Making quality metal

[Conservationist]

We have enough people here who are intelligent and visionary to make this happen.

Steps:

1. Learn enough about music to make a song represent an emotional journey, from point A to point B and changing oneself and one's environment in the process.
2. Find an idea, execute through to a song element (melody, rhythm, lyrical concept, song structural concept)
3. Collaborate with others who can collectively execute it

Metal needn't be dead. At least, as long as competent people who understand its vision/spirit still live.

Death to all hipsters.

[Gefechtsgruppe10]

4.  Maintain an environment in which bad ideas are euthenized and reprocessed as nutrients for the good ideas.

[beyond_godlike]

The riff-based structure of metal holds it back. Long non-repetitive melodies are necessary and not beyond the abilities of the best bands. I think most bands suffer from trying to be metal and are unable to give up metal's past. Also, I think it's about time counterpoint makes its way into metal. This probably hasn't happened due to the traditional lack of formal music training of metal musicians. Again, it's probably within the abilities of the best artists. If these two ideas are used in metal, then there truly will be no distinction between metal and classical.

[Hiromakuta]

If these two ideas are used in metal, then there truly will be no distinction between metal and classical.

But do we really want that to happen? Why listen to a bastardized version of classical when we can listen to the real thing? We should ponder on this questions I believe. Besides, there's an whole lot more to classical music besides counterpontualism and through-composed forms.

[beyond_godlike]

If these two ideas are used in metal, then there truly will be no distinction between metal and classical.

But do we really want that to happen? Why listen to a bastardized version of classical when we can listen to the real thing? We should ponder on this questions I believe. Besides, there's an whole lot more to classical music besides counterpontualism and through-composed forms.

Metal is a bastardized form of classical right now. I propose a way for metal to legitimately be comparable to classical.

[istaros]

Metal is not classical(and never should be).

[Dedrater]

The riff-based structure of metal holds it back. Long non-repetitive melodies are necessary

Bruckner was big on repetition. The first movement of the Moonlight Sonata is practically minimalist Romanticism. Liszt's "Preludio Funebre" is as repetitive as it gets. The "Mars" movement from Holst's The Planets is filled with the same martial beat throughout. Why? Because it works.

Also, I think it's about time counterpoint makes its way into metal.

At the Gates? Massacra? The intro to "My Journey to the Stars"? How about early funeral doom, like Funeral? Anything beyond this admittedly simple level of counterpoint might be distracting when distortion is employed.

[Cargést]

Interestingly enough, I've just written/recorded a short fugue, which sounds rather good when played on distorted guitars with blastbeats over the top.

[Humanicide]

Seems like some good steps. I don't want to derail this thread, but could this mentality be applied to other genres?

[Gefechtsgruppe10]

I don't see why not.  Probably a good formula for most anything you'd wish to do in life.

[Humanicide]

I was thinking specifically in terms of punk and ambient. Two genres I enjoy highly but 99% of artists just can't seem to hold my interest.