Over the years, we have seen change in the tastes and preferences of the youth in our country. One of the most recent, significant changes we have noticed is their developing taste in Metal music.
Metal, as a genre, is a heavier version of Rock music, and over the years, thanks to TV, the internet, and International rock acts flying in to Bangalore or Mumbai or Chennai to perform their gigs, the Indian youth has taken a liking to Metal. They feel they can relate to the music.
Metal music originated in the US. ‘Black Sabbath’, a band formed in 1969, was a pioneer to this genre. They were inspired by the Rock artists that existed in their time. Black Sabbath added their own touch to rock music and soon developed a very unique, evil sound that caught on to the rock music fans of that decade. Black Sabbath, lead by famous vocalist, Ozzy Osbourne, soon popularized the genre of Metal. Soon, the bands Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple came into existence and these bands started the Metal Movement. Even today, they remain iconic figures in the Rock Music History. Inspired by their music, other bands started coming up with Metal albums and records, these bands are now internationally renowned. Ex: Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, etc. They have changed the face of Rock music by giving a heavier dimension to the sound of Hard Rock.
Metal has developed a number of sub-genres:
Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Stoner Metal, Glam Metal, Doom Metal, Nu Metal, etc.
Today, bands are experimenting and finding a new sound. Female vocals, keyboards, violins, are all being added to give their heavy sound a cinematic appeal. Their music videos stand out, and paint a completely different picture of the world. There has been some criticism faced by these bands for their expression and visualization of negative thoughts, but one can justify that there is a fair amount of reality expressed in their opinions. Metal, according to me, is going to grow over the years and it is the music is something that you should LOOK OUT FOR!
Over the years, thanks to globalisation, India has been exposed to music of all kinds, and Metal, has gradually caught up with the young musicians here.
Regional Metal bands are growing in number, some now internationally recognized. Few of the great bands from India at present are:
Kryptos, Demonic Resurrection, PinDrop Violence, Bhayanak Maut, etc.
These bands have stood out and made a name for themselves in the Indian rock scene.
Metal is catching up faster than ever, mainly in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.
So, what is it, that draws young India to Metal?
It may be a number of factors. The music may be considered a platform where they can freely express their anger, frustration, or may be just their views about life. This can be said for all the young musicians. But what about the people who come to watch these acts live?
Perhaps they can completely relate to the emotions involved in the music. Metal gives them a sense of belongingness, clarity of thought, etc.
Or,
It just might be a very simple reason – the frantic and hard-hitting music; be it the loud and chunky guitars, or the fierce drumming, or the vocalist’s expression of angst. Any of these might be found appealing.
Today’s youth is a mixture of modernisation, frustration, rebellion, energy and self-expression, and all these factors fall right into the courtyard of Metal Music.