When some people think of metal, they think of these guys:
Which isn’t necessarily false… it’s just not a representation of all metal. There are multiple genres and sub-genres of this expansive genre. The genre is way more diverse than just a couple of people screaming or growling with wailing guitars and impossible drumming. These sub-genres include, but are not limited to, folk
metal, nu-metal, thrash metal, death metal, black metal, symphonic metal, and power metal. I consulted amateur metal musicologist/lifetime metal head/pretty awesome older brother, Zach Kambour (pictured right, standing on the right next to the lead singer of Black Dahlia Murder), and we put together a small list of bands people who normally don’t like metal may enjoy and why you may enjoy them.1. Nightwish
Hailing all the way from Kitee, Finland, the symphonic metal band combines the thrashing guitars and heavy bass drums with a symphony accompaniment and a classically trained singer.
Zach! What on earth is symphonic metal? “Symphonic metal is exactly what it sounds like combining elements of heavy metal (heavy guitar, bass, and drums) with elements of symphonic music. In the case of Nightwish, the band effortlessly blends the thunderous sounds of their metal instruments with the sounds of full orchestras and choirs to create a fantasy/gothic world that can easily absorb a listener and make them want to extend their stay past listening to one song.”
This is the kind of band one will enjoy if you especially despise vocals that sound like someone throwing up into a microphone because this band has the purity of a soprano vocalist. At Zach’s recommendations, “It is the best metal band to start getting into metal.” If you are a fan of bands like Evanescence, or enjoy classical vocals, Nightwish is a band you will fully enjoy. The band’s vocalists have differed over the years and thus some of their albums will sound different.
Zach: “Some of their fans will debate which [singer] is the best. The correct answer is: All of them. They all brought their own unique style to the band and should not be ordered in who is best.”
However, if you enjoy the vocals of a singer more like Paramore, I recommend the album Dark Passion Play with vocalist Anette Olzon. If you enjoy a more classical voice sound, I recommend the album Wishmaster. If you like a combination of both of these vocals, I recommend Nightwish’s latest album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful. As Zach points out, Nightwish does a fantastic job of not oversexualizing the female lead singers. Instead, they focus solely on the beautiful music that are coming out of their mouths rather on their bodies.
Zach: “Bottom line: If you like classical music and always wondered how it would fit in a different environment, like being transported to gothic fantasy worlds, want a band with a powerful female at the helm, or all three look no further than Nightwish.”
2. Sabaton
If you are a history buff, this power metal band is for you. The Swedish band writes music based on historical battles and wars. The main lyric content is from the two World Wars but features content from both sides of these wars. One of their albums, The Art of War, is based off of the book by Sun Tzu.
Zach: The band is a little heavier vocally, “instead of singing high, lead vocalist Joakim Broden has a surprisingly low voice for the genre” but it is backed by beautiful harmonies by all of the members of the band. It is a considered power metal which, “ generally makes you want to put on knight armor and fight a dragon.” But in the case with Sabaton, they “make you want to put on an WWII army uniform and fight Hitler. Not to mention they put on one of the best shows I've ever seen."
3. Volbeat
Zach: “Question for the readers: What do you get when you put Elvis, Metallica, Johnny Cash, and Social Distortion in a blender spread the mixture out on a baking sheet and place it in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes? The answer isn’t my grandma’s chocolate chip cookies; I promised her I would never reveal that recipe. The answer is Denmark’s Volbeat.”
The Danish psychobilly metal band formed in Copenhagen are musically inspired by rock and roll musicians like Elvis and Johnny Cash. Although the oddness of the band may take a song or two to get used to, if you are a fan of classic 1950’s rock and roll, you will thoroughly enjoy Volbeat.
Zach: “This quartet has been one of the most (if not the most) unique sounds to emerge out of the heavy metal genre in recent years. Their strange blend of Elvis style vocals, Metallica style heaviness, a hint of country (I’m talking old country) and Social Distortion’s punk/greaser punk attitude surprisingly works and is a refreshing sound to have enter your ears.”
4. Van Canto
Tired of hearing the same a cappella groups cover pop music? Do you like pentatonix but want something a little more extreme? Look no further than Germany’s metal a cappella group Van Canto! Although not all of their songs are technically “a cappella” the only instrument they ever add is a killer drum set.
Zach: “Now this may not make them a “true a capella band” in some senses but I read somewhere that they rationalize it by saying that Bastian, their drummer, is so good that it would be foolish not to have him in the band. I wholeheartedly agree Bastian is an incredible drummer and is a huge part of Van Canto’s sound.”
Otherwise, every guitar riff, every bass “run dun doo” is all voice. Not only are they my favorite metal band, but they are on my list of one of my favorite bands of all time. If you would like to hear how they sound without the drums, I recommend listening to their songs "Last Night of the Kings" and "The Bard's Song-In the Forest."
5.Alestorm
Zach: “Imagine if Captain Jack Sparrow had a metal band during the Pirates of the Caribbean movies: that is what they sound like.”
Alestorm, a pirate metal band from Perth, Scotland, is taking the metal world by storm. Yes, you heard me right, pirate metal. The band uses accordions, synths, write songs about pirates and the vocalist even imitates the voice of a pirate when he sings. Now, the band is the heaviest of the three and Christopher Bowes vocals may not be exactly enjoyable to all ears, but the music overall is simply a great time. You’ll be dancing, jigging, laughing, throwing on your pirate hat and taking a tankard of ale in no time.
You may be wondering: Zach, Zoey, why didn't you include bands like Metallica or Judas Priest or Evanescence? Aren't they heavy metal? Well yes, they are, but we wanted to introduce bands that are not necessarily popular or well known or are deemed as "regular" heavy metal. We wanted to introduce the world to some awesome bands that take a new twist to the heavy metal genre. Metallica, Judas Priest and Evanescence are all wonderful metal bands and you should check them out anyway, but here is a place to start if you like things that derive from the norm.
Signing out, the heavy metal siblings, Zach and Zoey.
