JUMPING DARKNESS PARADE: DAATH’S EYAL LEVI ON LISTENING TO NON-METAL MUSIC
Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 5:00pm by Eyal Levi
We all love metal. That goes without saying. That’s why we all read this site and keep up with what our favorite, and not so favorite, bands are doing. From people in bands to fans, we all pretty much live, breathe, sleep, and bleed metal.
So I guess what I’m wondering is: does it ever get old to any of you?
Do you ever listen to anything else? I can tell you that after playing shows every single night, listening to sound checks from other bands, having a bunch of other bands playing, writing albums, having constant band practice, and recording albums which take months to complete, that sometimes I need something else to listen to.
It’s funny to me when I meet people out in the world who just don’t get that. What I don’t get is how you can listen to a genre that is maxing everything out at all times. It’s almost like you need the variety so that your brain can start to register the differences, or dynamics.
Granted there’s a million genres and sub-genres of metal and a hell of a lot of different approaches to it, but still, at the end of the day, do you guys ever need a break from the machine gun and rocket attack that metal music is? Do you need anything besides metal to chill to? I know I do.
Sometimes late at night when we’re driving after a gig, nothing is better than Dark Funeral or some brutal death metal to get you through the perilous night. Also, we make a point of keeping up with the times and knowing what all these new bands out there sound like. We even listen to the classics a good bit. Rust in Peace has a good place in our van along with Job For A Cowboy, Dark Funeral, Slayer, Opeth, etc. We know our metal and we listen to it.
But there comes a point where enough is enough, and that double bass just feels like knives in my ears and hammers on my brain, and I just need something that’s not so extreme. So I turn to bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Muse and the newer Silverchair. I was just introduced to another great band called Deerhunter. These are artists that put just as much into their craft as any of the great metal bands we listen to. Their emotions are just as real. Their skills are just as refined. It’s just in another genre, but to me that makes it no less real. It’s just different.
Imagine this. You go to the same restaurant every single day for lunch for fifteen years. You have ordered every single item on the menu about sixty times. Do you just keep going back for more or do you seek out new things? What if their new menu additions are just old dishes with new condiments? Would that drive you nuts? Would you keep going always every day religiously or would you seek out new dishes just to not go crazy? Just wondering.
-EL
When you are in the mood for some awesome metal, visit Daath on MySpace.
I am a huge Neil Young fan !
For real, as gay as it may sound sometimes I’ll listen to Attack Attack or maybe even some We The Kings, but most of the time when its none METAL, I’ll listen to some good ole outlaw country like waylon jennings or jonny paycheck… well now that i think of it the only thing i don’t listen to is stuff like the fuckin jonas brothers
i love neill young too and johnny cash and just any good old guitar playing music
I listen to a fuckload of stuff… from stoner rock like Clutch and QOTSA to Johnny Cash to punk like Bad Religion and Misfits to electronic/industrial stuff like Celldweller and Nine Inch Nails to eclectic stuff like Dog Fashion Disco and Stolen Babies… hell, I even listen to a little bit of rap (although it’s either intelligent, experimental stuff like Saul Williams and Thesis Sahib or nerdcore stuff like Optimus Rhyme and Jesse Dangerously).
I mean, one of my two favorite bands of all time? Motherfucking Primus. I like to change things up. Variety is the spice of life. I listen to a lot of metal, certainly… but I mix it up. I can’t imagine doing it any other way.
Yay! Dog Fashion Disco!
THIS IS THE WHITEST THING ANYONE HAS EVER SAID ON THE INTERNET EVER.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Holy Fuck!!!! That is too funny! I was thinking the same thing!
I completely understand what you mean! There is nothing better than metal in my world but sometimes it’s just out of place and when the Opeth just isn’t cutting it I go for some Dave Matthews or Mars Volta when I’m feeling more mellow. Primus and Sublime are greats too. Hell, I could go on forever. It’s not just about the metal for me, I love rock ‘n roll :)
Dave Matthews??? REALLY? Sublime??? REALLY?
Dog fashion disco are amazing
I discovered DFD a week after they broke up. Sucked.
PRIMUS
Absolutely right. Plus listening to non-metal makes metal that much heavier when you go back to it. Surprised to hear you like new school Silverchair, that’s some pretty poppy shit! I dig it too but still prefer their old stuff. As far as QOTSA go, there isn’t a better rock/alternative rock band going today!
Also,
Mogwai, Manu Chao, The Raconteurs, Pinback, The Libertines, The Kills, Gotye, and almost anything by Ken Andrews.
Silverchair is fucking gay! Old or new.
I listen to metal 99% of the time, and I also love all punk music and cky. Good thing there are so many different kinds of metal!
I believe you might not get many response to your post, as I believe I heard thousands of heads exploding at the mere thought of listening to anything other than metal.
Count me in as someone who has to listen to something else every once in a while. I usually end up turning the radio on and listening the oldies station (50’s and 60’s) to rinse out the mind.
Great timing on this article, I was just thinking the same thing myself after I noticed a decline in my appetite for metal over the past months which has led me to seek out more interesting/different types of music. It’s almost like I can’t relate to the music anymore, but I keep buying it because it’s all I know. The albums I buy nowadays rarely satisfy though so I’m trying to stick to just new stuff from bands that have sentimental value to me. I guess you could say I’m kind of burnt out on new metal bands/releases and tired of putting in the effort that it takes to find decent ones. Anyway, the short answer to the question for me is yes, I listen to non metal stuff and I’ve actually taken the biggest liking to ambient and slower stuff like Darshan Ambient, No sound and Lunatic Soul (a project from the Riverside frontman). Sometimes you just wanna relax!!
Hell yeah. I listen to all sorts of stuff. Alternative stuff, blues, old country. I love metal but ya gotta have SOME variety here n’ there.
Who the fuck is this guy?? Why does he think anyone cares to read every thought he has while pinching his ass cheeks together to strangle that turd before they get to the next rest stop on the highway??
As far as the question goes: Sure, there is plenty of great stuff to listen to that is not metal….classical music is a favorite of mine, as well as Johhny Cash, Woody Guthrie and other old style singer song writers.
However, “Metal” as a whole is not just about bands firing on all cylinders. Metal covers such a vast range of sonic experience and emotional depth, that it is unmatched in the musical spectrum. When I want to rock out and headbang, I’ll listen to Destroyer 666, or Kreator, Blasphemy etc. When I want to hear intricate guitars and memorable melodies, I’ll listen to Iron Maiden. When Im in a more sombre mood, I’ll listen to My Dying Bride or Katatonia or Abyssic Hate. Katatonia (post “brave murder day”) for example, is not very ‘metal’, in the way this guy describes it….yet it carries a fantastically dark atmosphere, and haunting lyrics and vocals that fit perfectly well with a dreary, grey day….which makes it fit within the metal aestetic. Ulver, on the other hand, started out as symphonic black metal, moved into harsh,raw black metal, then pulled a 180 and began playing ambient/classical/chamber/trip hop music which I absolutely LOVE.. and 99% of their fans started out listening to their black metal incarnation, yet still consider them a ‘metal’ band and follow them to this day. A lot of Iron Maiden can give the listener a triumphant ,happy (gasp!!) feeling with their soaring chorus’ (think “Aces High”)….While more primitive music, such as Blasphemy, Bestial Warlust, Sarcofago etc fullfill that primal drive that is present in all humans. Great black metal can touch on a nerve in a listener that brings feelings of wonder, battle, pride,sorrow and pain all in the course of a single song…. (Deathspell Omega’s “Si Monumentum Requires Circumspice” being a prime example of this)……..Metal is not simply blasting,abrasive music as those on the ‘outside’ seem to think it is. For any mood I’m in, I can find a band or style of metal that fits perfectly.
