As the quarter is drawing to an end, it would seem prudent to cap the course or surmize it and review the material which the course introduced to the class, instead I wish to discuss a Heavy Metal singer whom I find fascinating, this singer being Ronnie James Dio. Dio is a bit of a contradiction as he was 67 when he died of stomach cancer. Yet still was able to sing at very advanced level that one would not expect him to sing at given his age. Furthermore he was married to his wife Wendy Dio for several decades yet was involved in a genre in which casual sex was elevated and celebrated. He was also known for his compassion in a genre that concerned itself with strength and aggression. His life and compassion were euologized in Rolling Stone upon his death in 2010, "
It wasn't just his mighty pipes that made him Ronnie James Dio — it was his moral fervor. With Black Sabbath classics like "Heaven and Hell," or Eighties solo classics like "Holy Diver" and "The Last in Line," what always stood out was Dio's raging compassion for the lost rock & roll children in his audience, his fiercely anti-clerical religiosity, his hatred for the kings and queens who blind our eyes and steal our dreams. Dio barely ever sang about women unless he was empathizing with them, as in "Invisible," where he also empathized with gay teenagers, which was (to say the least) a bold move from a straight rock star in 1983." To me this is why Dio stood out from the crowd, in an industry where frontmen talked about the three Ps "playing, paycheck and, pussy" Dio was happily married and writing Heavy Metal songs that were very good. Furthermore Dio is an artist that I listen to a great deal. As I can relate to his song Heaven and Hell. I even play it while I am writing papers. Which is a song that concerns itself with how we can create our own hells or our own heavens, it is a composition that conveys a great deal of compassion for its listeners. Dio was also appealing in that he was very forthright. He was not a playboy or a clownish character like Van Halen or Poison. He was serious, Rolling Stone said it best, "Dio never pretended to be one of the kids — he sang as an adult assuring us that we weren't alone in our suffering, and some day we might even be proud of conquering it. Morrissey sang, "There is a light that never goes out"; Dio sang, "Some light can never be seen." But they were coming from the same dark place, really." It is funny because I had always listened to the music of Dio in an ironic fashion. A friend and I always laughed at what we assumed to be homo erotic lyrics in his song. We even assumed that Rainbow in the dark was somehow about latent homosexuality as we assumed most of Heavy Metal to be. However both I and my friend missed the mark entirely, in fact we were both a bit pretentious as Dio wasn't an artist that concerned himself with muscles or how strong or tough he was rather Dio was concerned with compassion and understanding, which makes Mr. Dio an interesting subject in a very masculine genre. This what makes him so interesting. In fact I was actually saddened to hear of his passing, which is rarity for me, as I never cry much. Essentially Dio was what Heavy Metal could be when it tried hard enough.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Heavy Metal around the world
It is interesting to note how Heavy Metal fans around the world relate to Heavy Metal. In Global Metal an addendum to his film Metal: A Headbanger's Journey Sam Dunn travel's around the world visiting various Heavy Metal fandoms. These fandoms are located in a diverse group of world settings, from Bangladesh to the Middle East. What is interesting is that Heavy Metal represents both a rebellion and a type of freedom. Which is fascinating as it functions in a similar manner in the United States. This leads to a conclusion that Heavy Metal is in a sense the ultimate outsider music. As it is reveals in the transgressive, furthermore upon the advent of its popularity Heavy Metal was derided by the critics, according to an article in the Chicago Sun Times, John Bering a music critic had this to say about Heavy Metal "
Rock music has succeeded in preying on the emotions of its listeners," he wrote. "I used to be a rock musician, and when I'd listen to the Beatles, the Who and Jimi Hendrix, I'd become depressed. While they were a far cry from today's bands, they still had their implied or explicit messages: `Hope I die before I get old.' (The Who) `Imagine there's no heaven.' (John Lennon) Sadly, these messages have only gotten worse." Bering's criticism may seem overly cynical and even assume far too much about abroad and diverse subject, this being said it is criticism such as this from the mainstream that only serve to enhance the love that Heavy Metal fans feel for the Music of their genre. Personally I used to barely tolerate Heavy Metal as I considered it base, overly machismo, and filled with poseurs. However after having actually read academic works that focus on the Heavy Metal genre. I believe I understand Heavy Metal to a degree, essentially Heavy Metal is about individuals, extreme individuals actually. It is for those who do not make sense, practically speaking. Inversely or oddly Heavy Metal makes sense; it is a friend to the friendless this is how I now understand Heavy Metal. Punk is more intellectual it requires some thinking about the messages contained in its songs just look at the Slits song entitled A Ping Pong Affiar. Whereas as Heavy Metal is something you can just play it and feel comforted or joy. This is Heavy Metal's secret. I know this may sound disorganized but stick with me, Heavy Metal is mutli functioning genre it is at once a form of rebellion as it upends societal norms and regulations this can be evidenced by its code for dress and the subject matter that is found in its songs, at the same time it comforts one need just look at the music of Ronnie James Dio. He followed all the Heavy Metal codes, his music was loud and aggresive at the same time it was comforting. Essentially his music is a classic example of why Heavy Metal is so successful as a genre it raises the misfit up and at the same time comforts (as it rejects what society sees a proper or right, while at the same time indviduals the compose Heavy Metal culture have a near total acceptance of one another), and rebels at the same time again it is very accesible. Basically Heavy Metal is a misfit's emotional Swiss Army Knife.
