Raeiin
11-08-2007, 12:27 PM
Post Metal. After reading through the forums a bit, I realized that not many people know about this genre of music. It is relatively new, but over the past couple years has become my favorite music genre, and I thought it might be fun to introduce this to people here at the Rock Band forums. Heck, maybe Harmonix will notice and put a Post Metal song in their game as DLC.
Here is the definition of Post Metal:
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal, with roots in progressive rock and industrial music. It is broadly characterized by distorted guitar, heavy atmospherics, gradual evolution of song structure, and a minimal emphasis on vocals.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
Here's a slightly more in-depth look at what Post Metal is:
The simplest way to define post-metal is as a mix of post-rock and metal. This indicates the interplay of light and dark - taking the distorted guitars and guttural vocals of metal and post-hardcore and setting that against the clean instrumentalism of post-rock. Pieces tend to be at a slow- to mid-tempo, focusing on chord changes and barrages of sound rather than lead guitar riffing and shredding, and usually eschewing guitar solos. Post-metal tends not to feature the discordance present in much of modern hardcore, a feature present in music by contemporaries such as Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
Here is a look at the way Post Metal songs are structured:
Post-metal is also defined by structure, which leans far more towards that of post-rock than metal: songs tend to 'evolve' to a crescendo or climax (or multiple ones within a song), building upon a repeated theme or chord shift, whereas metal, however, often adheres to verse-chorus-verse conventions of song structure. As Aaron Turner of Isis states, "the standard song format of verse-chorus-verse-chorus is something that has been done and redone, and it seems pointless to adhere to that structure when there are so many other avenues to explore". The result of this is often long songs, commonly in the range of six to eleven minutes. Therefore a typical post-metal track is not generally suitable for radio play, nor is it commercially viable. Similarly, albums are often created as quasi-conceptual, creating the greatest impact when listened to as a whole. Likewise, it is not uncommon to see literary influences on albums, such as Red Sparowes' At the Soundless Dawn. This is arguably what makes the genre such an element of the avant-garde. It draws upon the ideas of contemporary classical music and minimalism in the vein of Steve Reich (i.e. repetition and expansion of a theme) and John Cage, at the same time as the metal scene.
A typical post-metal piece might start with a lone guitar, but eventually build to six-plus members playing simultaneously, as shown in songs like "Genesis" from The Beyond by Cult of Luna. Likewise, a post-metal song may leap "head-first" into the music, with distortion and aggression evident from the start. Songs like this challenge the definition of the genre, but the majority of them will contain clean interludes or lulls, usually as parts of a build-up in themselves. Relevant examples include "False Light" from Oceanic by Isis, "Australasia" from Australasia by Pelican, or "Monstrously Low Tide" from "Leaving Your Body Map" by maudlin of the Well.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
And here is a bit about instrumentation and vocals/lyrics:
A typical post-metal set-up includes two or three guitars, a bass guitar, synthesizers, a drum kit and a vocalist. There are a number of completely instrumental post-metal bands, such as Pelican. Orchestral passages are not uncommon, especially in the work of Cult of Luna, Intronaut, Kayo Dot and Boris have music strongly influenced by jazz.
The overall sound is generally very low, with guitars being detuned sometimes to as low as B, the equivalent of a 7-string guitar. Production is usually very tight, and there is little "garage band" feel to the music. This allows for pervasive or minimalist sections, as in clean guitars or synth, to come through more clearly.
The general philosophy behind post-metal production is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, so each instrument is usually given about equal presence. Vocals are often not particularly high in the mix, and in most cases are in the style of hardcore or metal, i.e. guttural and shouted, rather than clean or shrieked as in emo, or growled in death metal. Lyrics cover a broad spectrum of issues, usually somewhat metaphysical, existentialist or macroscopic, as opposed to deeply personal or directly allegorical. Themes often include political dissatisfaction, or criticism of herd mentality.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
And finally, here is a list of notable Post Metal bands:
* Battle of Mice
* Boris
* Callisto
* Cult of Luna
* Intronaut
* Isis
* Jesu
* Kayo Dot
* Giant Squid
* Khoma
* Made Out of Babies
* Mouth of the Architect
* Neurosis
* Pelican
* Red Sparowes
* Rosetta
* Russian Circles
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
I think that pretty well explains what Post Metal is all about. Now I'll give some of my thought concerning Post Metal.
Post Metal is really an amazing genre. I've never been one for short, catchy verse-chorus-verse music, so Post Metal is really a godsend for me. Post Metal music is just so powerful and emotional, and I love that.
Some of my favorite Post Metal band are Pelican, Cult of Luna, Rosetta, and Isis.
Ah yes, Isis. This is the band that created Post Metal, and they also happen to be the best Post Metal band out there right now. I really, really love their music. It's just so amazing. I would recommend Isis, specifically Panopticon, to anyone interested in Post Metal.
