Heavy metal music video discussion

Heavy Metal as a genre has many facets. Are you talking about thrash metal with the emphasis on speed and incoherent lyrics sung by guys who just do the guttural thing, like Slipknot (not all of there stuff is like that), or more 'mainstream' like Disturbed, or something in between?
BTW Metallica is no longer considered heavy metal imo, after hearing the travesty they released a few months ago.

ETA: I've never been a big fan of videos but I am a fan of heavy metal. Bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Judas Priest opened the door for a lot of musicians.

At one time Metallica was possibly the best metal band on the planet.

druid12000 said:

BTW Metallica is no longer considered heavy metal imo, after hearing the travesty they released a few months ago.

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Lulu doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned...

To the OP - there are various different templates for metal videos:

- the live video
Clips of the band performing live, usually in a small club where the crowd is going mental (to imply how passionate fans are about their music, and to show that someone gives a shit), but sometimes at a massive show (to imply they are a massive arena-sized band, and also just because fields full of people getting down is badass cool).

Classic ways to achieve this range from actually filming performances, using fan footage from various shows spliced together, or putting on a specific show to be filmed, sometimes by invite to the fan club to be the audience (which guarantees a good reaction).
Example: Metallica, Wherever I May Roam


- the performance video
The band performs their song in a setting other than live on stage - a favourite low-budget option is the middle of a forest or in the recording studio. There's a POV difference too, because in a performance video the band is typically performing to the audience behind the camera, instead of an audience in front of them.
Example: Lamb Of God, Ruin


- the narrative video
A separate story, like a short film. Often features members of the band, and may be thematically linked to the song.
Example: Killswitch Engage, Save Me


- the lyrics video
A newer phenomenon, where the lyrics are animated to appear in time with the vocals. Helps with understanding the words, and cheap, but not the most interesting thing to do.
Example: As I Lay Dying, Cauterize


- the random cool stuff video
Just random cool images that aren't predominantly of the band playing or any story.
Example: Deftones, My Own Summer


Often videos will splice together different styles into a single whole - narrative segments alternated with performance segments is a classic (example: Slipknot, Left Behind). I personally prefer this, as you get a bit of cool band imagery, and something extra so you don't get bored. What makes the example I cited work particularly for me is the link between the narrative and the performance - the settings complement and give context to each other.

Different approaches suit different genres - for instance, a "home video" style dark forest performance works well for black metal, but wouldn't lend itself to arena rock (although Paramore's Decode doesn't come off too badly). What particular kind of heavy metal do the band play? Can you post some links where we can listen to help work it out?

You need to figure out what type of metal this is first.

Here's a reference I use. Though, I would stay out of the forums, they can get a tad hostile.

Little Ming said:

You need to figure out what type of metal this is first.

Here's a reference I use. Though, I would stay out of the forums, they can get a tad hostile.

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I wouldn't worry about the genre or type. Genres are for critics and publishers. Instead focus on the themes of the lyrics and the overall self-styling of the band.

FIRE! FIRE EVERYWHERE!! FUCKING FIRE!!
I'm mostly kidding.

I would suggest watching some videos from a wide array of metal and hard rock artists. I'd suggest...
Paradise Lost's Faith Divides us Death Unites us, plot based video inspired by that dude who kept his daughter in the basement and fathered his own grandkids. It's dark and macabre but no nudity.

Rammstein - Mein Teil (NSFW), band members doing symbolic things.

Unleash the Archers - Plot driven/story video.

Alice Cooper - Vengeance is Mine, which is a plot video or Steven, which is just neat to look at or Gimme which is plot driven with some interesting visuals.

Nick Cave - Loverman, which is one of those Look at these random images videos or Mercy Seat which is a band stands around playing with some plot involved video.

Rishloo - Freaks and Animals which isn't a very good video but I take any opportunity to expose new people to Rishloo.

How about some claymation monster stuff? Tool's Aenima video is amazingly creepy (Stinkfist is also well worth watching). I could see that going well with a song like Bled Out (since that includes the lyrics "I am the monster you created"), interspersed with footage of them in the church you mentioned.

Not to be a huge bummer or to say you shouldn't do it, but music videos (already a very questionable thing in and of themselves, even moreso in a musical realm priding itself on being above petty aesthetic concerns) and metal rarely, if ever mix. Most of the time it's difficult to pull off properly because metal bands tend to have really limited resources and the actual music tends to be trying to tell a story in and of itself, lyrically or musically. In most cases they end up being overblown or under-done cheap fantasy/action/horror movie spectacle, a clumsy LARP fest, or just "a bunch of longhaired dudes rocking out on stage", which in the latter case you really should just go watch some live footage.

However I do think if you are going to do a metal music video, don't emphasize the band. As implied previously, if you want to see your favourite band just looking all fierce and windmill headbanging, just record it live, edit it a little, and put it on youtube. I do believe that it's probably best to go the animated route as most of what a metal song will convey is simply too fantastical for actual actors unless you're best friends with Hollywood movie directors. It is best to stick with abstract imagery, striking, powerful ones with hints of thematic ambiguity. They're the sort of thing unto which the fervent subconscious can fill in themes of death, war, triumph, fear, subversion, occultism and other healthy metallic ingredients. Besides, you'll probably piss off more scaredy-cat parents that way because it'll be too esoteric and weird for them to get.