Why do all metal bands like skulls and darkness?

It's as fair as proclaiming that all pop music sounds like Justin Beiber. A lot of it is, but a LOT of it isn't. Let's look at some of the releases in the last few months that don't fall under that, at this point, dated stereotype.

Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising : Fire, destruction, norse, brooding

Born of Osiris - The Discovery : Celestial

Across the Sun - Before the Night Takes Us : Destruction, brooding

myGRAIN - self-titled : Fire

Mercenary - Metamorphosis : Blood, rust, destruction

Blackguard - Fireflight : Fire, destruction, brooding

Becoming the Archetype - Celestial Completion : Destruction

Protest the Hero - Scurrilous : Byzantine art

Defeater - Empty Days and Sleepness Nights : Brooding

The Human Abstract - Digital Veil : Typograhpic

The Color Morale - My Devil in Your Eyes : Destruction, brooding

Kvelertak - self-titled : Theres a woman with a skull as a head, but i wont count it if you want; so Abstract papyrus

Darkest Hour - The Human Romance : Death, skeletons, brooding

The Gun Show - Discontentment : Brooding

The Haunted - Unseen : Brooding

Onward to Olympas - The War Within Us : Brooding, fire, destruction

Obscura - Omnivium : Celestial, brooding

Tesseract - One : Landscape, borderline brooding

Dr. Acula - Slander : Violence, comic book

Arbiter - Collosus : Celestial

The Famine - Architects of Guilt : Brooding

Times of Grace - The Hymn of a Broken Man : Landscape, brooding

Ava Inferi - Onyx : Brooding

Architects - The Here and Now : Cartographic

Overcome - The Great Campaign of Sabotage : Fire, destruction, brooding

Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows : Landscape, brooding

Amia Venera Landscape - The Long Procession : Landscape, brooding

After the Burial - In Dreams : This looks like a 30 minute photoshop job, "poor design" is about the only category worthy of this cover

Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit : landsacpe, brooding

Lionheart - Built on Struggle : Brooding

Sea of Treachery - Wonderland : Art deco

Farewell to Freeway - Filthy Habits : Brooding

Gideon - Costs : Skeletons, brooding

Motorjesus - Wheels of Purgatory : Fire and my god is this design horrible

Straight Line Stitch - The Fight of Our Lives : Death, brooding

Weedeater - Jason...The Dragon : Asian

So, a considerable amount that doesn't really fall under that category and that's within the last few months of releases. So I'm not really buying that as a legitimate stereotype. Maybe 20 years ago, but not now. (Note, I don't like a lot of these bands, I'm only saying that they don't fall under the stereotype.)

frostybanana

Im not entirely sure these are actually helping your case. theres about 7 designs that have any elements that are actually different, and about 5 of them that can be considered unique.

these examples do not make a very strong case that metal isnt all about "skulls, death, darkness, and anger"

Even if im wrong, which i can assure you that i am as ALL mausic have its nuances, its not an unfair initial assessment at all.

Im not entirely sure these are actually helping your case. theres about 7 designs that have any elements that are actually different, and about 5 of them that can be considered unique.

these examples do not make a very strong case that metal isnt all about "skulls, death, darkness, and anger"

Even if im wrong, which i can assure you that i am as ALL mausic have its nuances, its not an unfair initial assessment at all.

XaosII

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

Im not entirely sure these are actually helping your case. theres about 7 designs that have any elements that are actually different, and about 5 of them that can be considered unique.

these examples do not make a very strong case that metal isnt all about "skulls, death, darkness, and anger"

Even if im wrong, which i can assure you that i am as ALL mausic have its nuances, its not an unfair initial assessment at all.

Messiahbolical-

Isn't what this whole thread is about? That the albium covers of most metal bands are all skulls, death, darkness, etc?

Because its still pretty much true. These examples, for the most part, help perpetuate the stereotype.

[QUOTE="Messiahbolical-"][QUOTE="XaosII"]

Im not entirely sure these are actually helping your case. theres about 7 designs that have any elements that are actually different, and about 5 of them that can be considered unique.

these examples do not make a very strong case that metal isnt all about "skulls, death, darkness, and anger"

Even if im wrong, which i can assure you that i am as ALL mausic have its nuances, its not an unfair initial assessment at all.

XaosII

Isn't what this whole thread is about? That the albium covers of most metal bands are all skulls, death, darkness, etc?

Because its still pretty much true. These examples, for the most part, help perpetuate the stereotype.

It's just to throw people off the scent. They actually covet unicorns and pixies.

Do all country music singers have a southern accent and wear cowboy hats, sing about the open road and that kind of stuff?

darkspineslayer

Yes?

