Why Symphonic Metal Is So Popular
| Written by: | AngelofDeth |
| Published: | October 03, 2012 |
Near the turn of the new millennium a new sub-genre was quickly gaining popularity and within a few years it had become and remains a mainstream staple in the modern metal scene. This genre was dubbed "symphonic metal" and, save a few exceptions, it continues to be dominated by female-fronted bands.
As most everyone in the metal community knows, band members throughout metal's history are nearly exclusively male. So why the sudden influx of female-fronted bands in metal's mainstream?
An old history professor of mine had a theory to a similar question in Medieval history. We were on the topic of the Cult of Mary in Christian Europe during the years 500-1500AD. These were the Dark Ages and times were tough, Christ brought people hope through salvation in the afterlife but also he was a strict God and had the power to condemn you to Hell. This strict image of Christ brought people to fear him in an already tough time. So people turned to Mary, she is sacred and holy but only comforts and protects you. She doesn't have the power to send you to hell and has a motherly aspect to her. If you had to seek comfort as a child who did you turn too? Mother - Mary embodied this which is why so many sought her in addition to Christ.
This theory got me thinking that the same ideas could be applied to the metal community. Throughout our entire history we've had male-dominated bands that are yelling/screaming into our ears about the violence, terror, evil, depression and misery of life. Though, we do love our music this way, some of us need a break from these dark music and screaming from time to time. And whats better than the sweet sound of a woman singing over sweeping orchestrations and the still familiar distorted guitar riffs, like Nightwish. To me a woman's voice is soothing and serenading after a barrage of blast beats and hyper-speed riffs, like a mother's comfort after a stern lecture from father, and furthermore, like the Comfort of Mary in face of the threat of damnation from God.
Metal is similar to the Dark Ages in its brutality and well.. darkness! Some of us need to see the lighter side from time to time. In this way symphonic metal mirrors the Cult of Mary, to provide comfort and a break from the godly harshness of our other favorite genres.
Though, this is still a theory, and a theory based on another theory at that. So what do you guys think?
Guest article disclaimer:
This is a guest article, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest article, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
| Ace Frawley The Spaceman Posts: 1459  |
Interesting theory - maybe you could do some polling to determine if there is anything to it.
---- The sun shines over The Fool...
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| NocturnalStalker Metal Addict Posts: 889  |
Maybe there is some truth to it. Though, in my case I find most of those bands to be too sugar-sweet to have that soothing motherly effect. 
---- "And we are not who we think we are We are who we're afraid to be" - Lux Occulta "The Opening of Eleventh Sephirah"
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| Susan Smeghead Elite Posts: 6941  |
I totally see validity in this theory. Yes, lots of female-fronted metal TODAY is "sugar-sweet" as someone said, but initially the use of soprano vocals in metal achieved a very different effect. Look at the bands who brought this to the (metal) mainstream in the mid and late 90s. Therion was making a hybrid of death metal and symphonic elements, and prominently featured a soprano over much of 1996's Theli. Then you had bands like Theatre of Tragedy and Tristania who probably fit the theme of this article the best: they played harsh metal with harsh vocals and presented the soothing female voice as a counterpoint to that. Later The Sins Of Thy Beloved and even Battlelore employed this similarly balanced juxtaposition with a really soft, light soprano.
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099  |
I don't agree with your old history professor's idea, but I can see how the theory can be applied in relation to symphonic metal these days. Though I suppose there are other musical avenues within metal you can take to get some of that soothing, comforting feeling as well. And there's always the issue of personal taste, some people find different forms of music comforting.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62015  |
Its Theory only theory , its more wo,en get more wrights, women is not anymore kitchen slave and sex bject , women ha smore opotunities in society , women is more free and more can get into metal
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| carltonh Posts: 74 |
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| Sunioj Posts: 3894  |
Well, I see it as a matter of dynamics. Following a brutal passage with a calmer, more melodic one lets the mind rest and process everything mentally. Black Metal does this quite a bit IMHO and of course this definitely applies to the melodic genres. Death Metal can apply this same method, but it does it in a much different way with sludgy, doomy parts as the 'calm' in which 'calm' is perceived subjectively. Though, I will say that growing up with family that have been playing in choirs/classical music as well as being catholic, I can understand the comparison. I think a female voice used in that specific sort of dynamic definitely has that effect as mentioned in the article.
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| Tod_Engel Posts: 159  |
It is an interesting hypothesis - you are trying to find comparison in human psychology, metal music and medieval history. I agree with the "softly motherly" side of Mary and female vocalists in metal. On the other hand one statement that you come up with is a bit illogical, because you get wrong the notion of "Dark Ages". It's not about the human darkness and brutality of the age, but because it is called like that due to lack of written evidence. In that time 99% of people didn't know how to write or read, except some in the Catholicy clergy or high nobility.
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| AngelofDeth Cyborg Raptor Posts: 1183  |
Written by Tod_Engel on 04.06.2013 at 20:14 Touche! Yes, the use of that term is debatable but it seemed to fit very nicely at the time. Anyway this is more of a half-baked idea than a definitive thesis and to be honest the more time goes on the more I feel this is a far-fetched idea.
---- pewpew.. gotcha
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| rdhelli@gmail.com Posts: 21  |
I like your idea, I also happen to turn to this side of metal music when I am a bit more sensitive than on average. While children seem to turn to their mother these times. However, I felt your theory was overly explained.
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