The Lord of the Metal

I am back after a short hiatus and I am bringing to you the several times promised entry on Power Metal. This sub-genre of metal music is perhaps my most favorite and is definitely the music's most popular incarnation throughout the world. While this is unfortunately not the case in the US, I would certainly argue that power metal is favored the rest of the world over. South America goes absolutely nuts for it, I have already discussed Japan's love for it, and Europe is the birth place of the purest form of the style. I cannot stress enough how much different the metal culture is in these other places than in the US. To give you an idea of how popular power metal is in other countries I will use one of the bands that laid the ground work for all power metal to follow as an example: Iron Maiden. They recently released a DVD called Flight 666, chronicling their travels on their private commercial jet to various gig locales (that's right, their own private 757, Ed Force One, piloted by none other than lead singer Bruce Dickinson). Both this live DVD and their previous two, Live After Death and Rock in Rio, are awesomely powerful examples of the popularity of Iron Maiden and consequently power metal.

Check out this video from Rock in Rio, where they played to over 250, 000 reverent fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28GaKoCuobU

Pay attention to how the audience not only sings every word of the song but also "whoa oh oohs" the melody to every instrumental part. As an American heavy metal enthusiast, to put it mildly, I am astounded to see that outpouring of dedication to a metal band. Do you know the words and melody your favorite song? How about every song in that artist's catalogue, because I promise you that those fans do! And it's not just Iron Maiden that receives this treatment. Because of Maiden's relentless world travelling when touring, they have built this incredible international following and left a passion for their style of metal, which evolved into power metal, in their trail. As proof of this, check out this video by Blind Guardian. Have you even heard of them? Would you imagine going to their concert here in the US and hearing this many fans that know every word to the songs? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYdd4fMtW_A

The point is that this wildly popular form of metal is vastly underappreciated in the US and regardless what you decide as a listener, if you love harder music, you should be aware of this brand of metal. I consider it amongst the most, if not the most (other than Metallica, who even your grandma likes), approachable forms of metal to the casual listener and several of its characteristics make it thus.

Power metal's roots can be traced back to what is largely called classic or traditional metal. The two finest examples of this genre are, indeed, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Thus it was largely associated with the awkwardly abbreviated (thanks Ian Christe) New Wave of British Heavy Metal, NWOBHM. It was faster and less bluesy than the Black Sabbath version and was more bombastic or intense in its guitar playing and vocal stylings. These two bands along with bands like the Scorpions created the dual guitar (lead and rhythm) band structure that countless metal bands would emulate there after. The style generally had high pitched vocals, but were not to be confused with those of the glam metal genre to follow. The vocal range and ability of the lead singers were and still are of generally higher quality, but the fact that power metal uses this singing rather than the growling (which Americans associate as inherently metal) that is the first reason that makes the genre more approachable.

So classic metal laid the groundwork, but to become power metal, other influences were needed. First was speed metal, a genre that took classic metal and played it at break-neck speeds, but with articulation and accuracy that was absolutely pinpoint. The new genre was created in response to the desire for more aggressive music and that, it certainly was. We can largely thank Germany for pioneering speed metal. Bands like Kreator, Sodom, Helloween, and Blind Guardian are some of the best and earliest examples. However, two of those bands, Kreator and Sodom, are considered part of what was largely going on the US, that is the start of thrash metal. Basically it boils down to how aggressive the music is. Thrash metal, such as Slayer, is super fast, draws influences from punk, and generally has much more evil overtones and gravely vocals. It was the other two bands, Helloween and Blind Guardian, that were part of what was and still is power metal. The music was faster than classic metal but kept the cleaner vocals, and in some cases, due to symphonic influences, was not aggressive or evil at all; the other attribute making power metal so approachable. Power metal also uses keyboards in the song arrangements, which is largely taboo in thrash.

