If you think a little, a lot of pop music can easily turn into metal if arranged differently and the same happens for some metal songs. You can easily turn a Metallica song into a lounge-type song if you want or you can make Britney sound like speed metal. I don't really think you should bother. You should just focus on playing good music, music that you feel you really like and you stand up to it, regardless of what label it has. If the music does bother you, just leave the band and search for something that suits your needs.
Metal goes pop... Where do YOU draw the line?
- Thread starter cycloptopus
- Start date
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Bloody_Inferno
Silence is Violence
A keen sense of arrangement when writing is a bonus, if not essential. You can use the sense of arrangement in turning a pop song to metal, and vice versa and whatever in between.
One of my bands sole purpose is writing great songs. Even if I've written all the material, it's all based on songwriting. I've got metal/goth/rock/pop/dance/whatever arrangements for songs, but they're still songs. My drummer and I are actually road testing these songs with only 2 acoustic guitars and him on vocals.
The most important thing is that you're writing songs. I've said this a lot but really, as long as the song is great, you can do anything regardless of genre. Pop/metal/folk/rock, that in musical essense doesn't really matter. A lot of us in this forum have broad tastes but in the end of the day the reasons for liking different music are the same: Killer Songs.
No lines should be drawn, a great song transcends all musical boundaries.
cycloptopus
Well-Known Member
Gentlmen, thank you for all the thoughts. It really is cool to hear all of your opinions and I think you've helped me to be able to check my ego with this thread. I think I'll be going forward with the idea of using this as a challenge to write something creative within the tune.
Justin- the Fully Down is a sick band and excellent example of a direction that could influence this tune, thanks for the vote of confidence btw.
Robert- ok, ok, i guess being a sell out is my biggest pet peeve. So it makes it that much tougher for me to swallow. I figure I'm into everything from Reggae, Classic Rock, Funk, Hip Hop, Dance, Jazz, Fusion, Classical, and Metal. So to me, there are a ton of marketable flavors to be had from within them. So, in my mind, I could do something from any of those more popular forms and not feel like a sell out. Whereas this riff is coming from a pop rock element that doesn't really fit my vision of where we could draw from. So to reiterate, I will do this tune in spite of my initial reaction (which is sometimes how I deal with new things I don't dig/understand yet). I appreciate your input.
JP- well said.
And, for the record, we all do get along quite well. This cannot be underestimated, I think. One of the main reasons for me to start this thread is to make sure I don't say or do anything to the guys in the band that would upset that relationship. I think that is one of the things that bothered me most about my reaction to the tune. I really don't want to be an asshole and I may have been acting like one, so I had to vent and get opinions to find out what's what. Thanks again.
Justin- the Fully Down is a sick band and excellent example of a direction that could influence this tune, thanks for the vote of confidence btw.
Robert- ok, ok, i guess being a sell out is my biggest pet peeve. So it makes it that much tougher for me to swallow. I figure I'm into everything from Reggae, Classic Rock, Funk, Hip Hop, Dance, Jazz, Fusion, Classical, and Metal. So to me, there are a ton of marketable flavors to be had from within them. So, in my mind, I could do something from any of those more popular forms and not feel like a sell out. Whereas this riff is coming from a pop rock element that doesn't really fit my vision of where we could draw from. So to reiterate, I will do this tune in spite of my initial reaction (which is sometimes how I deal with new things I don't dig/understand yet). I appreciate your input.
JP- well said.
And, for the record, we all do get along quite well. This cannot be underestimated, I think. One of the main reasons for me to start this thread is to make sure I don't say or do anything to the guys in the band that would upset that relationship. I think that is one of the things that bothered me most about my reaction to the tune. I really don't want to be an asshole and I may have been acting like one, so I had to vent and get opinions to find out what's what. Thanks again.
groph
Well-Known Member
Here's where I draw the line.
It's, "I COULDN'T care less," as in "could not care less," as in, "I cannot not care any more, my not caring capacity is full."
Lots of people make this mistake, it never makes sense in the context they're using it in. But this has nothing to do with your post so to not be an entire asshole I'll add my two cents.
I say band members should contribute everything they can, the overall sound will invariably be a mix of what everyone in the band listens to. If an idea strays too far away from what the original idea of the band then it should be mutually agreed upon to be scrapped. If creative differences are too different between members then it isn't the right combination of people, unless you don't have a specific sound in mind.
EDIT: This post is retarded, overlook this.
It's, "I COULDN'T care less," as in "could not care less," as in, "I cannot not care any more, my not caring capacity is full."
Lots of people make this mistake, it never makes sense in the context they're using it in. But this has nothing to do with your post so to not be an entire asshole I'll add my two cents.
I say band members should contribute everything they can, the overall sound will invariably be a mix of what everyone in the band listens to. If an idea strays too far away from what the original idea of the band then it should be mutually agreed upon to be scrapped. If creative differences are too different between members then it isn't the right combination of people, unless you don't have a specific sound in mind.
EDIT: This post is retarded, overlook this.
DevinShidaker
"AN IDIOT"
I wouldn't really put up too many parameters for where you "draw the line" to what you will and won't play. at least give it a shot and sleep on it for a few to see if it ends up growing on you. To go with your pink floyd references, The Wall, one of their biggest albums, almost didn't happen. David Gilmour and group were tired of Roger Waters coming in with songs written about his troubled childhood and father in the war, and didn't want to write any more songs about it, but they decided to let it slide, and we got the Wall. If they would have "drawn the line", we wouldn't have that huge piece of musical history... I mean hell, wireless mics were invented for the wall's live show... that album is kind of a big deal lol.
I do understand what you're saying though about writing songs that you feel are unoriginal, but remember, you have a say in the band just like everybody else, try to add something to those poppy songs that you aren't hearing in other poppy songs, could work out great for you.
I do understand what you're saying though about writing songs that you feel are unoriginal, but remember, you have a say in the band just like everybody else, try to add something to those poppy songs that you aren't hearing in other poppy songs, could work out great for you.
TonalArchitect
Augmented Chords!
Good luck, and remember, even though in this thread we've been pushing you to compromise, that the other band members should also do so. If the others don't think it fits, and your drummer is uncompromising, simply ask him to fold it into another project, rework it, or put it in the ol' song bin.
Cheers, man.
x178x
Well-Known Member
I think you have every right to be uncomfortable. I think lines should be drawn, and very frequently. I'm a very open-minded person musically, but open-mindedness can go horribly wrong without correctly crafted taste. That's how shitty music is made, bands that don't know exactly what sound they want or don't particularly care. If every member thinks everything sounds "good", then everything has the potential to half-assedly come together. A single riff or vocal style can completely ruin a song for me. I believe good music is made by musicians that truly have a crafted taste and a vision in mind, unfortunately that's not many at all.
