Aesthetics is not composition

We have long said on this site that aesthetics and composition, while they can aid each other (particularly aesthetics enhancing presentation of composition), are not the same and aesthetics — on the whole — is disposable. A great symphony played by a metal band would still be good music, and a great metal song played on kazoo would still be a great song.

Exhibit 1: Angel of Death (Soft Rock Version)

Although this is sacrilege and the person who committed it should be raped to death by pigs, it’s not only hilarious but, in comparison to all other soft rock ever created, total genius.

Exhibit 2: Hipster music

Note how brilliantly contrived the aesthetic is — and how empty, pointless, binary and unexceptional the underlying composition is. If you played this on an acoustic guitar, it would put you to sleep.

Like all hipster music, it’s a surface treatment. Death to all hipsters — well, that’s true, but the bigger point is: the song is not the production, the imagery, the performance or the weird little artists statements these grebo queerballs make in their album liners. It’s the composition.

0 thoughts on “Aesthetics is not composition”

  1. JuggaloHomie14/88 says:

    That’s why I only listen to true horrorcore like this little gem right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3-e0ANElMw

    Death to all hipsters! Long live metal, punk and horrorcore!

  2. @ x-zibit 2 says:

    So when Varg does it it’s an “assbient masterpiece” but when people who don’t have grease-ridden hair, don’t wear all black and have normal physiques do it it’s empty, pointless, binary and unexceptional?

    DO DO DO DODODO DO DO DO DODODO

  3. lol says:

    how the fuck is amb1ent a banned word? this blog is fuckin retarded

  4. try it, hippie says:

    Fun fact: You can’t find me a single photo of someone involved in XTREEM metal who actually manages to look convincingly manly, masculine, in shape or like they have their shit together.

  5. yeah says:

    A lot of you ass-puddles could benefit from the doctrine expressed here:

    http://www.last.fm/group/%2523WINNING%2B%2523SWAG%2B%2523SATAN

  6. METULZ IS SERIASS BIDNEZZ!!! says:

    “Although this is sacrilege and the person who committed it should be raped to death by pigs”

    You’re a fucking faggot, man.

    http://i54.tinypic.com/dopbhl.jpg

    Pic fucking related

  7. lol says:

    Slayer is the worst example you could have chosen because without the brutal, fast aesthetic, their songs are awkward and meaningless.

  8. enlightening article says:

    That White Ring song is pretty cool, I think I’m going to buy the album now. Thanks, anus!

  9. professor huffington says:

    You guys are half right, composition is what matters, not presentation and aesthetic. But that’s why metal is mostly style-over-substance.

    A good folk song is touching no matter what instruments are involved. With jazz, you could use any instrument is what matters is the harmonic language, motivic development, and so forth. There are piano transcriptions of symphonies full of beauty and valuable insight. Etc, etc.

    But would Suffocation or Asphyx on acoustic guitar/piano/harp/washtub bass be any good? Hell no, and Slayer aren’t either. 90% of the appeal is lost as soon as you get rid of distorted guitars. So then, I don’t see how they’re any higher tier than that “hipster” witchhaus tune you linked to, since likewise, their atmosphere is so inseparable from their presentation.

  10. brutal slayer of christians, noble hessian warrior of death says:

    http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/users16/sphirex/default/large-msg-120871925699.jpg

    This pic turns me on so much!!!

  11. heavy petal says:

    Agreed completely with huffington. Also, changing a song with no definite key to make it major isn’t just an aesthetic swap, it’s changing its composition, in this case for the better.

    But more importantly, ever notice how metalized pop tunes sound much better than actual metal? That’s because the songwriting for those songs is better, it’s just lacking the ripping distortion and aesthetic. They’re also written by teams of professional musicians and songwriters, not musical illiterates who live off welfare. Case in point:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVw4-hpp96w

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr8KiihK3ks#t=1m20s

    If you look at and listen to the powertabs of songs by the “top 10” bands praised here you will see them for the hogwash that they are.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ocpMqA0APM

    Seriously, this is as bad as witch house.