Rock music has succeeded in preying on the emotions of its listeners," he wrote. "I used to be a rock musician, and when I'd listen to the Beatles, the Who and Jimi Hendrix, I'd become depressed. While they were a far cry from today's bands, they still had their implied or explicit messages: `Hope I die before I get old.' (The Who) `Imagine there's no heaven.' (John Lennon) Sadly, these messages have only gotten worse." Bering's criticism may seem overly cynical and even assume far too much about abroad and diverse subject, this being said it is criticism such as this from the mainstream that only serve to enhance the love that Heavy Metal fans feel for the Music of their genre. Personally I used to barely tolerate Heavy Metal as I considered it base, overly machismo, and filled with poseurs. However after having actually read academic works that focus on the Heavy Metal genre. I believe I understand Heavy Metal to a degree, essentially Heavy Metal is about individuals, extreme individuals actually. It is for those who do not make sense, practically speaking. Inversely or oddly Heavy Metal makes sense; it is a friend to the friendless this is how I now understand Heavy Metal. Punk is more intellectual it requires some thinking about the messages contained in its songs just look at the Slits song entitled A Ping Pong Affiar. Whereas as Heavy Metal is something you can just play it and feel comforted or joy. This is Heavy Metal's secret. I know this may sound disorganized but stick with me, Heavy Metal is mutli functioning genre it is at once a form of rebellion as it upends societal norms and regulations this can be evidenced by its code for dress and the subject matter that is found in its songs, at the same time it comforts one need just look at the music of Ronnie James Dio. He followed all the Heavy Metal codes, his music was loud and aggresive at the same time it was comforting. Essentially his music is a classic example of why Heavy Metal is so successful as a genre it raises the misfit up and at the same time comforts (as it rejects what society sees a proper or right, while at the same time indviduals the compose Heavy Metal culture have a near total acceptance of one another), and rebels at the same time again it is very accesible. Basically Heavy Metal is a misfit's emotional Swiss Army Knife.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Brutality of Life,Love, and Metal
Metal appears to be heading in some different directions than one would expect given that it is associated exclusively with maleness or masculinity. This is contrasted with its sister genre Punk which is riff with female leads and even all female bands, which included such acts as Siouxie Sioux, The Slits, X-Ray Spex, and The Runaways. This was so because punk was less of a working man's creation. It also emphasized masculinity less whereas Heavy Metal emphasized it more.Lately it has seen the inclusion of female lead singers, which seems to be both curse and blessing. It is a blessing as the inclusion of females into Heavy Metal could provide the change and adaptation Heavy Metal needs to stay relevant. It is a curse as most of the said bands with female leads sound a bit alike. Arch enemy seems to currently be the only exception to this rule as Angela Gossow gives the impression of being menacing in her appearances in media both visual and aural. Essentially women in Heavy Metal could be a very good thing or a very bad thing. As mentioned before Heavy Metal needs to evolve as it has done since its initial inception in in the 1970's I see the inclusion of women as hopefully providing the next evolution or iteration of Heavy Metal. As it has become as brutal and hardcore as it could ever possibly become with the introduction of Thrash Metal and the ever dark and grim Norwegian Death Metal, said genres have come and made their respective marks on Heavy Metal. I posit this idea as Women fronting aggressive Heavy Metal bands could provide a unique and new perspective that Heavy Metal will need to continue to thrive and be relevant to a post gender segregated society. However where this trend could possibly go wrong is with bands like Lacuna Coil and other female fronted acts seem to emphasize the femininity of their female leads, which in and of itself is fine. However this trend could lead to homogenization in that Heavy Metal bands with female leads could begin to follow a formula in order to generate interest via marketing. Which usually involves utilizing sex in order to sell product. Furthermore the musical range of bands like Lacuna coil is limited, which possibly limits how the music could advance. Essentially female lead Symphonic Death Metal could become a sort of conformity trap, as they could simply be reliant on the attractiveness of their female leads instead of innovation. However should female fronted Heavy Metal bands take off they could provide a unique and different perspective with new stories and experiences. Basically we could hear Ophelia's story as well as Hamlet's.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Showmanship and Metal:Creating an Understanding and a Community
Metal has come a long way in my eyes as I understood that it was about showmanship and pagentry, though I never fully internalized this fact on an emotional level. I would watch and listen to Heavy Metal videos and music and not have much of a reaction to it. As I had always thought of it as a superficial genre of music where style and substance are more important than content. I know I have raised similar issues in my previous post but I feel I am beginning to have a better grasp or understanding of metal and why inviduals enjoy it.
