Music Sound

Apocalyptica in concert, cellist visible at left

Cello rock is a genre of music characterized by the use of cellos and other stringed instruments such as violin and viola to create a sound, beat, and texture similar to that of familiar rock music, but distinctly reshaped by the unique timbres and more traditional genres of the cello (in particular) and other stringed instruments used. The cellos and other stringed instruments are often electronically amplified and/or electronically modified. They are often combined with other elements typical of rock music such as rock-style vocals drumming.

Cello rock has been developing slowly over the years, with its direct influences dating as far back as the 1930s in Russia and Germany. The popularity of Cello rock is steadily on the rise, as artists such as Metallica and Marilyn Manson lend support to the fledgling groups, though the genre still lies mostly in the dark in the United States music scene.

Examples of Cello rock groups are Apocalyptica, Rasputina, Break of Reality, Matson Jones, Tarantula A.D., Murder By Death, The Stiletto Formal, Cursive and Primitivity. Apocalyptica has caused a veritable musical revolution on the European continent. Pioneered by a Finnish quartet (now trio), Apocalyptica originally played cello rock covers of heavy metal songs, including ones by Metallica. They now mostly play their own compositions. Rasputina is an American band that is known for covering Led Zeppelin songs live, wearing nothing but Victorian Period Clothing such as corsets, and catering to the American goth scene. Primitivity is the project name for cellist Loren Westbrook-Fritts' cello rock. Westbrook-Fritts began by covering songs of Megadeth, and has more recently created original music and classical music converted to metal.

A subgenre pioneered by cellist Gideon Freudmann, which he coined "Cellobop" (a term he also uses personally), is essentially folk-rock cello, or more specifically and officially: "Imagine the passion of a Mozart aria or the fury of a Bartok quartet layered with an R&B sensibility."

Cello rock now has record labels devoted solely to the production of music in that genre, such as Vitamin Records.

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