Unknown Affinities Between Metal and Classical Music / Claiming a Heritage, Cousins in The Epic (1)

by Laurent Bellemare

On January 29 and 30, the world premieres of Voivod Symphonique take place, a rare public event that juxtaposes classical “high culture” with the underground world of metal. Yet there are many links between these two European traditions, both in terms of music and history. Nevertheless, even the most erudite of scholars, and orchestral musicians in particular, remain largely unaware of this connection. To demystify the context in which this extraordinary collaboration culminates, our collaborator and musicologist Laurent Bellemare presents a brilliant comparative overview of the similarities between these two worlds.

Claiming an inheritance

With barely 60 years of existence, metal has made giant leaps in its stylistic and technical evolution, a trend exacerbated by the technological society of the 21st century. Repudiated by official institutions and marginalized in mass culture, this raw, inaccessible music had been drinking in classical European references from the outset, both compositional and extra-musical.

While the first hard rock/metal bands tended to have blues-rock roots (Cream, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin), Judas Priest and Iron Maiden showed a clear technical shift. This rigorous execution and increasingly detailed compositional work went hand in hand with a less systematic use of blues pentatonism – 5-note scales typical of the blues.

There was also increased lyricism and harmonization in the guitar arrangements, enriched by increasingly complex, faster drumming.

Under the influence of progressive rock on metal, waves of bands such as Queensrÿche and Dream Theater catalyzed this new interest in complex, longitudinal forms. Rather than repeating simple patterns, metal developed material.

Cousins in the epic

Beyond the music, let’s now identify the thematic similarities between the metal and classical worlds. Since the birth of the rock sub-genre, metal bands have freely drawn inspiration from Judeo-Christian mythology, whether through overt blasphemy or subversive misappropriation of its symbols, as Black Sabbath, Venom and Slayer have done.

The fantastical worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft also figure prominently in metal texts.

Symphonic metaphors abound, from Megadeth’s classic thrash metal Symphony of Destruction to goregrind icons Carcass’ Symphonies of Sickness.

The association with the symphony orchestra, another symbol of sonic power and triumphant grandeur, is also corroborated in the cult documentary Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey (2008), in which the orchestral romanticism of Richard Wagner is seen as the spiritual ancestor of metal.

Latest 360 Content

Festival de Lanaudière | Leonardo Garcia Alarcon/Monteverdi’s Coronation of Popea: being marketwise

Festival de Lanaudière | Leonardo Garcia Alarcon/Monteverdi’s Coronation of Popea: being marketwise

FIJM | Nate Smith and his Supremely Talented Quartet

FIJM | Nate Smith and his Supremely Talented Quartet

FIJM | Nai Palm? Creature of Exception! Hawa B? Future Star!

FIJM | Nai Palm? Creature of Exception! Hawa B? Future Star!

FIJM 2025 | Funky funky, Trombone Shorty

FIJM 2025 | Funky funky, Trombone Shorty

FIJM | Nubya Garcia Becomes a Star in MTL

FIJM | Nubya Garcia Becomes a Star in MTL

FIJM 2025 | Symphonic Avishai Cohen: Bewitching magic

FIJM 2025 | Symphonic Avishai Cohen: Bewitching magic

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island

Common Holly – Anything glass

Common Holly – Anything glass

FIJM I Hanorah Sets the TD Stage Ablaze with Soulful R&B

FIJM I Hanorah Sets the TD Stage Ablaze with Soulful R&B

FIJM | Jeff Goldblum: Storyteller, Comedian and Pianist, 3 in 1

FIJM | Jeff Goldblum: Storyteller, Comedian and Pianist, 3 in 1

FIJM I Still Taking Us There, Mavis Staples Electrifies Montreal JazzFest

FIJM I Still Taking Us There, Mavis Staples Electrifies Montreal JazzFest

FIJM | Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – Ventre Unique

FIJM | Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – Ventre Unique

Fantastic Negrito – Son of A Broken Man

Fantastic Negrito – Son of A Broken Man

Cumbia, Chaos, and Resistance: Empanadas Illegales Bring the Heat to Montreal Jazz Fest

Cumbia, Chaos, and Resistance: Empanadas Illegales Bring the Heat to Montreal Jazz Fest

Turnstile – Never Enough

Turnstile – Never Enough

FIJM | Meggie Lennon and The Desire Days Story

FIJM | Meggie Lennon and The Desire Days Story

FIJM | Dianne Reeves and Romero Lubambo: An Intimate Duo of Virtuosos

FIJM | Dianne Reeves and Romero Lubambo: An Intimate Duo of Virtuosos

FIJM | Brandon Woody’s Upendo: Baltimore Represents !

FIJM | Brandon Woody’s Upendo: Baltimore Represents !

FIJM | Stella Cole: From Tik Tok to The Biggest Jazz Stages

FIJM | Stella Cole: From Tik Tok to The Biggest Jazz Stages

ALICE on Her X

ALICE on Her X

FIJM  | Samara Joy: Pushing Classic Vocal Jazz Repertoire to its Limits

FIJM | Samara Joy: Pushing Classic Vocal Jazz Repertoire to its Limits

FIJM | Nas symphonic and Nas not symphonic

FIJM | Nas symphonic and Nas not symphonic

Suoni | The Jellicle KIKI Ball #2 – Feline Grace is Served

Suoni | The Jellicle KIKI Ball #2 – Feline Grace is Served

Suoni | The Dark, Wicked, Warm and Absurd on the Same Dish

Suoni | The Dark, Wicked, Warm and Absurd on the Same Dish

Subscribe to our newsletter