Given my general interests and proclivities, you would think I would be into far more things than I am. I really enjoy Gothic literature and classic horror movies. While I wouldn't call myself a true Fantasy fan, I do find the genre fascinating and love the original tales that it stemmed from. I am constantly drawn to the darker and sadder things in life, especially when it's twinged with a teeny bit of humor. So given my tastes, you would think that I would be into the elements that draw heavily on these motifs and tropes. But I really don't do current horror, they tend to rely far too much on the jump scare and fake gore than actual frightening plots. I kind of refuse to watch or read Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead at this point, not because I want to be contrary but honestly they both seem a tad over the top at this point. And I have to say that I generally don't get heavy metal.
While I've never really listened to it, my brothers are fans of certain bands and styles. So I have heard a variety of heavy metal songs, and there a couple of songs I don't mind, I just can't say its ever truly caught my ear. I have found that heavy metal is an interesting collection of tropes though. It tends to draw heavily from fantasy and horror for a good portion of ideas and visuals. I'm pretty certain there isn't a band out there that hasn't used a skull or fantasy element as part of an album cover at some point. Most music draws from other genres and you can hear the classical and traditional rock influences in the sound of many heavy metal bands. I've never understood those bands that ultimately just put lyrics to classical music though, but then again I love to get lost in the sounds of classical music and don't see the need for words. I can certainly appreciate the themes these bands typically sing about (love, death, the search for yourself, etc), I just find that these ideas tend to get lost in the loud and long guitar rifts. There is obviously nothing wrong with this particular style though, to each his own I always say. If you're wondering where I'm heading with this tangent, the sticker tonight is for an Ohio heavy metal band. Dead Again seems to follow the usual sound of most heavy metal bands, not that I could find too many examples of their original music on their Facebook page. I can't say I was terribly shocked to see that this was their particular style, I mean their name is Dead Again and they had a skull for their sticker logo. Looking through their Facebook page though I saw a photo and quote from the Bride of Frankenstein, which is definitely one of the best classic monster movies out there. And that's kind of what got me wondering about what attracts my attention. Clearly a lot of the things that I enjoy influence these kind of artists as well, so where does the divide happen. What caused my inner Goth to be drawn to the soulful sound of folky Americana over the dark and heavier sound of metal? I can't say I really care to find an answer, I kind of enjoy being a weird combination of things and hard to define. It's just an interesting exploration into what makes people such unique individuals in the end.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Maggie Ondrey
An amateur photographer and writer capturing a small portion of the city. Archives
August 2017
Categories |