favourite musician who wan't in a metal band but who should have been

[English assassin]

Well, it is friday...

Prompted by the (perfectly sensible) nomination of Ropbert Plant as a great metal vocalist, which was foiled by the fact that Led Zep aren't metal, I thought we might need a thread to nominate musicians who should have been in metal bands but weren't. For any reason at all. So, if you want to put Bonnie Tyler into Anthrax, now is your chance.

My two nominations are Rolf Harris (after the infamous Stairway to Heaven incident, who couldn't want to hear Rolf tackling Two Minutes to Midnight?) and Kate Bush.

Now, I admit my feelings about Kate Bush (and indeed womankind in general) are probably heavily influenced by my ten year old self seeing the 18 year old Kate performing Wuthering Heights on Top of the Pops in a catsuit, but look at the evidence. A voice that could shatter glass at five miles, the hair, and she is as mad as a bag of rats. She'd be a GREAT metal vocalist.

(And while I'm on, surely some goth metal band could please cover Wuthering Heights? Its crying out to be done. Its going to be the biggest "why didn't we think of that" moment since G n R did Live and Let Die. I know Pat Benatar did a cover in the 1980's, but the less said the better)

[A.Saturnus]

Beethoven!!!

[Kongamato]

Since Soundgarden is considered "grunge", I'd say Chris Cornell could work. His voice was in the metal range.

[Lemur]

Beethoven!!!

Absolutely. Ludwig Von was the original master of the power chord. Listen to the 9th symphony if you doubt it. Rawk on, Beethoven!

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I'd choose our very own "GoreBag"...

Thrash on buddy

(You ever heard of Atreyu and As I Lay Dieing?)

[Reverend Joe]

Dunno about a metal band, but I know that Hendrix should have been in Pink Floyd, instead of Gilmour, not least because two heads are better than one.

On the downside, their music would have transcended reality, thus triggering the Apocalypse early- and sending all of us, sinners and saints alike, into Heaven. Quite a mess that would have been.

[Paul Peru]

Modest Mussorgsky & Thelonious Monk

[Viking]

Edvard Grieg

[Hurin_Rules]

Richard Wagner.

[Duke of Gloucester]

[QUOTE=English assassin]Well, it is friday...

Prompted by the (perfectly sensible) nomination of Ropbert Plant as a great metal vocalist, which was foiled by the fact that Led Zep aren't metal/QUOTE]

Surely Led Zep were one of the bands that the term "heavy metal" was originally applied too, and contributed to its appropriateness having a (misspelt) heavy metal in their name.

[ArcticSonata]

I will go for Bryan Adams Just becuase he is my favorite non metal vocalist

[Divinus Arma]

I will go for Bryan Adams Just becuase he is my favorite non metal vocalist

I see a man with a woman's avatar and that is just wrong.

[Faust|]

Modest Mussorgsky & Thelonious Monk

Exactly! I was going to say Modest Mussorgsky. Alot of the genetic material for death and black metal can be seen there.

[JAG]

I'd choose our very own "GoreBag"...

Thrash on buddy

(You ever heard of Atreyu and As I Lay Dieing?)

Chimaira eat both for breakfast, at the same time. Though As I lay Dieing are a very good band.

As to the topic, I wouldn't minded seeing Freddie Mercury in a heavy metal band.

[Craterus]

Joey Ramone

[Spino]

I'd would like to hear a young David Bowie singing lead in a metal band. Bowie's earlier work is full of some really energetic rock tunes (i.e. Suffragette City) so it's not as if he didn't have the pipes for the really heavy stuff.

Since Soundgarden is considered "grunge", I'd say Chris Cornell could work. His voice was in the metal range.

Chris Cornell was the lead singer in a heavy metal band. It was called Soundgarden and the idea that they were anything but a heavy metal band is ridiculous. Admittedly, they may have transformed into a grunge band but their debut album, Bad Motorfinger, is a heavy metal album to its core. I remember first hearing them back in college when my friend and I caught the video debut of "Jesus Christ Pose" on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. We were hooked and immediately ran out and bought the album which thankfully was more than a one hit wonder. The thing that hooked us on Soundgarden was the fact that they played so hard and were so relentless and yet didn't devolve into the guttural death/vomit metal sound that made you want to hang yourself while eating a sack full of kittens. Bad Motorfinger was like someone taking the spirit of classic Black Sabbath and Motorhead and tossing them into a blender to see what happens.

I remember when I was in my late teens and Guns and Roses and Nirvana were climbing their way into the spotlight. The only stations that were giving them air time were those that either sported a metal format or set aside a few hours for a metal only show. Furthermore their television exposure was limited solely to MTV's Headbanger's Ball. At the time nobody considered them to be anything but heavy metal or hard rock. By the time those two bands made it big the term heavy metal began to carry seriously negative baggage in popular culture and suddenly bands and record labels alike were quick to embrace terms like alternative and grunge. Blame it on the fallout caused by the glam and gimmick metal surge in the late 80s.

FYI, back in the day Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were considered 'heavy metal' bands. In fact I believe Deep Purple was the first band to actually classify itself as a heavy metal band. By today's standards neither one of those bands would qualify for anything but a 'hard rock' or 'alternative' label. I guess it's all about the context and the definition of the term at any given moment. Personally anything chock full of distortion guitar, power chords and a driving beat gets a heavy metal label from me. The term grunge sounds like it's trying way too hard to disassociate itself from heavy metal and alternative is so hopelessly abstract and generalized that it is essentially meaningless.

[GoreBag]

Chimaira eat both for breakfast, at the same time. Though As I lay Dieing are a very good band.

