Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating the link with Avant-garde metal, by trying to move away from common metal conventions. "Post-metal" is the favored name for a growing genre, one also referred to as "instro-metal","postcore", art metal, metal-gaze and a great range of others [citation needed].
History:
According to Turner, experimental bands such as Flying Luttenbachers, Melvins, Godflesh and Neurosis "laid the groundwork for us [...] we [Isis] [a]re part of a recognizable lineage". Although Neurosis and Godflesh appeared earlier and display elements befitting post-metal, Isis are often credited with laying down the conventions and definition of the genre in less nebulous terms, with their release of Oceanic in 2002.
Helmet's albums Meantime (1992) and Betty (1994) are cited as having "eschewed the traditional concept of heavy music" and having "trademarked the drop-d power-groove in 5/4." They may be considered "definitive texts in post-metal" though are more accurately described as Alternative Metal/Post-Hardcore; not having much in common with Post-Metal beyond drop tunings.
Post-Metal's history is more closely related to that of Atmospheric Sludge, though some bands are simply Post-Rock with louder guitars.
[The term "post-metal" was earlier used in the UK to describe another emergent genre of metal, at which time the genre now known as "post-metal" was referred to by various other names, most commonly "industrial soundscape music" [citation needed] and "soundscape metal". The term largely fell out of use with the rise of what was known as "post-metal" in the US, effectively seconding the term from the British bands.
Previously, Tool had been labelled as post-metal in 1993 and 1996, as well as in 2006, after the term came into popularity.]
Characteristics:
The simplest way to define post-metal is as a fusion of post-rock and heavy metal. This indicates the interplay of light and dark - taking the distorted guitars and guttural vocals of metal and post-hardcore and setting that against the clean instrumentalism of post-rock. Pieces tend to be at a slow- to mid-tempo, focusing on chord changes and barrages of sound rather than lead guitar riffing and shredding, and usually eschewing guitar solos. Post-metal tends not to feature the dissonance present in the mathcore of Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan.
Isis' Panopticon (2004) is a prime example of post-metal, and post-rock elements are clearly evident in the contrast between calm melodic passages and aggressive distortion-driven climactic sequences. Similar musical structuring can be heard in Pelican's second album released in 2005, The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, again with a focus on gradual evolution of structure.
Instrumentation:
A typical post-metal set-up includes two or three guitars, a bass guitar, synthesizers, a drum kit and a vocalist. There are a number of completely instrumental post-metal bands, such as Pelican. Orchestral passages are not uncommon, especially in the work of Cult of Luna, Intronaut, and Kayo Dot; other bands such as Boris have music strongly influenced by jazz. [citation needed]
The overall sound is generally very low, with guitars being down tuned sometimes to as low as B, the equivalent of a seven-string guitar. Production is usually very tight, and there is little "garage band" feel to the music. This allows for pervasive or minimalist sections, often including instruments such as clean guitars or synthesizer, to come through more clearly.
Vocals and lyrics:
The general philosophy behind post-metal production is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, so each instrument is usually given about equal presence. Vocals are often not particularly high in the mix, and in most cases are "barked" in the style of hardcore or metal, mostly guttural and shouted. Lyrics cover a broad spectrum of issues, usually somewhat metaphysical, existentialist or macroscopic, as opposed to deeply personal or directly allegorical. Themes often include political dissatisfaction, or criticism of herd mentality.
Structure:
Post-metal is also defined by structure, which leans far more towards that of post-rock than metal: songs tend to 'evolve' to a crescendo or climax (or multiple ones within a song), building upon a repeated theme or chord shift, whereas metal, however, often adheres to verse-chorus-verse conventions of song structure. As Aaron Turner of Isis states, "the standard song format of verse-chorus-verse-chorus is something that has been done and redone, and it seems pointless to adhere to that structure when there are so many other avenues to explore". The result of this is often long songs, commonly in the range of six to eleven minutes. Therefore a typical post-metal track is not generally suitable for radio play, nor is it commercially viable. Similarly, albums are often created as quasi-conceptual, creating the greatest impact when listened to as a whole. Likewise, it is not uncommon to see literary influences on albums, such as Red Sparowes' At the Soundless Dawn. This is arguably what makes the genre such an element of the avant-garde. It draws upon the ideas of contemporary classical music and minimalism in the vein of Steve Reich (i.e. repetition and expansion of a theme) and John Cage, at the same time as the metal scene.
