Similarities between Church music and heavy metal?

[Flopfoot]

It was the festival of St Cecelia (patron of music) this weekend and so my church decided to get out the organ and start cranking out some music (normally we don't have music at or before the mass).

Before the mass they were playing some Bach, and I noticed that it sounded a lot like power metal - with one organ layer bringing in the underlying bass sounds, like the rhythm section, and then another layer playing eighth and sixteenth notes like some crazy guitar solo, in fact, probably more tasteful than your average power metal solo... and it went on and on for several mintues, like an 'epic' (-:

Then later, they were playing much slower songs, with some really heavy chords from the organ with lots of notes in them, and slow singing too... like Amazing Grace, except that song in particular was 'spoiled' by the sweet voive of our singer who sounded nothing like the almost distorted sounding organ, what with all its flute and clarinet layers and pipes and everything else. But if it had been Ozzy Osbourne belting out Amazing Grace in the church along with the organ then it would have been a perfect doom metal rendition.

Has anyone else noticed these similarities? I wouldn't be surpriesed if, through a long chain of remodelling by other bands (eg, Deep Purple organ sounds somewhere between church organ and heavy metal), several heavy metal bands' inspirations actually trace back their line of inspiration to the Catholic Church. Now that would be a shock to those satanic bands ay?

I want to start learning to play the organ again now! (-:

[NightngaleShane]

There are some definite similarities, as a good portion of the traditional heavy metal has obvious roots in classical music.

I remember the first time I heard Mr. Crowley by Ozzy (if you haven't heard it, download it!), I thought, "Wow... this intro sounds like it could be heard in church!"

I am pretty sure plenty of heavy metal band members were also raised Catholic and that while they tried to escape it, the upbringing will always secretly be with them and cause them to play church music Once Catholic, always Catholic!

Also... the satanic nature of some heavy metal bands is merely an act. Stage theatrics. Nothing more. There could be a few closet Catholic metalheads here and there who just say nothing about it because it's their private life. A lot of rock stars are very different in everyday life than what they show on stage and in the press. Rock music is largely fantasy.

[bpbasilphx]

Well,l considering that spotted metal, a mixture of tin and lead in varying proportions, is the usual material for organ pipes, of course this would be heavy metal.

[NightngaleShane]

Originally Posted by bpbasilphx

Well,l considering that spotted metal, a mixture of tin and lead in varying proportions, is the usual material for organ pipes, of course this would be heavy metal.

hehehe, that made me smile and chuckle! Thanks!

[Matrix Refugee]

Then factor in that a lot of '80s metal bands got their inspirations from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and that Tolkien was Catholic... Hm...

[Quatsch]

Originally Posted by bpbasilphx

Well,l considering that spotted metal, a mixture of tin and lead in varying proportions, is the usual material for organ pipes, of course this would be heavy metal.

Au my....

[averheyen]

This is why I think they should make a LOT more Catholic heavy metal.

It's a glorifying style of music, not unlike it's classical roots.

It's a PRIME target for Evangelization (as I'm sure anyone who's ever been to a rock concert can testify to).

Not only that, take Handel's Messiah for example. When it was first played in some places in England, people were APPAULED at it. Why? Because of the scandel it caused using singers from the theatre in the church, as well as the musical themes seemed more akin to the tavern than the church.

Charles Wesley was well known for taking music directly used in the tavern and simply applying Christian lyrics.