As to the topic, I wouldn't minded seeing Freddie Mercury in a heavy metal band.

Atreyu and As I Lay Dying aren't metal. Chimaira are borderline themselves, and pretty much suck anyway...

Alexanderofmacedon, thank you very much!

Zorba, it's a good thing Hendrix did what he did, or metal would have been pretty different today.

Spino, Black Sabbath is still a heavy metal band. It is the first, according to the metal police.

Uh...I guess I'll go with Tom Waits. Primus isn't metal, after all.

[English assassin]

Eek. This talk of the metal Police made me think of Sting rerecording Roxanne with added power chords...Now there's a musician I'd have liked to see in a metal band, but only if they promised to kill him.

I guess Spino's point about Sabbath was if a new band came out with that same sound new in 2006 you'd probably call them hard rock rather than metal.

But yeah, like motorbikes and firearms, heavy metal was Made in Birmingham...

[JAG]

Atreyu and As I Lay Dying aren't metal. Chimaira are borderline themselves, and pretty much suck anyway...

They might not be metal in your opinion, but to the vast majority - no, everyone except you - they are. Chimaira are a very good band, their new album especially, but if you don't like them great, not sure I like most of the metal you listen to either.

[GoreBag]

I guess Spino's point about Sabbath was if a new band came out with that same sound new in 2006 you'd probably call them hard rock rather than metal.

Nah, it would be Doom Metal, like Count Raven, St. Vitus, Electric Wizard, Cathedral...

They might not be metal in your opinion, but to the vast majority - no, everyone except you - they are. Chimaira are a very good band, their new album especially, but if you don't like them great, not sure I like most of the metal you listen to either.

Yeah, right, buddy. If you can't tell real metal from this trendy metalcore crap, that's not my problem. It doesn't matter what the 'vast majority' thinks.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I see a man with a woman's avatar and that is just wrong.

Don't worry, the girl in the avatar used to be a man

[JAG]

Nah, it would be Doom Metal, like Count Raven, St. Vitus, Electric Wizard, Cathedral...



Yeah, right, buddy. If you can't tell real metal from this trendy metalcore crap, that's not my problem. It doesn't matter what the 'vast majority' thinks.

Metalcore is clearly still metal, as I said just because you - oh high priestess of metalness - deem it not metal, doesn't make that so.

[JimBob]

Captain Beefheart, thank you

[GoreBag]

Metalcore is clearly still metal, as I said just because you - oh high priestess of metalness - deem it not metal, doesn't make that so.

If it was still metal, it wouldn't need the suffix, now, would it? Oh, priestess, am I? Clever...as if not having a penis somehow undermines my knowledge of my own subculture. I'd rather be a metal bitch than a poseur.

[JAG]

If it was still metal, it wouldn't need the suffix, now, would it? Oh, priestess, am I? Clever...as if not having a penis somehow undermines my knowledge of my own subculture. I'd rather be a metal bitch than a poseur.

Poseur's don't need all the overtly doom and gloom 'metal' thing going on as you try to portray, probably look at yourself first before stating something like that. But then again what do I know, I am not really into metal, eh?!

[GoreBag]

Poseur's don't need all the overtly doom and gloom 'metal' thing going on as you try to portray, probably look at yourself first before stating something like that.

I actually have no idea about what you're trying to say.

But then again what do I know, I am not really into metal, eh?!

Evidently.

[JAG]

Poseur - One who affects a particular attribute, attitude, or identity to impress or influence others.

Now, who does that best describe? Gorebag, you are simply a metal elitist, you believe that because you present yourself in a 'metal' way - bet you do it in real life too - and listen to the most extreme and niche part of the metal genre, you can then decree over everyone else who listens to 'lesser' forms of the genre. Every thread on music and metal takes the same course. Someone will state something about metal, someone might even agree, but then you will state on the contraire, either by rubbishing their statement, contradicting it or stating something else using an obscure name. Every thread guaranteed follows this path, why can you not let those who listen to other types or metal just enjoy listening to them, why do you feel compelled to rubbish and criticise, people like you really piss me off, just let people enjoy music.

[JAG]

And if metalcore isn't a type of metal, what is it? Pop?!

[GoreBag]

Now, who does that best describe? Gorebag, you are simply a metal elitist, you believe that because you present yourself in a 'metal' way - bet you do it in real life too - and listen to the most extreme and niche part of the metal genre, you can then decree over everyone else who listens to 'lesser' forms of the genre. Every thread on music and metal takes the same course. Someone will state something about metal, someone might even agree, but then you will state on the contraire, either by rubbishing their statement, contradicting it or stating something else using an obscure name. Every thread guaranteed follows this path, why can you not let those who listen to other types or metal just enjoy listening to them, why do you feel compelled to rubbish and criticise, people like you really piss me off, just let people enjoy music.

Why shouldn't I present myself in a metal way? It's who I am. I listen to metal, I wear metal clothes, I go to metal shows, I play in metal bands (although that last part has been struggling lately, admittedly). I'm not here to impress; I'm just being honest. Obscure names? Like what?

You can listen to whatever you like; it doesn't bother me. You're just mad that I said your favourite little mallcore band sucked. Alexanderofmacedon asked me if I'd heard of those bands, and I have, unfortunately, but I nipped the problem in the bud - I don't listen to them.

Metal elitist? Maybe to you. Maybe there really is more to this whole 'true metal' than you think.

And if metalcore isn't a type of metal, what is it? Pop?!

Yeah, pretty much.

[Reverend Joe]

Will you two cut it out? Jesus, noone wants to listen to (read?) this.