HEAVY METAL: IS IT SERIOUS?

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  • Опубліковано 8 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 109

  • @HelvetetsPort
    @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +16

    Thanks for your comments, I'll try to answer if there are some aspects of this topic you want to discuss. Also check out our page for more discussion videos (most of them go into nitty-gritty details of music though). /Witchfinder

    • @matteokovac3618
      @matteokovac3618 2 роки тому

      thanks for standing up for all the trans and HBTQ communities 🙏

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 2 роки тому

      @@matteokovac3618 *In lieutenant Worf's voice* You jest!

  • @allwalledup
    @allwalledup 3 роки тому +13

    Serious when it wants to be, goofy when it wants to be. The whole thing about metal is that it does what it wants. That’s why it’s so cool, because it’s about not giving a fuck and doing what you want.

  • @blackspells
    @blackspells 3 роки тому +19

    Because people in the nowadays world maybe feel certain heavy metal aesthetics are a bit fallen out of time it does not make them any less serious business. All hail to those who still worship and live heavy metal how it’s meant to be !

  • @deanleslie3269
    @deanleslie3269 3 роки тому +16

    Witchfinder delivers his statement with such intelligence and conviction that one must at least respect him. The key word is conviction,which I totally hear in Helvetets Port's music. Fakeness can be felt when it is there. Another thing,how do Swedes speak such good English? Withfinder's vocabulary,despite the accent,puts most Anglo's to shame. Great stuff!

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +6

      We watch American movies and we listen to heavy metal music. ;)

    • @KevinOrtega1980
      @KevinOrtega1980 3 роки тому

      Also don’t some go to American and British universities? When I was in Scandinavia, I met a lot of people that spoke perfect English, and you’d never guess they were actually from their own country and thought they were visiting and when you actually held a conversation with them and asked where they were from, they’d say, oh I’m from here I went to school in Missouri, or London, Washington, etc. it’s really cool I think. Also, music and movies are a great way of learning languages. I know by listening to some Russian metal bands like Aрия, магнит, мастер, etc. I’ve been doing my best to learn Russian so I know what they are saying. Believe me it’s a challenge & fun

  • @Vreidicus
    @Vreidicus 3 роки тому +7

    Witchfinder's words ring very true.

  • @IvanTheHeathen
    @IvanTheHeathen 3 роки тому +12

    This was fascinating to listen to. Witchfinder has certainly impressed me here. Much of what he says is an excellent reflection of what’s become known as metamodernism. Metamodernism is considered to be the successor - or at least one of the successors - to postmodernism. Postmodern art is all about irony, self-aware jokes, breaking the fourth wall, and so on. It’s inherently corrosive, skeptical, mistrustful and unwilling to take anything seriously. For a while, this approach had produced some rather clever commentary and artistic statements (see Alain Robbe-Grillet’s novel _The Erasers_ for an example of postmodern art that’s actually good), but the problem with it was always that it could never truly last. You can’t base a lasting artistic ethos on nothing but negation. Without ideals to shoot for, it was inevitable that postmodern art would degenerate into a self-referential circle jerk - until people started trying to pass off sharks in formaldehyde, unmade beds or cans of shit (I’m not making that up) as “art,” or something like John Cage’s “4:33” as “music.”
    Metamodernism started as a reaction to this. People understandably began to feel tired and empty from all the irony. They wanted sincerity again - real feeling. They felt a need for ideals that would make the work of artistic creation worthwhile, so that meaningful art would continue to be created and we’d have a culture that was worth living in. Pure irony can never give you that. But at the same time, postmodernism made the next generation self-aware enough to never be willing to subscribe to any ideal uncritically or blindly. And so, the result is vacillation - between sincerity and irony, building of new ideals and criticism of what is built.
    Witchfinder is a perfect representative of all of that here - in fact, the whole NWOTHM movement is. Bands in this movement are looking to discover the new within the old, to go forward by going back, to bring new life to metal at a time when it can feel stagnant and confused because there are a million subgenres and no overall direction to anything. These bands just say, “No more of that subgenre bullshit. This is just heavy metal!”
    Most importantly the question, “Is it serious?” Is an inherently postmodern question. Postmodernism can’t even understand sincerity anymore and can only assume it must all be a fancy joke. But Witchfinder is being very metamodern here by basically just saying, “No. Fuck you! We want sincerity!”
    It’s a beautiful thing.

