KARISHMA D'MELLO
Mozart & Metallica:
Western Classical and the
Evolution of Heavy Metal
“I believe that if Richard Wagner had been around
today he’d be in Deep Purple, or if Beethoven had been
around he would’ve been happy to be in Led Zeppelin”
- Michael Dome, Metal: A Headbanger's Journey
Heavy metal roots and its evolution have always been
a controversial point of discussion, pitting metal head
against metal-head, each attempting to trace paths of
their own, which unsurprisingly often converge.
At one of these convergences, you may find that the
evolution of metal indicates a strong influences from
Western and European Classical music. To those
unfamiliar with metal, the influence of western classical
may seem surprising. Even in the metal community,
this influence is still subject to debate, where metal
heads argue over its extent. But while people are free to
argue over whether or not metal has its roots in classical
music, the practitioners themselves are open about their
influences from the likes of Wagner and Beethoven.
Now common perceptions of both these genres are highly
contradictory. People simply don’t associate heavy metal
with a virtuosic style of music. Where heavy metal is
perceived as noise or in some cases, nothing short of Satan
worship, classical is credited for its musical eloquence
and (if we’re comparing unfounded, mass stereotypes)
slow or monotonous. However, in addition to being
genres whose appreciation is currently drawn from niche
audiences, what they both have in common is that they are
very nuanced styles of expression; rooted in complexity,
depth, story and an exploration of the unknown.
If metal is notorious for its explorations of dark and
forbidden themes, so is classical. The imagery and
expression during the times of the Baroque era are deeply
comparable to what we see in metal today. The infamous
tri-tones that brought Black Sabbath to the forefront
were recognized (and forbidden) during the classical era.
These three-tone intervals were banned across countries,
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referenced as “Diabolus in musica” (the devil in
music) by the monks of the medieval centuries.
Bands like Trans Siberian Orchestra, Dream Theater,
Apocalyptica and so many others infuse orchestral
sounds or classical technique into heavy metal
or in some cases simply perform a heavy metal
interpretation of classical pieces or vice versa.
The composers of that time and times forthcoming
introduced a darker realm of classical music.
Brahms, Stravinsky, Bach and Wagner explored and
unearthed a newer, darker and significantly louder
dimension to their music. Wagner’s introduction
of the octa-bass (a large instrument that took
two individuals to maneuver), contributed to the
deep bass undertones within his orchestra.
Classical violinist Niccolo Paganini wrote and
performed violent pieces, his painted white face
and unreal wrist movement spawning rumors of
associations with the devil. His performances were
said to have driven audiences into a state of panic,
insanity and occasionally, uncontrollable lust.
The differences lie in the fact that classical music
is more recognized as a more, eloquent, literary
expression, where metal is a bit more mainstream,
raw and occasionally rougher around the edges in
comparison. In a library of genres, classical music
is more reflective of Edgar Allen Poe, where heavy
metal is more Stephen King. They are both extreme
in their expression, unearthing the rawest of human
emotion, exploring unknowns, embracing the darker
parts of existence and other genres tend to dismiss.
I’ll end on yet another quote from Metal: A
Headbanger’s Journey, “Classical music is associated
with university, with learning; but Bach didn’t go to
college and neither did Mozart. They were virtuosic
performers, known as improvisers, and that describes
Bach as well as it describes Eddie Van Halen.”