Influences: Metal

You'd think that a community of drummers that likes to bang out loud rhythms on big drums would like Heavy Metal more! Alas, not the case.

Mind you, I'm no "metalhead"; I don't even have a good knowledge of the genre. I can count the number of groups I listen to on both hands and even then, there's only a few groups that I really enjoy.

What is it about Heavy Metal that draws me? Descriptive words like "thick, massive sound" and "emphatic beats" sum it up pretty well. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) Granted, a fue isn't going to command the kind of audial presence that an electric guitar does, but I could use those same words to describe taiko.

A lot of taiko is repetitive with a simple ji or pattern played out on either shime or cannon/kane. Metal is often pretty similar, with a fast, repetitive pulse driving the song forward.

Metal and taiko both create a visceral reaction in the listener. You can feel the energy from them being performed; it's a pulse that goes through your bones into your core. I've also seen both art forms make people plug their ears and walk away, too...

Finally, the intangible aspect of Metal for me is the feeling it imparts - more than just the physical "oomph" I talked about above, but more of an energetic, pumped-up, "yeeeeaaaahhhh!!!!" feeling. It could be from the melody of a guitar or the raw energy of the vocalist or the sheer intensity of the drummer; the end result is the same.

I've been wanting to write a Metal-inspired piece for some time now, and I have one nearly written from my 12-songs/12-weeks project, so that's promising! I'm eager to look at what I wrote nearly two months ago and expand on it. The hard part will be selling that "oomph" feeling without making it a parody of what people think of when they see the words Heavy Metal.

I'm ending this post with a few of my favorite videos/songs of the Metal genre. I'm not expecting you to like them as much as I do, but maybe you will! If you don't like them, at least you don't have to plug your ears; you can close the browser...

(I'll start with easier-to-digest stuff on the top and let it get "heavier" as it goes down.)

William Tell Overture Part 2 and Part 3 by Rossini
Path by Apocalyptica
Throw me Away by Korn (featuring Zendeko!)
Angels Thanatos by Akira Yamaoka
Iron Man by Black Sabbath (played by Metallica)
The Gears by Dethklok