Would heavy metal music work in Sonic?

[EmTiven01]

Heavy metal is a subgenre of rock music that is characterized with distorted guitars, emphatic beats, dense bass-and-drum noise, and loudness. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple are some of the bands that pioneered heavy metal.

While Sonic games have incorporated rock into their soundtracks many times, would heavy metal in particular fit the series? Or would it just feel out of place? An example from video games I can think of is the song "Subhuman" from Devil May Cry 5:

 

[Promethean0416]

Kinda though they had something like that during one of the boss fights in Frontiers?

Or maybe this is more on the symphonic metal side, I dunno. Either way, I don't think we'll get too much in terms of heavy metal as I don't think Sega believes that it fits their mascot's image.

[JezMM]

I think it could work as a style associated with a particular character, like a recurring bad guy you fight multiple times in a game whose design/personality suits heavy metal.  Heck, even Mario did that with Bowser's Fury to great effect (even if the vocals were just gibberish).  I wouldn't want to hear a whole game of it though personally, it's not my taste but even beyond that, I don't think that kind of music really evokes Sonic's style, or even Shadow (like to just use it as "the genre of the week" like how the main vocal themes of Unleashed, Colours and Frontiers all evoke "Sonic" despite the genres and sound chosen with the game's atmosphere in mind).  Omega's about the only heroic character it might work for if they ever did character themes again.

[Covskin]

I say this as a fan of the music, but I wouldn't want anything heavier than what we got in the Adventure era. I haven't got round to playing Frontiers yet so maybe they work better in context, but the boss themes I've heard went too far in my opinion.

At its heart, Sonic is a lighter franchise and the vast majority of heavy metal doesn't fit. The only way I could see it working is if you picked the goofier side of heavy metal; the power metal that doesn't take itself too seriously or even the parody acts.

 

[mayday2592]

6 hours ago, Covskin said:

I say this as a fan of the music, but I wouldn't want anything heavier than what we got in the Adventure era. I haven't got round to playing Frontiers yet so maybe they work better in context, but the boss themes I've heard went too far in my opinion.

At its heart, Sonic is a lighter franchise and the vast majority of heavy metal doesn't fit. The only way I could see it working is if you picked the goofier side of heavy metal; the power metal that doesn't take itself too seriously or even the parody acts.

 

Tbf hardcore punk/metal seems to work pretty well with the bosses in Frontiers, just as much jazz/rock/ pop-punk did in past games.

[PutsitinmyBottos]

They should add highway star to a Sonic level becuz that is my favorite song by Deep Purp :)

[Starry Skydancer]

I'd consider "Break through it all" and "Undefeatable" to be heavy metal and I think it works really well.

The "even heavier metal" like the example doesn't fit in my opinion.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Starry Skydancer

[Sonker Sonkerton]

if sonic frontiers ost was good, theres your answer.

[Maple Syrup]

It works!(good job frontiers!)