I could probably listen to any genre that isn’t country or mainstream rap. And for the most part, I do.
whatever I feel like, type doesn’t matter. Was chilling to a little pat metheny today.
I can honestly say I wouldn’t be sane If all I listened to was metal and all its sub-genre’s. Listening to other music besides metal can help you create awesome music yourself if you play it. Personal Favorites have to be Dredg and Time To Fly.
I listen to all sorts of stuff.That being said, no matter what mood Im in, I can ALWAYS find a metal band/style that fits my mood. From Blasphemy to Iron Maiden to Katatonia to Ulver to eveything in between, its all metal. Thats what a lot of younger metal fans don’t get…it doesn’t have to be firing on all cylinders all the time to be ‘metal’.
Metal, as a genre covers more musical grounds and emotional depths than any other type of music,that’s why I love it.
I agree with what your saying here, I can always find sometime of “metal” to fit my music, there is such thing as chill metal. But there is more room in metal to be creative and push boundaries than any other type of music for sure, not even a question, and also why I love it.
This is funny. The other day, I was contemplating what it is about metal music that makes it so appealing to those who love metal. I came to the same conclusion that you did, Biff. Metal is the one genre of music that is more emotionally diverse than any other form. You can cover so many emotions and feelings within even a single song. I think that is why you see so much fanatical devotion to metal, because it connects on such a deep level with the fans of the genre.
That being said; there is plenty of great non-metal music out there too and sometimes you want something different, but there is a reason why metal dominates the majority of my music collection.
Agreed, this is why die hard metalheads come off as assholes and elitists most of the time because we are passionate about it.
Most people don’t get it.
It bothers me when people say they only listen to this or only listen to that. Metal is no different, It almost seems impossible that that literally is all someone listens to. My head would explode IF I only listened to metal. It is my favorite by far, I would say it conquers about 70% of my music. Some chill music goes a long way (Sigur Ros, dearhunter, citizen cope, mattafix) and electronic music can definitely help the mood sometimes (boards of canada, daft punk)
Thrice NEW AND OLD is spectacular . Good fucking shit. If you like emotional deep rooted music The Fray are pretty damn good.
thrice is fucking amazing
Agreed on Thrice. One of my favorite “chill “albums is the Alchemy index: Water. Definately not metal.
Alchemy shit is good don’t get me wrong but I’m more into the heavy hardcore shit. Illusions of safety and artist in the ambulance are my shit. As for as a chill THRICE ablum go’s I like Vhessiu alot. Fuckin love it.
im the lead guitarist in a prog/thrash band
but i love almost every style of music i hear
im just in love with music
blues, rock, pop, rap, trance, jazz, indie, classical, middle eastern, club, top 40,
and of course almost any progressive or metal band
i dunno but when i hear a song, any song, in my head iall i see is some dude sitting in the studio for hours always doing one more take to get it “right”
maybe i just spend too much time in studio :-)
metal is my wife, my love, my life, but i got a fuckload of mistresses
ps where is ziltoid
gotta hear what he has to say on this
I’m a few comments down.
I’ve always been a heavy metal kid, but I love classic rock, blues, some country, even classical tunes. I try to be broad in my horizons, but nothing will ever do for me what metal does. Well, good metal anyway.
http://www.myspace.com/scroobiuspip
Yes, I do need a rest at some point, but even then, I’ll only rest for a little while. I’m a big fan of Aphex Twin, Vidna Obmana (thanks Anton Oyvey), Biosphere, and otthers, as well as more pop-oriented stuff like Bjork. But then again, Ulver exists. I can get multiple genres of music while staying to one artist’s discography! In general, when I need an immediate escape, I either go for Ulver’s “Blood Inside” or Bjork’s “Homogenic” or “Post”, but there’s lots of great non-metal out there. It would be stupid for someone to think that only metal has good music. Every genre objectively has its large percentage of crap, and a smaller percentage of good, quality music. That’s just how music works when there’s so many people making so much music. Most will be at the very least, generic, and others will be great regardless of genre.
The best part is when I’m done with the other genre for the time being, whatever metal I put on just feel so refreshing.
Still, Blood Inside doesn’t even fit into any conventional genres. Even I won’t try, but whatever it is, I love it. It’s better than pretty much all of the metal out there.
Oh yeah, I forgot Bjork. ‘Homogenic’ is still her finest, I think, although ‘Post’ is a close second.
As for every genre having its share of crap, I break it down like this: If you can tell that the artist is trying to sell records or be mainstream, they automatically suck balls. There’s obviously some grey area there, but most are pretty obvious.
Have to go with “Post” personally. Hyper-Ballad puts that album just above “Homogenic” in my opinion.
I’m completely split on the two, but Hyper-Ballad is easily my favorite song of hers.
I love Homogenic the best. I am still amazed by the production on that record. Actually, i still feel that that record, “Mezzanine”, and “Endtroducing” are yet to be topped production and song-wise. Nothing comes close IMO
Aphex Twin is the shit!
Bjork is great as well. However,Ziltoid, I cant usually make it all the way through “Blood Inside”, and that is the only Ulver album that I can say that about. “Perdition City” and “William Blake….” are the ones that see the most attention from me. I also spin “A quick fix of melecholy” on the old turn table quite often.
oops, I forgot about “Svidd Neger”….THAT is a fantastic Ulver album.
I was really disappointed by Perdition City. The first four tracks are absolutely amazing, then they decide to get REALLY boring for 4 tracks, and then they end with an average song. IMO, Blood Inside is very easy to listen to (i.e., no boring parts, no flller, etc.), but difficult to “get.” I haven’t listened to William Blake in years (thanks for reminding me–the new Amorphis has been distracting me a lot as of late), so I need to give that another spin before casting my mighty judgment, but last time I heard it, I liked it quite a bit.
Absolutely. I have to ‘cleanse the palate’ every once in a while. Recently got into Mahavisnu Orchestra and King Crimson (through my dad, who is cooler than your dad). I also do some techno (Aphex Twin, Dieselboy, DJ Shadow, Future Sound of London, etc.), old-school hip-hop (NWA, Public Enemy), some trip-hop (Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, Zero 7, Kruder and Dorfmeister), and a tiny bit of pop like Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Radiohead, and the almighty Jeff Buckley. No one could touch Jeff Buckley. It’s just sad that he died after only one proper studio album, but Wayne Static is still cranking out the same two chords over and over again.
