Another genre rant: Metal (part 1)

Metal is often seen by non- metalheads as a loud, angry genre with lots of screaming and not a lot of content.  And yes, metal deserves some of that reputation, however, it is also one of the most diverse, complex genres I’ve listened to. It’s sound ranges from symphonic to grinding  by way of disturbing*(Beware clown phobic people, contains creepy clowns!) and haunted. And thats just the very tip of the iceberg.

Ask three metal fans and they'll tell you three different ways to categorize metal and what sub-genres/bands count and do not count. This will provoke an impassioned debate that may or may not devolve into four letter words.

With all these differences, it is hard to find what makes metal metal. One could make the argue that it is the use of down tuned power cords, or the drum work that you can feel deep in your chest or even the signature growls that come with the genre.

To me all of these things are part of metal, and I could analyze them for the next millennium.  However, what makes metal what it is for me is the energy and tone.  Metal is often teaming with brooding, raw emotion. It is a hard genre. This emotion propels a primal energy that is a force unto itself.  Even in the symphonic metal or the softer songs, this energy is palpable. It’s obviously strongest live, in a good metal piece, it shows through like nothing else.
This energy is what defines metal.

*Yes, I am including nü metal, I know it’s contended, but In my view it has the same core tenants as other metal.

Nightwish with Kamelot at The Congress Theater

Venue: The Congress Theater (4/6)
The Congress hasn’t changed from previous reviews though I’m developing a fondness for her.
Kamelot (4/6):
I give Kamelot credit for taking on this tour as their new lead singer only started working with them in July of this year. It was quite the set, but I found they were not quite cohesive and their sound felt shallow. They had lovely female vocalists and the new lead singer Tommy Karevik was solid, but I found they lacked complexity and their energy was not great. Karevik gave it his all to his credit and the crowd responded to him nicely (no small feat for someone that new to a band).
Their drum work was also fantastic; it took me a while to figure out what exactly was causing the deep rumbling I heard during many of their songs. It was the dual kick drums drummer Casey Grillo played, which was amazing.
 Their core female vocalist Elyze Ryd*was amazing, though her mic was not working well so a lot of her soft low notes were not audible. She stepped up her energy when she came out to do lead vocals for Sacrimony

Then Alissa White-Gluz (Lead vocalist for The Agonist) the stage.

 All eyes were on her. She had a powerful combination of raw sex and presence. Her vocal range was unreal, not just in pitch, but in versatility. She used everything from vocal fry to soft melody. Her movements were inhuman, evoking raw animal energy. It was magnificent. If Kamelot had come out with that much energy initially, it would have made for an absolutely stellar show.

Nightwish (5/6):
I had high expectations for this show. They were exceeded with flying colors. I knew the male vocalist Marco Hietala was going to be fantastic as he is one of the founding members and his voice is well known in the metal world. He and Emppu Vuorinen (lead guitar) have been in the band since its formation in 1996 and their dynamic was just wonderful. Lead vocalist Anette Olzon was unexpectedly phenomenal as she is the cause of much dissent among the fans. I am in the minority among Nightwish fans as I peter Olzon’s vocals to Tarja Turunen’s (the former lead) While I can certainly see why fans who fell in love with Turunen’s voice would dislike the sound change, I find Olzon much more accessible and articulate. While she doesn’t have the range Turunen had, she has a better overall sound.

And that was just the vocals.
The instrumentation was amazing, just watching the drummer gave me goose bumps and the bass work was just pure art. Then there was the guy who played the woodwinds who was quite but amazing.

The set was well balanced containing a blend of their old stuff and their new work with a breathtaking acoustic session that gave me goose bumps.. Versatile, yet unmistakable, Nighwish proved themselves both innovative and cohesive.

I am over the moon about this band live their coordination and skill are hard to rival. The camaraderie between them shows the affection of a band that has been together for a very long time and the professionalism was wonderful. It really felt like Anette had been one of them all along. Marco even gave her a huge hug at the end of the show.