View source for Post-metal

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Short description|Genre of heavy metal music}}
{{expand German}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Post-metal
| other_names       = *Art metal
*metalgaze
| stylistic_origins = <!-- please do not make unexplained changes -->{{hlist|[[Extreme metal]]|[[Experimental music|experimental]]|[[post-rock]]|[[post-hardcore]]}}
| cultural_origins  = 1990s, United States and England
| instruments       = {{hlist|[[Electric guitar]]|[[Bass guitar|bass]]|[[Drum kit|drums]]}}
| derivatives       = [[Blackgaze]]
| regional_scenes   =
| local_scenes      =
| other_topics      = * [[Alternative metal]]
* [[avant-garde metal]]
* [[black metal]]
* [[doom metal]]
* [[drone metal]]
* [[industrial metal]]
* [[progressive metal]]
* [[shoegaze]]
* [[sludge metal]]
}}
'''Post-metal''' is a music genre rooted in [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as [[Neurosis (band)|Neurosis]] and [[Godflesh]], who transformed metal [[texture (music)|texture]] through [[experimental music|experimental]] composition. In a way similar to the predecessor genres [[post-rock]] and [[post-hardcore]], post-metal offsets the darkness and intensity of [[extreme metal]] with an emphasis on atmosphere, emotion, and even "[[revelation]]", developing an expansive but introspective sound variously imbued with elements of [[ambient music|ambient]], [[noise music|noise]], [[psychedelic music|psychedelic]], [[progressive music|progressive]], and [[classical music]], and often [[shoegaze]] and [[art rock]]. Songs are typically long, with loose and layered structures that discard the [[verse–chorus form]] in favor of [[crescendo]]s and repeating [[Theme (music)|theme]]s. The sound centres on guitars (subjected to various [[Effects unit|effects]]) and drums, while any vocals are often but not always [[screaming (music)|screamed]] or [[death growl|growled]] and resemble an additional instrument.
Post-metal is related to other experimental styles of metal: [[avant-garde metal]], [[drone metal]], [[progressive metal]], and [[industrial metal]]. It has also been called '''metalgaze'''<ref name="earles">{{cite book|last1=Earles|first1=Andrew|title=Gimme Indie Rock|date=2014|publisher=Voyageur|isbn=9781627883795|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_eKBAAAQBAJ&q=%22metal-gaze%22+%22post-metal%22&pg=PA145|access-date=15 July 2016}}</ref> and '''art metal''',<ref name="nyt" /> highlighting its connection to [[shoegaze]] (an [[indie music]] style related to post-rock) and [[art music]], respectively. Contemporary post-metal, pioneered by diverse groups such as [[Isis (band)|Isis]], [[Agalloch]], [[Boris (band)|Boris]], [[Pelican (band)|Pelican]], [[Jesu (band)|Jesu]], [[Wolves in the Throne Room]], and [[Russian Circles]], typically employs the deep heaviness of [[doom metal]] and [[sludge metal]] and/or the dark ferocity of [[black metal]]. The widespread acclaim of [[Deafheaven]], who succeeded [[Alcest]] in combining black metal and shoegaze (a fusion nicknamed [[blackgaze]]), made this global post-metal underground more visible.
==History==
===Predecessors===
[[File:Buzz Osborne of The Melvins Live @ Slim's 01.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Melvins]]' combination of [[doom metal]], [[hardcore punk]], and [[avant-garde music|avant-garde]] approaches has been a key influence on post-metal bands.]]