  12. Just face it guys your music taste fucking sucks, also, come out of the fucking closet already and admit you're faggots says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr6as8bwlak
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcVddJdVG-0

    Sound like good compositions to me.

    Also, lol at those Miley and Lady Gaga metal “converts” being “better than acutal metal” . First of all, unlike the Slayer song posted above, they’re not really just the actual songs converted. Especially the Miley song is the Miley song with some some random speed metal and hard rock guitar parts added. Second, they suck.
    You don’t even know what metal is dude. In fact, you don’t even know what you don’t know.

  13. commence BAWWWing at your perpetual loneliness, aspies says:

    This is beautiful:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1llHXUfEdrI

  14. vir verus says:

    “Sound like good compositions to me.”

    … Son, you might just be a retard. An autist could have slapped that shit together, there’s no sense of coherence or anything there at all. Oh and lol @ attempted midi chugz

    “unlike the Slayer song posted above, they’re not really just the actual songs converted”

    You’re right, if they were, they’d fucking suck. Look at the guy’s more “metal” covers, especially the death metal ones, they’re fucking awful. The Miley one’s chorus is absolutely delectable.

    Here’s good music for you, now get out of my face, puddle scum.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm-3y17uuJU

  15. oh, and says:

    “You don’t even know what metal is dude.”

    Enlighten me, junior, I’m prepared to laugh.

  16. truth says:

    metal is horrible but pop is worse than metal, it’s literally simple baby music

  17. truth says:

    pop is horrible but metal is worse than pop, it’s literally a bunch of stupid noise

  18. truth says:

    pop sucks, metal sucks, let’s listen to hip-hop, yay!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruef7aYCEbc

  19. Debussy > Kanye says:

    There isn’t much difference between pop and mainstream hip-hop, and they tend to draw in the same audience.

    Only classical is real.

  20. @ Just face it guys your music taste fucking sucks, says:

    No you are an idiot and homosexual, you need more cock in uranus so stop pretending you know anything cause you don’t, go back to your teletubbies show and shut the fuck up.

  21. fuck says:

    OUTSIDER CONVERSATION:
    >taste
    >subjective

    INSIDER CONVERSATION
    >substance
    >objective

    >MFW WE’RE NOT ABLE TO DISTINGUISH

  22. Dominating Fucker says:

    @ truth
    “pop is horrible but metal is worse than pop, it’s literally a bunch of stupid noise”

    Mental retardation is horrible but exhibiting it on comment section is even worse.

    Whining and bitching is gay but being a whining bitch is even worse.

    Why should we try to convince you, fucking fag? I suppose what you’re trying to say in a very faggoty way, is: I can’t understand metal so I don’t like it… so I’ll go to a metal site and post a comment about it. Hopefully no one will notice my contradicting behavior and hopefully no one on a METAL site will think I’m a fucking emo-cunt fag for saying metal is noise…

    Hah hah hah ahhahaahah!!!!!!

    You might still, be unaware your behavior is symptomatic of clinical down-syndrome fag and, of course you’re unaware that your behavior is typical of butt-hurt neurotic ego-dramatic queers that think are entitled to an opinion. Well, you’re not. Dramatic egomaniac fags with mental retardation can not opine because the only thing you fucking cumm-slurpers can do is blather incoherent and dishonest ego-maniacal worthless rants. Try convincing yourselves that your presence here serves a purpose other than voluntarily wasting your own fucking time!

    But hey, you little fag-cunt needed me to tell you this. Please now, resume your dildo butt-plugging.

  23. Dominating Fucker says:

    Dammit, did my 11 year old brother leave another comment? Sorry about that, guys, he’s in the special classes.

  24. Dominating Fucker says:

    I am ready to admit that Death Metal is really shitty, it’s true. I have come to terms with this. IF ANYONE LISTENS TO METAL, I WILL RAPE YOUR MOTHER WHILST YOU WATCH!

