Do Saxophones Belong In Metal?

OK, this may be my most retarded thread ever, but bear with me. It was inspired while listening to my new Lanfear CD (ANOTHER GOLDEN RAGE), which is a pretty solid album except for one song, "Eternally," a god-awfully sappy attempt at AOR balladry that features a SAXOPHONE SOLO (!) in its midsection that sounds like something you'd hear on a Kenny G album, or on an elevator, or in a doctor's waiting room. It just sounded so out of place amongst the "traditional" metal instrumentation, if that makes any sense.

Thinking about it further, I can only think of a few other instances where the saxophone (or other brass instruments) have met Metal, and none of them have been very good. Raven used a horn section to good effect on their instrumental track "The Bottom Line" (off of the STAY HARD album, 1985) but when they tried the same thing on a few other songs on the follow up album THE PACK IS BACK ("Hyperactive" and "Don't Let It Die") it just sounded silly.

I also remember watching Queensryche during the PROMISED LAND tour back in 95, Geoff Tate whipped out a saxophone during one song (forget what it was) and blew out a solo that went over about as well as a turd in a punch bowl. You never saw so many people in an audience scratch their heads simultaneously and go "WTF?" (haha.)

So I ask ya: are saxophones (and other brass instruments) metal? As for me, I say thee NAY. Not metal.

Discuss.

I can't think of any METAL that has any sax in it off the top of my head, but I'd take sax-a-ma-foam over a flute anyday (Jethro Tull, I'm looking at you).

The only 2 that immediately come to mind aren't really metal. Hanoi Rocks' Michael Monroe used a saxaphone quite nicely in a few of their tunes and the other is Pink Floyd's "Us and Them".

If I hear any other "metal sax", I'll get back to ya on this one.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

"metal sax",

Which is not to be confused with UNCLE Sax, by the way. Cuz Uncle Sax is about as METAL as they come.

As I was reading this post, I could think of a lot of fusion bands and progressive rock bands that use wind instruments (correct term ) in their songs.
So my answer is NAY, they don't belong in metal.

EvyMetal wrote:

wind instruments (correct term )

I'm aiming my wind instrument in your direction, cool guy.

I guess if flower metal is considered metal than anything goes.

Why not get rid of distortion or guitars altogether? Metal's definition is purely opinion, according to some people.

For metal? No way.

Pink Floyd uses them to good effect. I'm not opposed to them, but not for metal IMO.

Temple of Blood wrote:

I guess if flower metal is considered metal than anything goes.

I'll take that as a "Nay."

I don't like the saxaphone at all but with the advent of folk metal and the myriad amount of instruments used what do I know. The metal lute?

Absolutely not.

I like the sound of a sax (alto sax at least) but not in metal.

Hamer12 wrote:

Absolutely not.

Absolutely Yes! come on, anything is possible in metal. I dont think some of you guys realize how aggressive and straight-up brackish a saxophone or "wind Instrument" can be made to sound. If somebody can make metal christamas traditionals then I'm sure somebody can create a metalled out saxophone. Just because its sucked in the past dosnt mean it cant be done correctly in the future.

Sax sounds really good in hard rock. Listen to G'n'R's "Move to the City".

As far as metal, I think the only way it would work is in joke songs. Or, maybe it could work in pop metal. Otherwise, the intensity would be awkwardly inconsistent.

Sax work fine with Gargoyle (JAP) back in 1989 ... but generally, no.

Doesn't Geof Tate play the sax on occasion? On the other hand he disowned metal.

I personally believe that ANY insturnment can work in metal, as long as it's used right and as long as the main components (shreiking guitars and thundering percussion) are intact.

But then again, I can think of some music even before the advent of electric guitars that I would consider proto-metal, with classical masterpeieces like Beethoven's 5th Symphony, or a good chunk of Richard Wagner's compositions ("Flight of the Valkyries" comes to mind).

troublezone wrote:

Doesn't Geof Tate play the sax on occasion? On the other hand he disowned metal.

Yea, he does. As a matter of fact, when Tate was touring to support his debut solo album a few years back, someone stole his saxophone from his gig at the Birch Hill here in New Jersey. He was offering a reward for its return and everything. I don't know if he ever got it back, Haha! I guess whoever did that (and no, it was NOT me) doesn't like saxophone in metal either!!

There is sax in the song "Promised Land." And I think that's a great song. It fits the song really well. I think that's the only QR song with sax on all their studio albums. Geoff does play it on this recent covers album.

I bet someone will make it work. Just about everything else had made it into Metal and the "good ones" always make it work.

No, not metal.

metal mis pretty versatile. it can accommodate just about anything you want to add if you do it right.

Maybe. Look at the cowbell.

Saxophone-not very metal.Now bagpipes are a different story

Does anyone remember an early 90s industrial metal band called Monster Voodoo Machine? They have a song called "Bastard is as Bastard Does", and there is some saxophone work right before the guitar solo.

I remember a Dream Theater song having a alto sax in it.

Meh if it's right.

Sax is saddly underutilized in rock n' roll, which is a shame. Hanoi Rocks, David Bowie, Little Richard, The Stooges all rocked and rolled hard with the sax.