Country Metal?

One makes your head explode (as in Mars Attacks!) while the other makes you headbang (as in Metallica). Okay, not all country is bad, but there's awful country out there. The same can be said of heavy metal (although I like metal a lot more).

Even though both styles have great affinity for some things and after all, share many of the same roots, I've heard relatively little mingling between them. Let's face it; if a band leads the way in an imaginary 'Country Metal' genre, or 'Countrycore' (god I hate the -core suffix), chances are that it's forever labelled as 'cheesy', 'godawful', or a shame in the name of metal. However, I think there have been a few instances that I think could lead to some kind of interesting cool music based on both. Coming from a mix of heavy metal and southern rock, Black Label Society had the damn catchy "House of Doom" track, for instance:


From "Hangover Music, Vol VI".

Okay, it isn't country, but southern rock is well, a fusion of rock & roll, blues and country music! I think that it may be good as a platform to further mingling between country and heavy metal.

Other ways would be through punk music and that very very bouncy hill-billy stuff. Here, for instance, punk band Guttermouth created something really unique; that "barnyard" sort of rhythm fits punk and some kinds of country/folk excellently. Note the awesome violin and banjo interplay in the background and their solos:


I'm Destroying the World from "Covered in Ants".

Kid Rock seamlessly mixed southern rock, hip hop and not-quite-metal in "Cowboy", so figure, you can remove the 'breakbeat' influence and turn the metal one up a notch. It's not a bad song, considering that he managed to mix 3 things so well (when many nu-metal bands suck and they don't even mix country):


Song from "Devil Without a Cause".

Rebel Meets Rebel, with their eponymous track, to me seems to be real Heavy Country (or whatever), however, I'm not quite sure about that fiddle lead before the verses... they are annoying. They could sound a lot better. However, the vocals here, specially when they harmonise bring out tons of potential. Hmm, I think it's okay. Here we go:


From Rebel Meets Rebel album.

It gets better towards the end with that fiddle breakdown solo double-timey part.
"Coyboys Do More Dope" by Rebel Meets Rebel:



Quite like the piano there...

Now, the guitar-shredding angle of music is a good way to immerse into the world of country music. It may get a bit tiring after a while (like most country), but it's briefly the coolest thing in the universe:



We also have another band a bit like Rebel Meets Rebel but maybe a bit more palatable to some; Haf Bitten Moon:



Finally, I'll leave y'all with these two funnies. Meh...