I believe one reason is the sound it is fast aggressive and loud as it is "characterized by high-intensity auditory sensation: pounding rhythms, high distortion in the tone of the electric guitars, and "singing" that more resembles an angry scream." (Arnett) To those of the of a more classical bent this may sound like a bad thing. I say notice that it still grabs your attention and holds it. Secondly metal has a distinct look and feel which is similar to punk is different and more recognizable to its fans. This look usually consists of long hair, dark clothing. Said cloting can often include gothic imagery be skulls, dragons, dragons, or even swords. I have mentioned the imagery that is incorporated into Heavy Metal before, though I have recently read that this imagery and style goes towards creating a community or as one academic put it a "homology" (Arnett) which is an code for the imagery and or style that should be used with dress. This in my opinion is another one of Heavy Metal's appeals basically it has a distinct community that is renforced through dress. Whereas Punk which is similar in its imagery and dress is very broad and diverse, Heavy Metal seems to have a single code or style. I would imagine that Punk fans would have a hard time pick one another out of crowds, Heavy Metal fans or afficiandos would not have the same difficulty when it came to identifying each other.
I have come to realize that Heavy Metal is not as superfical as I once thought it to be. I attribute this to the Punk bands that I listened to namely The Clash, X-Ray Spex, and The Stranglers. All of the aforementioned bands had very good song writing that tackled a diverse and serious range of issues. I remember distinctly The Clash song entitled All Lost in the Supermarket. Which is a song that voices the author's concerns with consumerism and the ditachement that it causes in his life. Another Clash song which I consider "good writing" is entitled The Card Cheat, and on the surface it is about a man who cheats and cards and is later shot for his offense. Where the songs "wows" or becomes "serious" is when it mentions mortality "and all of the men who have stood with no fear in the service of the king". Essentially the song is questioning both life and at the same time the endevors of men, and at the same time again serving as an anti war song. Another punk song that comes to mind as a good example of what I thought was at the time to be supeior music is an X-Ray Spex song that comes to mind as an example of solid or good song writing is Genetic Engneering. The song is essentially Poly Styrene voicing her concerns of the then recent technology of genetic manipulation known as Genetic Engineering. What makes this song significant is that is was written and performed in the early 1980's. Lastly I would like to point to a song by The Stranglers in which a man's home is invaded and his family is killed. Where the song stands out is in the lyric "when they spoke they spoke with nouns". The song was a basically a set up for that joke. I had always considered Heavy Metal to have none of these qualities as to me it seemed to be crass and basic. However this is not true as metal is just different in its approach of reaching or effecting its audience. As Black Sabbath's The Mob Rules, is a cautionary tale about poor governance and how it can destroy a community. As the lyric goes "when you listen to fools the mob rules." This example is hardly primative, crass or superficial. In fact the song is urging listeners to use their intelliegence. Baiscally I have come to understand that Heavy Metal is more like story telling as its lyrics and imagery are descriptive and not explanatory. Metal is about performance and experience, as I remember listening to The Mob Rules and feeling nothing but the experience and sensation it generated. I also remember how the music effected me as it created a kind of joym, while Punk is more of a conversation. As I remember listening to punk and thinking about the concepts being explained in the songs.
I believe one reason is the sound it is fast aggressive and loud as it is "characterized by high-intensity auditory sensation: pounding rhythms, high distortion in the tone of the electric guitars, and "singing" that more resembles an angry scream." (Arnett) To those of the of a more classical bent this may sound like a bad thing. I say notice that it still grabs your attention and holds it. Secondly metal has a distinct look and feel which is similar to punk is different and more recognizable to its fans. This look usually consists of long hair, dark clothing. Said cloting can often include gothic imagery be skulls, dragons, dragons, or even swords. I have mentioned the imagery that is incorporated into Heavy Metal before, though I have recently read that this imagery and style goes towards creating a community or as one academic put it a "homology" (Arnett) which is an code for the imagery and or style that should be used with dress. This in my opinion is another one of Heavy Metal's appeals basically it has a distinct community that is renforced through dress. Whereas Punk which is similar in its imagery and dress is very broad and diverse, Heavy Metal seems to have a single code or style. I would imagine that Punk fans would have a hard time pick one another out of crowds, Heavy Metal fans or afficiandos would not have the same difficulty when it came to identifying each other.
