My current fic is more or less a return to form for my transitional writing style. Between 2013 to 2019, most of my writing was influenced by a mixture of '90s death and melodic doom metal. Thinking about it realistically in terms of canon, I honestly don't think ponies would like extreme metal very much, especially during that period when it was arguably at its heaviest. However, like every rule, there are always exceptions.

One album that really stuck out to me back in the day was October Tide's first release, Rain Without End, which funnily enough actually came out the same year I was born. Unlike its Peaceville predecessors, which were more Gothic and evil sounding, it was unapologetically gloomy down to the cover art. The melodies were notably more pronounced, accompanied by deep, haunting gutturals. Re-listening to it now, I could actually see characters like Octavia breaking down its musical structure and translating it to older instruments in a way that sounds authentic. If she slowed down the tempo during some of the faster parts, it'd sound like straight-up classical music.

I've heard metal played on classical instruments before, but there are often telltale signs that give away the genre. In this case though, with a bit of alteration to account for speed and atmosphere, it might actually be impossible to distinguish. I think equines would actually find a sound like that fascinating, at least to a certain degree. It's heavy in a way that fits with other genres, which means it could conceivably be adapted by civilizations with lower technological advancement like Equestria.

To conclude this little spiel, while I doubt throwing metal into their world willy-nilly would interest them in any meaningful way, integrating the right style into their culture may actually turn some heads, at least in my opinion. No one's really talked about how the genre could be introduced in a way that felt genuine, but if we factor in access to the human world, there may be a tiny possibility it could work. That's really up for fans to decide though.

I'd image that pony metal song lyrics would be about rather mundane things in comparison to what ours is like

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Probably, but that's why I used a specific example where the lyrics wouldn't even need to be present. It'd have a similar vibe regardless of how it was played. The ability to transcend genre boundaries is the mark of a true virtuoso, and Octavia in particular possesses that capacity in spades.

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Heavy Metal music would probably be about friendship or something like that in equstria

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Or folktales. There's strong European influences with the monarchy and magic stuff. Basically D&D in pony form.

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Yeah I agree

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I could see metal music potentially catching on with ponies and possibly even quickly. It could be no different to how brand-new genres, or anything brand-new and had never been done/heard before for that matter, become popular or even trend-setting in our world; after all, there's a reason why originality is encouraged so much. It could take some time for metal music to catch on to ponies or be an instant hit to them, but either option happening seem valid to me.

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Maybe more upbeat and fun styles, but death, black, and doom I don't think would really go very far. Equus in general's a pretty lighthearted place. They tend not to focus on topics like depression, anger, hatred, or despair. It's a series for young audiences, so putting themes like that in was out of the question from the get-go. Obviously FanFiction removes those restrictions, but we still have to take canon lore into account for an authentic response. I doubt they would be quick to embrace heavier genres. It would probably take a long time to open any of them up to the idea.

The only ponies I could think that would like this music would probably be Rainbow Dash and Vinyl Scratch.

https://youtu.be/pgv2jlN-FKg
It should exist in Equestria

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Gothlight Glimmer