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +4

      Wow, that was a couple of layers above my analysis, or, maybe the essence of what I said in a more science paper way :D Perhaps those who see irony as a trait within their art are suitable for the large masses who really don't have a deep interest in music. /Witchfinder

    • @IvanTheHeathen
      @IvanTheHeathen 3 роки тому +3

      @@HelvetetsPort -- Wow! Nice to hear from you! I learned about your band from this channel here, actually, and I instantly liked what I heard. I admire your passion. As for what you said: maybe. The interesting thing is, when all of this postmodernist irony stuff first started, it was a very elitist thing. Only a few people were doing it, and they blatantly looked down on the people who couldn't get it (think of Marcel Duchamp and his joke with the urinal, for example). But eventually, the ironic stuff spread until it filtered down to the masses and just became a part of what art is today.
      Now, things are starting to shift back in the opposite direction again, like I talked about. And every time a new shift happens, most people don't get it because you kind of have to be "ahead of the curve" to understand a new thing while it's still new. Maybe that will change eventually, and people will start to want sincerity in art in the way that they now want irony. But as with all changes like this, it will take time. Those like you, who are on the forefront of what's causing the change, just need to keep going.
      Again, what you said was very insightful. You were speaking from the heart. I'm more speaking from the brain, but we're basically saying the same thing.
      🤘🤘🤘

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +4

      @@IvanTheHeathen And sorry, I guess I meant layers below, not above, since it was a bit deeper hehe. I believe the biggest difference between 80s and 20s metal bands is the awareness factor. Back then they were kind of living it no matter what their personal propensity was (or would have been, had they been that age now). It makes the music genuine to the listener of today, although I'm not sure how it was looked upon back then. In this current age one has to negotiate and navigate through these things, once they cannot be unseen so to speak. Whereas one would really prefer not having to. But I put my trust in doing the right thing as long as the heart is in it.

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +4

      @@IvanTheHeathen And I don't have the same factual knowledge you seem to have about movements in art, but I remember seeing a shift when - as mentioned in the video - Friends was the most popular show on tv. It felt like the world changed from "old school" to "modern" then. Then there was no longer any place for stuffy old people, it was the beginning of the era of the cool ironic young people. Risk of tackiness replaced with the untouchableness of a shield of irony and distance. A boring age had begun.

    • @IvanTheHeathen
      @IvanTheHeathen 3 роки тому +2

      @@HelvetetsPort -- Yes, exactly. You can't unsee what you have seen. Postmodernism has made us so self-aware that we're even self-aware enough to realize what we have lost by becoming self-aware. That stays with us and we can't fully get rid of it, but we try anyway because we hunger for genuineness. If too much self-awareness and irony is the problem, then don't overanalyze. Just do (ironic, considering all the analyzing I'm doing here, hahaha). That's metamodermism in a nutshell.
      "Friends" was one of the things that helped transition the masses to the "modern" way, but the cultural elite -- top artists, academics, intellectuals, etc. -- had already been like that for decades at the point that show came out (Duchamp did the urinal thing all the way back in 1917). By the time "Friends" came out, the irony virus had spread enough to the point that it could infect everyone instead of just a few "highbrow" people. As things begin shifting back now, I predict we will see the same pattern. The only difference now is that the internet makes everything spread faster, so I think this new shift will be faster than the one before.
      I think "Friends" is what it is largely because of who that show's writers were. Almost all of them were born in the in the mid-to-late-1960s, except the two main writers, which were born in 1956 and 1957. So, almost all of the writers were from Generation X. That whole generation was very cynical and ironic. They mainly used ironic distance to cope with the fact that many of them had extremely shitty and narcissistic parents. When you grow up like that, it's hard to allow yourself to take much seriously because being genuine can make you vulnerable. "Friends" started in 1994, so the Gen-X-ers were in their 30s at that point -- just becoming professionals and finally starting to achieve prominent positions in society. In the 1980s, Gen X was still too young to be in charge of anything and also young enough not to be disillusioned by the world yet. Plus, metal as an art form was still young in the 80s.
      That's my take on it, anyway. But yeah. I hate "Friends." I don't see the appeal of that show at all.

  • @Catonius
    @Catonius 3 роки тому +11

    Deadly serious.
    Earnestness trumps irony every time.

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +2

      Especially from a fan's perspective; when watching/listening to bands I enjoy seriousness even more than when making music, even if it's of course highly enjoyable then as well haha. I would go so far as to say seriousness is an artform in itself! /W

    • @Catonius
      @Catonius 3 роки тому +1

      @@HelvetetsPort Thanks 'finder. I saw Portrait in January 2012 (David was playing bass on that tour - I think, am sure I talked with him..) and he recommended I check you out after I brought up Heavy Load- so glad I did!
      Cheers!