That is a great, ecclectic blend. Good to see you back in the fold Bling.
Thanks, and I’m glad to be back. I was out of the country for a while for work, and then I come back and apparently, MetalSucks is giving away a day of blog posts as a contest? What the fuck lazy ass shit is that? :)
I was gonna name some punk (Black Flag, Refused, etc.) and hard rock too (AC/DC, Sabbath, etc.), but I thought they were too close to metal to mention. But I see others doing it, so I’ll throw them on the pile.
Dj Shadow is awesome, I’m glad to see someone mention him
i like a lot of punk
as long as its not uber mainstream or ska
i also like muse
Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Dax Riggs, QOTSA, Big Business….there are too many great artists out there to limit yourself and your listening habits based on genre alone. Anyone who can’t agree with that must live in a sad and myopic little world.
Indeed. I actually don’t consider QoTSA, Muse, and some of the others you mentioned to be that big of a departure from metal, just because they’re so intense and they bang it out so hard. Having said that, judging from the majority of comments left on this site I have to draw pretty much the same conclusion as you: Many of the people who post here will have a hard time making that leap.
I literally listen to just about everything. Literally. No, seriously. My Pandora bookmarks and stations don’t come close to capturing everything that I listen to, because there’re only so many hours in the day to devote to setting something like that up. I work on it when I’m in the mood for something specific. At any rate, between my iPod, MySpace, and Pandora Radio, you’ll find everything from Beethoven and Wagner to Verdi and Orff to Visotsky and Guthrie to Holliday and Coltrane to Gogol Bordello and DeVotchka to Mercury Rev and Portishead to Aphex Twin and The Prodigy to The Roots and Mos Def to Corinne Bailey Rae and Christina Aguilera to QoTSA and (forget it: QoTSA stand alone, except for maybe Kyuss, go figure) to Gojira and Mastodon to…. just, everything metal. (I hope you get the picture, because I’m worn out.)
Honestly, I listen to bands like Gojira and Sepultura and want to simultaneously lose my shit in a tribal dance and then hug someone to within an inch of their lives. I listen to Behemoth and Slayer and want to crush…something, anything! I listen to Public Enemy and want to stick it to The Man. I listen to Adem and want to bound and frolic through sunlit, wildflower-strewn open fields. I listen to Verdi, Rachmaninoff, and Stravinsky and want to break shit and go on a crime spree. (In a good way, of course. It’s not difficult to imagine how it is that their works are still banned from public performance in some countries because when they were originally performed live, nearly a hundred years ago, people spontaneously rioted in the streets.) I listen to Billie Holliday and Etta James and know that I’m not the only person in the world who loves and hurts like that. I listen to The Beatles and Marvin Gaye and feel like the world is shit, but that’s alright. We’re all alright.
*pause for reflection* Well, Eyal, I hope YOU enjoyed that, because I am definitely not lacking in pessimistic imagination and right now that imagination is telling me that I’m about to get flamed for having shared that much information. Fuckers.
You always bring an articulately fresh perspective to these posts. Wish more comments here showed the same thoughtfulness. Cheers to you and good taste:)
No flames here… your music tastes are more widespread than mine, and I applaud you on that. The less close-minded assholes we have on here, the better.
Great post, especially the part about how certain music makes you feel. I concur. Fuck The Man! LOL
good to see that some people on here can appreciate some vivaldi, i honestly think that if more metal fans had roots in classical, not only would we see higher musicianship (because lets face it, the fans are the musicians as well) but the conversatiions/discussions would be better as well. plus your mentioning of coltrain? id say that half the people here dont appreciate him.
as a sidenote, does anyone on here see the comparisons between bee bop and grind? to me they kind of parrallel.
overall i gotta compliment your variety in taste.
*chagrined but still positively beaming* Okay, I take it back: I’m sorry I called you guys “fuckers.” I am, to say the very least, pleasantly surprised at the responses to this blog. I love it when you guys shock the fire out of me and getting a broader picture of what all you guys listen to has certainly done that.
But I guess this is really why we’re all here, though, right? This music means so much to us that we HAVE to seek community with people to whom it means just as much. We don’t always agree, but the fact that we love it all enough to discuss it (often, at length), argue about it, and try to turn each other on to previously unknown elements is really the most revealing aspect of whatever the Hell this generally cataclysmic chaos is that we have going on with this site. I can’t help it: I love metal. I’m totally feeling the people who pointed out above that metal stands alone among the recognized genres in terms of diversity. Really, you don’t have to mine too deep to find nearly every aspect of the human experience represented in the rich and varied tradition of metal music. All the same, however diverse our chosen genre is, it doesn’t stand alone. There’s so much more out there and I avail myself of all I can find: liberally, wantonly, and with utter abandon and depravity.
I have to say I’m totally geeked to see how many people here listen to a lot of the same stuff I do; what I listed above was merely a snapshot. You guys even mentioned a whole bunch of stuff I’ve written down to check out. I dig what I dig and have no guilty pleasures. Generally speaking, though, it’s the artists who either express a feeling better than I can myself, or who show me something about myself that either I didn’t know before or couldn’t identify — like movement out of the corner of your eye and it’s gone when you turn to look. The artists I’m absolutely passionate about are the ones who hold truths in front of me so I can look my fill and say, “Oh, THERE it is. I was looking at it all this time, but couldn’t see.” And that’s just as likely to be Djivan Gasparyan as Messhugah.
*shrugs shoulders* What can I say? I’m turned on by what I hear.
“Generally speaking, though, it’s the artists who either express a feeling better than I can myself, or who show me something about myself that either I didn’t know before or couldn’t identify — like movement out of the corner of your eye and it’s gone when you turn to look”–who move me the most.
Sorry, y’all! Got a little happy with the “Submit” button!
YOU NEED TO GET YOURSELF A FUCKING EDITOR BOY THERE’S NO WAY I’M READING ALL THAT SHIT IT’S LONGER THAN MY GODDAMN MASTERS THESIS.
WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?
Why would anyone flame you for that? Quality post tbqh, and great taste to boot.
I did enjoy it.
I listen to a lot of the same stuff you listen to and you just gave me some inspiration to put on some stuff I haven’t checked out in a while.
Preach it Shinaain
@ Richard Dawkins: My dear man, I am the vainglorious and highly satisfied owner of a vagina and (if I do say so myself) an ample set of knockers. That is all you need to know.
At last! Someone has topped the “Chill your dick” riposte I got here a few weeks ago. Thank you, kind sir. Thank you…
I usually listen to pop punk and classic rock when there’s no metal to listen to. I also enjoy some classical now and then.