The groundwork for post-metal was laid in the 1980s and early 1990s by various artists (mostly in the US) combining [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[punk rock]] sounds with an "[[avant-garde music|avant-garde]] sensibility", such as the [[Melvins]] (particularly on 1991's [[Bullhead (album)|''Bullhead'']]),<ref name="bandcamp">{{cite web|url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/2016/08/04/a-brief-history-of-post-metal/|title=A Brief History of Post-Metal|publisher=Bandcamp|first=Jon|last=Wiederhorn|date=4 August 2016|access-date=14 November 2017}}</ref> [[The Flying Luttenbachers]], [[Justin Broadrick]] of [[Napalm Death]] and [[Godflesh]],<ref name="nyt" /> [[Swans (band)|Swans]], [[Gore (band)|Gore]], [[Last Exit (free jazz band)|Last Exit]], [[Glenn Branca]], [[Rollins Band]], and [[Fugazi]].<ref name="fact" /> [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]]'s albums [[Meantime (album)|''Meantime'']] (1992) and [[Betty (Helmet album)|''Betty'']] (1994) were also significant,<ref name="earles" /> while [[Tool (band)|Tool]]'s music was described as post-metal as early as 1993.<ref name="santiago">{{cite news | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF8F12C40B57C7&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D | title = At the main stage ...| first = Dave | last = Ferman | publisher = [[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]], archived by NewsBank | date = 30 July 1993 | access-date = 9 May 2007 | format = fee required | quote = Tool's vicious, post-metal attack is one of the more intense offerings of the day ...}}</ref> Many of these artists emerged from [[hardcore punk]] and [[post-punk]] circles but their combination of sonic violence with experimentation and [[eclecticism]] made them difficult to categorize under any one genre.<ref name="nyt" />
===Emergence in the 1990s===
The term [[post-rock]] was coined in 1994 and soon used to describe a diverse group of bands that shared "a penchant for drifting melodies and the desire to expand beyond established [[rock music|rock]] boundaries".<ref name="bandcamp"/> As this movement swelled, bands from [[post-hardcore]] and [[experimental music|experimental]] backgrounds began to incorporate its tendencies of "[[ambient music|ambience]], offbeat experimentation, downcast melodies and [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]]" into metal.<ref name="bandcamp"/> The two genres further converged through the influence of post-rock bands such as [[Mogwai]], [[Godspeed You! Black Emperor]], and [[Lift to Experience]] who shared metal's emphasis on loudness.<ref name="fact" />
[[File:Neurosis 038.jpg|thumb|right|[[Neurosis (band)|Neurosis]] have been credited with inventing the genre through their [[experimental music|experimental]], spiritually intense work.]]
[[Neurosis (band)|Neurosis]]' third album ''[[Souls at Zero]]'' and Godflesh's second album [[Pure (Godflesh album)|''Pure'']], both released in 1992, are often retrospectively considered the first post-metal records.<ref name="bandcamp"/> Godflesh had already pioneered "sluggish and tortured" [[industrial metal]] of their 1989 debut [[Streetcleaner (album)|''Streetcleaner'']], but ''Pure'' showcased "more expansive structures and long stretches of billowing [[noise music|noise]]", inspiring a number of subsequent bands to combine metal with "layered washes of sound".<ref name="bandcamp"/> Neurosis on the other hand were a hardcore band who embraced [[doom metal]], post-punk and [[industrial music|industrial]] influences, experimenting with [[Texture (music)|texture]] and [[Dynamics (music)|dynamics]].<ref name="bandcamp"/> They have since become recognized "for their pioneering post-metal efforts and unwavering dedication to expanding their artistic boundaries."<ref>{{cite web|last=Mikkelson |first=Jill |url=http://exclaim.ca/Interviews/FromTheMagazine/neurosis_are_insulated |title=Neurosis Are Insulated • Interviews |publisher=Exclaim.ca |access-date=10 January 2013}}</ref> In 2010, guitarist [[Steve Von Till]] stated:<ref name="gn">{{cite news|title=How Neurosis blazed a trail for 'thinking man's metal' and lasted 25 years|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/dec/02/neurosis-live-at-roadburn|last=Thomson|first=Jamie|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=2 December 2010|access-date=5 January 2017}}</ref>
