Morning Metal: Metal Rant #7: Inclusion
Rockso Rants
Inclusion
While skimming through all the Facebook pages I am a part of, enjoying some delicious blackberry cider and watching my girlfriend kill zombies on Deadrising 2, I came across a post in Metalheads United Interactive. The post was “It’s not metal music if you have keyboards in the band!” This statement already made me scoff, but he furthered expressed that “Keyboards are for girl bands like Bon Jovi.”
Okay, first of all: Bon Jovi is not in any shape or form a girl band. Keyboards aside, Bon Jovi is one of those bands that have set bars really high for other rock bands during that era simply because Jon Bon Jovi is awesome. This whole rant will not focus solely on what this moron said, but it just blew my mind. What does he mean “keyboards are for girl bands”? And what girl bands in specific use keyboards? I hope he is aware that a lot of metal bands use keyboards to program drums, bass, guitars, synths, pianos, strings, vocals… You know, EVERYTHING.
But for the love of God, don’t you be making fun of my Bon Jovi jams.
I know some local bands that employ keyboards. Greylights’ Ciaran Arts was the sole member of the band and had written the majority of their debut EP, Tarpeia’s Descent, before forming a band and playing live shows. I know for a fact he would be dumbfounded by this ridiculous claim that “keyboards aren’t metal”. You may not like one genre of metal because they have keyboards, but don’t go about posting it on a metal forum. Shame on you, sir.
This statement got me thinking, though. How many bizarre instruments would it take a metal band to employ before they eventually were labeled otherwise? Well, I’ll start with Eluveitie because they were the first that came to mind. This folk metal band from Switzerland has one of those sounds that you can’t just imitate, because they have SO many different instruments in the band.
Let’s see… The band uses mandolins, fiddles, accordions, whistles, pipes, bagpipies, hurdy gurdy’s, violin, harps, bodhrans and all of the traditional instruments; bass, drums, guitar. Okay, now what? Including all of these will drastically change any form of music you create, and it will obviously make it sound more folk than metal, BUT HEY! You know what!? Eluveitie is heavy as all hell!
You know, Eluveitie is pretty much the best example of how many instruments you could incorporate into a metal style and make it sound even more impressive. Awesome. They just released their newest album Origins today, go check it out!
Okay. Keyboards. One of my favourite bands and the band I can thank for getting me into heavier music, Children of Bodom. I became a fan of this band after listening to “Sixpounder” a few years ago, and was blown away by the sheer shredliness of Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala. Next was their keyboard player, Janne Wirman. Janne is stupidly amazing on keyboards, up to the point that he mimics and can harmonize with Alexi Laiho’s guitar solos. It was actually because of Wirman’s arrival in the band that they decided to take their musical career more seriously.
I’ll use an example band that uses keyboards that doesn’t exactly place itself within the mainstream metal scene… And yes, I know that sounds silly. Metal isn’t necessarily mainstream anyways, but this type of genre is particularly more well known in Europe. Netherlands symphonic metal band Delain is in the same boat as Ottawa’s Greylights, because keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, formerly known for his time in Within Temptation, formed Delain after leaving Within Temptation due to an illness. He began writing all of the music and eventually involved the wonderfully delicious Charlotte Wessels. Together, they started piecing together what would eventually become Delain’s current lineup.
Thankfully, symphonic metal is becoming more accessible and even popping up in Canada! Kingston based symphonic metal band Sovereign Council is one of Canada’s most prominent, heavy and exciting bands. Jessica Marsden is an awesome keyboardist, even to the point that their track “Moonlight” is one of the most beautiful pieces of music that they’ve written. Did I mention it’s heavy, as well?
If you want to spice up your band life with some new influences, jam some hurdy gurdy’s on your next single. Especially if you’re a death metal band, because not only would it be awesome and unexpected – it’d be hilarious. Entertaining music is the best music.
Final Thoughts – Upon A Burning Body’s new album sounds like Trivium’s new album. Blasphemy.
James Rockso – Host of CKCU 93.1 FM’s Morning Metal