I have come to realize that Heavy Metal is not as superfical as I once thought it to be. I attribute this to the Punk bands that I listened to namely The Clash, X-Ray Spex, and The Stranglers. All of the aforementioned bands had very good song writing that tackled a diverse and serious range of issues. I remember distinctly The Clash song entitled All Lost in the Supermarket. Which is a song that voices the author's concerns with consumerism and the ditachement that it causes in his life. Another Clash song which I consider "good writing" is entitled The Card Cheat, and on the surface it is about a man who cheats and cards and is later shot for his offense. Where the songs "wows" or becomes "serious" is when it mentions mortality "and all of the men who have stood with no fear in the service of the king". Essentially the song is questioning both life and at the same time the endevors of men, and at the same time again serving as an anti war song. Another punk song that comes to mind as a good example of what I thought was at the time to be supeior music is an X-Ray Spex song that comes to mind as an example of solid or good song writing is Genetic Engneering. The song is essentially Poly Styrene voicing her concerns of the then recent technology of genetic manipulation known as Genetic Engineering. What makes this song significant is that is was written and performed in the early 1980's. Lastly I would like to point to a song by The Stranglers in which a man's home is invaded and his family is killed. Where the song stands out is in the lyric "when they spoke they spoke with nouns". The song was a basically a set up for that joke. I had always considered Heavy Metal to have none of these qualities as to me it seemed to be crass and basic. However this is not true as metal is just different in its approach of reaching or effecting its audience. As Black Sabbath's The Mob Rules, is a cautionary tale about poor governance and how it can destroy a community. As the lyric goes "when you listen to fools the mob rules." This example is hardly primative, crass or superficial. In fact the song is urging listeners to use their intelliegence. Baiscally I have come to understand that Heavy Metal is more like story telling as its lyrics and imagery are descriptive and not explanatory. Metal is about performance and experience, as I remember listening to The Mob Rules and feeling nothing but the experience and sensation it generated. I also remember how the music effected me as it created a kind of joym, while Punk is more of a conversation. As I remember listening to punk and thinking about the concepts being explained in the songs.
Works Cited
Arnett, Jeffrey. "Three Profiles of Heavy Metal Fans: A Taste for Sensation and a Subculture of Alienation."
DU Blackboard. Qualitative Sociology, 1993. Web. 28 Jan 2011.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Heavy Metal Deserves Attention Too
Heavy Metal is an odd beast in my mind as it as a genre seems completely silly. As it did not seem to be a very intellectually complex genre of music. Furthermore I never really understood the Gothic imagery either. I viewed the genre known as Punk to be far more important and sophisticated than Heavy Metal. Though according to Steve Waksman in This Ain't No Summer of Love, Metal and Punk “arguably represent the most significant developments in rock music after 1970.” (P.6) Basically both genres are important in how they contribute to music as a whole but elements I had thought of as distinctly belonging to Heavy Metal namely theatrics, also belong to punk as well. I had always disproved of the theatrics which were associated with Heavy Metal. I considered said theatrics to be immature and removed from reality. However as mentioned before theatrics exist in my favorite genre punk as some of the same shocking costumes that Man o war wear exist in punk music this can be seen in what punk songstress Siouxsie Sioux would wear early in her music career as she would occasionally wear Nazi paraphernalia to events.
What all this leads me to believe is that people not only enjoy spectacles they enjoy limited risk or controlled chaos. Hence the need for shocking content be it clothing, violent imagery, Gothic imagery, and or sexual imagery. I came to this conclusion that people like controlled risk while playing a video game that takes place in a combat zone. These warfare games are some of the best selling genres in the games world, who has hasn't heard of Halo or the Call of Duty series?
It occurred to me that the same element of controlled risk isn't just found in music or video games it can be found in almost any type of entertaining medium from written works to film. What all this causes me to ask is why do we as human beings have a need for danger or dangerous themes in our lives? I know that people do enjoy a break in the monotony and conformity that everyday life can place on them. However it leads me to wonder “is life really that boring?” I understand that Heavy Metal is a type of theater I get that. I know that it is a type of fantasy show, though what this makes me wonder is why do we gravitate towards violence and death? I have heard from soldiers having served in Afghanistan and Iraq that they considered themselves lucky that they have never had to deal with any extreme violence. What does this fascination with violence say about people? Are we morbidly curious is this normal or is there a scientific reason for our curiosity in regards to violence?
In conclusion I now view Heavy Metal as an important musical genre that has pushed given rise to new and interesting developments within the musical world, and that music doesn't necessarily need to highly intellectual or focused on real world concerns to be worth listening to. I would also like to apologize for asking too many rhetorical questions as well.
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