Some of my favorite non-metal artists:
Earth Wind and Fire, Sublime, Tech N9ne, Parliament, Jimi Hendrix, Rick James, B.B. King, Charles Mingus, Joe Satriani, Thelonious Monk, East Clubbers, Daft Punk, Led Zeppelin, Infected Mushroom, Miles Davis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Kool & The Gang, 2Pac, Rent, Blue Oyster Cult, Alex Skolnick Trio, Eazy E, Patti Smith, Dr. Dre, Joe Pass, Space Team Electra, Queen, Mariah Carey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson, Janis Joplin, Con Funk Shun, Bon Jovi, Slightly Stoopid, Wes Montgomery, Snoop Dogg, Bob Marley, KC & The Sunshine Band, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Boogiehawg, Jackson 5, Motley Crue, Guns ‘N Roses, Pink Floyd, Primus, Gipsy Kings, Racer X, Charlie Parker, System Of A Down, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Cream, The Doobie Brothers, Clapton, Michael Buble, The Faint, Gorillaz, Four Tops, Lordi, Ohio Players, Stevie Wonder, Chingy, Clutch, Lil Jon, Brian Setzer Orchestra, George Clinton, James Brown, Cats, Benassi, Ray Charles, Justice, Alex Metric, Frank Sinatra
I listen to everything, all rap, j pop, pop, techno, anything
As much as I love metal, life would be pretty boring if I listened to nothing else. Just to give you an idea of the variety of music I’m into, here are artists/composers I’ve listened to over the last three days:
Bloodbath
Suffocation
Iron Thrones
Coalesce
Converge
Neil Young
Buffalo Springfield
Beck
The Beatles
Milt Jackson
Stone Temple Pilots
Depeche Mode
Refused
Marvin Gaye
Elgar
Britten
Stenhammar
Ravel
Prokofiev
Iron Thrones! Fuck yeah!
Your post made me curious about my own listening, so I’m having a look… bear in mind, I’m usually listening to my mp3 player at work, and that’s only a 6 gb, so there’s not as much variety, but here’s my list:
Opeth
Gorod
Dark Tranquillity
Obscura
Nine Inch Nails
Man Must Die
Kong
Witchcraft
Cynic
Supercommuter
Arsonists Get All The Girls
Kyuss
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Dan Swanö
Metallica
Strapping Young Lad
Winds of Plague
Dalriada
Assjack
mc chris
Augury
Cathedral
Scar Symmetry
Odious Mortem
Clutch
Thy Catafalque
Hmmm… mostly metal, but there’s some other stuff thrown in there. It’s worth mentioning that lately I’ve been listening to an Opeth album every day, so they were on the list several times. I guess I currently have mostly metal on my mp3 player, though.
Nice to see some love for Witchraft.
THERE ARE ONLY 2 GOOD BANDS IN YOUR LIST
THERE ARE ONLY 3 GOOD BANDS IN YOUR LIST.
I like Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Bobby Womack, some Muse or Pink Floyd.
I feel its important to listen to other styles of music as well, especially if you’re a musician. Granted I listen to metal the most but I share the same amount of love for bands like Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, B.B. King, Andy McKee, Modest Mouse, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Cash, and tons more.
Modest Mouse is my favorite non-metal band, but only pre-Good News era.
Kinda disappointed not to see any Psychobilly or Rockabilly fans out there. Mad Sin and the Nekromantix are awesome bands. Also Sasquatch and the Sick-a-billies, while being one of the lesser known group play a badass mix of metal, Rockabilly and Psychobilly.
Also damn near anything that Clutch puts out as well as any Mike patton is involved in is great and almost guaranteed to wierd out a group of people
I was at a Lil Wayne concert last night!
sorry to hear that man!
lol I agree with your reply!
Metal makes up probably a quarter of what I listen to. I listen to a lot of classic rock, punk, blues and blues rock. Pretty much anything guitar-driven.
I’m a huge fan of golden oldies, big band, and jazz. I listen to Sinatra quite a bit. I absolutely love Benny Goodman. My favorite band sharing the top spot with Iron Maiden is Queen. I listen to plenty of Classical and classic rock. Oh, and growing up in Kentucky, I pretty much have to like some country and bluegrass. Although, in my opinion, new country sucks ass. I stick with the classics like Hank, Willie, Waylon, Cash, and Merle.
Iron Maiden is the best. Period.
I have played in heavier bands for years and metal music was always the last thing you wanna hear after being at a show where you just heard 5 heavy bands or after a 3 hours band practice. My ears and mind need a break. I always turn to Mogwai, DJ Shadow, Sigur Ros, This Will Destroy You, or a number of mellower instrumental soundtracks. I also turn to a lot of mellow alterna-country stuff like Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown, or Drive-By Truckers. I also love alot of cool mathy rock and older emo stuff like Sunny Day Real Estate, Oceansize, Shiner, Failure, Hum, Braid, Handsome, etc…
On a side note, i think it is funny when the sound guys at metal shows play metal or techno music in between metal bands. People need a break from the wall of noise for a few minutes. Play something quiter or not so heavy, that way the heavy bands have the impact that they are supposed to have and everyone’s ears dont give out half way through the show.
Fuck yeah. SDRE and Failure. I also liked Ken Andrews’ first ‘ON’ record a lot.
Yeah, i love all fo Ken’s stuff too. Loved Year of the Rabbit too. I am stoked about the SDRE reunion tour, got tickets for the SF show already.
Bruce Springsteen!
I’m with you bro.
You know what?! Fuck metal! Stupid genre.
Dude, the metal purists would explode to hear another metalhead ADMIT to listening to something other than metal. However, I think a true metal fan should be able to appreciate something other than metal otherwise they’re just lying to themselves.
My non-metals confessions include Fleet Foxes, Muse, QOTSA, classical, jazz, oldies (mostly from the 50’s and 60’s), outlaw and old school country (i.e. Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Johnny Paycheck, Hank and fam, etc.), and even underground and old school hip-hop (Dilated Peoples, Jedi Mind Tricks, Digable Planets, Del the Funky Homosapien, etc.).
purists are just like extremists —- idiots
I love me some underground hip-hop. I’ve been turning Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Aesop Rock, Immortal Technique, Wu-Tang and Dalek these days.
Some of my random other favorites include Dredg, Ratatat, Ra Ra Riot and Triarii.
love for that country music
I listen to everything. I play in a metal band and a funk band. I’d probably go to more house DJs like Deadmau5 then metal bands. Though to be fair fuck all good metal bands play Ireland. Some of the biggest stompers of gigs I’ve been to have been traditional Irish bands. Point is it’s foolish to confine your listening to one genre, there’s plenty of great music out there.
I love Devin Townsend’s solo (mellower) stuff.
Greg Laswell’s awesome – folky singer/songwriter guy.
Palestrina is one of my favorite composers ever.. great choral stuff.
Can’t go wrong with a little Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, and other classics…Minus The Bear, Dead Can Dance, and especially Iron & WIne are also favorites. But nothing best the metal.
I actually really enjoy listening to some Prodigy sometimes (that Trance-buzz really makes your brain relax). Also I have a quite taste for some old-school jazz like Glenn Miller or Roy Brown.