{{blockquote|We always knew there was something deep to Neurosis's music, but ... I think ''Souls at Zero'' was when the music became something else. It was taking that material out on the road and losing ourself in the [[trance]] states induced by playing [[hypnotic]], super-heavy loud music that we really figured out how to surrender to it. Then we said, OK – this is going to take us to where we wanna go: somewhere deeper, somewhere more emotional, somewhere [[Classical elements|elemental]].}}
The band's 1996 fifth album ''[[Through Silver in Blood]]'' was credited by ''[[Terrorizer Magazine|Terrorizer]]'' with "effectively invent[ing] the post-metal genre"<ref>Jim Martin, "Retroaction," ''Terrorizer'' #188, September 2009, p. 80.</ref> and named the best post-metal album of all time by [[Fact (UK magazine)|''Fact'']].<ref name="fact" /> The fluctuating 12-minute song "Purify" has been described as the album's "signature track".<ref name="bandcamp"/> Neurosis' work has also contributed the development of doom metal, [[sludge metal]], and [[drone metal]], and these genres have been associated with post-metal since.<ref name="steff">{{cite web |last=Green |first=Steff |date=9 February 2015 |title=So Just What Exactly Is "Post Metal" Anyway?" |url=http://www.steffmetal.com/so-just-what-exactly-is-post-metal-anyway/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214040403/http://www.steffmetal.com/so-just-what-exactly-is-post-metal-anyway/ |archive-date=14 February 2015 |access-date=11 November 2017 |publisher=Steff Metal}}</ref> Similarly, drone metal pioneers [[Earth (American band)|Earth]] have been significant to post-metal ever since their 1991 debut release ''[[Extra-Capsular Extraction]]''.<ref name="bandcamp"/>
[[File:Aaron T (4775767148).jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Aaron Turner]] of [[Isis (band)|Isis]] and [[Hydra Head Records]] has been a major figure.]]
Furthermore, ''Fact'' writer Robin Jahdi highlights the late 1990s US [[noisecore]] of bands such as [[Botch (band)|Botch]], [[Kiss It Goodbye]], [[the Dillinger Escape Plan]] and [[Coalesce (band)|Coalesce]], who merged brutal [[metallic hardcore]] with [[jazz]] into fast-and-complex compositions, as a fundamental influence on post-metal.<ref name="fact" /> Writing for ''[[Bandcamp Daily]]'', Jon Wiederhorn also noted the significance of Botch and [[Cave In]],<ref name="bandcamp"/> while [[Converge (band)|Converge]] have been connected to post-metal through their longer songs since the closing track of their seminal 2001 album ''[[Jane Doe (album)|Jane Doe]]''.<ref name="convergesucks">{{cite web|url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2009/06/30/5-converge-jane-doe/|title=21 Best Metal Albums of the 21st Century ... So Far |last=O'Hagar|first=Sammy|publisher=MetalSucks|date=30 June 2009|access-date=26 November 2011}}</ref> According to Jahdi, the genre emerged as "those young intellectuals decided to slow it down" and labels such as [[Relapse Records]] and [[Hydra Head Records]] began releasing "slower, more bass-heavy and abstract" music more akin to post-rock.<ref name="fact" />
===Development in the 2000s===
Hydra Head Records had been established in 1993 by [[Aaron Turner]]. In 1997, Turner co-founded [[Isis (band)|Isis]], a band which became central to an increasingly recognizable post-metal movement. In particular, their 2002 album ''[[Oceanic (Isis album)|Oceanic]]'' – which showcased "buzzing washes of multilayered sound that ebbed and flowed in intensity", combining the "barbed guitars" and "[[shouted vocals]]" of post-hardcore with "meandering, psychedelic progressions"<ref name="bandcamp"/> – has become regarded as a classic of the genre.<ref name="fact" /> At the same time, Hydra Head signed further prominent bands, releasing the early records of [[Pelican (band)|Pelican]] and [[Jesu (band)|Jesu]].<ref name="nyt" /> While Pelican are an [[instrumental music|instrumental]] quartet inspired as much by Neurosis and Godflesh as by Mogwai, Jesu was formed by Justin Broadrick after the breakup of Godflesh to explore "ambient guitar compositions", embracing [[shoegaze]] and [[slowcore]] influences.<ref name="bandcamp"/>