If you do not like the screaming, yelling, growling, ultra-distortion, sludgy sounds, etc. of heavy metal, but love the guitar technicality, double bass drumming, speed, etc. of the genre, I implore you, GIVE POWER METAL A TRY! The symphonic overtones and the lack of necessity for the "evil" make it more diverse musically in the sense that it does not have to have quite as specific a sound. The minor key is no longer the only key. For those of you that do not know, musicians can use the key (or mode) of a song to evoke a certain mood and the minor key inherently sounds more dark or gloomy. The use of the major key in power metal tends to have a bright, upbeat sound. Metal can be an uplifting genre and the songs can make you happy. It is not all doom and gloom. This is yet another reason to give it a listen.

There is a final aspect of power metal that I really like, but may be a roadblock for others, and that is the prevalent use of fantasy in the themes and lyrics. This goes hand in hand with symphonic nature of a lot of power metal, and for nerds like me, we cannot get enough of it. It is understandable if this is not your cup of tea. It does, however, open the door to those of you that love classical music. I would argue that there is no other kind of music that lends itself to classical types of arrangements than power metal. Albums have been created that focus on concepts or even have movements like a "metal opera." Blind Guardian's seminal concept album Nightfall in Middle-Earth is just such an album. It is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion and contains songs such as "The Curse of Feanor" and "Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)." Just check out this album cover from another of their outings for an idea or the pervasiveness of fantasy themes in power metal:

As you start listening to many power metal bands, especially if you have listened to one of today's most popular power metal bands, DragonForce, you will encounter some reoccurring themes. The concepts of glory, honor, and "carrying on" will keep creeping up on you and it all comes from the fantasy themes whose lineage in metal can be traced way back. Perhaps the most overt ones coming from the diminutive metal singer with the huge voice, Ronnie James Dio. He sang for Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and finally in his solo band Dio and brought fantastical imagery into the forefront for each of those bands. Thanks, Dio!!! Many power metal songs feel epic and they build to a grand conclusion, just like the fantasy culture that influences them, and it indeed evokes powerful emotions. For me the most powerful one is an overwhelming love for the music and what we can do with the medium to please the mind and body.

I should not ignore the early Scandinavian influence from bands like Stratovarius and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, who also brought the shred aspect into power metal (DragonForce should thank them for that) . Stratovarius is of particular note because in addition to having uplifting themes, they placed a large focus on socially and environmentally conscience songs. Songs like "Paradise" are about preserving our Earth. This idea runs throughout many other power metal bands as well. Two songs from Helloween come to mind: "Eagle Fly Free" and "Livin' Ain't No Crime" which are about the environment and living life to its fullest, respectively.

Basically, as it stands today, power metal has many permutations. It has evolved into many of its own sub-genres like pagan metal and viking metal and has influenced the formation of melodic forms of black and death metal. I will use this discussion for another entry, because power metal deserves it. There are so many bands out there that I want you to know about and experience.

I would like to give you a short list of what I think is some of the essential power metal listening, both old and new. You can do your own search as well. Just search YouTube for something like "best power metal" and you will find loads of lists. Or this Wikipedia page is a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_metal_bands

Helloween: Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt I and II

Blind Guardian: Nightfall in Middle-Earth

Stratovarius: Visions

Avantasia: The Metal Opera

Iced Earth: Something Wicked This Way Comes

DragonForce: Valley of the Damned

Edguy: Vain Glory Opera (but really EVERYTHING they have done)

Hammerfall: Glory to the Brave

Kamelot: Epica

Gamma Ray: Land of the Free

I would also recommend Manowar, Metal Church, Rhapsody of Fire, and Sonata Arctica though I must admit to not knowing as much about them other than that they are influential, popular, or unique.

I wanted to further emphasize my note above that everything Edguy has done is quintessential power metal (accept some of the more recent work, which is still good in its own right). They really, in my opinion have it figured out. They are another German band fronted by Tobias Sammet, who is one of my favorite voices in metal. Their songs just ooze epic fantasy and speed metal. In fact, Tobias Sammet is responsible for another member of the list, Avantasia. It is exactly what it says: a metal opera and he recruited other big names in power metal to create it with him and sing different character's voices. But unlike many operas in the traditional sense, each song stands on its own and is just damn good.

