What do YOU think of as "Heavy music"?

[Daemoniac]

So im currently listening to Godflesh, and its got me thinking about 'heavy' music. What do YOU think of as heavy? How do you define it? Is it a hectic rhythm section? Sub-sonic bass? scooped/non-scooped distortion?

I figured it would be mighty interesting to see what everyone on here thought Answer away!

For me, heavy is groove oriented (whatever kind of groove, as long as it has one), generally slower tempo, with massive chords and hugely downtuned guitar, coupled with a real anger to the vocals (not necessairily screamed, but when yuo can feel the disgust...) Think American Head Charge, Godflesh, 16volt, Kidneythieves, hell even Combichrist.


I only put a single choice up, so pick the option closest to what you think, and write a reply if theres more than one or you pick "other", and give us an example of what you mean.

 

[TonalArchitect]

Neat poll. This is a difficult question. The way you're using the term "heavy music" is similar to how I would use "metal" as a part of a description. I think heavy music is preferable; I'll try it.

Anyway, I tend to define heavy music by timbre as well as by the compositions themselves. Thus distorted guitars help define heavy music for me.

When people say "rock" for instance, I tend to either think of lighter pop music, say Avril Lavigne, early stuff like Chuck Berry, or Classic rock.

I also think of "hard rock" differently. To me that evokes stuff like classic rock, which... well, I'm not going there. But Disturbed's later output has been classified as such by some.

Further, metal has, in my eyes, come to mean something more along the lines of death metal, although I don't think of "metal" as being only that.

Thus why, to me, bands like Nightwish are metal even though they aren't anywhere near extreme metal, because the timbres, as well as the compositions, make it such.

This leaves a lot of grey area, but why not. This is art, not math.

 

[Daemoniac]

This leaves a lot of grey area, but why not. This is art, not math.

Im honestly just interested to see how people define music as being "heavy". I mean, bands like Necrophagist are considered uber-heavy here, i listened to a whole lot, and honestly just dont see it, hence this thread Figured itd be an interesting look.

 

[HammerAndSickle]

Honestly, this should've been a multi-poll.

For me, Meshuggah is the heaviest music ever. Or most dense . I just can't take anything more extreme than them. There's a point on the graph where as speed and technicality increases, so does heavyness, but after a point it becomes an inverse function where the faster you play, the less overall heavy the music is. Meshuggah is the apex of this function.

 

[The Hoff]

When I think of the word "Heavy" I think either of a really good groove that gets me headbanging, a slow/moderate paced section that has the same effect or a really doomy/sludgy riff ala Black Sabbath or Pantera that gets me headbanging.

It's a combination of things really.

For example I think Meshuggah are really heavy because their music is really fucking groovy and tight and it makes me go nuts, while Pantera have a groove going on too but it's a completely different sort of groove.

 

[Mattmc74]

I feel that a good mix of everything is the best bet.

 

[eleven59]

I'd say a good definition would be a quote from our producer who recorded our EP:

"It makes you feel like you should be cupping something, but not happy about it"

(think grim "Immortal" style metal face/hands)

Really, though, "heavy" is a feel, whether it makes me headbang, or it just feels like a weight on my chest, it should be really massive sounding.

Though, things can be "heavy" without being metal/aggressive. I think some mellow, acoustic stuff can sound quite "heavy" (Opeth's "Damnation", some orchestral music, anything with emotional content that makes you feel weighted down).

 

[killiansguitar]

When I think of the word "Heavy" I think either of a really good groove that gets me headbanging, a slow/moderate paced section that has the same effect or a really doomy/sludgy riff ala Black Sabbath or Pantera that gets me headbanging.

Couldnt agree more.

 

[Totem_37]

I would definitely say other, that other being a 'je ne sais quois' that is impossible to put a finger on. Reason being, for every item on your list I can think of a SUPER heavy band that defies that rule. I think to be heavy, a band just needs to have an energy to their music that excites the listener and makes him want to smash things. That's probably the only way to describe it I can think of.

 

[TonalArchitect]

... it becomes an inverse function where the faster you play, the less overall heavy the music is. Meshuggah is the apex of this function.

This is art, not math.

