Metal Music and the Loss of Faith

[_Nightlion]

I think the most interesting thing about heavy metal is that it is, essentially, classical music. Odd time signatures and tempos, multiple complementing melodies, virtuoso level talent, grandiose delivery, it has it all.

About a year ago, there was an experiment by a NYC musician. He took a pop song and slowed it down to the pace of classical music, and started peddling it around. The result: it was being heralded as a great new piece of classical-style music, and its actual source as a pop hit went undetected until the musician 'spilled the beans' and explained what he had done.

So, Molok, I think you are on to something. Those that appreciate classical music simply prefer slow to fast tempo, it would seem.

In essence, fast tempo is what kills CK's calm.

If Motab is what you mean by CK calm then PU! I hate the vomit of Protestant musical airs of pure hypocrisy. David danced with his might before the Lord and I dare say his Psalms were not lingering banalities. The Zeal of the Lord will eat up your whole soul as you celebrate a fierce form of worship scarcely contained in the full energy of your all. It laughs at the stupid pagan overdramaticisms.

The song of an arch angel will put to shame the best of all the metal belters.

[_Nightlion]

Hi Nightlion,

I don't listen to metal music. I don't like it, and it disturbs my calm. I don't believe music can be "Satanic," but I certainly do believe in the power of positive thinking and the power of music to influence people. I put together a little list of some of my favorite positive-thinking songs a while back, which you can read here. There's also some research that shows classical music has beneficial effects for brain development. Lately I've become a great fan of artists like Lindsey Sterling and David Garrett who mix classical instrumentation with modern musical styles. Lindsey is one of the most talented artists I've ever seen, and David has awesome, non-BYU-approved hair.

Most of what passes for Christian music is not Christian by me. I think the bonding element is what remains relevant here. To me whatever is not Zion is of the devil. But that is a higher criticism than what anyone really needs to hear right now.

When I was still a kid I took what was purposefully intended to be a blasphemy and turned that same musical event into something very positive by my own will over-writing my own purposefully chosen interpretation. And it was edifying. Alright!

[_huckelberry]

I think the most interesting thing about heavy metal is that it is, essentially, classical music. Odd time signatures and tempos, multiple complementing melodies, virtuoso level talent, grandiose delivery, it has it all.

About a year ago, there was an experiment by a NYC musician. He took a pop song and slowed it down to the pace of classical music, and started peddling it around. The result: it was being heralded as a great new piece of classical-style music, and its actual source as a pop hit went undetected until the musician 'spilled the beans' and explained what he had done.

So, Molok, I think you are on to something. Those that appreciate classical music simply prefer slow to fast tempo, it would seem.

In essence, fast tempo is what kills CK's calm.

apology, I am feeling grinchey.so, Since when does classical music have to be slow?. Allow your listening to expand beyond "selections for soothing strings".

[_CaliforniaKid]

In essence, fast tempo is what kills CK's calm.

In all fairness, you don't hear a lot of classical with double bass, detuned / distorted guitars, and screaming vocalists, so there could be more than that killing CK's calm.

Yeah. I love dance/club music, which tends to have a fast tempo. It's more the heavy distortion and screaming vocals that I don't like.

[_MrStakhanovite]

Yeah. I love dance/club music, which tends to have a fast tempo.

I knew this was you.

[_honorentheos]

Hi Nightlion,

I thought you deserved an honest answer. I think music did contribute to me leaving the church. Not in the traditional, "Metal is of the devil", sentiment. But it clearly affected me in ways that went to my soul.

Bands that feature James Maynard Keenen often strike me as touching something honestly "Satanic", but not in the way you may think. Or maybe so. I think it's less devil worship and more...I guess it often speaks to how I think a damned soul must feel without the Halloween and make-up effects. For example, I can't hear the song, "Pet" by A Perfect Circle without envisioning it sung by young men in white shirts with black name tags. (Go back to sleep....) Or the song, "Right in Two" by Tool is now part of my soul as well. I can't hear that song without relating to the disdainful angels...a fallen host of heaven maybe. Or an Islamic vision of Satan as one who simply could not understand how to bow to man rather than the truly divine....(inside us, perhaps?)

You simply switched from one group to another. The joy was the thrill of the bonding process. This is the power of the congregation. This is why lame religion that has not real virtue yet thrive all the same. Ludwigm's ballet is so much cheer leading for our team and we give ourselves over to the family of participation.

Probably true. I'm not sure what that means about true religion or Zion, though.

some groups are compatable some are dissociative from your root group. These dissociative groups will contaminate the root group. Simply put as already noted: THERE'S STILL TIME TO CHANGE THE ROAD YOU'RE ON.

William Desmond once said, "When I am in Love, I sing the beloved. When I analyze and ask if I am in Love, I am no longer in Love....We search for clarity against ambiguity, but the search for clarity is itself ambigious, so it drags it's own lack of clarity with itself, lack of clarity about itself."

Angels on the sideline,
Baffled and confused.
Father blessed them all with reason.
And this is what they choose.
And this is what they choose...

[_sock puppet]

I love dance/club music, which tends to have a fast tempo.

What does it do for your calm?

[Guest]

I knew this was you.

Ha! I wish I had pectoral muscles I could flex in tune with the music.

Unfortunately I've never had the upper body strength for the really cool stuff like break dancing, but I was pretty good at freestyle popping back in my undergrad years. I used to battle at school dances with the president of the hip hop dance club. Thought I had some old videos on my hard drive somewhere, but can't find any.

[_CaliforniaKid]

What does it do for your calm?

Dance music makes me feel invigorated and mentally absorbed in a way that I imagine other people have to take drugs to achieve. Metal, by contrast, makes me angry and depressed. The common denominator here is that I tend to get really caught up in the emotional overtones of whatever I'm listening to.

[_madeleine]

Remember Alex in A Clockwork Orange? Bach, Mozart. So many violent movie soundtracks set to classical music. Mozart again, in X2, when the Nightcrawler is teleporting all over the White House and all those secret service agents are shooting at him.

It has to be, classical music causes a loss of faith, perhaps also an appreciation for the arts with a simultaneous desire for murder and mayhem.