Look for the next entry on power metal, and until then, The Power of Two Words:

EASY FLAPS

tee hee...

Godspeed on the Devil's thunder, getcha' pull, and may the power of the riff compel you always.

Caprice No. 3

So I know I said I was going to talk about power metal, but seeing as that is on the agenda (and I certainly will not forget), I would rather post about what is currently on my mind: Neo-Classical Shred. "What is that, Chip?" you may ask. Well neo-classicism refers to a movement in music when composers tend to mimic the styles of the Classical period of Western music (1750-1820) during which composers like Beethoven and Mozart made their mark. Neo-classical shred (or metal) is not quite that specific. It does not refer to that specific time period, but rather encompasses the mimicry of all traditional classical styles, i.e. Baroque, Classical, Romantic. But here the focus is on the flashy, complex, technical solo compositions. Thus, shred: to play the hell of the guitar.

Two very important men can be linked to this style of metal/guitar playing.

The first did not play guitar.

Niccolo Paganini is perhaps, if not definitely, the greatest violinist to ever live. His 24 Caprices for solo violin are some of the most amazing and difficult pieces ever written for the instrument. Each of the caprices tended to focus on a certain technical aspect of playing. Caprice No. 24 is considered the most difficult, period. Check out this performance of Caprice No. 24 by Alexander Markov, it is my favorite version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ307sM0t-0. At approximately minute 3:00 he starts doing what is called left-hand pizzicato. I did not know that this was even a classical violin technique until I saw this video. As a guitar analogy, it essentially amounts to aggressive fret hand finger-plucked pull-offs. It sounds really awesome and is definitely the coolest thing I have ever seen on the violin.

Bottomline is that this flamboyant style was the influence for shred guitarists. And for those of you who are thinking, "That's not metal! That's some pansy ass classical music shit!" Think again. Paganini is very metal. You may have heard of blues guitarists that were rumored to have sold their souls to the devil (Robert Johnson, Tommy Johnson), but Paganini did it long before them to gain his musical prowess... That's the rumor anyway. Very Metal \m/. If Paganini were born today, he would be a shred guitarist.

The second man we must pay tribute to for this style is Lars Johan Yngve Lannerback, or as he is better known, Yngwie J. Malmsteen. While guitarists like Randy Rhoads and Ritchie Blackmore were classically influenced and technically advanced, it was this Swedish guitarist that really kicked it up a notch to the over the top Paganini virtuosity. Directly citing the violinist as an influence, Yngwie's use of diminished chords, harmonic minor scales, his historic muse, and his reworking of classical pieces for electric guitar, like Bach's "Air on the G String," made him distinctly neo-classical. Yngwie has even composed a piece called "Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E Flat Minor, Opus 1," which he has performed live with the New Japan Philharmonic. He is truly a virtuoso in his own right. Setting him apart technically was his use of laser accurate economic picking, sweep picked arpeggios, and legato fret hand technique (hammer-ons/pull-offs, slides) that was above and beyond anything anyone had seen before and allowed him to play at super-sonic speeds and cleanly. This technicality is what makes the music shred and Yngwie's prima donna attitude certainly makes him a modern day Paganini. For a taste of the experience that is Yngwie, check out his "Arpeggios from Hell" video. His "humility" really shines through when you listen to him talk in the intro. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS_IYe5JTZ4

Yngwie has several of these instructional videos where he basically just does demonstrations that are not at all helpful, but rather he shows off the impossible things he can do. I like to call it:

Malm-sturbation

(Power of Two Words phrase of the day!!!)

It's also worth it to look up more of him performing, his stage presence is just ridiculous. Just look at this picture and tell me whether or not you think Yngwie likes him some Yngwie.

