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Post by Azrael on Jan 22, 2011 18:16:20 GMT -5
Now, I'm no xmoshwarriorx, and I'm certainly not the kid with the baggy shorts, waist-length hair, and Carcass LE Vinyls, but I feel I must lament the current state of heavy music.
Here is a convo I witnessed on Facebook about how supposedly brutal a mosh-pit is at an upcoming show and how the one person is in no way ready for it.
Prima:
well, tell me how that works out for you. that's a (band) show. you can't take iiiiiiiit. hahahahaah
Secunda:
huh? im lost
Prima:
the new tour right?
Secunda:
what about it?
Prima:
It's (Band 1), (Band 2), (Band 3), and (Band 4)l. Good luck, moron.
Secunda:
hahahahhahahahahah yeah welll
Prima:
tell me how that goes for you. maybe you wanna prep yourself by coming to a show with me first. you can't let your first REAL mosh pit be THAT show. you'll die...
Secunda:
you act like i dont have a rocker side, Prima
Would anybody like to guess which bands are on this tour? (Hint: They're totally BR000TAL D00D)
(Also, Prima happens to be an annoying girl who has only liked metal for 3 months and accosted me at my college at a meeting upon seeing I happened to be wearing a Norma Jean shirt. I tried to explain to her for 5 minutes that Norma Jean hardly qualifies as metal, but she was too busy asking me if I've ever heard of Attack Attack! What a n00b.)
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Post by Solid on Jan 22, 2011 21:38:53 GMT -5
I've slowly seen "metalcore" and "deathcore" be called simply "metal" in the Missouri music scene. I think that people in the hardcore/alternative (oh yes, I said it) music scene have forgotten what metal is. It's tons of fun for my band to be the only metal band at a "metal" show. I get a kick out of watching everyone stare at the stage in shock, but who can blame them? They didn't expect a genuine metal band at a "metal" concert. They were expecting dance pits and breakdowns up to wazoo. I can't count how many times I've heard kids say, "I'm gonna throw it down so hard at the metal show tonight." Perhaps I've babbled a little bit...
As for those bands, I'm guessing one of them is is either Skillet, Pillar, or Thousand Foot Krutch.
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Post by Josh on Jan 22, 2011 22:55:43 GMT -5
YOU CAAAANT BRIIING ME DOOOOWN
buy anyway
there is only really one answer for what is metal
MANOWAR
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Post by Azrael on Jan 22, 2011 23:22:09 GMT -5
I've slowly seen "metalcore" and "deathcore" be called simply "metal" in the Missouri music scene. I think that people in the hardcore/alternative (oh yes, I said it) music scene have forgotten what metal is. It's tons of fun for my band to be the only metal band at a "metal" show. I get a kick out of watching everyone stare at the stage in shock, but who can blame them? They didn't expect a genuine metal band at a "metal" concert. They were expecting dance pits and breakdowns up to wazoo. I can't count how many times I've heard kids say, "I'm gonna throw it down so hard at the metal show tonight." Perhaps I've babbled a little bit... As for those bands, I'm guessing one of them is is either Skillet, Pillar, or Thousand Foot Krutch. I wish. A Day to Remember, Pierce the Veil, Between the Buried and Me, and We Came as Romans. BtBaM isn't bad, but they're hardly what I'd call legit. They're not nearly as good as their fanbois proclaim. Actually, I don't think their pit would be nearly as br00tal as Prima claims due to the fact that most of their fans are those d-bags that stand there fingering the stubble on their chin thoughtfully while pretending to appreciate the mixed-meter compositions. The problem is that I find bands like Miss May I, Woe Is Me, the Devil Wears Prada, A Day to Remember and even Attack Attack! somewhat entertaining. I love breakdowns. I've tried to break myself of this habit, however I am incapable. It's a shame to see metal being diluted into crappy pop with down-tuned distorted guitars. The fans are what's really getting on my nerves. |
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Post by davo on Jan 23, 2011 9:49:53 GMT -5
this is metal: this is not: It's a shame to see metal being diluted into crappy pop with down-tuned distorted guitars. The fans are what's really getting on my nerves. i'm pretty sure this is was the late 80's/early 90s thrashers and grunge fans were saying when nu-metal first hit the scene. the more commercial music gets, generally the less integrity it has. |
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Post by Azrael on Jan 23, 2011 12:23:57 GMT -5
