Metal (also known as heavy metal) is a heavier genre in rock music, which emerged from hard rock (hard rock) in the late 60’s and early 70’s in England and the United States.
What is metal and what are its features
It is accepted to consider heavy metal as a metal classic (heavy – means heavy). It is the first genre in heavy metal.
This heavy genre is characterized by a more aggressive rhythm, virtuoso guitar solo, energetic vocals and distortion effect.
Distortion is a guitar effect, which is the main part of heavy music due to the strong distortion of the guitar sound. Without this effect this style of music could not exist at all.
You can say, this is the main power of metal. It is not for nothing that metal music is an element of theatricality, masculinity, the highest volume and a cult of power.
Metal, as well as rock has a lot of directions. From a lighter (such as power metal), to a very heavy (black metal). All this gives it a large number of listeners.
Someone likes less aggressive music and someone likes to listen heavy music. All to a favorite. Ardent fans of metal are called metalists.
The basic line-up in metal band is: bass guitarist, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, drummer and lead vocalist.
Keyboard instruments are used as an arrangement. But recently flutes, violins, cellos and other musical instruments are increasingly being used.
The most basic instrument is the electric guitar. It creates the most powerful sound with a distortion effect.
In the early 80’s bands were immediately involved rhythm and solo guitar. This gave heavy metal an even more double power to the sound. Today, for heavier performances they take two electric guitars. For lighter genres there can be only one.
The central element in metal music is the guitar solo. It is mainly played on the solo guitar, but can also be performed on the rhythm guitar.
In the further development of metal music guitar players began to perform more and more complicated guitar solos and a very fast (virtuosic) playing technique. This greatly differed metal from other music.
That is why in heavy music the main role is played by the guitarist. In rock music this role belongs to the vocalist.
The sound of heavy metal
After Black Sabbath, a certain amount of evil in music has become a defining element of the heavy metal sound. But where does it come from?
In the blues scale there is a lowered fifth step (tritone) which is the note of the devil. In the Middle Ages, the tritone was considered to be the music of the devil. It was believed that it was used to summon the beast. That is why it was forbidden to use in ancient times.
In the Middle Ages, ignorant and frightened people heard it and felt the reaction of his body, thought it was the devil.
It is worth saying that there is a constant battle in heavy metal. All the bands are trying to be more evil than their predecessors. And that’s what attracted a lot of metalheads.
Without an electric guitar with very good amps and distortion you cannot recreate the essence of metal. In that case you need a powerful bass guitarist and a drummer. You also need a vocalist (usually with a high voice) who will sound on top of it all.
Vocals in Heavy Metal
Depending on the direction of heavy metal, the vocals in bands can be sung in different ways:
high tenor
low voice
growling – for a very heavy performance
screaming – shouting vocals for heavy genres
high female operatic soprano
falsetto (high male voice)
Metal bands with female vocals