Sound Off: Classical vs. Metal
J. S. Bach and Ozzy Osbourne = Friends???
October 16, 2009
Written by Michelle Brockman
Well according to a new study it would have been plausible…that is of course if they had both lived in the same century. What would the Godfather of Mainstream Classical have in common with the Mack Daddy of Metal, you ask?
Other than being born on the same continent and having a passion for music they both would more than likely have had a lot in common, according to a study led by Professor Adrian North of Heriot-Watt Univerisity in Edinburgh, Scotland. Professor North’s study consisted of 36,000 music lovers from different demographics and found that those who have cravings for classical shared the same personality traits as those who mused over metal. The shared traits included creativity, a general feeling of being at ease with themselves, being introverted and having a sense of ‘theater’. Thankfully, biting the heads off of bats was not one of the shared traits (it’s kind of hard to picture Mr. Bach taking a break in the middle of a tempestuous piano concerto for a ‘snack’).
More important than the connection of fans sharing similar personality qualities is the musical connection they share. In fact, if we didn’t have classical we may not have metal. Many of the founding metal bands drew their musical inspiration from classical music. Some of metal’s most influential musicians are guitar players that have studied classical music and more specifically, classical guitar. There is even a genre of metal aptly named ‘Neo-Classical Metal’ which was developed in the 80’s and is heavily influenced by classical composers from the 18th century.
If you need a little more convincing that classical and metal really are soul mates all you need to do is hop over to YouTube and look for a clip of Eddie Van Halen whipping up a dose of good old fashioned electric guitar improv – tell me you don’t hear some Beethoven or Mozart in there! While you’re at it, lend an ear to Black Sabbath’s title track which features the devilishly delectable tritone notes which, you guessed it, came from the classical music masters of the Middle Ages.
So kiddies, if you thought classical music was only for pocket-protector-wearing-calculus-masters, or that metal was only for mascara-loving-men-with-an-abundance-of-patent-leather-pants, think again and don’t be afraid to journey to……the other side!
References:
Wikipedia
Daily Mail UK
Metal: a Headbangers Journey
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