After Yngwie was discovered in the early 80s, the style was at its height in the mid to late 80s/early 90s. Shrapnel Records is responsible for Yngwie and then the flood of shred guitarists to follow. They did a worldwide search for guitarists of this type and they found them. The time period was inundated with guitarists that were so good it was stupid. Paul Gilbert, Tony MacAlpine, and Marty Friedman were some of the bigger names. This bombastic style was the order of the day in the 80s. Even though glam metal is scoffed at as silly and overindulgent by many nowadays (except for collegiate females who cannot get enough of Poison and Bon Jovi, and want you to "Pour some Sugar on" them), in retrospect many of the guitarists were way better than their bands. At the end of the 80s a particularly talented shredder appeared by the name of Jason Becker. He was so good at such a young age that it is a crime that Lou Gehrig's disease robbed him of his ability to play. It is a tragic story, but touching because he has not given up on music and to this day, with the aid of software and his family and the caring people around him, still composes the melodies in his head, giving him the will to continue living life to its fullest. Check out the story and a video if him playing Paganini's Caprice No. 5 arranged for guitar, at the end it's like his fingers are a spider over the fretboard.

Story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFjQgDe_a0E

Caprice No. 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jK978921Yw

The end of the story shows him playing a cover of an Yngwie song called "Black Star" at a talent show. I have heard a story that he learned it the day of the performance. I would not be surprised if that were true. If Jason Becker was not, sadly, so afflicted so young, I firmly believe that today he would be on everyone's short list for best guitarist in the world.

Unfortunately, many of the guitarists, either because of ego or the overwhelming technicality of their playing, did not achieve mainstream success or performed with a band with popular appeal. The ones that did tended to back off from the shred aspects of their playing when performing with those bands (i.e. Paul Gilbert in Mr. Big. You know the song: "I'm the one who wants to be with you..." I know you know the words). But, once again, metal never dies. Shred has remained in metal and found its way into the genre in many appealing formats. It definitely creeps into power metal with bands like Michael Romeo's Symphony X and Timo Tolkki's Stratovarius. More aggressive metal has it's shredders as well, particularly in the symphonic or melodic black/death metal scene. Alexi Laiho is doing amazing things in Children of Bodom, as is Jari Maenpaa of Wintersun. The Scandinavians (especially the Finnish) just rip the fretboard!! The solo performing artists live on as well. Yngwie just released an album and Steve Vai (of Frank Zappa's and David Lee Roth's bands fame) and Joe Satriani (guitar teacher of Metallica's Kirk Hammett) are widely considered two of the best guitarists in the world. The difference with the last two guitarists I mentioned is that while they shred, there is less of the neo-classicism in their playing. They use music theory to its fullest, but are less bound to its constraints. Their soulful playing incorporating Jazz and Blues makes them more distinct and unique; truly virtuosos of their own making and they are genre transcendent. I will talk more about virtuosity in a later post, as it is something I am really fascinated by. One of the most over the top shredders today is Michael Angelo Batio (as if you couldn't tell by the moniker he has chosen). He plays a double neck guitar. No, not like the one Jimmy Page used to play Stairway to Heaven during live performances. He plays one like this:

(FYI, yes, he really plays both necks simultaneously)

I will leave with you one last video which was the spark to get me looking back at the shred guitarists. Jeff Loomis is an American guitarist (from Wisconsin, so probably of Scandinavian descent) that performed originally with Sanctuary and then created his own band Nevermore. He plays a very aggressive form of neo-classical shred, pushing it towards a more distinct style that focuses on heavy metal technique and elements. He recently released a solo album, Zero Order Phase, and it is just silly. This video is a performance he did to support Schecter guitars at the National Music Merchant (NAMM) trade show in 2008. HOW IN THE WORLD DOES HE DO THIS?!?!?! It is just astonishing. See for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP9llsABGdo&feature=related This is part 2 of the video, check out part 1 for more. Again, sweep picked arpeggios: the order of the day for shred. INSANE! At ~3:10 his fingers must nearly fly off! All these guitarists have fret hand pinkies that can just strike like the cobra!

Remember this: heavy metal and its musicians are constantly underestimated. Do NOT do it.

Godspeed on the Devil's thunder, getcha' pull, and may the power of the riff compel you always.

Itadakimasu!!

