We’ve been covering avant-garde metal this week, but there’s one important question that we haven’t answered so far. Why would anyone want to listen to this stuff? Avant-garde metal is, by definition, supposed to be hard to appreciate. What’s the merit in that? Well, there are a few easy answers, and one more complicated answer. Let me try to explain, at least from my perspective, why you should listen to this stuff.

I can’t not plug Sigh, as they are my favorite avant-garde metal band.

Well, the first answer is fairly obvious. Most of the time, we are bombarded with the same kind of music over and over. Even ignoring pop music that plays everywhere, most metalheads are exposed to similar types of metal a majority of the time. Yes, different bands have different sounds and many of them bring a different thing to the table, but in the end, every genre is defined by some limitations. Metalcore? Breakdowns, catchy songs, traditional structure. Death metal? Growling, blast beats, fast playing. Progressive metal is a broader label, but there are still many conventions obeyed by most bands. Avant-garde music, being outside the box by definition, isn’t bound by this. You want random ethnic instruments? Sure, there are bands that do that. Complete disregard for melodic and temporal structure? Sign your name here. Distancing oneself from conventions of genres? Check. The simple answer is boredom. We constantly seek stimulation and new things to alleviate our boredom, and avant-garde metal provides an endless source for this. Every band is unique. And the genre even breaks its own convention. Do you want a song that is mostly inside the box? Sure, there are avant-garde metal bands that do that too. The sky is the limit, and thus the potential for standardization and thus tedium is eliminated.

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