You can tell a Metallica song usually when it comes up. There’s a combination of ominous and darkness in their chord/picking structure that I can’t identify. Can one of you music theory experts tell me the type of musical structure they use? It’s just this side of brutal, the way they use it.
Well, in 83-84, when I was a noob and a friend tried to get me into it…he called them ‘speed metal’. Later on, we of course learned that they were pretty much slow-mo metal compared to some other bands, but…yah. I kinda doubt the speed-metal tag would hang on them anymore.
If you’re talking scales and modes, Phrygian and Phrygian Dominant are present in a lot of that really ominous, dark-sounding metal. Specifically, it’s the flat-2 of the scale that gives that characteristic darkness. I’m not exactly sure how many Metallica songs use it, but it’s used often enough that I associate it with them.
Phrygian in E: E F G A B C D E
Phrygian Dominant in E: E F# G A B C D E
I should also add, you’ll hear plenty of Dorian (E F# G A B C# D E) and natural minor/Aeolean (E F# G A B C D E) in Metallica. They also make extensive use of the tritone (which would be the Bb/A# in E) in both their riffs and power chords. Not every song, of course, but it’s a characteristic sound in their music, as well.
edit: Oh, or do you just mean what their genre is? They’re heavy metal/speed metal.
Phrygian dominant in E: E F G# A B C D E . Pulykamell I think you posted Aeolean by accident.
Ack! Nice catch. I did indeed mean G#, not F#.