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Why is heavy metal so big in Japan?


RockNote

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Let me be a little more specific, as specific as I can. I am thinking of a general trend - I have no clue what is the status on metal in Japan today. But bands that may have had a lukewarm reception in their European homelands are sometimes successful in Japan. Okay, that may apply beyond metal, but still... Perhaps the crux of the matter is this. To me, heavy metal is a very European type of music as it borrows from classical music. If rock is American rather than European, then heavy metal is a Europeanized version of rock. That's not true of all genres of metal, but Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden - they are all very European to me. Van Halen on the other hand is very American. What I am really curious about is how it sounds to Japanese people? Also, the bands I just mentioned (save for VH) are all English. Would anybody say that they sound specifically English to them? Morrissey sounds English to me, as does Bowie, but I don't hear these metal bands as being specifically English.

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Or one might ask "Why are the Ventures so big in Japan?" Considered to be Japan's number one favorite American Rock group.

 

But I'd only ask that question to point out that there's plenty of appetite for genres outside of metal over there. Cuz I know why they'd like the Ventures.

 

But basically Japan took to "Western Music" right after WWII.

 

I was born there in '57 when my dad was in the Air Force. I remember my folks talk about listen to covers of "I'm gonna lock lock lock, round the crock". So Bill Hailey was popular too.

 

So there's not much "good" going on in countries outside of Japan that the Japanese don't soak up.

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They tend to like metal that is not as extreme as other places.

 

 

horseapples! japanese metal might not hold up to scandinavian bands that kill each other and eat each other's brains, but BORIS is heavier than 99% of american metal bands. noise music is also pretty popular in japan; they're into some intense stuff as well.

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Or one might ask "Why are the Ventures so big in Japan?" Considered to be Japan's number one favorite American Rock group.


But I'd only ask that question to point out that there's plenty of appetite for genres outside of metal over there. Cuz I know why they'd like the Ventures.


But basically Japan took to "Western Music" right after WWII.


I was born there in '57 when my dad was in the Air Force. I remember my folks talk about listen to covers of "I'm gonna lock lock lock, round the crock". So Bill Hailey was popular too.


So there's not much "good" going on in countries outside of Japan that the Japanese don't soak up.

 

 

what i really like is the japanese band Blues Creation, which was basically like blue cheer + bluesbreakers - ability to speak english. their instrumentation is {censored}ing awesome, but seriously, "all the rovingest roving"?

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what i really like is the japanese band Blues Creation, which was basically like blue cheer + bluesbreakers - ability to speak english. their instrumentation is {censored}ing awesome, but seriously, "all the rovingest roving"?

 

 

I love that group! I have "Demon & Eleven Children", they sound just like a Japanese Black Sabbath. How are their other albums?

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I love that group! I have "Demon & Eleven Children", they sound just like a Japanese Black Sabbath. How are their other albums?

 

 

their other albums under that name are their self-titled first album, "carmen maki/blues creation" (which is just blues creation with female pop musician carmen maki on vocals), and a live album from '71. after that, they changed their name to creation, cut another self-titled album, and toured with mountain. band leader kazuo takeda did some other stuff with mountain bass player felix pappalardi, too.

 

the only other album of their's that i've heard is the first self-titled one, and it's a lot more straight british blues than "demon" is. if you want, i think i've got it on my pc at home, and i can upload it later today.

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Let me be a little more specific, as specific as I can. I am thinking of a general trend - I have no clue what is the status on metal in Japan today. But bands that may have had a lukewarm reception in their European homelands are sometimes successful in Japan. Okay, that may apply beyond metal, but still... Perhaps the crux of the matter is this. To me, heavy metal is a very European type of music as it borrows from classical music. If rock is American rather than European, then heavy metal is a Europeanized version of rock. That's not true of all genres of metal, but Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden - they are all very European to me. Van Halen on the other hand is very American. What I am really curious about is how it sounds to Japanese people? Also, the bands I just mentioned (save for VH) are all English. Would anybody say that they sound specifically English to them? Morrissey sounds English to me, as does Bowie, but I don't hear these metal bands as being specifically English.

 

 

 

Sorry, I disagree with your view on metal -- pretty much 100%. You are looking at it from a very genre specific point of view, mainly a black metal/power metal perspective which is very symphonic in nature. Metal first and foremost is blues based. It rew out of the blues, hands down. It's also not totally a European type of music as you state. Sure, many of the greats are from Europe (Sabbath, Maiden, Priest), but other greats are US based (Van Halen, Metallica, Tool). You see European because you are isolated in Denmark and don't have the global perspective of metal -- it is truely a global form of music.

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Sorry, I disagree with your view on metal -- pretty much 100%. You are looking at it from a very genre specific point of view, mainly a black metal/power metal perspective which is very symphonic in nature. Metal first and foremost is blues based. It rew out of the blues, hands down. It's also not totally a European type of music as you state. Sure, many of the greats are from Europe (Sabbath, Maiden, Priest), but other greats are US based (Van Halen, Metallica, Tool). You see European because you are isolated in Denmark and don't have the global perspective of metal -- it is truely a global form of music.

 

I am not quite sure what to tell you, as for me it is not a question of dis/agreeing unless you take these terms to mean sharing or not sharing. There is one thing I need to clear up however. I never said that heavy metal was "totally a Europpean type of music." I am merely taking about degrees. That rock, being American at the outset, is "Europeanized" in bands that borrow from classical music by expanding the range of scales used. That's how it sounds to me.

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It's the 2nd time I get that reference within a couple of weeks - I really need to see that movie.
:D

 

HOLY CRAP?!?!?!? You play guitar (or possibly in a band..) and never have seen this movie???.... you now have homework this weekend young man or woman (as I don't know I don't want to offend ya! :wave: )

 

Go get it and watch it -- and then watch it again.... and then again. It moves fast -- you may miss alot the first time... but then see it again.. and you're laughing harder than the first time and so on and so forth.....

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HOLY CRAP?!?!?!? You play guitar (or possibly in a band..) and never have seen this movie???.... you now have homework this weekend young man or woman (as I don't know I don't want to offend ya!
:wave:
)


Go get it and watch it -- and then watch it again.... and then again. It moves fast -- you may miss alot the first time... but then see it again.. and you're laughing harder than the first time and so on and so forth.....

 

:D Yeah, okay. I watched Existenz the other night - best movie in a very long time, and I don't even play computer games.

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