Heavy Metal, Indie, Noise Rock Flashcards
Describe what the British Heavy Metal scene was and when it was around.
It flourished in the mid to late 1970s. It came out of the same tradition as Black Sabbath and dealt with similar political issues as punk.
What were the major musical features of British Heavy Metal?
Still riff-based, power chords, distortion. Some Satanic lyrics, influence of horror, gore, and gloomy style.
Name the 5 major British Heavy Metal groups discussed.
Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Diamondhead, Def Leppard, Motorhead
What are the major metal guitar techniques?
- Power chords with distortion
- Riff-oriented music
- Dense textures
- Timbral variety: tremolo picking (picking a note fast) and palm mutes
- Fast, virtuosic shredding solos that use finger tapping on fretboard
- Heavy use of distortion and sustain for max power and volume.
Describe the music style of Iron Maiden.
They combined influences from early metal (Black Sabbath) and progressive rock, with intricate harmonies and virtuosic guitar playing. Their songs covered topics such as war, history, literature, religion, and mythology.
What was the role of visual identity in Iron Maiden?
Their visual identity was very distinctive, with a mascot called “Eddie” who was a skeleton.
When UK Heavy Metal crossed over, what were the two major streams it divided into?
Hair/glam/pop and thrash/speed
What was hair/glam/pop metal?
It was a more pop-oriented form of heavy metal that emerged in the US in the late 70s and early 80s. It was still riff-oriented and had guitar heroics and high pitched vocals, but had more catchy, hook-laden material.
Who is Eddie Van Halen and what was he known for?
He was the guitarist of Van Halen who was known as the master of the finger-tapping technique on the guitar.
Name 3 glam metal bands, including the most influential one.
Most influential: Van Halen
Others: Motley Crue, Poison, etc.
Describe the musical style of Metallica.
Combined speed and volume with complex song forms, lyrics exploring dark themes, combining shredding guitar techniques with extreme dynamic changes and contrasting sections. `
Who were Voivod?
A Canadian heavy metal band formed in Quebec.
Describe the musical style of Voivod.
They combined speed and thrash metal with progressive rock to create a unique style.
When did Voivod see mainstream success?
When they released their fifth album, Nothingface.
How did heavy metal evolve in the late 1980s?
There was increasing stylistic variety, with many subgenres associated with their own image, agenda, and audience.
Explain the contestation behind the term “metal”
It became controversial because it was seen as too monolithic given that heavy metal was splintering into many different subgenres.
How did the shift happen for punk to hardcore metal to indie?
In the late 70s, the appeal of punk began to disappear. Many new local scenes splintered off as a result in different communities. They relied on the DIY attitude, independent labels, and fan zines to assert their difference.
What are the 3 main offshoots of punk that emerged?
Hardcore, indie/college, and noise rock
What is hardcore and how is it different from regular punk?
It is an offshoot of punk that plays simple riff-based songs at extremely fast tempos while screaming nihilistic lyrics over a chaotic guitar part.
What is indie rock and how is it different from regular punk?
It was initially used to refer to music operating outside of major labels, but came to be its own genre characterized by noise, lo-fi aesthetics, pop songwriting, and earnest or sentimental lyrics. It mixed 1960s folk rock aesthetics into it as well.
Describe the subgenres of indie rock.
It too had its own set of subgenres proliferate, such as jangle pop, college rock, shoe gaze, dream pop, noise rock, etc.
Describe the musical style of sonic youth.
They were influenced by avant-garde music and had a dark, menacing sound with a lot of feedback. They later experimented with more conventional song structures.
Who were REM?
Another influential indie rock band int he 1980s.
What is noise rock?
Consists of avante-garde experimentalism with use of dissonance, feedback-drenched sound, and lots of guitar effects
