How do fans of classical music react when confronted with the genre of heavy metal? The two superficially disparate musical forms, usually deemed light-years apart, have more in common than convention often implies.
Metal music, as certain scientific studies have confirmed, shares many compositional characteristics with the classical art. But what would operatic adherents do when collared with the aggressive aesthetic foisted on them in real-time?
Metal website MetalSucks recently examined the two genres' juxtaposition of style in an entertaining viral video, playing heavy metal music for fans attending a symphony performance:
"When the Colorado Symphony Orchestra came to the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO, we stopped a few fans in attendance, asked them their thoughts about metal, and got their opinions on a little [death metal band] Cryptopsy." (Watch below.)
Spoiler alert: As is often the case, the sampled classical lovers appreciated Cryptopsy's instrumental dexterity but customarily dismissed the band's vigorous vocal displays. The criticism is one widely shared, thought not unanimously, by listeners of more traditional music toward its heavier rock counterparts.
Scientist Adrian North of Scotland's Heriot-Watt University conducted a study examining the differences between classical and metal music, as reported by Metal Injection. North concluded that the two genres are more similar than is generally perceived by prosaic listeners:
"Metal fans, like classical listeners, tend to be creative, gentle people, at ease with themselves. 'We think the answer is that both types of music, classical and heavy metal, have something of the spiritual about them -- they're very dramatic -- a lot happens,' North said to the BBC."
Check out the following clip to see some classical fans respond to the metal music.
Cryptopsy plays the Quebec City Summer Festival in downtown Quebec, Canada, on Tuesay, July 12, followed by a four-date tour of Mexico. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra next performs a sold-out suite of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses - Master Quest at Boettcher Concert Hall on Thursday, July 14.
We want to hear from you -- let us know if prefer classical music over metal in the comments section below.
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