, bass, drums and vocals. While prog metal has lots of other instruments. But if you're talking about thrash metal and prog rock. Then prog rock has more. (most of the time).
Can you tell me how many instruments are involved here (this is a metal song and it's not the only one):
Blind Guardian - Sacred Worlds.
Can you please name how many instruments are used in Folk Metal and Symphonic Metal? Mostly concerning Eluveitie and Haggard?
I don't think you thought these items through. The genres that these bands are labeled has nothing to do with it. From my experience, metal has better lyrics then most rock and roll, you just never took the time to investigate Heavy Metal at all
LOL, this statement is false, too. There's no difference - both typical rock and metal bands have 4-5 members. It's because metal is a subgenre of rock and metal uses the same main instruments - guitars, bass and drums (sometimes a keyboard instrument). And a singer.
Not really, its different for every band depending on the sound they wanna create. The labels "Rock" and "Metal" play no part in that. Slipknot for example, has 9 members. Ghost has 6. There is no consistency with this statement
This is the only valid argument on the whole list.
Metal bands feel themselves more free to use naughty language in comparison with rock ones
This could not be more wrong. Thrash Metal, Grindcore, Death Metal, and Black Metal have the fastest songs I've ever heard. The only rock song that comes close to the average thrash song is "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen.
Listen to these songs and you'll realize this makes no sense.
Exodus - Strike of the Beast
Nuclear Assault - Hang the Pope
Slayer - Angel of Death
Annihilator - Human Insecticide
Napalm Death - Metaphorically Screw You
Blind Guardian - Majesty
Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse Now
Motörhead - Ace of Spades
Black Sabbath - Symptom of the Universe
Cattle Decapitation - Dead Set on Suicide
I could go on forever
LOL, some metal songs reach 260-280 bpm.
Can you tell me what is the speed of the fastest rock song? And what is the average speed of metal and rock songs?
The faster is gets, the more metal will turn into it (a rock song).
It is, Originally when metal first came out, it was a subgenre of rock just like Punk or Grunge. Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Judas Priest, and Rainbow were a louder version of rock, with lots of similarities. The thing that sets it apart from other subgenres is:
These bands were so influential, that metal bands from all over the world started playing metal with different styles, which created numerous amounts of subgenres of metal.
How would this differentiate metal from rock anyway? That like saying movies and T.V. shows are different because T.V. shows aren't movies
You don't know anything about music do you?
I added "usually". Cause it depends on the genre. But yes, metal solos have more chord progression than rock solos. And by more, it also means fast chord progression. If you're measuring average one minute rock and metal solos, then you'll notice that if a meta has 30 notes, or say 15 licks in a solo, rock has like 20 notes, or 8/10 licks (It's just for an example). The more chords being played in the less time, the more metal (rock) will turn into.