Was Melkor’s Music in Ainulindale Dark Rock or Heavy Metal?

Many fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion have debated whether Melkor, the First Elder God, sang in Ainulindale in a dark rock or heavy metal genre. This article delves into the text to explore this intriguing question.

Polka: The Original Source of All Evil?

In D.R. Lloyd’s fan fiction The Sillymarillion, Polka is portrayed as the original source of all evil during the recording of the Ainulindale. This suggests a much more intimate and possibly darker interpretation of Melkor and his influence on the music. However, Lloyd’s work is purely imaginative and may not accurately reflect Tolkien’s original intentions.

Music in The Silmarillion

When considering Melkor's role and his music in The Silmarillion, it is important to note that Tolkien himself did not delve deeply into describing the genre of the Ainulindale music. The descriptions in the Silmarillion are quite vague, only hinting at the nature of the music. Tolkien did mention that he did not care for rock music, referring to it as "beatle groups."

Symphonic Nature of The Ainulindale

The text of The Silmarillion depicts the divine music as symphonic in nature. This idea is derived from the context provided by the text, such as the description of Iluvatar’s “mighty theme” and the way the Ainur added their own melodies and harmonies to it. The Ainur’s voices are compared to instruments, with mentions of harps, lutes, pipes, and trumpets suggesting a rich, baroque sound with organs, plucked strings, and brass. This symphonic structure implies a more complex and structured composition rather than the raw, rebellious nature of rock or heavy metal.

Melkor's Discordant Melody

Melkor, later known as Morgoth, was not the one who started the symphonic music; he initially contributed to it as part of the collective effort. However, as he grew more arrogant, he attempted to dominate the music, introducing discordant themes that clashed with Iluvatar’s original melody. This discordance alone does not suggest a specific genre but rather a deviation from the intended harmonious composition.

Concluding Thoughts

While it is an entertaining idea to consider Melkor’s music as falling into a genre like dark rock or heavy metal, the text of The Silmarillion provides little direct evidence to support this. The Ainur’s music is more accurately described as symphonic, with elements of classical and baroque composition. Melkor’s attempt to create discordant themes suggests a rebellion against this unity rather than the creation of a new musical genre.

Therefore, while these genres can be entertaining imaginative explorations, they do not align directly with Tolkien’s descriptions of the Ainulindale. The symphonic and baroque nature of his music, informed by the text, seems to be the most accurate representation.