I mean I would argue that genres like post metal and other atmospheric metal genres tend to focus on more grounded suffering and communicating that through contrasting the beautiful and the harsh, thematically and aurally. It's not exactly over the top and even tongue in cheek like you would get from power metal or some black metal (and plenty of other metal genres). I take it as seriously as I would any other piece from more self serious genres along the lines of, say, post punk.
Think of an album like Panopticon by ISIS. I have zero issue taking seriously the sound and themes presented on that album. Metal isn't inherently devil horns and pentagrams, even if that aesthetic surrounds its origins and persists.
I mean I would argue that genres like post metal and other atmospheric metal genres tend to focus on more grounded suffering and communicating that through contrasting the beautiful and the harsh, thematically and aurally. It's not exactly over the top and even tongue in cheek like you would get from power metal or some black metal (and plenty of other metal genres). I take it as seriously as I would any other piece from more self serious genres along the lines of, say, post punk.
Think of an album like Panopticon by ISIS. I have zero issue taking seriously the sound and themes presented on that album. Metal isn't inherently devil horns and pentagrams, even if that aesthetic surrounds its origins and persists.