Metal Bands For Non-Metalheads

You heard it here first: heavy metal music isn’t just for metalheads. There are a lot of metal bands that have crossover appeal to people who prefer other genres of music. This week on “Into the Pit,” I have compiled a list of metal bands for people who don’t typically enjoy metal. These bands aren’t necessarily stylistically accessible. These bands also won’t necessarily serve as gateway bands for people who want to start listening to metal. The bands listed below are simply one-of-a-kind groups that can be taken and enjoyed at face value by fans of other styles of music.

Deafheaven - Everyone went crazy for this group last year. Deafheaven’s most recent record, Sunbather, was highly enjoyed by fans of shoegaze and post rock. The band’s harsh moments are attempts to be emotional, not heavy. Those interested in shoegaze should definitely check the band out and see what all the fuss is really about.

Deftones - If The Cure was a metal band, they would take the form of Deftones--it’s really as simple as that. The band’s music is dark and influenced by new wave, trip-hop, dream pop and shoegaze. I particularly recommend the band’s newest album, Koi No Yokan, for new listeners. The side projects of the band’s frontman (Crosses, Palms and Team Sleep) may also appeal to people who don’t typically enjoy metal as well.

Body Count - This is Ice-T’s metal band. Do I really need to say more? Fans of rap music are bound to dig this group at least a little bit. 

Converge - Fans of hardcore punk go gaga over Converge. The group basically invented metalcore and are arguably the best band in the subgenre. Converge is a very creative group and really has never put out a bad record. The band’s newest material is probably the best place to start when listening to them for the first time. Then work backwards. 

Pelican - Pelican is recommended for fans of instrumental rock music particularly, but the group will appeal to almost anyone. Not having vocals can be considered a weakness, but to Pelican it’s a strength. The band’s music is dark and sludgy, but is really captivating and compelling. The way it builds on itself is absolutely awesome.

Alcest - Alcest is a pioneer of combining metal and shoegaze. The group’s frontman and musical composer, Neige, is immensely talented and has poured his heart and soul into Alcest’s music. Now the band is straying farther and farther away from metal, making them an easy recommendation for people who enjoy music that evokes tender and dreamy fantasies. 

Diablo Swing Orchestra - Metal has always needed more trumpet, trombone and cello. Diablo Swing Orchestra plays danceable, operatic metal. Fans of danceable orchestral music are bound to have an awesome time with Diablo Swing Orchestra. 

My Dying Bride - Those who enjoy sadness and sorrow will die for My Dying Bride’s music. It’s gothic, but beautiful. My Dying Bride is one of the most melancholy bands to ever exist, and it’s a crime to ignore their tortured souls. 

Nightwish - Do you like film soundtracks? Then Nightwish is the band for you! Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band that writes gloriously catchy music. The band’s most recent album, Imaginaerum, was written to go along with the band-produced film of the same name and is a great starting point for new listeners. Nightwish sweeps listeners off their feet with every song, and the band’s music is a testament to how much fun metal can be.

Boris - This is not a single person. This is a Japanese metal band that mixes sludge metal with noise rock, psychedelic rock, ambient, pop and droning music. Each album by Boris is fairly different, but if one can find the right album to suit their tastes, he or she will be instantly hooked. Check Boris out for something different and musically intriguing. 

Gothic Metal

Disclaimer: After reading this blog post, if you decide that you enjoy gothic metal, you are REQUIRED to dress like this. I’m serious.

Gothic metal is the fusion of doom metal and gothic rock. It started as an outgrowth of the death/doom music scene, which formed as a result of doom metal bands experimenting with the deep growling and double-kick drumming of death metal. We will talk about death/doom at a later time, as it is not considered to be a major heavy metal subgenre (it's more of a specific type of doom metal).

Musically speaking, gothic metal is all about the atmosphere surrounding the music. Gothic metal is always dark in nature, and often centers on slow and crushing guitar riffs. Vocals may vary in nature, but clean and sorrowful vocals are particularly common in this subgenre. Female vocalists are also frequently found in gothic metal bands, and some bands even use both male and female vocalists. The lyrics of gothic metal songs are usually melodramatic in nature and focus on gloomy topics.  

The term “gothic” has been associated with heavy metal since the early days of Black Sabbath, whose debut album is regarded to be a direct influence on gothic metal. The subgenre didn’t really exist gothic rock had been established as a genre of music in the early 1990s. Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema were regarded as the leaders of early gothic metal music, with the name of the subgenre being partially derived from Paradise Lost’s second album, Gothic. These three bands were known as the “Peaceville Three” since they were all signed to Peaceville Records and were pioneers of death/doom. As their music developed, all three bands began to move into gothic metal territory.

Outside of the “Peaceville Three,” the only other major pioneer of the subgenre was Type O Negative, which was the brainchild of the legendary Peter Steele. The group’s third album, Bloody Kisses, earned the band popularity and is now considered to be a landmark gothic and doom metal record. Type O Negative continued to dabble in gothic metal throughout its career and helped to develop the subgenre’s depth until Peter Steele’s recent untimely death. 

In recent years, gothic metal has gained much mainstream popularity. Bands such as Evanescence, Lacuna Coil and HIM have taken gothic metal and given it a more melodic sound that has attracted major attention. Many of these bands took influence from Paradise Lost’s Draconian Times, which was known as the first major commercial-sounding gothic metal release.

Meanwhile, other bands have experimented with the subgenre and achieved commercial success based on their obscure hybrids. Nightwish has combined gothic metal with symphonic metal, and has managed to become one of the most successful gothic metal bands of all time. Cradle of Filth combined gothic metal with symphonic metal and black metal in order to create a style of music that is wholly original and received positively by fans of gothic metal music. 

Gothic metal is a style of music that has a worldwide following, and has proven itself to be a subgenre of many different shades that are conversely commercial and underground in nature. As time goes on, gothic metal should continue to develop further as new bands arise and experiment with the subgenre’s limitations.