The Power of Metal

spectrefate wrote:

TrogDawn wrote:

corprophagia

That's the HOM Word of the Day. Before you posted it, I was on Wikipedia reading about it.

Being here is such an educational experience, ain't it?

There's a lot more Metal today in terms of quantity, but I don't think there's more quality in the music overall. Technology has made it easier for any band to make their own CD and sell it online. You don't even have to be signed to a label anymore. Technology has also made it possible to discover virtually any band in existence. But are these necessarily good things? Some of both, I would imagine. The downside to having a countless number of Metal bands these days is that few are ever going to break out of the pack because they're all vying for our attention. Very few of these bands really standout, therefore they become just another number in the endless line of Metal bands that come and go. Honestly, I don't keep up with the current scene much, but there is an overabundance of bands quite frankly. I'd even suggest that perhaps 75% of them we could do without. I visit music websites and am amazed at the overwhelming amount of bands in the current scene, many of whom I have no clue about. If and when I actually hear many of the newer bands, I'm usually left disappointed. It all sounds the same. It leaves me jaded.

The quality of yesterday's bands vs. bands of today shows quite a difference, too. Basically any album I bought from the early Metal scene as a teen was good. Labels like Metal Blade, Combat, Neat, New Renaissance, Shrapnel, Roadrunner, Steamhammer, etc., put out quality bands who made quality music. Plus, they've stood the test of time. That's why there's such a resurgent interest in those bands even today. 10 or 20 years from now no one will remember many from the current crop of new Metal bands. There's still good music being made, but unfortunately, it gets swallowed in a sea of mediocrity. If there's a gazillion bands today, what are the odds that I'm going to discover your band? Very slim.

I agree with what some have said about the sales of Metal. Today, people steal music all the time instead of buying it. Plus, many just buy online, downloading new releases or new songs rather than go out and purchase an actual CD of the band. Most every band allows you to sample their music online, too. If that music isn't very good to begin with, again, what are the odds that someone is going to spend money on it? Also, folks have so many entertainment options these days. Computers, satellite television, video games, etc., that people don't support concerts like they used to. The coliseum and club scenes where I live used to be packed in the 80's and early 90's. There weren't as many options back then so most people went to shows. Many of the bands that used to play coliseums can only draw enough support to play clubs these days. I'm amazed when I hear that bands make any money at all. It's a different time period with new challenges.

Metal will always be around, though, because there will always be teen angst...lol

Can I get the Cliff Notes, please? I have the attention span of a gnat.

spectrefate wrote:

Can I get the Cliff Notes, please? I have the attention span of a gnat.

He's says metal will always be around because of wankers like you.

spectrefate wrote:

Can I get the Cliff Notes, please? I have the attention span of a gnat.

....I'm thinkin' that's pretty short!

Yeah, it is...I'm a bit of a rambler...lol I could have went on further than that even.

Earlier metal is better than modern metal. Certainly, there are some gems amongst the rough, like Ultimatum, Wolfmother, The Sword, and Priestess, but the majority of it is "angsty", corporate nu metal/rapcore/whogivesadangcore garbage that appeals to the angry Goth-esque teens that frequent hHt Topic and brood all day.

I'd take the great metal of the 70s and 80s over this modern trash anyday of the week. The likes of Judas Priest, Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Dio could wipe the floor with the cranky poseurs called "modern mainstream music".

Like I mentioned above, there are a lot of great bands out there, but the current crop of mainstream bands sink the good ones out there. For every DragonForce, SOAD, and Sword, there's a(n) Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, or Korn. If the industry gets to discovering talent, instead of "what sells", the quality will head upward.

In conclusion, Limp Bizkit sucks.

George wrote:

Yeah, it is...I'm a bit of a rambler...lol I could have went on further than that even.

You and Eyesore should get along fine then.

I'm feeling a resurgence of Thrash Metal!

One thing that metal has going for it is the loyalty of it's fan base. I remember about nine years ago when a hair/glam/sleaze fest came through a nearby small town. It felt like '87 or something with thousands of people there. Even I was surprised by the turnout. Of course to the mainstream, metal was supposedly dead. It might not draw the numbers it used to, but it'll never die due to it's dedicated fans. And I always have hope for it's future when I see some of the ages of people on this board or kids wearing the shirts and going to the shows.

Whether it is popular or not, metal will never die as long as people like us continue to support it. If you only like the old stuff, good for you. If you like the new stuff, good for you. To me whether the metal of today is better than metal of yesterday is irrelevent as long as there are bands that hold my interest and keep the flame of metal alive. We all love our metal whether it be new or old and that is why metal IMO is as strong as ever. There is nothing the mainstream can do about it.

spectrefate wrote:

EvyMetal wrote:

Personally, being a teen in today's high schools, there aren't too many metal fans. At first, there were just me and a couple of friends. Now that I'm a senior there are about 15 kids that listen to the Metal not just 4. Doesn't sound like much, but when theres 15 kids dressed in Metal gear, it gets intimidatin'.

When I was in High school (way back in the late 80's/early 90's) EVERYONE seemed to have a rock shirt on of some sort

That was it's commercial peak...it was everywhere...I bet half of those people don't listen to Metal at all anymore...

spectrefate wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Me. I tell people "Listen to metal" then smack them upside the head.

...with your spork.