Post-metal is a mixture between the genres of post-rock, heavy metal, and
shoegazing. Hydra Head Records owner and Isis
frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal",
demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal
conventions. "Post-metal" is the favored name for the growing genre, but it is
also referred to as metalgaze or shoegaze metal as a play on shoegazing,
as well as atmospheric metal, and experimental metal, though this last
term is also used to describe avant-garde metal.
History Journalist Simon Reynolds writes that:
[T]he term post-metal seems increasingly useful to describe the vast and
variegated swath of genres that emerged from the early '90s onward. Sometimes
beat-free and ambient, increasingly the work of home-studio loners rather than
performing bands, post-metal of the kind released by labels like Hydra Head often
seems to have barely any connection to metal as understood by, say, VH1 Classic
doc-makers. The continuity is less sonic but attitudinal: the penchant for
morbidity and darkness taken to a sometimes hokey degree; the somber
clothing and the long hair; the harrowed, indecipherably growled vocals;
the bombastically verbose lyrics/song titles/band names. It's that aesthetic
rather than a way of riffing or a palette of guitar sounds that ties
post-metal back to Judas Priest and Black Sabbath.
According to Aaron Turner of Isis, experimental bands such as Melvins,
Godflesh and Neurosis "laid the groundwork for us [...] we're part of a
recognizable lineage". Although Neurosis and Godflesh appeared earlier and
display elements befitting post-metal, Isis, who like Neurosis are linked to
the sludge metal scene, are often credited with laying down the
conventions and definition of the genre in less nebulous terms, with their
release of Oceanic in 2002. Helmet's albums Meantime and Betty are
cited as having "eschewed the traditional concept of heavy music" and
having "trademarked the drop-D power-groove in 5/4." They may be
considered "definitive texts in post-metal."
Previously, Tool had been labelled as post-metal in 1993 and 1996, as well as
in 2006, after the term came into popularity.
In 2009, Jim Martin of Terrorizer commented that Neurosis' 1996 album
Through Silver in Blood "effectively invented the post-metal genre".
Characteristics A typical post-metal set-up includes two
or three guitars, a bass guitar, synthesizers, a drum kit and a vocalist,
though many post-metal acts are instrumental. The overall sound is
generally very bass-heavy, with guitars often being down-tuned to B or lower,
the equivalent of a seven-string guitar. Post-metal songs tend to 'evolve' to a
crescendo or climax, building upon a repeated theme or chord shift. As Aaron
Turner of Isis states, "the standard song format of verse-chorus-verse-chorus
is something that has been done and redone, and it seems pointless to adhere
to that structure when there are so many other avenues to explore".
Criticism of the term Since this genre is relatively new and
is only represented by a small number of artists, the need for an entirely
independent classification of music has occasionally been questioned by music
reviewers and listeners. As a label, some see post-metal as redundant, since
some bands listed as post-metal contain many elements similar to doom metal,
progressive metal, sludge metal, and stoner metal. Others, however, argue
that these elements have been combined and altered in ways that go beyond the
boundaries of those respective genres, creating the need for a single,
distinguishing label. Pelican's Trevor de Brauw said, "I have
an affinity for metal, but I don't think of Pelican as a metal band. So when
people call us 'instrumetal', or post-metal, or metalcore or whatever, I
can see why they say that, but it's not something that I feel a close connection
with... I feel our [music] has more in common with punk and hardcore."
Isis is often cited as the source of a shared imagery in post-metal, although
bands with similar visual themes playing in this style existed before Isis
greatly popularized the subgenre. See also
List of post-metal bands List of post-metal albums
Experimental rock References
External links Post-metal at allmusic
Post-metal at last.fm