Continuing the History of Metal through short (trivia packed) chapters and accompanying playlists.
Thanks for all the support of Part 1 of these ongoing series! You asked me for more, here it is :)
Work in progress, will be posting irregularly (but...
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There is no short supply of bands that will never change or never did change in their long career (Motörhead, we miss you!). Let's be honest: no matter which AC/DC, Hammerfall, Madball, or Manowar record you put on, you know exactly what to expect. There's nothing wrong with that, but there are also many bands out there that tear down any norm around them and truly express themselves in unique and exciting experimental ways.
Avant-Garde Metal spawned from Progressive Metal as early as the 70's but it wasn't until the 90's that there was a surge of Extreme Metal bands embracing the mindset of pushing or simply breaking a genre's boundaries. There were already some experimental Rock bands that were getting significant success like Mr. Bungle and Boris, but it's too much of a stretch too call these bands properly Metal. The rise of Avant-Garde in Metal's underground during the 90's culminated with the glorious return of Black Metal's infamous icons Mayhem in 200 with their 2nd full length album 'Grand Declaration of War'. The album heralded the start of a Golden Age for bands ranging from Art Rock-to Black Metal that celebrate the experimental, the radical, or simply the unorthodox. 20 years later, this Golden Age* has shown no signs of slowing down with the emergence of the Church of Ra or new – somewhat hyped – bands like Igorrr and Zeal & Ardor.
Unsurprisingly, this collection is going to be a very eclectic list. Some bands here create an artsy sound by beautifully merging (Extreme) Metal with very different music genres like Big Band Swing (Diablo Swing Orchestra), Negro Spirituals (Zeal & Ardor), or Jazz (The Shining – who's 5th album 'Blackjazz' became the moniker for a whole subgenre). Other bands, like Astronoid and Thy Catafalque, take us on a dreamlike journey with their unconventional yet beautiful melodies.
We won't focus on the Church of Ra members listed here (Oathbreaker and Amenra) because we have another dedicated chapter elsewhere in the Collection.
Beyond the already mentioned Extreme (Black and Death) Metal bands who excite us with unexpected compositions, there finally are also the truly weird.
Best example of this is French project-turned-band Igorrr. With them, every song is an adventure, often using completely made up languages, that whirl you through a rollercoaster of emotions, supported by both Classical Music and Industrial Blast Beats.
All these bands contribute to the ever-evolving nature of Metal, by boldly going where no one has gone before. We can't wait to see what they'll do next!
Playlist:
01. Mayhem: Crystalized Pain in Deconstruction (2000)
02. Sigh: Scarlet Dream (2001)
03. Thurisaz: Endless... (2004)
04. ISIS: Holy Tears (2006)
05. Diablo Swing Orchestra: Balrog Boogie (2006)
06. Shining (NOR): The Madness and the Damage Done (2010)
07. The Ocean: She Was the Universe (2010)
08. Astronoid: Up and Atom (2016)
09. Zeal & Ardor: Devil is Fine (2016)
10. Arcturus: The Arcturian Sign (2015)
11. Thy Catafalque: Sirály (2016)
12. Oathbreaker: Immortals (2016)
13. Amenra: A Solitary Reign (edit) (2017)
14. Igorrr: euiD (2017)
15. Zeal & Ardor: Don't You Dare (2018)
*I use this term a little lightly as we understand none of these bands will ever sell out a Wembley Arena. However, it's undeniable that for fans of the Avant-Garde, the 21st century has been nothing short of amazing.