As [[black metal]] "spread beyond Scandinavia to infect the global underground", it joined shoegaze as a major factor in the evolution of post-metal.<ref name="bandcamp"/> Many bands employ the "speed and ferocity" of black metal in "contrast to slower, more ethereal compositions". This approach was pioneered by [[Agalloch]], who formed in 1995 and also employed elements of doom metal, [[progressive rock]], [[folk music]], and post-hardcore.<ref name="bandcamp"/> [[Wolves in the Throne Room]], who became a significant act for American black metal by the release of their 2007 album ''[[Two Hunters]]'', were also inspired by Neurosis in combining "ambience and violence" to craft deeply melancholic music.<ref name="bandcamp"/>
While all aforementioned post-metal pioneers are either from the US (Neurosis, Isis, Pelican, Agalloch, and Wolves in the Throne Room) or the UK (Broadrick's Godflesh and Jesu), the genre soon spread internationally. The Japanese band [[Boris (band)|Boris]], formed in 1992, "have always embraced the spirit and vitality of the vibrant movement" and some of their works, such as the 2005 albums ''[[Dronevil]]'' and ''[[Pink (Boris album)|Pink]]'', have become influential to it.<ref name="bandcamp"/> Boris often employ elements of [[drone music]] and have collaborated with prominent [[Seattle]] drone metal band [[Sunn O)))]],<ref name="bandcamp"/> who have also been associated with post-metal.<ref name="nyt" /> Several European bands also gained prominence within the genre, including: [[Cult of Luna]] from Sweden, whose sound is indebted to Isis' ''Oceanic'';<ref name="steff" /> [[Amenra]] from Belgium, who signed to Neurosis' label [[Neurot Recordings]] and rival their predecessors in sheer spiritual intensity;<ref name="amenra">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/amenra-mass-vi-album-stream-a8002161.html|title=AMENRA – MASS VI: Album Stream|last=Dedman|first=Remfry|newspaper=The Independent|date=16 October 2017|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref> and [[Year of No Light]] from France, who have transitioned from a sludge-oriented sound to monumental instrumental compositions, "beautifully layered, but still dark and heavy".<ref name="bandcamp"/>
Back in the US, another instrumental band rose to prominence: [[Russian Circles]], also strongly influenced by ''Oceanic''.<ref name="steff" /> By contrast, [[True Widow]], whose sound is rooted as much in 1990s [[indie rock]] and [[psychedelic rock]] as in doom metal, offer a distinctive take, most impactfully on the 2013's ''[[Circumambulation (album)|Circumambulation]]'', by employing "male/female vocal interplay" and showcasing "vulnerability and restraint".<ref name="bandcamp"/> Meanwhile, the Melvins returned to the sound they themselves helped inspire, impacting it with the 2004 album ''[[Pigs of the Roman Empire]]'', a collaboration with Welsh [[dark ambient]] composer [[Lustmord]].<ref name="bandcamp"/>
[[File:Deafheaven @ A Colossal Weekend 2017 46.jpg|thumb|right|[[Deafheaven]] have brought the genre widespread critical acclaim in their fusion of [[black metal]] and [[shoegaze]].]]
Gradually, post-metal as a genre has achieved major critical acclaim.<ref name="steff" /> This was reinforced by the "widely publicized" success of California band [[Deafheaven]],<ref name="bandcamp"/> whose second album ''[[Sunbather (album)|Sunbather]]'' became one of the most celebrated releases of 2013. The band's successful fusion of caustic black metal with blissfull shoegaze in the vein of [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]] and [[Slowdive]],<ref name="bandcamp"/> although preceded by the French musician [[Neige (musician)|Neige]] of [[Alcest]], was nicknamed [[blackgaze]] and met with controversy among fans of conventional [[extreme metal]]. It has also inspired a new wave of bands such as: [[Ghost Bath]] from North Dakota, who use undistorted guitar melodies to develop unsettling atmospheres; Austria's [[Harakiri for the Sky]], whose despairing sound melds black metal and post-hardcore;<ref name="bandcamp"/> and the recent work of [[Oathbreaker (band)|Oathbreaker]], who are rooted in the Belgian dark hardcore scene of Amenra.
