Music genres can mean many things, but can metal be romantic? From a very early age, we’re told a particular story influencing our perception of true love. Love can happen to anyone at any time, each of us has a soul mate; love at first sight exists. And my personal favorite, confessing your love in a persistent, grandiose fashion is a sure-fire way to make Mr. or Mrs. Right fall deeply in love with you. These are just a few scenarios sold to society through music, movies, books, and just about every form of media and most of them are painfully wrong.
In reality, love, at first sight, would mean all romantic feelings are based on superficial means, shooting a hole through the destiny trope. Not taking no for an answer and showing up to your crush’s house with a boombox over your head or romantic cue cards is both toxic and stalker behavior. Plus, nearly 75% of the US believes in the idea of soulmates yet almost 50% of marriages end in separation or divorce. Romance isn’t as cut and dry as happily ever after suggests.
Like most things in life, romance is full of contradictions and misdirection. A successful relationship is based on compatibility, trust, and simply the act of getting to know each other. This starts with letting go of preconceived notions. Breaking from pre-packaged perception can have a profound effect on judgment and acceptance.
The heavy metal genre is the perfect example of expectation versus reality. While metal and romance seem incompatible on the surface, real romance doesn’t adhere to the Rom-Com version of love.
It’s a loaded question seeing as the genre has been on the darkest side of ridicule and controversy since its existence. The very idea of the genre responsible for Danzig or Cannibal Corpse singing about true love and devotion is almost laughable! But just like the misconceptions brought forth by parents, pastors, and principals, metal is capable of more than the casual listener might think.
To investigate this query, let’s take a look at two songs from the genre’s most important acts: Metallica and Slayer.
Influencing bands in and outside heavy metal, Metallica’s mainstream success was inevitable. With intricate compositions and unparalleled energy, Metallica’s first 3 records introduced the masses to thrash and their 4th and 5th solidified their place in history as one of the most successful bands of all time. Growing musically and critically, 1996’s Load saw Metallica lean even further into Top 40 territory. Most notably, the album’s sophomore single “Hero Of The Day” put a stronger emphasis on melody much closer to pop than metal had ever done.
“Hero Of The Day” begins with a clean guitar playing a riff in the key of A. The first thing you’ll notice is this song is in a major key, a first for Metallica and a rarity for Metal in general. The riff is an open A chord with the bass note moving up a step in each measure until reaching an E chord. The path of that bass note is an interesting one: A, B, C#, D, and E. Seeing as the notes in the A major scale moving from A to E is pretty dull, Metallica uses it as a plot device against their core sound. It’s happy.
Now, here is where theory nerds could debate how scales sound happy or sad. We’ll get into that later, but for now, let’s just agree that it comes down to context.
When moving around the circle of fifths clockwise, the notes are brighter than moving around counterclockwise. So by definition alone, the composition sounds brighter. This, coupled with a driving 4/4 beat gives “Hero Of The Day” a confident rock sound flirting with power pop. Even at its darkest during the pre-solo interlude, it’s still in the major scale by riding on an F#. The aggression of the interlude is only there to rip into the guitar solo over the main riff of the chorus.
The solo itself (also in the major scale), although modest for Metallica standards, soars as if the entire song has been building to it all along. Overall the anthemic nature of “Hero Of The Day” makes it one of the most powerful songs in Metallica’s repertoire. Regardless of your opinion, there’s no questioning the punch and confidence of the major scale. It just feels good.
On the other hand, Slayer’s “Spill The Blood” is much darker and more sinister.
After Slayer conquered the genre with their 1986 masterpiece Reign In Blood, they were adamant about taking a different approach for the inevitable follow-up. Replacing break-neck thrash with macabre atmosphere, 1988’s South Of Heaven found the band embracing maturity and evolution in their own way. Unlike Metallica, Slayer had little interest in achieving mainstream success, so their experimentation was natural and more personal. This comes to a head on the album’s chilling closing track “Spill The Blood”.
Like “Hero Of The Day”,”Spill The Blood” begins with a clean guitar riff. But instead of ascending, the root note moves to places not exactly pleasing to the ear. The bass note in the riff progress as follows: B, Bb, F#, G, and F. While relative to the song’s key, the notes are utilized to build an ominous tension closer to a horror movie than a candlelit dinner. Only two notes are theoretically correct in the scale, and the result is horrifying.