 

[Unknown Doodl3.2]

I think a pounding groove, combined with a certain level of agression in the mood, playing, feeling etcetc... and intelligent use of dynamics -----> heavy and crushing IMO.

For me brutal and crushing are not synonyms of each other. Origin is a brutal band (in general), but I don't consider them that heavy or crushing. Bands like Gorguts, Lykathea Aflame, Theory In Practice (early) are better examples of "heavy" for me I find it hard to be really heavy in mega speed tempos. Slow to moderately fast speeds are usually better suited.

 

[I_infect]

2 albums come to mind for me... Life of Agony "River Runs Red", and Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power". When everyone else was cheesing out, writing "Enter Sandman" clones, Pantera kept it alive. And of course, anything by Slayer is more than respectable.

 

[Naren]

My real answer wasn't on there, so I just picked "The guitar playing (shredding/power chords/speed)" because I thought that was the closest out of those.

My real answer, however, is "aggression." Heavy music is decided 100% by how aggressive the music is. Different kinds of aggression for different kinds of heaviness.

 

[Stealthdjentstic]

I didnt vote because well i think they all work

For the most part though i think speed helps things sound heavy although alot of doom bands sound heavy as well...

 

[Manbient]

Atmosphere. Hard to actually pinpoint what that is, but a lot of the heaviest music i know isn't metal at all.

 

[Daemoniac]

God damn the poll, i knew there'd be a shitload of things i forgot. Sorry about that lol, especially when things like "mood" are missing, a real important factor.

I agree with that one too actualy, and its true, a lot of the 'heaviest' bands i know arent metal at all.

Good answers keep em coming

I feel that a good mix of everything is the best bet.

Thats a fair call, and considering some of the stuff i forgot its probably a good choice

I would definitely say other, that other being a 'je ne sais quois' that is impossible to put a finger on. Reason being, for every item on your list I can think of a SUPER heavy band that defies that rule. I think to be heavy, a band just needs to have an energy to their music that excites the listener and makes him want to smash things. That's probably the only way to describe it I can think of.

Again, a fair call, im not quite sure what "makes" a band heavy, all i know is that when i hear it, i want to destroy stuff lol

Atmosphere. Hard to actually pinpoint what that is, but a lot of the heaviest music i know isn't metal at all.

 

[eon_shift]

I think slower to mid tempo riffage is the answer like obituary or gojira they arent super fast but there is something in it that is just so badass.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

There needs to be an "All Of The Above" Option, as a "good mix..." implies a moderate use of all of those rather than everything up to 11 all at the same time-Which is my idea of heavy, or at least my "favorite" kind of heavy. As well as all that with "anything unusal" mixed in. The only thingI'm not super into is massive scooping. In moderation it can sound cool but many take it too far and don't make up for it it on another instrument-mesh's guitars are really scooped, but the bass is very midsy, but other people scoop the guitars and bass (which sounds terrible mix-wise IMHO). Most of the time I actually perfer everything to have a good dose of mids, for almost all of my guitar and bass ssunds I have the mids all the way up on my amp, as well as my multiFX unit.

This is my opinion for metal, but if you wanted me to describe non-metal heaviness, it would include unusual rythm(s), percussive timbres, dissonant harmonies, and overall a very energetic and chaotic feel. Prime example: The Rite Of Spring-esp. the pinao version which is just so ugly sounding in a totally kickass way. The orchestral versions hide some of the insane dissonaces, but the piano's timbre brings them to the forefront. Even though I like the orchestral ones better simply cause there is a greater variety of 'color' in the sound-as well as some passages that are more effective because of that.

 

[DavyH]

Atmosphere. Hard to actually pinpoint what that is, but a lot of the heaviest music i know isn't metal at all.

Yes. There's bits of Mussourgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' that are genuinely heavy - one of the Promenade sequences and Gnomus are right up there. Dead March of Saul, most of the death marches really.

I'm pretty much in agreement with Demoniac though. High speed stuff never sounds particularly heavy to me, especially if dissonant; slower stuff has a more funereal atmosphere to it. Dead = heavy.

 

[elrrek]

Atmosphere. Hard to actually pinpoint what that is, but a lot of the heaviest music i know isn't metal at all.