==Characteristics==
Post-metal is generally heavy, aggressive, and dark, but explores a variety of musical approaches alien to conventional [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[extreme metal]].<ref name="bandcamp"/> It mirrors [[post-rock]] and [[post-hardcore]] in its emphasis on atmosphere and deep emotion and may be considered abstract,<ref name="fact" /> introspective,<ref name="steff" /> expansive,<ref name="bbc1">{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zhj9 | title=Neurosis - Times of Grace Review | publisher=[[BBC]] | access-date=5 January 2016 | author=Moffitt, Greg}}</ref> [[hypnotic]],<ref name="gn" /> [[progressive music|progressive]],<ref name="bbc1" /> layered,<ref name="bandcamp"/> or even [[Apocalypse|apocalyptic]].<ref name="bbc1" /> Jon Wiederhorn writes that though some post-metal bands "sought to break away from their raging roots by exploring less bombastic and more dynamic musical techniques" and others "sought to remain raw and corrosive", their music shares a "heavy-lidded yet eye-opening" effect.<ref name="bandcamp"/> ''[[The New York Times]]'' associated the term with a "wave of bands using metal as a jumping-off point for a range of [[experimental music|experimental]] styles, dabbling in [[free jazz]], [[minimal music|minimalist]] post-rock, [[noise music|noise]] and even [[modern classical music]]."<ref name="nyt">{{cite news | last = Caraminica | first = Jon | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/20/arts/the-alchemy-of-artworld-heavy-metal.html | title = The alchemy of art-world heavy metal | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date = 20 September 2005 | access-date = 20 September 2005}}</ref> Contemporary post-metal bands incorporate influences ranging through [[doom metal]], [[black metal]], [[shoegaze]], [[progressive rock]], [[folk music]], and [[classical music]].<ref name="bandcamp"/>
Writing for [[Slate (magazine)|''Slate'']] in 2009, [[Simon Reynolds]] reflected:
{{blockquote|Post-rock doesn't have the same temporal aspect that [[post-disco]] or [[post-punk]] have; it's not about the ripples set in motion by a galvanizing "event." Rather, it evokes a sense of "going beyond" the structures of a genre of music without completely abandoning its legacy of attitudes and assumptions. For similar reasons, the term post-metal seems increasingly useful to describe the vast and variegated swath of genres (the thousand flavors of doom/black/[[death metal|death]]/[[grindcore|grind]]/[[drone metal|drone]]/[[sludge metal|sludge]]/etc., ad infinitum) that emerged from the early '90s onward. Sometimes beat-free and [[ambient music|ambient]], increasingly the work of home-studio loners rather than performing bands, post-metal of the kind released by US labels like [[Hydra Head Records|Hydra Head]] often seems to have barely any connection to metal as understood by, say, [[VH1 Classic]] doc-makers. The continuity is less sonic but attitudinal: the penchant for [[Fascination with death|morbidity]] and darkness taken to a sometimes hokey degree; the somber clothing and the long hair; the harrowed, indecipherably [[growled vocals]]; the bombastically verbose lyrics/song titles/band names. It's that aesthetic rather than a way of riffing or a palette of guitar sounds that ties post-metal back to [[Judas Priest]] and [[Black Sabbath]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Grunge's Long Shadow|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2009/05/grunges_long_shadow.single.html#pagebreak_anchor_2|access-date=2010-11-14|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=29 May 2009 }}</ref>}}
[[File:Russian Circles - Madrid - 15 abril 2015 2.JPG|thumb|left|Many groups, including [[Russian Circles]], are mostly [[instrumental]]]]