I decided to buy a Nintendo DSi. It's their new handheld. Why? Well, several reasons. Anyone who knows me, knows I like video games. Not ashamed of it and I consider myself part of a generation where it will be acceptable to do so throughout life. Recently my gaming has focused nearly entirely on my Guitar Hero addiction. I have tapered off a bit, but I am good... really, really good. I will add the disclaimer that I started playing the real guitar before the game and the finger dexterity helps, but in no way am I as good at real guitar as I am at the game. While most people see this as sad, if you have played the game at all, you would likely be somewhat impressed and I am not ashamed, so whatever. I am currently ranked #39 (as high as 28) on the Playstation Network for one of the series' more recent iteration, Guitar Hero Metallica. http://community.guitarhero.com/accounts/773502. Click the "Solo" tab when you get there.

Anyways, wanting to enjoy the games that I like best outside of guitar peripheral requiring music games, I decided to get the DSi. It has a nice selection of RPGs and classic 2D scrollers that I really enjoy. The reason for the concentration of these types of games on the handheld system stems from trends currently occurring in Japan. They love handhelds, Nintendo, and RPGs. So it made sense to me to have one as well. Plus it has wifi access which is cool since I don't do that with my phone... AND it takes pictures and can play music. The whole camera/take picture thing plays nicely into the Japanese stereotype... Stereotypes are great because there is generally truth in them, which is a source of endless comedy. And as long as you don't generalize, it remains harmless.

For a source of endless Japanese stereotypes, check out jpopasia.com/

Of course, J-Pop is Japanese pop music. Stereotypes are generally found in any country's pop culture ESPECIALLY THE USA (Honkey Tonk Badonkadonk? Seriously?) But stereotypes are not the reason I like this website. I like to go to there for a few reasons. The superficial one being that I am of the opinion that Japanese women are some of the most attractive in the world. Just hot. Sorry, that's the way it is. Don't believe me? Just poke around this website for a while until you see something you like http://asianposes.com/ (relax, it's safe for work). Or just check out this cosplayer (Don't know what cosplay is? Look it up)

But I am also there to keep my finger on the pulse as to what is going on with Japan's hard rock and metal scene. It is amazing to me how so many Americans, myself included until recently, take for granted that our pop music is the be all end all. There are so many countries/regions with a pop culture all their own and it is very unique and can be quite an experience the first time you are exposed to it. The cultural interchange between the US and Japan is certainly not anything that is new or hidden/obscure. The popular music interchange between the countries I believe started with glam metal. It was and still is popular in Japan. Bands like the Loudness and X Japan are great examples of Japanese glam metal. X Japan is of particular importance because while I do not think they are necessarily the creators, they are certainly one of the pioneers and the time period's most popular visual kei band. Visual kei translates to "visual style" and is one way of categorizing Japanese bands in multiple genres (pop, rock, and metal). For more check out the Wikipedia post: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_kei

Now the Japanese are returning the favor and the fashion of visual kei is coming to the US. What is now being called "scene" is essentially visual kei. Check out the beginning and end of this video to see the two compared: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXTNNV-FmBc.

Now, that style is not so much for me nor do I really think it works for guys at all since it is such a feminine/androgynous look (for girls it's not so bad), but some of the metal that has come out it has certainly caught my attention. The band that made me gravitate toward this was Dir En Grey. They are truly a unique, distinctly Japanese metal band. It has the progressive style of Tool and the aggression of the nu-metal genre mixed with the genre called noise that achieved large popularity in Japan. Check 'em out here: http://www.jpopasia.com/play/4600/dir-en-grey/dozing-green.html

X Japan has some stuff I like, especially a song they did for the Saw IV soundtrack, but to appreciate how, with visual kei, they took glam to the next level check out this image:

Finally, the genre that I will talk a lot about in posts to come, since it is underappreciated in the US, is POWER METAL. It is huge the rest of the world over and Japan is no exception. In fact, many former 80s metal or neo-classical shred guitarists (i.e. Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big/Racer X and Marty Friedman of Cacophony/Megadeth) have made a living in Japan after the trend faded (metal never dies). Power metal itself tends to combine classic metal (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden) and neo-classical shred with added speed or aggression and typically contains clean vocals. I will get into it more later, but I recently came across a visual kei power metal band called Versailles. They have a female lead guitarist which is cool and rare and I like them. http://www.jpopasia.com/play/21125/versailles/ascendead-master.html

So next time I will probably get into power metal with a bit more depth, but in the meantime do not be afraid to check out what is going on internationally in the genre that you like, especially metal. Enjoy stereotypes. Laugh at them, but be aware of them. Because if you know they exist, you can go beyond them and appreciate other aspects of cultures.