Both songs are in major keys (A and B, respectively) so you may be wondering how they sound so different. The answer lies within dissonance.
As stated above, the riff of “Hero Of The Day” sounds powerful and confident because the bass note ascends in the major scale. Those notes start and land where they’re expected and the sound is rewarding. The notes of “Spill The Blood” start where they’re supposed to but rarely meet the expected resolution. They may eventually reach a theoretically correct destination but there is no reward, just tension.
So on a technical level, “Hero Of The Day” and “Spill The Blood” couldn’t be any further apart. But what does it say about intent?
While Metallica’s James Hetfield has been pretty vague about the lyrical meaning of “Hero Of The Day”, there are some obvious nods to post-war soldiers.
The window burns to light the way back home
A light that warms no matter where they’ve gone
They’re off to find the hero of the day
But what if they should fall by someone’s wicked way?
This could be taken as a reference to the old-time tradition of a candle burning in the window to guide travelers back home, willing to fight for their cause but hoping not to die in the process. Later, the lyrics reference surviving the war but suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Don’t want your aid
But the first I make
For years can’t hold or feel
No, I’m not all me
So please excuse me while I tend to how I feel
Lyrically, “Hero Of The Day” is heartbreaking and traumatic, not unlike Metallica’s earlier metal epics such as “One” and “For Whom The Bell Tolls”.
On the other hand, the lyrics of “Spill The Blood” were a steep departure for a band like Slayer. Maybe even for the album itself.
Come walk with me through endless time
See what has been and what the future sees
Share the wisdom of the old world that has passed
Step in a life that has yet to be born
You spill the blood
Without knowing these are lyrics weren’t written by a band responsible for songs like “Angel Of Death” and “Mandatory Suicide”, one would think this is some sort of gothic 17th-century poetry.
Take my hand and let go of your life
Close your eyes and see what is me
Raise your chalice, embrace forevermore
You’ve spilled the blood. I have your soul
The mention of blood and obvious reference to ritualistic sacrifice pitches “Spill The Blood” as sinister, but there’s no denying the sweeping sense of enchantment within the lyrics. It could very well be a metaphor of eternal love and devotion. On paper, “Spill The Blood” is the lyrical epitome of romance!
But if we can decipher the lyrics of two songs and break down their theoretical blueprints, can we do the same with romance itself?
The same perception is very telling when it comes to deciding what a particular genre of music can or can’t do. If the song is upbeat and powerful like “Hero of The Day”, it must be romantic right? How about a song from Slayer? The sinister, atmospheric chord progression in “Spill The Blood” must mean something’s wrong. The lyrics, while beautiful in theory, might be about surrendering your soul to the Dark Lord.
The truth of the matter is, of course, metal can be romantic. But just like any song in any genre, it’s subjective to the listener. Most metal fans were introduced to the genre by way of rebellion. Our parents, peers, or elders thought bands like Slayer and Metallica were the definition of evil and it made them that much more appetizing. This hard sell of anti-establishment isn’t much different than Disney, pop songs, or romantic comedies selling us on the ideas of surface romance through pre-written nostalgia.
Rom Coms push the idea that compatibility doesn’t matter and love is completely spontaneous. While inclusive on the surface, it’s still saying only a certain kind of person with a certain look, or pre-destined story can play. Metal has its own set of distinctive preconceptions. It may even be the defining factor of the genre as a whole. However, despite the notion of aggressive rebellion, there’s an unwritten code of morality that says everyone is welcome. Of all functioning fandoms, the metal community just might be the most accepting of race, gender, and spirituality.
As for the question of whether or not heavy metal can be romantic, the answer is a resounding yes!
For me, the soaring guitars of “Hero of The Day” remind me of being a teenager when anything was possible. I didn’t know where my life would end up but I knew I could face it head-on. The lyrical poetry of “Spill The Blood” makes me long for the kind of relationship where our marriage feels almost ritualistic in nature. These songs are from artists who encourage me to question authority and systematic spirituality. Ideally, metal says it’s okay to express my feelings whether they adhere to the establishment or not.
Most importantly, metal preaches inclusiveness without compromising its core values for the sake of broad appeal. It says love isn’t just reserved for the overtly romantic. It doesn’t matter if the lyrics are about the casualties of war or sounds like spending the afterlife in the seventh layer of Hell, passion knows no bounds. Goths, metalheads, and the introverted are just as deserving of love as anyone else. If that doesn’t say romance, I don’t know what does.