''[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]'' writer Robin Jahdi notes that "the best [[Neurosis (band)|Neurosis]] albums don't sound anything like the best offerings from [[Isis (band)|Isis]]" and that the genre cannot be readily distinguished from doom metal, modern black metal, and [[progressive metal]], "taking in all of these elements without being entirely any one of them".<ref name="fact">{{cite web | url=http://www.factmag.com/2015/06/24/40-best-post-metal/ | title=The 40 best post-metal records ever made | work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]] | date=24 June 2015 | access-date=11 November 2017 | author=Jahdi, Robin}}</ref> Contemporary post-metal is often seen as combining "elements of doom metal, sludge, and/or black metal with elements of post-rock and shoegaze", being more "peaceful" than metal but retaining its dark theming and [[screaming (music)|harsh vocal style]].<ref name="steff" /> As with post-rock, however, many bands are [[instrumental]] and when vocals are used, they often "resemble another accompanying instrument" rather than actual words.<ref name="steff" /> Songs are typically long and employ [[crescendo]]s, gradually building upon repeated [[Theme (music)|theme]]s; [[Aaron Turner]] of Isis stated that "the standard song format of [[Verse–chorus form|verse-chorus-verse-chorus]] is something that has been done and redone, and it seems pointless to adhere to that structure when there are so many other avenues to explore".<ref name="isisguitar">{{cite magazine
| last = Porosky | first = Pamela | url = http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?storyCode=78 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072104/http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?storyCode=78 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 4 March 2016 | title = Aaron Turner and Michael Gallagher interview | magazine = [[Guitar Player]] | access-date = 6 September 2006}}</ref>
===Aesthetic and culture===
[[File:Pelican performing at Sant Feliu Fest 2004.jpg|thumb|[[Pelican (band)|Pelican]], also instrumental, diverge from [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] conventions in all aspects of their style and approach.]]
Noting the divergence from typical [[metal fashion]], ''[[The New York Times]]'' described a 2005 [[Pelican (band)|Pelican]] show at the [[Knitting Factory]] in [[New York City]]: "Instead of long hair and all-black outfits, the crowd was displaying the trappings of brainy, slightly nerdy [[indie rock]]. Young men wore artistically cropped hair and [[Slim-fit pants|tight-legged jeans]], and there was even a smattering of young women in librarian glasses and worn-out [[Chuck Taylor All-Stars|Chuck Taylor]] sneakers."<ref name="nyt" /> Jon Wiederhorn describes the post-metal scene as a "global community of artists" positioned on the "fringes of the [[underground music|underground]]."<ref name="bandcamp" /> Pelican's Trevor de Brauw stated in 2007:<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/1801290 | title = Pelican: "We're neither trend setters nor trend followers" | first = Mike | last = Diver | work = [[Drowned in Sound]] | date = 27 March 2007 | accessdate = 29 March 2007 | archive-date = 23 May 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070523131515/http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/1801290 | url-status = dead }}</ref>{{blockquote|I have an affinity [f]or metal, but I don't think of Pelican as a metal band. So when people call us 'instrumetal', or post-metal, or [[metalcore]] or whatever, I can see why they say that, but it's not something that I feel a close connection with. I feel we're part of a community with some bands – [[Mono (Japanese band)|Mono]] are good friends of ours, but I don't feel that we're that similar musically. Their music is more similar to classical music, whereas I feel ours has more in common with [[punk rock|punk]] and [[hardcore punk|hardcore]].|sign=|source=}}
==See also==
*[[Avant-garde metal]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Heavymetal}}
{{Experimental music genres}}
{{Extreme metal}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Post-Metal}}
[[Category:Post-metal| ]]
[[Category:Heavy metal genres]]
[[Category:Experimental music genres]]
[[Category:Avant-garde metal]]
[[Category:Experimental rock]]
[[Category:Post-rock]]
[[Category:American styles of music]]
[[Category:English styles of music]]