No they don't. Because you didn't listen to the music and you don't know what the songs are actually about. You're a prime example of a person who actually perpetuates your own ignorance by acting like you know what the music is about by looking at the cover. The TC asked if all metal music was related to skulls and darkness and he asked about the themes of the music. That has absolutely zero to do with the album cover. If you have a genuine interest in the music and wanted to know information like that, I have no problem telling you. It's no secret that metal carries that stigma. But, like I said, I'd even go as far to say that most metal music these days isn't like that. And anyone that actually LISTENED to that music wouldn't argue.

frostybanana

Ah snap!

Check out Paysage D'Hiver. No skulls or darkness, just an eternal winter.

Uhh, but it does. Theres a reason why the sitgma exists.

The TC made 3 points:

What's with metal music and their skulls, death, long dyed black hair, etc? Every album cover I see of a metal band has that kind of stuff.

Its pretty much true. Even your examples do fairly little to disprove it. It still doesn't actually change his statements of "every album cover" he's seen. Well, im glad that you've shown him some that does not comprise of those elements. Those are still outliers.

Does all metal music have to relate to anger and darkness, or is there any positivity in the themes of these songs? I mean I understand the appeal on Halloween

Metal as a genre of music will cover a broad range of topics and themes. Some songs relate to anger or darkness. Others don't. The bands don't exactly do a terribly good job of helping the image otherwise. Again, its not an unfair initial assessment.

but why is it a trend?

His third point is never really addressed, though it doesn't matter.

Im going to make an analogy relating to games since i think its safe to assume that the majority of people here are gamers. I'm primarily a PC gamer. The PC platform has several fighting games, including exclusive fighting games. The statement "The PC has no fighting games" is a false statement since it is an absolute. it is not, however, an unfair assessment considering there are very, very few fighting games on the PC.

I could point out that his statement is incorrect and direct him to several fighting games that can be found on the PC if he was interest. I cannot, in good faith, recommend that he make the PC his primary platform of choice if he enjoys fighting games. I'm not so blind as to not recognize the weaknesses of the PC platform.

Uhh, but it does. Theres a reason why the sitgma exists.

The TC made 3 points:

[QUOTE=""]

Its pretty much true. Even your examples do fairly little to disprove it. It still doesn't actually change his statements of "every album cover" he's seen. Well, im glad that you've shown him some that does not comprise of those elements. Those are still outliers.

[QUOTE=""]Does all metal music have to relate to anger and darkness, or is there any positivity in the themes of these songs? I mean I understand the appeal on HalloweenXaosII

Metal as a genre of music will cover a broad range of topics and themes. Some songs relate to anger or darkness. Others don't. The bands don't exactly do a terribly good job of helping the image otherwise. Again, its not an unfair initial assessment.

but why is it a trend?

His third point is never really addressed, though it doesn't matter.

Im going to make an analogy relating to games since i think its safe to assume that the majority of people here are gamers. I'm primarily a PC gamer. The PC platform has several fighting games, including exclusive fighting games. The statement "The PC has no fighting games" is a false statement since it is an absolute. it is not, however, an unfair assessment considering there are very, very few fighting games on the PC.

I could point out that his statement is incorrect and direct him to several fighting games that can be found on the PC if he was interest. I cannot, in good faith, recommend that he make the PC his primary platform of choice if he enjoys fighting games. I'm not so blind as to not recognize the weaknesses of the PC platform.

Why do all Hippity Hoppers use autotune?percech

Metal vocalist would probably use it to if they needed. But since they can cookie monster their way through a song and call it vocals they don't.

Isn't what this whole thread is about? That the albium covers of most metal bands are all skulls, death, darkness, etc?

Because its still pretty much true. These examples, for the most part, help perpetuate the stereotype.

XaosII

It is true, I'm not sure why metalheads are arguing against it, just walk into a store selling metal albums and look at the covers. Most will deal with some sort of thing like that because they are trying to appeal to the "metal" crowd. They may not like it but the crowd that they are appealing to does likes it. Which is why they also wear black with chains and spikes and some even go so far to paint their faces like they work in a circus.

[QUOTE="percech"]Why do all Hippity Hoppers use autotune?Espada12

Metal vocalist would probably use it to if they needed. But since they can cookie monster their way through a song and call it vocals they don't.

Call it rubbish or not, it takes incredible talent to do great Death Metal vocals

[QUOTE="Espada12"]

[QUOTE="percech"]Why do all Hippity Hoppers use autotune?applesxc47

Metal vocalist would probably use it to if they needed. But since they can cookie monster their way through a song and call it vocals they don't.

Call it rubbish or not, it takes incredible talent to do great Death Metal vocals

While that maybe true I don't see how that can be considered vocals. What's up with all that growling and cookie monster stuff anyway? Why do they do that..

[QUOTE="Tetrarch9"]This is so not true. There are a variety of Metal bands with different styles out there that don't involve darkness and skulls or long black hair. rubber-chicken