Over the years, the music industry has seen genres and sub-genres come and go, but one that remains a staple to this day is Rock ‘n’ Roll. Rock music started as a derivative of blues with influences from traditional African music such as “blue notes” and a “call and response” style of vocals. Examples of this can be found in Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”. Rock music is full of sub-genres such as punk, metal, and most recently, djent (pronounced “gent”). Many of those who listen to rock music narrow their focus to one specific sub-genre. I prefer to listen to heavy metal because that is the type of music I like to play on drums and guitar. A lot of these sub-genres borrow ideas from each other. Djent, for example, takes elements from progressive rock, metal, and jazz.
Although it’s been over ten years, I can remember the first heavy metal song I heard like it was yesterday. My dad went out to run some errands and it all began when he pulled back into the driveway and I felt the ground shake. He had a system in his car so every time the bass hit, it was like a miniature earthquake. Every few seconds the ground would vibrate rhythmically with the beat of the song. It was “Shout at the Devil” by Mötley Crüe. From inside the house, I could hear Vince Neil repeatedly chanting, “shout…. shout… shout…”. Then the drums kicked in. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. At the time, my favorite songs were “Dancing Queen” by ABBA and “Ob-la-di Ob-la-da” by The Beatles; I had no idea what metal was. It was heavy, but still groovy at the same time. This was when my passion for rock music started.
To me, the biggest thing going on in rock right now is Iron Maiden’s release of The Book of Souls. Iron Maiden is one of my favorite bands of all time. From the dueling guitars to Bruce Dickinson’s insane vocal range, Maiden has it all. Not only are they talented musicians, but their music is pleasing to the ear. Every song is very melodious and full of many guitar harmonies as well as a pretty intense bass line driven by the lightning fast drumming of Nicko McBrian. I strongly recommend giving them a listen to. They’re pioneers in rock and are still raising the bar with new content today.
To me, the biggest thing going on in rock right now is Iron Maiden’s release of The Book of Souls. Iron Maiden is one of my favorite bands of all time. From the dueling guitars to Bruce Dickinson’s insane vocal range, Maiden has it all. Not only are they talented musicians, but their music is pleasing to the ear. Every song is very melodious and full of many guitar harmonies as well as a pretty intense bass line driven by the lightning fast drumming of Nicko McBrian. I strongly recommend giving them a listen to. They’re pioneers in rock and are still raising the bar with new content today.