CMV: The claim that metal music and classical music are the closest genres is (mostly) nonsense

Note: I love metal music, and I love classical music. I'm not trying to "protect" classical music from metal, or the other way around.

There are a few reasons why I believe this claim is (mostly) nonsense.

Classical music and metal music are HUGE genres

The term classical music refers to a lot of different periods, including Medieval, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern. Metal is also a huge term, and there are several dozens of metal genres. For example, we have traditional metal, thrash metal, metalcore, power metal, nu-metal, death metal, etc. You can't say that 2 of the most expansive genres in music are the closest.

There are hundreds of metal songs that sound nothing like classical music, due to the last point

The minute waltz sounds nothing like roots, bloody roots. The brandenburg concertos sound nothing like Walk. Mozart symphonies don't sound like Blackened. I could go on and on.

The history just doesn't work

Metal music is influenced by Punk or Traditional metal, or both. Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, were influenced by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, the 3 biggest traditional metal bands. Ronnie James Dio too. Early metal was very Bluesy, but Judas Priest and other NWOBHM changed that.

Metallica (a thrash band) was influenced by Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, which we have mentioned prior, and The Ramones and The Misfits, both punk bands.

Most power metal is inspired by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Dio. Death metal and Black metal is inspired by Thrash bands. Metalcore comes from Hardcore punk and extreme metal.

Most metal bands are not influenced by classical music. Most come from NWOBHM, actually.

A (very valid) counterpoint!

What about neoclassical metal?

Yes, this one genre of metal (which i love, dont get me wrong) is very influenced by classical, mostly baroque, music. Think Malmsteen or Rhoads or Friedman.

But most metal isn't neoclassical. Sure, some bands like Deep Purple had classical influence, but that didn't stick through the generations.