  • @Catonius
    @Catonius 3 роки тому +6

    Brilliant address.
    I'd watch Witchfinder sermons on the regular.

    • @fletchkeilman2205
      @fletchkeilman2205 3 роки тому +3

      Agreed. Same here

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +2

      Check out our channel for some more discussion videos!

    • @Catonius
      @Catonius 3 роки тому +1

      @@HelvetetsPort Certainly will. Thanks so much!

    • @KevinOrtega1980
      @KevinOrtega1980 3 роки тому +1

      @ Helvetets Port I think I will. I enjoy all music your band produces! Cheers!!!

  • @RuthlessMetalYT
    @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +1

    Helvetets Port on UA-cam: ua-cam.com/channels/amGWTPokDExdlGfdimBXBw.html
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    Stay Heavy! 🤘

  • @danielfrezza4365
    @danielfrezza4365 3 роки тому +14

    Everything he says here is 100% true. Too many metal bands are constantly trying to convey a sort of self-awereness about their stylistic choices in a contrived "campy" or "ironic" attitude towards their music and general aesthetics that comes across as an apology for the "cheesiness" of their output. I think this totally sucks, and apologyzing for being "cheesy" for the sole purpose of making your art more accesible to ironic idiots who don't get it in the first place and avoiding backlash for seeming too sincere or "unfashionable" is for cowards.

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +2

      Yes, the equivalent of a nervous laughter after a statement.

    • @alejandropujolbesga0106
      @alejandropujolbesga0106 2 роки тому

      Thats the truth right there, couldnt say it any better. Fucking Hails

  • @KevinOrtega1980
    @KevinOrtega1980 3 роки тому +3

    It was well put! Couldn’t have said it better. Music is an art form and should be treated as such for people to enjoy. I love listening to different kinds of music, but when it comes to traditional style heavy metal, I know it’s truer than most. I also love prog rock as well, that is more of a complex art form.

  • @mikesg1776
    @mikesg1776 3 роки тому +7

    Anyone calling the mighty Thor "goofy", shall taste the sharp blade of my sword! I'm totally serial.

  • @regainrecords8573
    @regainrecords8573 3 роки тому +4

    He´s so fucking right...

  • @Vermonol
    @Vermonol 3 роки тому +4

    Never heard of the band, but going to listen to them now. What I first thought might be parody, turns out to be a sincere acclamation of what the spirit of metal is. Personally need something like this right about now, having being in covid lockdown for so long. Some positive dialogue and of course some new music to go to listen to. Hails!

  • @GordonOverkill
    @GordonOverkill 3 роки тому +5

    Couldn't agree more! Serious it is!

  • @fletchkeilman2205
    @fletchkeilman2205 3 роки тому +9

    Well....he isn't wrong.

  • @bestiaonthedrums
    @bestiaonthedrums 3 роки тому +2

    More wise words from Witchfinder, this man is an icon to me.

  • @jacek_poplawski
    @jacek_poplawski 3 роки тому +4

    Manowar and Dream Evil are bands to explore in this topic ;)

  • @edgaragent0077
    @edgaragent0077 3 роки тому +4

    Hail Witchfinder and Helvetes port! I’m seeing them this weekend or going on a mardrömssafari till helvetet if you will!

  • @beeshampersad2049
    @beeshampersad2049 3 роки тому +4

    Yeah okay well said brother in metal heavy metal was not supposed to be a stylish music it was a way of life for the underground 🛡️🗡️🤘

  • @alannovatolozza
    @alannovatolozza 3 роки тому +4

    We all listen to Metal or Hard Rock, to a greater or lesser extent, we are intellectually superior to the majority.

  • @winrargamer
    @winrargamer Рік тому +2

    🤘🤘🤘

  • @IvanTheHeathen
    @IvanTheHeathen 3 роки тому +2

    On the question of whether there’s anything in music that make people burst out laughing, the only example I can think of (in metal, anyway) is Napalm Death’s “You Suffer.” I’ve shown that to quite a few people who are not metalheads, just to see their reaction, and many of them did indeed start laughing. Whether that was the band’s intention or not, that song’s very unusual structure does kind of force that reaction. Or just look at some of the covers of that song on UA-cam. Someone makes a 10-second version of it, and the comments section becomes loaded with ironic things like, “I’m really enjoying this extended jam session.”

  • @barbarianblood2316
    @barbarianblood2316 3 роки тому +2

    This is great and I completely agree with what you’ve said here. Fuck Yeah!🤘🤘🤘

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +1

      It's Witchfinder of Helvetets Port and not 'me'. ;) Cheers!

