Metal Reviews

For Rio, Satan's Anus and whoever wants to participate.

Originality is a necessary but not sufficient condition for great music. Simple.

Since when is it necessary?
Take the last Overkill, it's not original at all, just plain thrash metal and it kicks ass.
Originality maybe that extra something some bands need, some others don't because they do great songs.

Originality don't have to be wacky mixes of musical styles or very artsy stuff. Great bands are unique in their own way, be it vocals, riffing or song-writing, and that's more or less what does it for me. I rarely appreciate "original" stuff, that no-one has ever heard before, I don't know why really. But stuff like that tends to get overdone.

Like Cynic. *Ducks*

I say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

peoples opinoin on broke are vastly different though

Other peoples opinions are all wrong, so they don't count anyway.

Seriously, though.
Other peoples conception of what is "broke" and what isn't may vary, but the defintion of "broke" doesn't.

As far as I'm concerned, if a band has a sound that's distinctly "theirs," then that qualifies enough for originality in my book. Bands don't need to reinvent the wheel by forcing out some crazy convoluted subgenre of a subgenre that no one's ever heard of before just to be original, just as long as they don't sound quite like anyone else.

You're just confusing personality with originality...

I look for originality. I appreciate quality.

Originality is the lack of unoriginality.

imo most bands are original especially if they make more than a couple albums. Any time I've thought "hey this band sounds a lot like X", if I go on to listen to the album enough then I'll notice that there's more differences than similarities between the two bands.



I don't really see the difference. Personality means having a sound that's distinguishable from other bands', which seems like what originality is as well.

I don't usually care. I think it is funny that the same old chord progressions get me every time.

I would like more stuff in F# or in Major keys. To me minor keys are good for mid-tempo and majors are good for speed. Fast Minors can sound dull and slow majors are boring too.

More crazy scales too.

Yngwie got it right actually playing in the mode that guitars are tuned to.

Just less E-Min, how about exploring the relationships between notes that aren't E A and B for a change. How about a song in F# Mixolydian?


Some songs and what key they are in, which is why they stick out when heard on the radio:

Aerosmith - Angel (F Maj)
Alice In Chains - Would? (F Phrygian)
A-Ha - Take on Me - F# Min
38 Special - Caught up in you - E Maj
38 Special - Second Chance - A# Maj
Springsteen/Smith/10000 Maniacs - Because the Night - B Min

Given that people seem to define the word in completely different ways, this thread is kinda pointless.

Originality to me means more than just sounding a bit distinctive, it means actively creating new elements and musical ideas, however insignificant they may be. OBVIOUSLY I like tons of bands that don't really do that. This should go without saying but on metalreviews, you never know!

But in order for me to think of them as a really great band that is one of several conditions they would need to fulfil... So, again, it is a necessary but not sufficient condition for greatness.

This biases it towards bands who think "hey, nobody's done black metal with all clean vocals yet!" Bands like Taint don't create and distinctive new elements but that doesn't change the fact that they're unique in their song/riff writing style and in the feelings I get from them.

I suppose, but are you saying that because they make you feel a certain way that other bands don't, that they are therefore original? Or are you saying that because they make you feel that way they don't have to be original?

The first one, sort of. It seems to me like most bands even in the same genre have different songwriting styles which is a pretty big part of the music. Like Krallice and Wolves in the Throne Room and Weakling are compared a lot but Krallice have the whole Mick Barr droning/dissonant guitar stuff going on and neither of the other two do.

Guess I'm unsure about where the line should be drawn for how different a band should be from everything else for them to be considered original. To me they shouldn't have to be that different since it's the little things that determine whether I'll actually enjoy the music on or not, but that means that most bands are original.

keep making distinctions without explaining them plz. it is very useful for discussion



Yeah they would bro

Originality is a dying art in almost anything these days. I mean look at Hollywood. They keep shoving those stupid parody movies down our throats it gets really boring.