But if we have to keep it rock-ish, yet non-metal, then yeah Clutch, D.A.D. and Seasick Steve all get a spin from time to time.
I really dig progressive acoustic music, such as erik mongrain and thomas leeb. Anybody like that sort of thing?
To oversimplify, you don’t appreciate music if you can only listen to metal. Metal shares sonic qualities with about every genre out there, and it’s about appreciating that personality wherever you hear it, whether it be in a metal track, or in the latest bullshit Miley Cyrus track. Plus, metal is so fucking looooouuuuuud!
Glad to see the overwhelmingly positive response from the MetalSucks community!
There you go with the oversimplications again! Damn it, I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT! And I agree with everything you just said. (Well, except I would substite something else for Miley Cyrus, but to each their own. ;)
right now
choking victim
leftover crack
no-cash
surf nazis must die
zombie ghost train
lil wayne (only his mixtape shit fuck his mainstream shit its whack and generic)
casey jones
death from above 1979
mamy more but you know….
I can’t name a whole lot of bands but honestly most music that I hear I like. Hell, when my mom puts on the top 40 station in the car I rock out to Katy Perry (no joke)
My faorite non-metal bands are The Beatles, red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, Faith No More, The Police, The Who, The Stones, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, Death Cab for Cutie, Kooks, Reel Big Fish, etc. I like some rap
Sonic Youth.
I get it. Man I like a good girl vocalist evry now and then cuz im a chick, theres a cool down beat band called 6 mm and portishead can be ok . those are my choices when i want a break from metal , and the new prog rock bands are awesome, they have roots in metal, i like doom, but its close to metal, I have a realy good techno c.d., trancendental grooves.or something like that. I appreciate the layouts of a song and thats why i like metal. But as a metal head with a distinct taste I am not narrow minded. -Tara
I dig post-rock like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky.
Red Sparowes are awesome if you like Explosions in the Sky, one of my favorite post-rock bands.
Explosions in the sky are kinda overrated.
God Is An Astronaut rule the genre, to me at least.
Here’s my short list:
gameshow themes from the 70’s
Bollywood filmi songs from the 50’s
Robbie Robertson (esp. when accompanied by crickets)
field recordings of African Pygmy music
Any album released by a professional wrestler
Hanson (before they sold out)
1 kHz tones from analog alignment tapes (fuck those digital oscillators)
Fuck yeah!
Metal has been and will always be my first love, but I listen to as much or even more non-metal than I do metal.
e.g.:
Ian Moore (my all-around favorite musician/artist ever – more than any metal)
Frank Zappa
Dave Brubeck
CCR
My Morning Jacket
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
QOTSA
The Kills
Toadies
Ween
Sound of Urchin
James Brown
Tower of Power
Primus
rage
Stevie Wonder (my god how I love Stevie Wonder)
Jamiroquai
Percy Hill (their “Color In Bloom” album is amazing)
Sublime!!!!!
Weezer
Indigo Girls
Django Rhinehardt
The Beatles
Jellyfish!!!!!!!
Nick Cave
BB King
Albert King
Freddie King
Muddy
SRV
Hendrix
Wes Montgomery
Trane
Monk
Miles
MMW
Phish
Mats/Morgan
The Meters
Ice Cube
Public Enemy
Ohio Players
Sly & the Family
Bill Withers
Sam Cooke
Bob Marley
Mogwai
Ani D
Steve Earle
Tony Williams
Billy Cobham
Harry Connick Jr
Chase
Yes
Mike Keneally
Beastie Boys…
I like making lists.
Eels!!!
Earth WInd & Fire
The Doors
Amon Tobin
Jeff Buckley
Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
Jethro Tull
Alaska!
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Count Basie
Janes Addiction
Morphine
The Roots
hank III hank III hank III
I love AFI’s early stuff (anything before Decemberunderground) Lupe Fiasco, and Nirvana.
Linkin Park and Gucci Mane are good too!
P.S. Is Ganglia a stupid name for a band or does it sound like an STD?
Hey – Props to all of you for having the balls to say that you listen to more than just metal. Having broad musical tastes makes you a more interesting person. Life isn’t all a tractor pull!
I hope you’re not implying that there’s anything wrong with tractor pulls. I’ve been to quite a few in my life and had a lot of fun.
I don’t just listen to metal, I eat it. Just got done shitting out some aluminum siding.
Anybody into Brand New? Their earlier pop punk stuff not so much but “The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me” is fuckin amazing…
SOUNDS PRETTY GAY TO ME BUT WHAT DO I KNOW? I’M AN ATHEIST.
I only know “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows” but I do really like that song; I’m pretty sure it was early in their career, though. How did they change after that?
love ‘em! pretty much my favorite band. them and funeral for a friend. got tickets to see brand new in october, very stoked.
Im a huge techno/trance fan. Also any rap from ‘95 and earlier is fine too. But mostly metal all day everyday. Never gets old.
Hey Eyal its Anton:) hell yes i lsiten to everything but freaking Country and polka shit!!
Radiohead
Ulver
Porcupine Tree
OSI
The Gathering
La Fin Du Monde
APC
Agalloch
Neurosis
Bjork
Scorn
Crystal method
Foo Fighters Karl Sanders
JAZZ!!
King Crimson
Yes
many more :)
The Beauty of “real” metal is it can incorporate ANY style of music, Hence why you have bands like follow in such diverse categories
Emperor-Blast beat keyboard mayhem,-disorganized classical
Opeth-Classical folk,rock, jazz
Sadist-pure jazz/keybaords like an 80’s sad band (cure/depeche)
Cynic/Aghora- Jazz fusion
Bongzilla-sabbath sludge/rock
Fear Factory-Gothis Industrial
Daath -Gothic/Indutrial(at first)
Thurisaz-Old school rock meets SYL
Enslaved-Viking /Blues listen to Icedales solo’s…very into frazing
so to anyone who is into metal is into other music you just didnt know it !! :)
As awesome as metal is, I find that a lot of metalheads and punk fans have the most close minded music tastes ever. Once I kinda got out of punk and got more into metal, this kid who’s really into punk said I was a sellout because once he saw me with a Soulfly shirt, and someone asked me about NOFX, he said I don’t know anything about punk anymore. There’s just too much good music out there just to be limited to one genre.
I’ve been really getting into Porcupine Tree, East River Pipe, Bob Dylan, Sublime, Bad Religion, 311, and Muse. None of those bands are metal per se but really good. Despite being really into metal, I think the whole steretypes and fashion is really lame. Sure it’s fine to wear band shirts but the whole spike accessories and other things are a little too much and off-putting.
Metal shouldn’t be a lifestyle, just a genre of music, and that goes for all other genres.
If you were wearing a soulfly shirt, I’d say you don’t know anything about Metal either.
311 is really good?? Metal is kinda a lifestyle. The very fact that someone is into this kind of music shows that don’t only like what is force fed to them through popular media. Its against the grain, always questioning, always evolving. The people that truely GET metal are generally very intelligent, and certainly more intelligent than the general populace. The very fact that people dig deep into the underground to find great , expressive bands speaks volumes to their love of music and art.