    • @barbarianblood2316
      @barbarianblood2316 3 роки тому

      @@RuthlessMetalYT My Apologies. You have a great channel here Sir. Cheers to you!🤘🤘🤘

  • @LatexCult
    @LatexCult Рік тому

    Totally agree with Witchfinder also I love Helvetets Port 🍻

  • @mathiasjonsson8222
    @mathiasjonsson8222 3 роки тому +1

    No mucking about here. I totally respect that. I personally believe that you can be serious and yet add a sense of humour to it. If you feel different thats a ok in my book. Keep doing you. 🤘out 👍

  • @RobertWeingher
    @RobertWeingher 3 роки тому +5

    I believe most off the big metal bands are serious about their music, but you can't be serious all the time, that's boring, yes, you have to be serious most of the time but sometimes, just sometimes you have to take a break from this siriousness and do something unusual, like iron maiden did sherriff of huddersfield, black sabbath did the illusion of power, i dig these songs, they bring the extra value, that's what is lacking in the last iron maiden albums since the reunion, one unusual track per album to relax from all this seriousness, sense of humor is healthy.

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому

      Cheers!

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +3

      What I had thought to clarify in the video but forgot, is: When you're right in the focal point of your artform (like, recording a song or choosing the album cover), then it should be serious. But for example in interviews or other "side" stuff then it's nice to relax a bit.

  • @dantelombardi
    @dantelombardi 3 роки тому +2

    🤘 Witchfinder are great band🤘

  • @Nayoradnavolio2013
    @Nayoradnavolio2013 3 роки тому +2

    lo único que puedo decir es que Accept es una de las mejores bandas y música y actitud que he sentido. Lo demás es pop. cheers.❤

  • @johnquiroz8279
    @johnquiroz8279 3 роки тому +1

    Yep he's right \m/

  • @innercityprepper
    @innercityprepper 2 роки тому

    I love this.

  • @seagullpoet
    @seagullpoet 3 роки тому +2

    What’s your favorite RAZOR cd ? Thanks !

  • @josepasher
    @josepasher 3 роки тому +1

    Algunos se lo toman demasiado en serio, otros se lo toman muy a cachondeo y están los que se lo toman cómo lo que es...HEAVY METAL!!!

  • @hellsunicorn
    @hellsunicorn 3 роки тому +5

    This was a brilliant retort to some royally idiotic sentiments that mainstream culture today has about the metal culture (at this point, it basically is the counterculture movement), metal imagery, lyrics and its corresponding community are no more or less campy than the rest of the stuff polluting the airwaves. This hipster concept of drowning in irony is completely off-putting, and I have zero time for anybody trying to foist it on me or the music I enjoy.

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому

      Cheers!

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +3

      Heavy metal music, and heavy metallers, are sometimes seen as dumb. I don't see any contradiction between thoughtfulness + intelligence and primalness + devotion. Heck it must be intelligent to want to get positive feelings.

    • @hellsunicorn
      @hellsunicorn 3 роки тому +1

      @@HelvetetsPort Agreed, I enjoy most sub-genre's of metal, but there is something particularly endearing about a back to basics approach, especially when bands take inspiration from sources that were obscure even during the height of the style's popularity. Most of my fellow American metal heads know about Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Saxon, but probably haven't heard much from Heavy Load, Cloven Hoof or Witchfynde, so a revival of these acts is almost like a new innovation depending on who is discovering it.

  • @twwells
    @twwells 3 роки тому +2

    To me the music should always be serious, but the aesthetic doesn’t have to be

  • @josepasher
    @josepasher 3 роки тому +1

    Un saludo.

  • @jmagowan12
    @jmagowan12 3 роки тому +2

    Even if your music is gonna be abit silly or naff, let it be glorious and more till the point let us be serious about our craft. Like I wanna form a Celtic Punk metal band and we will cover many theme already covered by other Punk bands & or various Celtic Folk bands, and go on stage in Leather jackets, patched up trousers, tartan and bullet belts and I suppose that is Cliché, but who cares we will look and sound how we wish and why not live life Gloriously? ✊💚⚡

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +1

      Cheers!

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +2

      Exactly, the music doesn't have to be gloomy or anything. But if the listener gets the feeling that there's nothing "behind" what is being performed, then I believe they are left with something which is hard to react to in a meaningful way. A slightly raised eyebrow cannot be what a band set out to induce.

    • @jmagowan12
      @jmagowan12 3 роки тому

      @@HelvetetsPort Thanks so much for your comment, I hope I have the funds to buy some of your albums soon!

