I think what we've learned from this thread is that the answer is OP's question is "all of us have polar tastes in metal."

We're all so special!

naaah i can't believe there's only that kind of people here, i think there's definitely people of the 'other kind' on this board but that do not dare to speak out

- 'So you're only into trVe norwegian 90's black metal.... and you really don't like Maiden, Priest, Slayer and Venom ?'

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Polar could imply "both extremes with nothing in the middle", but it's more like a full spectrum
for most who replied so far

I wouldn't describe the examples in the OP as "polar opposites" though, ie death metal and death metal.

Sorry, what is the OP ?

What I meant by that is that someone in a Jungle Rot review said that it (Jungle Rot) is not for people who like "art" metal. I like really technical stuff, really simple stuff, and all inbetween. However, I am focusing the topic on just the technical stuff and simple stuff, if that makes any sense.

I think one of my old bandmates had that idea a while ago and never really ran with it.

Well idk, hmmm my favorite genres are Power metal, Melodic Death, and Black Metal which are all in opinion have some share trait that attracts me to them, however I listen to and love most forms of metal, the only genres I can't get into at all would be Grind, Groove metal, and drone metal, but I can't get into them due to the lack of melody and riffs that I enjoy.

I have no idea how to even begin forming a concept for that. Grind songs with epic interludes? Power metal inspired by splatter movies and played extremely fast?

Anyways, I do love both grind metal and power metal so I guess I enjoy polar subgenres metal.

i want a powergrind band called unicorn mutilation

Rotting Entrails of Glory!

In general, I listen to pretty much every genre like I imagine most people around here do. Although, I've never really gotten into Doom. Not that I have anything against it; it just hasn't happened yet.

One of the reasons I've been listening to metal for let me see... like 6 years and haven't got bored of it is because it's such a vast genre and I tend to like most of the subgenres of subgenres within each genre of metal. For power metal, I like some of the fruitiest europower around, to slightly heavier bands like Lost Horizon, Virgin Steele, Blind Guardian, Grave Digger, Persuader, Iron Savior to power/prog like Future's End, Dark Empire, Manticora, Angra, Wuthering Heights and Symphony X. I also listen to some of the foundational trad metal bands like Dio, Manilla Road and Iron Maiden that had an influence on power metal.

I listen to all kinds of (non party and beer bands like Korplikanni) viking metal and black metal, from the rawest underground bands to black thrash, 2nd wave norweigan bands to prog and avant garde black metal. Simiarly in death metal, I like some of the modern tech/deathcore bands like Last Chance to Reason (not on the archives but close enough), The Contortionist, Abiotic, Between the Buried and me (closer to mathcore, but they fit in here), Fallujah, to filthy OSDM, to swedeath, brutal/tech death, and a bunch of avant-garde bands as well as a lot of Portal-like bands. I don't really get bored with anything because I can always choose to listen to something completely different, just within the metal genre.

I just don't get people that listen to only trve black metal, or ultra-br00tal death metal, they're just missing so much good material.

I really don't see how metal genres can be opposites, except for perhaps Euro power metal and black/death, or perhaps Christian metal, but that can be more of a lyrical opposition, not necessarily musical. Or if you include glam metal as a metal genre.

I don't think I personally have polar tastes in metal: I like mostly NWOBHM, thrash, progressive, gothic, symphonic, but only a few death metal bands, not much black metal except for atmospheric and SDBM (or DSBM if you prefer that name), and perhaps only Skylark and Keldian as far as Euro power metal is concerned, and the second band is harder anyways.

But I guess it can get weirder if I include non-metal genres I like, like reggae, calypso, and drum and bass (the mellower kind with reggae samples), especially in comparison to DSBM.

I like all forms of metal, aside from most funeral doom and drone that I've heard.

Generally I like music with a dark, supernatural atmosphere to it, be it metal or otherwise......

Therefore, I don't see a problem liking black metal next to old school death metal next to gothic rock, next to neofolk, etc.

The main genres I dislike are "new school" power metal (Blind Guardian and a couple others being exceptions), melodic death metal (again, with a few old school exceptions like Dissection, etc.), new school brutal death metal/deathcore/pig squeal metal, stoner rock, gothic metal of the female vocal variety (unless there are darker elements in the music, like old Tristania/Mandragora Scream), and virtually anything with a "street" image: groove metal, metalcore, nu-metal, etc.

The genres I like that people don't expect me to like are 80s new wave stuff like Duran Duran/Depeche Mode, 80s hair metal, old school grindcore, and crust punk (always like to think of it as "Mad Max punk")

To the OP: Yes absolutely, cranking the new Kalmah at the moment after a morning of listening to Hayao Miyazaki soundtracks and that one dreamy pop album by Boris. But the cravings for Ocean Chief or Black Witchery may set in at any moment.

Many (of the more interesting) metalheads I've spent time with are very similiar and will be able to get into anything from Nest to the ugliest NWN prod filth imaginable. It's actually something I associate the best kinds of metalhead with, a willingness to try almost anything and an ability to find musical quality in lots of different shapes and sizes. That talent in listening, acquiring tastes and trying new things is what sets 'em apart from the people who can't (or won't) tolerate metal because it's "loud" or "depressing" or whatever.

Pretty sure 25 years ago people thought death metal was a polar from Judas Priest as it got.

I like good metal and that's not bound to any particular genre. You can find good riffs, song writing, ... in any metal genre.

You think that 25 years ago people thought that music would never get heavier than the heaviest bands of 1988 ? Do people of 2013 think the same way and if not, why ?

I mean back then the only real measuring sticks there were were heavy, heavier and heaviest. Now we have Judas Priest, death metal and folk-post-death-black-Barbara Striesand.

Yeah I dabble in most of the sub genres, heavy, power, and prog are my main game, but do I have a lot of love for death, doom, and thrash, although I'm maybe a little more particular in what I want from the latter mentioned genres. I can have days where I'll go from Sigh to Grave Digger to Incantation, and then to the fucking Rocky IV soundtrack.

Do I have polar taste?

What do you think?