This is post is somewhat fitting given that metal just felt less extreme about a week ago and I turned my attention to old-school hardcore and underground rap with some stoner rock and industrial thrown in for good measure. And quite honestly, I needed the simplicity of those types of music to regain my passion for metal.
There’s tons of great stuff out there in pretty much every genre. You just need to know where to look. And metal rules.
I like My Bloody Valentine (the band) a lot as well.
While I listen to metal 99% of the time I still commonly throw on some Tom Waits, Atmosphere, The Show is the Rainbow, A Silver Mount Zion Orchestra (also GSYPE) and a couple others, but when it comes to non metal I am extremely picky
There’s definitely something to be said for metal sounding heavier when you’ve been listening to something else for a while. Plus as a musician, it helps me come up with new ideas, so that my music has different influences and a different sound than other “metal” bands. When I need a break, i listen to Failure, Waylon Jennings, Jeff Buckley, Tori Amos, Black Flag, Depeche Mode, old Motown stuff, and a lot of other random shit too.
ya i came across jeff buckley just a couple months ago and its pretty good chill music. depeche mode and black flag are also pretty good. some of the motown stuff is good, but a lot of it is too cliche for me.
Demi Lovato bitches
Demi Lovato ist krieg
Blasphemy… there is no music outside of metal. All of you are should be burned at the stake.
I’m betting this was a joke… but finally the voice we all wanted to hear!
Maybe so, but you’ll have to catch me first.
Yeah, we are REALLY pissing off our Dark Lord Satan today.
When I don’t listen to metal I either listen to post rock or NOTHING.
Younnnng Jeeeez-ay CHEAH!
My question for you is: How could you appreciate the Prog/Fusion spectrum of Metal if you never listened to anything other than Metal? I mean, it’s rather ignorant & boring to limit yourself to one genre.
Besides Metal, I totally dig Fusion/Jazz Rock, Prog Rock and quite a few other styles:
Akira Jimbo (especially his solo efforts)
Fragile
Attention Deficit
Oysterhead
Martone
Spock’s Beard
Michael Manring
The Dolphins
Alkotrio
Alex Milella
Andy McKee
Ken Bonfield
Michael Hedges
Windham Hill
Porcupine Tree
O.S.I.
Christopher Parkening
ActRaiser (8bit Nintendo Soundtrack)
Vlatko Stefanovski & Miroslav Tadic
Spaced Out
Sean Malone (Cordtlandt)
Gordian Knot
Exivious
Ohm
Mike Patton (Mr.Bungle,Fantomas,FNM,Tomahawk)
Oz Noy
Pearl Jam (Ten,Singles Soundtrack)
Temple of the Dog
Aeon Spoke <-They are pretty good
Pink Floyd
Magellan
Queen
RUSH
YES
Brand X
Eric Johnson
The Electromagnets
Sweet
The Police
The Cars
The Carpenters
Elvis Presley
Stevie Wonder
Yup, the list can go on and on…
Life would be boring indeed if all I listened to was metal. And this, coming from an FM radio metal deejay…..
I like everything from goth (The Last Dance, Faith and the Muse, Cruxshadows) to spacey instrumental stuff (Ozric Tentacles, Hidria Spacefolk, Lotus)…. From truly amazing world music like Dead Can Dance and The Changelings to rock/electronica like Celldweller, Godhead and Epsilon-Zero. And of course, all sorts of straightahead rock, progressive rock and near-metal.
I guess I tend to “follow the talent.” :)
Anyone listen to Fu Manchu? I love the fuck out of that band.
I’ve been on a Clutch and Gordon Lightfoot kick as of late.
I pretty much love anything with raw talent and NO synthisizers. its ok in prog and in certain songs, but thats 75% of the reason i hate rap and hip/hop, because of the lack of raw talent. but anyways, when im not listening to metal, these are my favorite bands
pink floyd
michael angelo batio
jimi hendrix
the who
led zeppelin
johnny cash
bob dylan
allman brothers band
cream
nirvana
pearl jam
soundgarden
QOTSA
MC5
ramones
sex pistols
u2
b.b. king
eric clapton (older stuff)
foo fighters
red hot chili peppers
eagles
the doors
frank zappa
rush
yes
king crimson
lynyrd skynyrd
jefferson airplane
santana
grateful dead
country joe & the fish
the united states of america
the beatles
rolling stones
boston
foreigner
radiohead
r.e.m.
smashing pumpkins
social distortion
sly and the family stone
funkadelic
james brown
parliament
and the list goes on…
This man clearly does not understand how a synthesizer works.
Lol @ Daath
Weezee and ween bay bee!
Mmmmmmmmm Eyal yummm
wait i forgot two of my favorite bands: temple of the dog and stone temple pilots aka stp. temple of the dog was a 90’s grunge supergroup which was basically soundgarden and pearl jam mixed together, which is exactly what their first and only album sounded like. the whole self titled album is awesome, some slow songs like stuff youd find on most pearl jam albums and some good hard rock like on a soundgarden album. stp’s debut album,core, is kind of cliche grunge, but remains one of my favorites anyways.
Good call Eyal! This Deerhunter group is interesting.
Half the time metal is the reason I get into other forms of music. Bands like Meshuggah and Cynic got me into jazz fusion, like Allan Holdsworth, for example, and Opeth and others led me to blues-rock. Before I got into metal, I was huge into punk, and I had a much narrower view of music then. I still listen to a lot of punk (Bad Religion has been a favorite band for years), but nowadays metal of all kinds takes up the majority of my music library, and it’s what I listen to most of the time.
That being said, someone above said that the beauty of metal is its ability to incorporate diverse styles, and I completely agree. I love folk metal bands like Eluveitie because I love both metal and traditional Celtic music. My mother of all people turned me on to this electro-Indian/Middle Eastern fusion group called Niyaz, who I really get into, but all the while I’m thinking “some of this would sound great in a metal song.”
Now, maybe it would actually be an atrocity, but it’s a testament to the versatility of metal that I could even consider something like that.
I’m subjected to shitty pop music at work, so that provides my daily dose of non-metal music. As far as non-metal music I like to listen to, it’s pretty much anything except pop. Techno, rap, blues, classical, ambient, reggae, bluegrass, old shit, new shit, the stuff in between, and even the occasional salsa-merengue if I am really annihilated.
I try not to delve too deep into the same genre over and over again; I like to mix it up, which seems to be the theme of this post. I will occasionally try to go on a metal hiatus, but it usually doesn’t last long.
I enjoy King Crimson, The Bakerton Group, John Coltrane, A Tribe Called Quest, The Rolling Stones(Anything before 1981 is fine with me), CCR, Dax Riggs, God Speed You Black Emperor!, Captain Beyond, Queens Of The Stone Age and Kyuss, Dead Kennedys, Wu Tang Clan, Gang Starr, Blue Cheer, The Molecules, Capt Beefheart, Greatful Dead, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Miles Davis, Gil Scott Heron, Public Enemy. Just a list of a few non metal acts I enjoy.