  • @Navarothravenheart2688
    @Navarothravenheart2688 9 місяців тому

    I think that the best tests of compatibility with all traditional metal & hard rock are action/fantasy films from the 80s (as a certain direction, not a rigid time frame, because the adjacent decades had a lot of works in a similar vein).
    You know, those movies with tons of explosions, stoic macho psychopaths in the main roles, lots of puppet monsters (which somehow look better than all modern CGI) and an inimitable atmosphere.
    There is a time and a place for irony and mockery, but on such a fundamental level, I don't want it in my heavy metal.
    Heavy Metal is supposed to be like Rambo, like Terminator, like Conan '82, like Water World, Willow, Mad Max or fucking Highlander. This is what metal is supposed to be like. And I feel the same way about it, I just enjoy how damn epic it all is, packed with power, without any pretensions to great depth or being an "important voice".
    And yes, I like Manowar, especially the first four albums.
    Hail from Poland!

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  9 місяців тому

      I fully agree. keep comedy out of metal. This is serious business. Cheers!

  • @perliljedahl4329
    @perliljedahl4329 3 роки тому +1

    Lol, these guys are so hilarious, both on stage and in the audience. Guess some of them slept at the police station yesterday evening.

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому

      Cheers!

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому

      One did ... he was removed by the guards twice but realized he had to go back and see Torch, and then the third time was a charm.

  • @PiousMoltar
    @PiousMoltar 3 роки тому +1

    I went from disagreeing with this guy to loving him. His style of metal is not to my taste I am sure, but he makes many good points.

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +1

      Cheers!

    • @PiousMoltar
      @PiousMoltar 3 роки тому

      @@RuthlessMetalYT Thanks for the reply! I think every type of metal has its place. Wether sarcastic or serious, thrashy or groovy, black or djent.

  • @aftermathau
    @aftermathau 3 роки тому +2

    GWAR proves that art doesn’t need to be serious.

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому

      Maybe, but they were a bit odd with their masks and all.

    • @maldororlotreamon105
      @maldororlotreamon105 3 роки тому

      @@RuthlessMetalYT And how this Helvetets Port guy isn't odd?

  • @MetalPersonJ
    @MetalPersonJ 3 роки тому +2

    I thought people were being too hard on this guy when they said he was taking himself too seriously, but here I have to agree with them. Did we really need dry ice and multiple camera angles? And it sucks because I agree with most of what he says. Why shouldn't you take what you love seriously? And he makes a great point about dragons and warriors looking cool when you were a kid.

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +1

      Yes, excusing yourself before you release a metal album ain't the way to go. be proud and loud!

  • @giannisgiannis
    @giannisgiannis 3 роки тому +2

    Voivod ?

  • @maldororlotreamon105
    @maldororlotreamon105 3 роки тому +1

    He isn't about heavy metal but about being retro.

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +1

      metal was from the 80s so obviously it's that look.

    • @maldororlotreamon105
      @maldororlotreamon105 3 роки тому

      @@RuthlessMetalYT Regular 80s metalheads didn't had that flamboyant look, actually.

    • @HelvetetsPort
      @HelvetetsPort 3 роки тому +2

      @@maldororlotreamon105 The regular 80s metalhead look kind of requires the person to actually be IN the 80s haha. It almost can't be reproduced! Well, maybe if you have curly hair.

    • @maldororlotreamon105
      @maldororlotreamon105 3 роки тому

      @@HelvetetsPort Regular metalheads, the ones you see in the crowd on gigs and on the street. Today not much different from early 80s: band shirts, jeans, leather jackets, vests, usually long hair and few also with spikes, bullet belts etc. You have a 80s "stage metal" look which is cool, but kinda odd for ordinary life.

  • @spaghettimaestruh918
    @spaghettimaestruh918 3 роки тому +1

    The short answer is : yes and no

  • @sassaniandynasty3796
    @sassaniandynasty3796 3 роки тому +1

    Metallica is definitely the least serious thrash band😂

    • @RuthlessMetalYT
      @RuthlessMetalYT  3 роки тому +2

      www.revolvermag.com/sites/default/files/media/images/article/gettyimages-566887297.jpg

    • @MetalPersonJ
      @MetalPersonJ 3 роки тому

      Eh, they were more serious than Anthrax. Edit: Ruthless Metal beat me too it.

    • @sassaniandynasty3796
      @sassaniandynasty3796 3 роки тому

      Okay I'll agree with Anthrax😂🤘🏻

  • @matteokovac3618
    @matteokovac3618 2 роки тому

    about time the transgender community speaks up