  25. just asking says:

    is it true that vijay prozak, brett stevens and jeff tandy of averse sefira and birth ad are the same guy?

  26. frequent reader says:

    YOU FUCKING HOMOS HAVE NOTHING ON THE REAL DOMINATING FUCKER, PUSSIES!

    AND, YEAH PROZAK IS THE SAME GUY OF AVERSE SEFIRA EVERYONE KNOWS THAT MAN.

  27. no says:

    Jeff Tandy, Wrath = Samefag.

    Brett, Vijay = Not samefag.

  28. huh? says:

    ↑ huh? what?

  29. Beavis says:

    What do you guys think about bands such as : Tormentor (hun) 1988, Sarcofago (bra) 1987, Messiah, Pentagram (chl) 1987, (che) 1986, Sadistik Exekution 1988, Merciless (swe)1989? It seems to me these bands play a hybrid of various techniques from speed metal to early forms of death metal, yet many consider these bands Black Metal. I do agree with this though, yet it’s not easy to classify such bands in the Black Metal category without debate and discussion.

  30. Mike Gainer Reigns Here says:

    Death to all hipsters and nigger loving faggots. Death to the Reeelapse trolls that post on here. Take your tight shirts and jeans and die of AIDS

  31. delia-derbyshire.org says:

    There are many synth”pop” songs whose structure is extremely close to Burzum’s keyboard albums when vox and rhythm get removed; in fact, most of the synthpop/”new wave” bands were more or less directly influenced/inspired by Kraftwerk or the disco pioneer Moroder. For example: Juan Atkins /Cybotron, Model 500/ and the whole beginning of the techno in Detroit were 50% 70’s funk plus 50% Kraftwerk. Try listening to Sandra, Kim Wilde, The Human League and you’ll hear what I mean. Also try slower “The Chase” by Moroder and without the drum part and you’ll hear… Burzum.
    So, if Burzum’s synth albums are being regarded as /neo/”classical”, then… then there seems to be a hidden, 50-80% part classical in the “brainwashing” pop /erzatz-/music.

    If not, then I’m sucking very big greazy alpha-centaurian shambala cocks after midnight /coz at dawn I *bleeeeep*)

  32. Enthrone Giantcocks Triumphant says:

    DEATH TO ALL HIPSTERS.
    DEATH IN CARAVANS AROUND FUKUSHIMA, DEATH ON THE STREETS OF MALAYSIA, DEATH BY HAMAS ROCKETS, DEATH BY ISRAELI BULLDOZERS, DEATH BY RATKO MLADIC FOLLOWERS, DEATH BY STRAY BULLETS IN KARACHI, DEATH BY A NEW GOLODOMOR NO MATTER WHERE, DEATH BY BEING FED TO TURTLES, DEATH BY FIRING SQUADS IN SAUDI ARABIA, DEATH UNDER THE RUINS OF A SHI’A MOSQUES IN BAHRAIN, DEATH BY TORNADOS, DEATH BY THEIR OWN DEGRADATION.

    DEATH TO ALL HIPSTERS.

  33. Satanic Devil Turtle Cock says:

    2 BIG OR 3 OR 4 SMALL

  34. euchre says:

    Interesting feedback guys however I’m afraid there are some glarring misconceptions out there. The truth of the matter is that aesthetics and composition are not the same even though they often get confused. Case point. You might be angry because you just realised your band is aesthetic-based and therefor of no true value.

  35. player says:

    fuckin hell. 2 points for a euchre. I guess that’s game!

  36. @player says:

    Hi euchre.

  37. only nonvirgin posting here says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vil-s82_LM0

    This is pretty rockin’

    I’d take off her aesthetics if you know what I mean

  38. Harold Lloyd says:

    @Author of article:

    Good example. While I hated the aesthetics of "new Slayer" (LOL) and loved the aesthetics of that other "band", if I was stranded on a deserted island and could only pick one of them to bring with me, soft rock Slayer would definitely be it. It would last.

    @Most other comments:

    You are such a fucking waste of time and bandwidth. :P

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