Metal and classical music, two genres that thrive on grandiosity, virtuosity, and a certain kind of unabashed awesomeness, are a natural fit. Metallica’s S&M series proved that on a mass scale, but the styles are also meshing in the underground. You’ll rarely see the metal/classical affinity demonstrated so plainly as …
Read More »Heavy Metal, Year One: The Inside Story of Black Sabbath's Groundbreaking Debut
Before the world recognized Black Sabbath as heavy-metal forefathers, the band members wrote a song that gave them the chills. “We knew instantly that ‘Black Sabbath’ was very different to what was around at the time,” guitarist Tony Iommi says of the piece that gave the group its name. “We …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Arch/Matheos, 'Vermillion Moons'
Back in 1986, a Connecticut band called Fates Warning released Awaken the Guardian, their third LP and a cornerstone of what would come to be known as progressive metal. With its labyrinthine song structures and John Arch’s wildly expressive vocals — which combined swooping, acrobatic range with bizarre melodic invention …
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