Saturday, December 8, 2012

Folk Metal


Gather around, metalheads! This week we are going to be discussing folk metal, which is a subgenre that I personally adore. Some of the best metal concerts that I have ever been to involved folk metal bands. So, without further ado, let’s discuss the specific characteristics of folk metal!

Folk metal is essentially the combination of traditional folk music with heavy metal music. The subgenre of heavy metal that traditional folk music is combined with varies by band. Folk metal is therefore a very diverse subgenre. The style, tone and instrumentation of each folk metal band usually depend on its specific ethnic background. For example, if a band is from Ireland, it may include some influences from Celtic folk music. Similarly, if a folk metal band comes from the Middle East, then it is bound to have some Middle Eastern folksy themes within its music.  


The atmosphere of folk metal acts varies greatly. Many traditional folk metal bands have a cheerful and festive atmosphere to their music, encouraging a combination of joyous dancing, cheering and headbanging. Some bands prefer to utilize black metal and ambient influences, which usually brings down the mood of the music, making it darker and more depressing. Unless bands are fusing folk metal with another subgenre, the mood is bound to be merry and high spirited. 


Instrumentally, folk metal bands utilize the usual instruments found in heavy metal alongside a plethora of instruments that aren’t usually associated with metal. Many bands have been known to play instruments that are native to their specific country. Flutes, violins and cellos are also fairly common to find in folk metal groups. Keyboards are also an essential part of folk metal music, with many bands using them to simulate the sounds of other instruments. 


The vocals of folk metal are limitless from the standpoint that vocalists are free to use whatever style of vocals that they want. Extreme vocals are just as common within folk metal as clean, soaring vocals. Usually, folk metal bands will choose to use multiple vocal styles, with some bands even containing more than one singer. The lyrics of folk metal cover a range of topics including paganism, nature, fantasy, mythology and history.


The first folk metal band was a British group called Skyclad. The group started as a thrash metal band with a fiddle player, however by the time their second album was released in the early 1990s, they had transformed into a more traditional folk metal group. Folk metal wasn’t a subgenre that gained rapid popularity. Beyond Skyclad, only a few bands, such as Amorphis and Moonspell, played around with the subgenre during the early 1990s. 


Around the mid-1990s, folk metal began to stir up a slightly stronger underground following. Irish bands such as Cruachan and Primordial began to pioneer a Celtic style of folk metal. Meanwhile, the German band Subway to Sally started to pioneer medieval folk metal, and the Israeli band Orphaned Land began to pioneer folk metal with Middle Eastern influences. Folk metal was catching on, but during the 1990s, not many of these bands received much success.


In the early 2000s, folk metal exploded in Europe. Finland spawned most of the subgenre’s most popular acts such as Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, Wintersun and Turisas. Scandinavian countries also gave birth to other major acts such as Windir, Kampfar, Vintersong, Tyr and Trollfest.  Other popular European folk metal acts include Eluveitie, Arkona and Skyforger. 


The aforementioned European folk metal acts really are the heart of the subgenre today, and can be credited with giving birth to the first widespread folk metal scene. Today, many of these acts frequently visit the United States and travel around the world, sharing their music with whoever is willing to embrace the cultures of these foreign metal bands. 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Grindcore


WARNING: Before proceeding to read this blog post, beware that this week we will be talking about one of the most extreme subgenres of heavy metal. If your mind can’t wrap itself around the idea of music metaphorically ripping off your limbs or stabbing your eyes out, please don’t read this entry and continue on with your weak and pathetic life. However, if you are daring enough to keep reading, then prepare to become absorbed in my discussion of one of the most brutal subgenres around: grindcore! 

Grindcore is essentially a complex mixture of death metal, industrial metal, noise rock and hardcore punk. Musically speaking, guitars are usually down-tuned and heavily distorted. Basses are down-tuned as well. The drumming of grindcore frequently involves blast beats and is very rapid. Grindcore in general makes use of fast tempos in order to emphasize its aggressive nature. 

The vocals of grindcore almost always consist of deep, incomprehensible growling (which in many cases sounds more like barking), as well as intense shrieking. Vocals in grindcore are often used more as a sound effect than they are to carry a melody or rhythm. Lyrically, grindcore is often politically motivated, but sometimes the subgenre meddles with gory themes. There are a few grindcore acts that also have more comedic lyrics, along the lines of black humor and satire.

Grindcore is notable for having short song lengths. The specific term to describe these songs is “microsong.” Many grindcore albums will have a large amount of tracks because each microsong is so short. 


The origins of grindcore music can be traced back to the UK with the group Napalm Death. Initially, the group was associated with the crust punk music scene, but when blips of thrash metal and industrial metal started to appear in its music, the band adapted to the new style and began to call it grindcore. Upon pioneering this style of music, Napalm Death received universal critical acclaim. With its invention of the subgenre, Napalm Death has influenced a countless number of metal acts, and the band still contains a strong, passionate and devoted underground following today.


Last week we talked about the British band Carcass, who helped to pioneer melodic death metal with the album Heartwork. Before Heartwork was released Carcass was a significant grindcore act. The band's 1988 debut album, Reek of Putrefaction, was an aggressive grindcore record. With each later release, Carcass began to incorporate more elements of death metal until the band finally made the switch to melodic death metal with Heartwork


Outside of the UK, other metal groups started to play grindcore, too. In the United States, bands such as Anal Cunt, Brutal Truth and Pig Destroyer rose to prominence in the 1990s. Meanwhile, grindcore also started to spread through the rest of Europe, with the most successful of these acts being Sweden’s Nasum. Overall, the most popular grindcore bands are definitely British groups.


Today, grindcore is still a very popular underground genre, though not as many new grindcore acts have been sprouting up and achieving prominence in the last decade. Still, groups such as Napalm Death and Carcass continue to have devoted followings and grindcore is alive and well today.