Quote:
Originally Posted by Trollheart
I've reviewed several albums that could qualify as either, and at the moment I'm listening to Jaded Heart, who seem too heavy to be AOR yet not quite heavy enough to be out and out metal, so are they melodic metal? And if so, what differentiates one from the other? I'd like to know, as I would certainly not describe Journey or Toto as melodic metal, but JH don't seem to be what I'd call AOR either?  |
AOR is all about polished performances, slick production, a strong eye on commercialism and never getting too heavy, but that's not to say that a lot of big AOR bands like Toto and Journey never put out some heavier stuff. In fact most of my favourite AOR acts are the ones at the heavier end of the spectrum, rather than the lighter more poppier end of the spectrum. AOR also has its roots in some of the west coast bands of the 1960s and bands like Santana, Steeley Dan and the Doobie Brothers gave it life in the 1970s.
Now melodic metal is a different kettle of fish in its origins, its rougher around the edges and lays its roots in a lot of the more melodic heavy acts of the 1970s (btw I started a UFO thread) probably the perfect exponent of this style. Melodic metal really got its sound in the 1980s and bands like Van Halen and Def Leppard helped kick this off. Judas Priest's
British Steel may well have been the first really big melodic metal album around as well and fully introduced pop hooks into metal. Blue Oyster Cult were another influential band here as well.
Its also about acceptance, I often found people really embracing melodic metal over the years, whilst looking down on AOR as some kind of bland radio music. The fact of the matter is, that most melodic metal acts eventually just ended up as refined as some of their AOR counterparts.
By the 1990s it was an even thinner line. Just take Queensryche and
Operation Mindcrime now that's melodic metal but just an album later with
Empire the sound more like Journey and an AOR band. I think its a case of AOR as a brand just dying out and melodic metal now embracing the two.
Dream Theater are a perfect example here. I've often read how they were influenced by Toto and Journey as well as Iron Maiden. Now if you marry those bands you can only really have a melodic sound with a metal vibe.
I know I can dig out loads of 1970s band that were earlier example of melodic metal than the ones I've put.