I had an interview with a certain savage beast just the other day. It told me, (in a very crude manner that one can expect from a savage beast) that it is totally fed up of being soothed.
"Why is music always pointed my way in some pathetic attempt to soothe me? I wasn't responsible for the embarassment of American Idol pop and what-have-you-nots! If I could I would shove it back into a certain orifice so deep..."*
*The excerpt above has been edited and heavily censored to comply to my personal discretion of choice language and descriptives.
The above conversation sparked me to think about music. Music, as the igniting force, not the soothing lullabye. In other words, music that gives you that sense of invincibility; music that could tide you through thick or thin; music that reflect the truth about life; music that expresses the social conscience. Simply, music that ignites.
I cannot seem to agree with with people that term metal (the genre not the substance) and its affliated sub-genres as "noise". What is wrong with these people? Noise is noise. Noise has no rhythm. Noise has no meaning. Noise are random vibrations of the soundwave that expresses zilch. Loud is not equivalent to noise. There is soft noise, and it is no oxymoron.
Personally, I think metal and rock have been aptly named. It is music with substance. Music thats hard and music that endures. Having said that, you should know why bubblegum pop and pop is named the way it is.
It strips away the facade of "all you need is love" and "the world is so wonderful". There is only that much one can tolerate before realizing its all farce. Angst require expression. The sick society requires a voice of conscience. The depressed and repressed need an outlet to be heard. Nuff said.
Metal music (and everything that rocks) is an artform. Strip away the layers of distorted instrumentation (and probably harsh vocals), one reveals, a music piece of thoughtful arrangement, highly skilled musical execution, strong message presentation and powerful expression.
Most of these musicians probably live off less salary than you or I. However, they are dedicated to their art. They are dedicated to show you life, as expressed in their music as they see it. If anyone bothered to read the lyrics, they will find, lyrical meanings and representations so deeply entrenched in intellectualism, it puts many of us to shame.
I suppose most people are dismissive. Most are not willing to look beyond the 'wall of noise' to find these hidden gems. Most are much happier wrapped under the cloak of serenity.
Picasso's art is ugly. Think about it. It took a long time before people understood 'abstract artform'. Nonetheless, it tells us, to appreciate art is to look beyond the surface, and understand the substance and fit into the artist's shoes. See what they see. Feel what they feel. Learn to abstract. It is all about expression.
So. The next time I hear metal music being equivalent to 'noise', I would gladly invite the said person to bring along their music to soothe the savage beast. I am sure Mr. Beast is looking forward to the meeting.
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