Deciding the Genre for your music!

[Cabinet]

yup...teh djentz

30" 8 string scale length

so i can make a biiiiig djent

 

[incinerated_guitar]

Just call yourself metal and let the fans decide what sub genre you are

 

[Varcolac]

Genres are descriptive, not prescriptive.

You write the music, then you describe what you've done. If you develop musical ideas and go with what you think sounds best, you'll likely sound better than if you start out with the idea of a genre and conform to its conventions without fail.

Then again, setting yourself limits is a good way to challenge yourself. I've often set myself a compositional challenge to write in an unfamiliar genre - and after analysing the conventions and seeing how far I can push them, the results have been interesting. Rockabilly slap-bass in 3/4, go!

 

[Amalloy]

So do you play it safe, or think fuck it and hope for the best?

How does one play it 'safe' while trying to get In the music biz? You hope for the best regardless.

I was going to rant about how much the idea of sub genres, and pigeon holing your band was bad. Then I realized it was needed to some extent.

So! In my personal experience;

My band defines our selves as progressive power thrash, and it was defined before I joined the band. I just say we're metal, because using such a broad genre description seems like wasted effort to me. And I've been trying to get them to just say the same thing, but I will likely not win that fight.

Personally, I'd suggest just writing and call it metal. Let the fan's decide if your stuff is sub genre material.

 

[ShadowAMD]

How does one play it 'safe' while trying to get In the music biz? You hope for the best regardless.

I was going to rant about how much the idea of sub genres, and pigeon holing your band was bad. Then I realized it was needed to some extent.

So! In my personal experience;

My band defines our selves as progressive power thrash, and it was defined before I joined the band. I just say we're metal, because using such a broad genre description seems like wasted effort to me. And I've been trying to get them to just say the same thing, but I will likely not win that fight.

Personally, I'd suggest just writing and call it metal. Let the fan's decide if your stuff is sub genre material.

Well as much as people may despise the notion of it, clean vocals and more restricted drum work and lighter (Sweeter) sounding guitars and a more formulaic chordal progression is a well know algorithm and one that works. I have never seen other "Metal" bands as popular as Linking Park (Even though I'm really not a fan) and System of a down (I do like System).

So as soon as you want to do growling vocals, the whole genre concept changes and you can potentially shoot yourself in the foot. As I say, I'm not interested in fame fortune and selling out.. Just some moderate success so I don't have to be stuck in a career I don't care much for.

But here are a small list of my influences growing up:

In Flames (Love early in flames)
Strapping Young Lad
Pantera
Scar Symmetry
Soilwork (Love early Soilwork)
Opeth


I gather you kinda see the major swedish / gothenburg influence with a slight hint of America in there.

 

[Wrecklyss]

If it's this hard to decide, the only logical choice is to scrap everything and start writing metalstep

Nah, some of my favorite bands have crossed genres and still written kick ass songs no matter what they were trying. I can think of one band that has written hardcore, metal, country, melodic, symphonic, operatic, and jazz, but has a lot of really well written songs. They have some pretty hardcore fans, too.