So there you have it: Post Metal. Hopefully this post gets some of you guys interested in this great genre of music.
Here is the definition of Post Metal:
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal, with roots in progressive rock and industrial music. It is broadly characterized by distorted guitar, heavy atmospherics, gradual evolution of song structure, and a minimal emphasis on vocals.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
Here's a slightly more in-depth look at what Post Metal is:
The simplest way to define post-metal is as a mix of post-rock and metal. This indicates the interplay of light and dark - taking the distorted guitars and guttural vocals of metal and post-hardcore and setting that against the clean instrumentalism of post-rock. Pieces tend to be at a slow- to mid-tempo, focusing on chord changes and barrages of sound rather than lead guitar riffing and shredding, and usually eschewing guitar solos. Post-metal tends not to feature the discordance present in much of modern hardcore, a feature present in music by contemporaries such as Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
Here is a look at the way Post Metal songs are structured:
Post-metal is also defined by structure, which leans far more towards that of post-rock than metal: songs tend to 'evolve' to a crescendo or climax (or multiple ones within a song), building upon a repeated theme or chord shift, whereas metal, however, often adheres to verse-chorus-verse conventions of song structure. As Aaron Turner of Isis states, "the standard song format of verse-chorus-verse-chorus is something that has been done and redone, and it seems pointless to adhere to that structure when there are so many other avenues to explore". The result of this is often long songs, commonly in the range of six to eleven minutes. Therefore a typical post-metal track is not generally suitable for radio play, nor is it commercially viable. Similarly, albums are often created as quasi-conceptual, creating the greatest impact when listened to as a whole. Likewise, it is not uncommon to see literary influences on albums, such as Red Sparowes' At the Soundless Dawn. This is arguably what makes the genre such an element of the avant-garde. It draws upon the ideas of contemporary classical music and minimalism in the vein of Steve Reich (i.e. repetition and expansion of a theme) and John Cage, at the same time as the metal scene.
A typical post-metal piece might start with a lone guitar, but eventually build to six-plus members playing simultaneously, as shown in songs like "Genesis" from The Beyond by Cult of Luna. Likewise, a post-metal song may leap "head-first" into the music, with distortion and aggression evident from the start. Songs like this challenge the definition of the genre, but the majority of them will contain clean interludes or lulls, usually as parts of a build-up in themselves. Relevant examples include "False Light" from Oceanic by Isis, "Australasia" from Australasia by Pelican, or "Monstrously Low Tide" from "Leaving Your Body Map" by maudlin of the Well.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
And here is a bit about instrumentation and vocals/lyrics:
A typical post-metal set-up includes two or three guitars, a bass guitar, synthesizers, a drum kit and a vocalist. There are a number of completely instrumental post-metal bands, such as Pelican. Orchestral passages are not uncommon, especially in the work of Cult of Luna, Intronaut, Kayo Dot and Boris have music strongly influenced by jazz.
The overall sound is generally very low, with guitars being detuned sometimes to as low as B, the equivalent of a 7-string guitar. Production is usually very tight, and there is little "garage band" feel to the music. This allows for pervasive or minimalist sections, as in clean guitars or synth, to come through more clearly.
The general philosophy behind post-metal production is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, so each instrument is usually given about equal presence. Vocals are often not particularly high in the mix, and in most cases are in the style of hardcore or metal, i.e. guttural and shouted, rather than clean or shrieked as in emo, or growled in death metal. Lyrics cover a broad spectrum of issues, usually somewhat metaphysical, existentialist or macroscopic, as opposed to deeply personal or directly allegorical. Themes often include political dissatisfaction, or criticism of herd mentality.
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
And finally, here is a list of notable Post Metal bands:
* Battle of Mice
* Boris
* Callisto
* Cult of Luna
* Intronaut
* Isis
* Jesu
* Kayo Dot
* Giant Squid
* Khoma
* Made Out of Babies
* Mouth of the Architect
* Neurosis
* Pelican
* Red Sparowes
* Rosetta
* Russian Circles
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_metal
I think that pretty well explains what Post Metal is all about. Now I'll give some of my thought concerning Post Metal.
Post Metal is really an amazing genre. I've never been one for short, catchy verse-chorus-verse music, so Post Metal is really a godsend for me. Post Metal music is just so powerful and emotional, and I love that.
Some of my favorite Post Metal band are Pelican, Cult of Luna, Rosetta, and Isis.
Ah yes, Isis. This is the band that created Post Metal, and they also happen to be the best Post Metal band out there right now. I really, really love their music. It's just so amazing. I would recommend Isis, specifically Panopticon, to anyone interested in Post Metal.
So there you have it: Post Metal. Hopefully this post gets some of you guys interested in this great genre of music.
