Do you consider "heavy metal" actually heavy?

Is "Heavy Metal" one of the "lightest" subgenre of metal?  I mean, almost eveything that came after was heavier. But the genre was somehow called "Heavy Metal".  Isn't that funny?

Is extreme heavy metal so extreme, btw? 

Most of so-called traditional doom metal doesn't sound much heavier than Black Sabbath, and many black metal bands (not only progressive/experimental) emphasize on atmosphere rather than on heaviness, which (despite of using sreaming vocals) makes their music less heavy for my ears than, let's say, some Judas Priest albums like Painkiller.

Barbu wrote: I need more subgenres.

ole-the-first wrote: Is extreme heavy metal so extreme, btw?  Most of so-called traditional doom metal doesn't sound much heavier than Black Sabbath, and many black metal bands (not only progressive/experimental) emphasize on atmosphere rather than on heaviness, which (despite of using sreaming vocals) makes their music less heavy for my ears than, let's say, some Judas Priest albums like Painkiller.

That depends on how you define "heavy" or "extreme." Doom has never really made sense to me as "extreme" metal unless you were talking about darker variants.

Edited by Polymorphia - April 18 2015 at 21:50

paganinio wrote: Polymorphia wrote: Doom has never really made sense to me as "extreme" metal unless you were talking about darker variants. I read somewhere that "Doom Metal" is considered "extremely slow", and that is an extreme.  Because the general public is used to faster rock music.

another thing that can be considered extreme with doom is the lyrics - solitude, death, mourning, depression are the usual themes.

What's hard about Hard Rock?

Cristi wrote: paganinio wrote: Polymorphia wrote: Doom has never really made sense to me as "extreme" metal unless you were talking about darker variants. I read somewhere that "Doom Metal" is considered "extremely slow", and that is an extreme.  Because the general public is used to faster rock music. another thing that can be considered extreme with doom is the lyrics - solitude, death, mourning, depression are the usual themes.

I suppose it's a gradient. Most traditional doom is basically modelled by Black Sabbath's s/t track– the lyrics are usually creepy at worst and the tempo isn't really that slow. Stoner doom isn't too extreme either, compared to regular heavy metal. Sludge is a little more extreme in terms of lyrics. Funeral doom is where I'd say it gets extreme, past that being doom/other extreme metal hybrids and drone. But traditional doom really just catches the slower end of traditional heavy metal.

Polymorphia wrote: Cristi wrote: paganinio wrote: Polymorphia wrote: Doom has never really made sense to me as "extreme" metal unless you were talking about darker variants. I read somewhere that "Doom Metal" is considered "extremely slow", and that is an extreme.  Because the general public is used to faster rock music. another thing that can be considered extreme with doom is the lyrics - solitude, death, mourning, depression are the usual themes. I suppose it's a gradient. Most traditional doom is basically modelled by Black Sabbath's s/t track– the lyrics are usually creepy at worst and the tempo isn't really that slow. Stoner doom isn't too extreme either, compared to regular heavy metal. Sludge is a little more extreme in terms of lyrics. Funeral doom is where I'd say it gets extreme, past that being doom/other extreme metal hybrids and drone. But traditional doom really just catches the slower end of traditional heavy metal.

idk, there are some old Angel Witch songs that way heavier than most "extreme metal" to these ears.


Edited by mithrandir - April 19 2015 at 18:49