Technicalities – Mike Smith 11/12/09

Technicalities – By: Mike Smith 11/12/09

So it’s no secret to anyone paying attention that Death Metal or “Extreme metal” is one of the most difficult music styles to perform as well as decipher. In my opinion, the talent required to master this music at the top level is unique and easily comparable to the likes of Classical and Jazz composers. Growing up I was fortunate to be surrounded by all forms of music. It was easy to recognize the difference between the “mainstream“ radio approach, and the less exploited  “acquired taste“ approach. The latter being Classical, Jazz, Big Band, Blue Grass, Opera etc.
 
At the time the understanding of the technicality involved (in these forms) were left only to the highest trained. The listeners/followers were as close to a secret society as the "Extreme" metal listeners are today. Musicians who performed the “acquired” style were far and few in between.

Once they passed on, their arts became masterpieces and the only music of its kind. Nowadays there are entire Universities built and dedicated to training musicians in the same styles that were never understood by the “mainstream” listener. The misunderstanding may have been the saving factor that kept these music forms intact and preserved eternally.

One thing I have recognized is that what becomes “Mainstream” is also disposable, falling victim to the next best version of it. Personally, after Two Decades in this “Extreme” genre looking in on the mainstream landfill, I can only hope that the industry’s battle to keep us out of the mainstream was really our saving grace for eternal existence and recognition.

Some say we are too “technical” and aggressive for the masses to take seriously. I say; "My version of technicality is to be unique and unpredictable, without confusing the listener."

I imagine if we all in the “Extreme Technical” genre approach every composition we create from this point forward with something similar in mind, we have a real good shot of:

• Staying diverse
• Evolving the genre
• Staying just technical enough so the “normal ones” can’t understand the building blocks to eventually disassemble and dispose of us.

Maybe one day there will be… The University of Extreme Arts & Sciences.

Michael Smith ~ Suffocation