How do you tell rock from metal?

Z

ZadrraS

Trooper
Ok, i can tell most metal songs from rock becouse they're much heavier than any rock could be, but what about other songs like the first few maiden albums. Some call it rock, some call it metal. Im confused.
 
the thiiin liiiiiiine, between..... [!--emo&:p--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

It can be hard to tell the difference at times and even harder to make rules for what's what. I really don't care much, as long at it's good it's all [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--] to me [!--emo&:)--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/smile.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'smile.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

I'd say the first maiden albums had some (early) metal elements along with rock and even some punk inspirations.
 
One of the bigger differences is Steve's infamous time changes, as well as lyrical content. Metal tends to be above and beyond "sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll".
 
[!--QuoteBegin-LooseCannon+Jul 25 2004, 01:53 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(LooseCannon @ Jul 25 2004, 01:53 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] lyrical content [/quote]
we'll just leave Power Metal out then, ok? [!--emo&;)--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'wink.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
But what about metal bands like Motley Crue? Having a song entitled Girls, Girls, Girls isn't sex drugs and rock 'n roll?
 
One thing really annoys me... Almost everyone in my class saiz (no matter which metal bands which song i give them) "So u like rock?" Then i like to think happy toughts about him like: "Shut the fuck up YOU MORON!!!!!"

I don't even know why it makes me angry...


(That was a little ooftopic)
 
[!--QuoteBegin-metalmaniac666+Jul 25 2004, 02:30 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(metalmaniac666 @ Jul 25 2004, 02:30 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] But what about metal bands like Motley Crue? Having a song entitled Girls, Girls, Girls isn't sex drugs and rock 'n roll? [/quote]
That's Hair Metal. I guess The Power Metal rule applies here as well. And, as I said, it's very hard to make rules for such things, as something will always fall out off, or in between, categories
 
[!--QuoteBegin-ZadrraS+Jul 25 2004, 02:37 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(ZadrraS @ Jul 25 2004, 02:37 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] One thing really annoys me... Almost everyone in my class saiz (no matter which metal bands which song i give them) "So u like rock?" Then i like to think happy toughts about him like: "Shut the fuck up YOU MORON!!!!!"

I don't even know why it makes me angry...


(That was a little ooftopic) [/quote]
Start listening to Black Metal exclusively. They won't confuse it with rock, but with white noise. Problem Solved. [!--emo&:p--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
When I say "metal" I mean "heavy metal", Iron Maiden classic type stuff...

Catagorizing metal in general is hard.
 
You can't draw a line. Unless you count Hard Rock as Metal, you're gonna have a tough time trying, I guess.
 
I guess is the same as asking "Did Black Sabbath play rock or metal?".


(Or was that some other band that coused flamewars and stuff everywhere)
 
Easy:

A rock is a stone, whereas metal is either a pure element (iron, lead, etc...) or an alloy (bronze, steel, etc...)

[!--emo&:p--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
Seem to be on a funny mood today, Mav...

Here is a link to an interesting map about "rock":
[a href=\'http://forum.maidenfans.com/index.php?showtopic=4669\' target=\'_blank\']A brief history of metal[/a]
 
In my opinion, rock is a very broad genre encompassing many different styles, some of which are called metal. You can't separate them; metal is a type of rock. You can debate about what sets metal apart from other styles, but saying "metal isn't rock" is like saying "oranges aren't fruit".
 
Perhaps the proper question would be "What defines metal as a unique branch of rock?"
 
It's more difficult to explain metal as a unique branch of rock than it is to just know by listening to it. If you listen to a metal song and then listen to a hard rock song not knowing which is supposed to be which, it's not that tough to know which is the metal song.
 
as far as metal goes, [a href=\'http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166577\' target=\'_blank\']this[/a] might help a bit.



(ooh, and I stole that chart Le Hibou linked to and posted it there [!--emo&:blush:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/blush.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'blush.gif\' /][!--endemo--] )
 
Here's the differences between hard rock and metal as I see it:

Lyrics:
Hard rock lyrics are almost always about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll.
Metal lyrics are about other subjects: violence, fantasy, occult, politics....
Of course, both styles can steal subjects from the other side, but this division is true most of the time. I mean, when's the last time you heard an Aerosmith song that wasn't about sex? (Answer: "Amazing", 1993, about recovery from drug addiction.)

Music:
Hard rock songs are simpler, using only a few chords and using common chord progressions that have been around since the Beatles. (In fact, one of the greatest hard rock bands - Kiss - has stated that their main influence was the Beatles). Sometimes fancy guitar work will disguise the simple underlying chord progression, but the basic simplicity is almost always there.
Metal uses unusual scales and chords which lie outside the mainstream. The songs tend to be faster, longer, and more complicated. Metal generally requires more instrumental skill to play (though some hard rock guitarists, like Eddie Van Halen, are as skilled as any metal guitarist).

Attitude:
While some hard rock bands try to be genuinely innovative in their early years, most of them eventually find a style that they feel comfortable repeating on every album. AC/DC is the worst offender, though all hard rock bands suffer from this disease. Consequently, most hard rock bands are only interesting when they're young.
Metal bands place a higher priority on not repeating themselves, even at the risk of producing crap (see Metallica). This is why bands like Maiden can still amaze us after 25 years.

I should add that I wasn't considering any nu-metal bands when writing this post, because nu-metal is a lame joke (with only one possible exception, Korn's first few albums, but I still don't call that metal). I grew up in the era when long hair was a requirement to play metal. Unless your last name is Dickinson or Halford, I still think that's true. The nu-metal bands I've seen on MTV or VH1 look like spoiled frat boys who Motorhead would eat for breakfast.

(I guess that means I haven't been metal since 1997, when I gave in to adult responsibilities and cut my hair...)
 
good reasoning there. Now let's tear it apart by listing all the bands that don't quite fit the descriptions



j/k [!--emo&:p--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
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