And now, from the depths of a chemical engineering transport phenomena book, the awkwardly named property that has made it as today's Power of Two Words phrase:

Skin Friction

Imagine the hilarity that ensued after the unassuming professor first mentioned that in class.

Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder, getcha' pull, and may the power of the riff compel you always.

The Beginning of All Things to End

So as my brief "About Me" section over to the right --> says, I am a chemical engineering grad student. Writing may not be my forte; I am certainly no cunning linguist (hehe), but I am about to attempt to put some order to the entropy in my head. My head, of course, being a "metal" one. I love heavy metal and the gist of what you are about to get in my postings to come is simply this: I am going to talk about whatever is on my mind with regards to my most favorite of music genres. In this way I will disseminate not just those thoughts, but also augment them with metal history and little bits on guitar and guitarists (I try to arpeggiate a bit myself), and perhaps even thoughts on life and current events and their ridiculousness.

Before the metal comes... Bare with me, I have some preamble-ing to do...

Being a chemical engineer, I am currently spending my 4th of July weekend in Oak Ridge, TN where a national lab is located. I had plans with some friends that ended up falling out, so it turns out I am on my own for the weekend with little else to do than finally bosh this blog out. Git r' done. I say finally, because this blog has actually been a long time coming. Doing a blog was an idea my brother John and I had a while back. Initially it was to be a direct response to some other family members' blogs, but that was mostly an attempt to get a rise out of our mother. Unfortunately, she doesn't give a shit and ignores our banter and repartee. After many instances of saying,"We should put that in the blog!" I realized it would be kind of cool to actually do it, however we were both unwilling to be the one to actually write it up. Therefore because my brother is a lazy porkchop, I am taking the idea completely for myself so that I can also write about metal without his bitching (as if he actually had a choice either way). However, I will incorporate a lot of the ideas we had into this blog because I also wish to make fun of my family, friends, media, politics, etc. (and to allow my brother to claim he is the muse for the endeavor). Hopefully I will figure out a way to nicely dovetail the metal with the rest, once again referencing my inability at being a cunning linguist.

On to the metal...

My first seamless integration of metal and the comedic genius that John and I came up with deals with the power of two words. This isn't so much the hardcore metal stuff that I will get into, but it is worth it for the trend that I intend to start with every post. When you are starting a metal band (any band really), one of the best ways of coming up with a name is to take two really cool, brutal, gross, etc. words and stick them together. Let's face it, most of the really good one-word band names have been taken: Slayer, Metallica, Pantera, Anthrax, Death, Tool, Testament... you get the idea. But the vast majority of bands have really kick-ass two word band names: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and I do not need to go on. I am sure if you keep reading you will notice the trend. There are even a lot of one-word band names that are some crazy contraction of two words, so in essence they are actually a two-word band name, i.e. Devildriver. Similarly, there are many 3-word band names where the 3rd word is just an article or preposition, i.e. Cradle of Filth. Take note as you read future posts.

The point of all this is that two words can be quite powerful. You can, of course, really screw it up, but that's where I am going with this. Two words can be HILARIOUS when the right two words are stuck together. This was an amazing euphoric realization for John and I (and surely we were at the forefront of human thinking when we had it) and the basis of much high comedy amongst him, myself, and our Dad and various family members.

So I am starting a trend, whether it be comedy (which it will be mostly) or a sweet band name I heard, every post will have its "Power of Two-Words" phrase of the day. Feel free to comment on what you think it is or if it is really funny, cool, brutal, etc.

With that I leave you,

Godspeed on the Devil's thunder, getcha' pull, and may the power of the riff compel you always.