Metal Monday: Metal Videos 101
posted in: Reviews & Playlists • Rock
Unlike many genres of music these days, the metal community is still making music videos with as much fervor as ever. By and large, metal video features some of the same common traits. Here’s a list of things you need to make sure you put in your metal video so that people instantly know it is a metal video, without even listening to the song:
- All members of the band must be wearing black. Color is not an option.
- Band members are required to headbang, scream, shred, look angry, act violent.
- Under no circumstances, should any band member look happy. Smiling is acceptable only if it is, in fact, a maniacal grin in response to a grotesque and heinous crime.
- Video location is key. Consider a mountain top, boiler room, abandoned industrial park, hell, motorcycle rally, graveyard, bar, cave, crime scene, the woods, car accident, prison or desert as your backdrop. Really, anywhere dark will do.
- The more closeups of band members playing their instruments the better. Except the bassist. No one cares about the bassist.
- Bonus points for covering props in blood and/or setting them on fire. This is metal to the max.
- For solos, it’s best to focus the camera on the performer of said solo. This is just good manners.
- When considering video themes, stick to war, vikings, violence, politics, sacrilege, inclement weather conditions (e.g. snow, rain, thunderstorms), evil, zombies.
- Rapid camera changes make for a more extreme video so switch up the camera angle whenever possible. Shake the camera if need be.
Obey these rules to ensure your video is as metal as it can be. Follow all nine of these rules, and you have probably created the most metal video in the history of music videos. Now that we’re clear on the precepts of metal videos, let’s check out some awesome OurStage examples that may (or may not) abide by these rules:
On a side note, check out this post from Away-team.com giving some press to the current Hard Rock and Metal number ones!