Let us not forget about Hank III, I moshed to Dick in Dixie at one of his concerts :D Fucking awesome!
Interesting choices by some given I was just mocked for liking metal that isn’t “tr00″ enough.
Restaurant example is decidedly poor, but I get what you mean by it, I listen to most of my extreme metal from the site, I listen to good music to offset what is mostly bad music, and when I get tired of that I listen to a variety of things.
Since people with cu-I mean paint, on their br00tal goatees felt fit to copy and paste things from my myspace I don’t have to actually navigate off the site, which is incredibly convenient. I listen to mostly rock even outside the sphere of metal, I enjoy Alter Bridge primarily for Myles Kennedy’s amazing vocals, I go to Guns N’ Roses for my melodic hard rock/Avant-garde guitar fix.
I listen to quite a few things, I tend to like finding really good songs from otherwise terrible bands, like Snow Patrol or Pedro The Lion, sometimes I feel like country, and the man that fills that need is Cash, as has been the case since I was a kid. I listen to Weird Al and Barenaked Ladies for my comedy fix, some oldies thrown in from decades past, a handful of new songs.
3 is the only progressive band I can stand, slowly grown to love them, looking forward to their upcoming release, I love their brand of progressive rock for how terse and passionate it is, something that is sadly missing from music that is purely progressive rock.
I don’t listen to pop, or stupid bouncy techno songs, I can’t stand most rap because of how wicked it is, so those are out, sometimes I enjoy what might be termed “pop rock” however in Everclear, though people term them alternative rock and post-grunge.
I definitely need more than metal, I like some classical works, but orchestras interest me more, including mixed orchestras, “avant-garde” in their own right, something like The Dark Knight soundtrack is a popular example of this blending and warping of traditional and new-age that I enjoy.
I also like classical works done in a new age fashion, you could look to any of the Randy Rhoads era Ozzy for that, but I also enjoy hearing works typically designed for a cello or violin done on a string instrument such as a lute, I coin that “easy listening” music.
I have the oddest taste in music. Besides metal, I listen to hardcore punk of course. I mean, if I was born a decade earlier, I probably would have been part of the whole NYC HXC movement (No SXE for me though…)
I also listen to ska. I mean, I don’t think many people listen to ska in general, never mind metalheads who listen to it. I do enjoy some old outlaw country. None of that poppy shit that passes for country today, real mans stuff, like Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash.
And of course I listen to some classic rock (not too much, that’s my dads territory, and I don’t wanna be one of those young dudes who listen to shit like Billy Joel), but I enjoy The Doors, and my favorite classic rock, Pink Floyd.
Also since I grew up in the 90’s, I’ve been getting to some alt rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Radiohead, etc.
I’ve also been listening to A Day To Remember. I’m not too fond of the post-hardcore genre, and the whole scene kid look, but ADTR is more hardcore than most post hardcore, what with the gang vocals and the breakdowns.
Lately I’ve been trying to get into rap, not this hip-hop autotuned poppy bullshit, real rap. I like Wu-Tang Clan (especially ODB), Eminem, Jay-Z.
Also, I play the Saxophone, so that might be way I’m pretty open with music.
For me, if it’s not metal it’s probably:
1) Rodrigo y Gabriela
2) Native American chants (youtube ’sacred spirit 2′)
3) Vivaldi and other great classical composers
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of my favorite albums ever.
Hell, I love Chicago, Fleetwood Mac, and Styx. You can’t listen to just metal. Unless you’re one of those Blabbermouth meatheads who talk shit about anything that’s not kvlt or troo or whatever the fuck it’s called.
I personally like Bach, Paganini, Mozart, and some of the great Latin American composers such as Heitor Villa Lobos, Piazolla, and Barrios. Jazz such as Coltrane and Charlie Parker is great as well. The original shredders!
With that being said though, metal is the only form of rock music that I can stand.
Everything from Wale to Jay-Z to Gorilla Zoe. Mix in some Miles Davis and happy hardcore and BAM.
Many of y’all are presumptuous about persons with very particular musical preference. Such persons are not necessarily narrow-minded, and rather, perhaps the music to which they listen is all that they need. It is rude and silly to call someone boring or ignorant simply because he is not the audiophile that you are (which, by the way, is not a quality that makes you inherently interesting, though it may give you a sense of smug superiority).
I never looked down on someone who listened only to metal. And I do agree that sometimes people think that listening to different music makes them diverse and is their ticket to being hip when in fact some of these people just have bad taste.
I tend to delve into the classics when I diverge from metal. Simon and Garfunkel, Rush, The Doors. Or classic Rap/Hip Hop tends to suit my fancy. And lately I listen to copious amounts of The Mighty Boosh musical snippets.
Totally. I’d say my favourite non metal band is The Gathering, and while some of their earlier stuff rocks pretty good, nothing of theirs is ‘metal’.
And I listen to Radiohead, Dredg, Porcupine Tree and lots more.
Definitely can’t listen to nothing but metal.
shit, you can’t listen to metal all the time.
I like to switch it up with some James Brown, Robert Johnson and George Therogood. I also dig hip/hop like Wu-Tang, Jedi Mind Tricks, Sage Francis, Gravediggaz and Tech N9ne. Classical music is classic and I’m sure most people on here dig that stuff too. George Clinton and P-Funk kick ass, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Johnny Cash and Nas round out the kind of diversity that spices up my musical life.
I like to keep my Gwen Stefani CD between my Suffocation and Brain Drill CDs, this counts as variety, yes?
There was a time when I ONLY listened to metal. I don’t know how on earth I managed to be like that for about 3 years! I’m so glad to explore new genres now. As Eyal said, you eventually need the variety there to register the differences.
Anyway, when I’m not feeling br00t4l I listen to genres from folk to aggrotech to anything with an atmosphere.
Well it was nice reading all these other genres and bands that everyone listens to :D
Definitely good to have a break from blasts every now and again!
Here’s some of my non-metal listening choices;
National Skyline
Aphex Twin
Fiona Apple
The Beatles
The Roots
The Skatalites
Radiohead
The Album Leaf
Band of Horses
Eels
Weezer (prefer the first 2 albums)
Victor Wooten
M83
Micah P Hinson
Lou Reed
My Morning Jacket
Sondre Lerche
Silversun Pickups
Thrice
A Tribe Called Quest
Jacob Rogers
Sublime
Antony & The Johnsons
Bjork
Battles
Coco Rosie
Sigur Ros
…just to name a few.
Nice to see most people agreeing in these posts for a change and good to know that the majority of people into metal have indeed got wide musical palletes!!