A typical post-metal piece might start with a lone guitar, but eventually build to six-plus members playing simultaneously, as shown in songs like "Genesis" from The Beyond by Cult of Luna. Likewise, a post-metal song may leap "head-first" into the music, with distortion and aggression evident from the start. Songs like this challenge the definition of the genre, but the majority of them will contain clean interludes or lulls, usually as parts of a build-up in themselves. Relevant examples include "False Light" from Oceanic by Isis, or "Australasia" from Australasia by Pelican.
Criticism:
Since this genre is relatively new and is only represented by a small number of artists, the need for an entirely independent classification of music has occasionally been questioned by music reviewers and listeners. As a label, some see "post-metal" as redundant, since some bands listed as post-metal contain many elements similar to doom metal, progressive metal, sludge metal, and stoner metal. Others, however, argue that these elements have been combined and altered in ways that go beyond the boundaries of those respective genres, creating the need for a single, distinguishing label.
Pelican's Trevor de Brauw said, "I have an affinity for metal, but I don't think of Pelican as a metal band. So when people call us 'instrumetal', or post-metal, or metalcore or whatever, I can see why they say that, but it's not something that I feel a close connection with... I feel our has more in common with punk and hardcore."
Aesthetic or visual similarities in album art and performance are cited as derivative in claims that post-metal is an overly incestuous movement for its relatively small group of bands and musicians. Isis is often cited as the source of this shared imagery, although bands with similar visual themes playing in the post-metal style existed before Isis greatly popularized the subgenre.
Rosemary
Deftones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the engines drone
Our minds set free
To roam
Time (shift)
We discover the entry
To other planes
Our minds bend
And our fingers fold
Entwined, we dream
Unknown
Time (shift)
We discover the entry
To other planes
Stay with me
As we cross the empty skies
Come sail with me
We slow down
As the engines stall
Our eyes catch sync
Explode
Time (shift)
We discover the entry
To other planes
Time (shift)
As we collide with the energy
In other ways
Stay with me
As we cross the empty skies
Come sail with me
We play in dreams
As we cross through space and time
Just stay with me
The lyrics to Deftones's song Rosemary are rather ambiguous, but there are a few potential interpretations. The first verse seems to describe a journey or flight, where the sound of the engines creates a hypnotic drone, allowing the mind to wander and explore other planes of consciousness or existence. The lyrics, "Our minds bend and our fingers fold, entwined, we dream unknown," suggest a sense of unity or shared experience between the singer and someone else, perhaps a lover or friend. The second verse furthers this idea, with the singer asking the listener to "stay with me" as they "cross the empty skies" and "play in dreams" across space and time.
Overall, the song seems to be about a transcendent experience, where the physical world falls away and the mind is free to explore other realms. The use of flight imagery suggests a feeling of weightlessness or detachment, and the repetition of the phrase "Time (shift)" emphasizes the idea of moving between different planes or dimensions. The dreamlike quality of the lyrics and the subdued, atmospheric music further adds to the sense of surrealism and otherworldliness.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no sound
Silence surrounds us
But the engines drone
The only noise is the hum of the engines
Our minds set free
Our thoughts are unencumbered
To roam
To wander aimlessly
Time (shift)
A change in time
We discover the entry
We find a way in
To other planes
To alternate dimensions
Our minds bend
Our thoughts warp
And our fingers fold
Our hands intertwine
Entwined, we dream
Together, we dream
Unknown
Unchartered territory
Stay with me
Don't leave me
As we cross the empty skies
As we journey through nothingness
Come sail with me
Join me on this journey
We slow down
We come to a stop
As the engines stall
The machines fail
Our eyes catch sync
Our gazes align
Explode
Burst with emotion
As we collide with the energy
When we come into contact with a new force
In other ways
Through different means
We play in dreams
We frolic through our imagination
As we cross through space and time
As we traverse the dimensions of reality
Just stay with me
Don't ever leave my side
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Abe Cunningham, Chino Camilo Moreno, Frank Mirelez Delgado, Sergio Vega, Stephen Carpenter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
M
on Needles & Pins
The song "Needles and Pins" by Deftones, featured on their self titled album “Deftones," is a passionate plea for the intimacy and connection between two people in a crowded yet lonely world. The lyrics express admiration and awe for the beauty and charisma of the person the singer is addressing, likening them to a "star" with an alluring presence that outshines everything around them. The use of metaphors, such as "you're pins, I'm needles" and "Put the cross between me and you," suggests the two people are meant to complement each other, fitting together like puzzle pieces.
The repetitive use of the phrase "Here we are" throughout the song serves to almost anchor the two people to each other amidst the chaos of the outside world. The lyrics also encourage the two people to "tune out" from the surrounding noise and distractions and focus solely on each other, finding solace in their shared passion for music and the "sound" they create together. Ultimately, the message is one of defiance and strength against any external forces that might try to come between them.