Stew Hume,

Correspondent (Music)

What do you think most metal bands use for inspiration? What went through Bruce Dickinson’s head when he wrote Number of the Beast or when Metallica wrote Enter Sand Man? Whatever their inspiration, it is likely that they didn’t look at their country’s past to gain it. However, Chinese metaled, Tang Dynasty, point to a period around 701 AD, to be the main influence on their music.

The Band was formed in 1988 just when China was emerging from isolation and the youth of the country were falling in love with foreign culture.  The band was made up of such youth who had been inspired by this cultural tide-wave that was coming into their country. Founding member of the band, Kaiser Kuo, who spent a lot of his years in America, came to China and put together the band. Although, evidently inspired by foreign music and falling into the genre of progressive rock and artistic metal, they have maintained their heritage by using more traditional Chinese vocal techniques and writing lyrics that make a clear reference to their ancient civilization (the Tang Dynasty – to which they are named after).

One of their key inspirations comes from the poetry that came out of this period, specifically the poet Li Bai, who wrote some of China’s most famous poetry. His work from 701 AD has sometimes been labelled, as China’s equivalent to Shakespeare  especially in terms of the impact it has had. He was known to have written most of his work completely inebriated. Motley Crew, eat your heart out. In the 8th Century, drunkenness didn’t have the same negative connotations that is does in our modern times. It was actually seen as a route to divine inspiration. Perhaps it is quite fitting that a metal band uses him as their main inspiration.

Children to this day are taught the poetry that has come out of this time. Kaiser Kuo believes that, “if you grabbed a kid of the street, 9 out of the 10 of them” would believe that the Tang Dynasty was the greatest in Chinese history. It was a time when there was a great acceptance of foreign ideas such Buddhism and foreign art. It seems only right that a band promote ideas of freedom would call its self a Tang Dynasty.

The band received huge media attention after their release of A Dream Return to Tang Dynasty (1991/2). It is netted to have sold 2,000,000 copies across Asia and the rest of the world.  Through the years there has been various line up changes and their last official release was back in 2008 with Knight of Romantic. It is not perhaps the traditional format of metal that western head bangers would be used to, as they make a point of incorporation more traditional Asian element in their music. What is great is, you get a verse that is clearly oriental and then the chorus kicks in. You feel suddenly hit with a huge riff with overblown distortion or with a shredding solo that still has a oriental feel. Their song Pathway is the clearest example of this and I suggest you give it a search on YouTube.

The Tang Dynasty are a clear example that to break the convention that you do not necessary have to forget you heritage.