- you know the earliest metal bands didn’t even think of them selves as metal in the first place they just happened to be making louder, darker music than their peers- as a musician playing metal if that is all you listen to it shows because , you end up sounding generic, and one dimensional – this even more with the more extreme bands that have no real singing on their albums,- i would love to listen to more metal than i do – but there seems to be a lack of intresting heavy music coming out -looking forward to the new converge , but so far in 09 have bought less of it, and find my self returning to the classics- death angel, king diamond, flotsam and jetsam, sabbath preist, maiden,and kiss the new metal in heavy rotation for me has been, the new albums by mastodon and queensryche, though i want the new amorphis and stratovarius, there is alot of dark and havey stuff i listen to i wouldn’t call metal i listen to – the swans , sleepy time gorilla museum, jesu, glasvegas, murder by death, dead can dance , skinny puppy, led zeppelin, bowie, zappa, yes, king crimson, genesis, the cocteau twins and sigur rios
I couldn’t agree with this more! I love metal just as much as the next guy. I play in a metal band, and after practices, sound checks, and shows with 5 or 6 metal bands in a night, my head is splitting, and I need a good escape. I’ll put on some Sneaker Pimps, Sponge, Horrorpops, Murder City Devils, or anything else I can really ignore but still enjoy. Worst case scenario, I’ll borrow my girlfriend’s ipod and see what she’s got. It’s all classic rock and jam stuff (and I’m getting dragged to a Counting Crows show next week), but it feels really good when I need a break from the overdriven double bass, heavy guitar that I do love so much!
I gotta say I’m impressed- I expected the readers to say something to the effect of “if it ain’t metal it ain’t shit!” That said, I always turn to jazz when I’m in a metal rutt. Try some Coltrane on for size. Fans of avant gurade metal will love his later work.
I really wanted to read everybody’s comments on this but I’m too fucking lazy. But I do occasionally dwell outside of the safety of metal’s barriers. I went through roughly a two year phase of listening to rap. I’m talking early 92-late 93. This was the time period that “gangsta rap” was fucking everywhere. Dr. Dre, NWA, Eazy-E, Geto Boys, Too $hort, Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, Ice T….all of these groups I still listen to on very rare occasions. Especially Geto Boys and Too $hort…but it has to be those old albums. Any newer shit by them (and by new I mean anything after say…1995) fucking blows. Rap changed. Thats why I went back to metal in the first place…that and metal actually started to get good again. But when I’m completely “metalled out” I generally listen to early Judas Priest (Rocka Rolla, Sad Wings, Sin after Sin, Stained Class) or some old Uli Jon Roth era Scorpions. Sometimes I’ll dig even deeper and listen to The Doors or Amboy Dukes. But there are times when I go all vaginal and listen to Mazzy Star or Tori Amos (Little Earthquakes…I don’t care what anybody says…is a great fucking album). However…99.9 percent of the time I am listening to metal. It rarely gets old. But when I was in a band who played out every week, sometimes 2 or 3 times, I would throw in that other shit. So I completely get what you’re saying.
I can’t believe no ones mentioned The Dave Matthews Band….
Oh I hate that man. And his band.
Why David?
I listen to Elton John.
I’d say that people outside the metal community need to think outside the box a little bit more. Metal is a pretty expansive genre. It covers more ground in the “mixing” of influences aspect. Granted, if you’re sick of hearing loud, aggressive music, throw on some Seal. But what it all comes down to is interpretation of what’s being heard. I think we’d be selling the metal community short by implying that metal is it for everyone. There are more bands playing metal mixed with other genres. That invites the idea that these musicians listen to other styles of music.
Metal may run through my veins, but i’m actually a VERY loyal part of the fanatical cult following of TORI AMOS. I just saw her live a few weeks ago for the uhmpteenth time, and it was by far one of the shows i’ve ever been to (it always is, lol). I’ve been listening to her since I was 13 (27 now) and by studying her music, song structure, and improvisation ability, my skills as a musician grow exponentially on all fronts. Its when you study outside your expected genre that you are able to incorporate things into your music that nobody else has done before.
hendrix, hendrix and every so often… hendrix.
My break from metal often includes Muse (who I feel picked up the the natural path that 90’s Radiohead would’ve gone down unless they started wandering about in the wild) and Khoma (with members from Cult of Luna amongst others, got 5K in Kerrang with their last album). I also would say that japanese rockers MUCC are considered a break from metal, although they got metal influences, their heavy parts is about as heavy you can find i a band that both me and my girlfriend enjoys together.
And I shouldn’t leave out Damnation by Opeth, the prog rock influenced album they made a couple of years ago. Even though it’s a metal band, the album certainly isn’t.
for me its mostly hardcore and grunge, but i also like
almost all real punk
some trooer pop-punk
90’s rap
classic rock
hard rock
a little pink floyd
what a lot of metalheads forget is that metal is merely another type of music. its my favorite style, but there is definately more stuff out there. also, a lot of metalheads define themselves with everything metal[the look,music,speech,actions,etc] because they have no personality of their own. of course, people in every type of music do that. theres good and bad in everything.
what I hate are the metalheads who you can tell like a cartain rap song or rock song who cant admit it. Some friends of mine dislike the new gojira song ‘a sight to behold’ beacause of the T pain style voice thing on the intro. fucking retarded. just cuz a rapper uses the same technique doesnt mean THAT soing is sellout, bad, etc. fuckin ignorant.
I enjoy quite a bit of jazz, practically all varieties of it because there are several throughout its general inception. In particular I enjoy swing and big band as much if not more than some metal bands. Also as someone who has played trumpet for years, Miles Davis is one of the greatest (and that’s about as much detail as I’m going to go into with that because frankly it would take me forever to finish). I will also admit that I am a big fan of classical music, couldn’t tell you who my favorite composers because its just as hard for me to tell you my favorite metal band is. Other non-metal bands I enjoy quite a lot would be Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Muse, QOTSA, pretty much any classic rock band, Offspring was good back in the day, NIN, bit picky when it comes to ska but some is ok, and a portion of older country i.e. Johnny Cash but not that new country garbage.
Journey. Fuck you if you don’t like Journey.
Win.
I love neil young, jimi hendrix and the like.
I also enjoy electronic music like Prodigy, Kraftwerk. etc…
but 90% of the time its metal
Exactly, sometimes good chill music is the answer. Like Clutch or maybe even some Kings of Leon.
Tool is some good chill music, plus their just straight up amazing
I listen to quite a variety of stuff, some of which would not be acceptable in the metal world and i know that :P
on a regular day ill listen to some Daath, Panter, Aborted, Whitechapel, Meshuggah, and all sorts of amazing bands. But lately ive been listening to some other stuff like beatboxer/electronic artist Dub Fx. sometimes i listen to techno like Dj Hixxy or something like that. Rock such as nickleback or creed (i know… gayy lmao) Ill even listen to some rap like Eminem, D12, Dre, Tech n9ne, DMX. But no matter what other music i listen to.. Metal > Every one and their mothers lmao. the two best bands to me still stand at Behemoth and Strapping young lad.
It would be about less then 1 percent of my total music listening time, but Billy Talent, and i have no idea why.