this is metal: this is not: It's a shame to see metal being diluted into crappy pop with down-tuned distorted guitars. The fans are what's really getting on my nerves. i'm pretty sure this is was the late 80's/early 90s thrashers and grunge fans were saying when nu-metal first hit the scene. the more commercial music gets, generally the less integrity it has. Funny thing is I just got into Korn and Mudvayne a little bit. I'd argue that there were a couple Nu Metal bands who were doing interesting things musically. Then you have Papa Roach and the other ridiculous power chord hordes. Then again, it might be this way with the new xbreakdownx stuff. August Burns Red is an immensely talented band that often tours with these jackknobs. Miss May I (from what I can tell) at least has some respectable deathcore roots. They're no Zao, but their vocalist has a nice, developed, scream. At times they sound like AILD, but mostly I've been pleasantly impressed with the songs off their latest record. But they're certainly not indicative of the greater plight of the genre. The guitar showmanship, in particular, is lacking. It's becoming just another rhythm instrument for breakdowns. I can't even hear the bass in half the mixes (although some would argue that's the way it should be. Wikety wink, winkety wink.). Some bands have talented guitarists and solos, but the general competency has diminished. It's almost like we're back to Nirvana. Who I'm really beginning to respect are the producers and sound engineers. The breakdown has been evolving and it's become much heavier than it used to. Drums are starting to sound better across the board. Guitars are starting to sound heavier. But this has nothing to do with the actual skill and tastes of the band. They're not engineers. They let the engineer set up the mic and amps and then the tech hands them the guitar and they play power chords and diminished chords (apparently called chaos chords) until the producer says "stop." Even at their worst, Korn had a talent for unconventional rhythm and syncopation. Steve Vai found himself impressed with Munky and Head's work, and that's validation for anyone who plays guitar. Fieldy is quite a competent bassist. Korn never held a steady drummer, but it's never been their downfall. Jonathan Davis has the biggest mouth, but alas: he's the weakest member of Korn. He's still not bad, but not too good. Mudvayne, on the other hand, is incredible. Their bassist is phenomenal. The guitarist is often overshadowed by him, but his work is decent. The vocalist, again, is the weaker side, but even he's got an interesting and refreshing voice. The drummer is spot-on most of the time. Of course I'm going off of L.D. 50. Their later records are much less impressive. It seems like the only thing that the new metalcore is capable of is identifiable and discernible melody. It's catchy. This is its pop roots showing through. Pop music is popular because it's catchy, otherwise it would be no use to labels. The recording quality is ever-increasing, but that's not any innovation of the actual musicians'. I know a lot of people who sit around and say "dude, it has to be analog. digital is sooooo inferior." They sit there smoking their parliament cigarettes in their flannel shirt drinking PBR with a pair of aviators with that stupid beanie that hangs off in the back. They play "vintage" Fender Tele's on "vintage" Fender amps. Apparently nobody's told them that "vintage" is idiot-speak for "pay more money to sound like crap on outdated technology." A good modern amp can produce any tone, even vintage. Why pay more for something with limited production? But alas, this is just a diversion where I have ranted about hipsters and their stupidity. But this is my question, I suppose. Bands like BTA are limited, extremely limited, in the musical universe. BTA happens to produce artistically rigorous music with evidence of mastery of their given instruments. I've never heard somebody with a better mid-range scream than Jason. But bands like this, as good as they are, never seem to be headlining. Typically they're getting dragged around the country by the equivalent of N*SYNC with ESP Guitars and Mesa full-stacks. I know a lot of people are going to tell me that music has always been like this, but what about Megadeth? Critically acclaimed, critically talented. Popular and fantastic. What about Yes? For crap's sake, even Taking Back Sunday did some artistically rigorous things on their first two albums by being one of the first bands to use vocal counterpoint as a primary means of conveying lyrical themes and melodies. What about now? |
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Post by conner on Jan 24, 2011 16:18:03 GMT -5
I enjoy A Day To Remember and the Zombie EP from TDWP is pretty well done.
Just sayin'
And the new Norma Jean is really good too, regardless of the exaggerated difference between "metalcore" and "metal"
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Post by davo on Jan 24, 2011 17:06:14 GMT -5
I wouldn't consider ATDR metalcore either, they're hardcore with pop-punk thrown in.
Norma Jean are a quality metalcore band, but if anyone thinks that 'core is the be-all and end all of metal, they're wrong.
There's some great producers around (Devin Townsend and Steve Wilson are probably two of my faves at the moment), but for every one great producer, there's a stack of terrible ones who either don't know how to record an album (which I have less of a problem with if the band's broke because their average concert attendance is about 12) so it sounds a mess, or they brick-wall everything so there's no sense of dynamics in the recording. It doesn't matter if it's recorded in an analogue or "normal" studio, as long as the producer doesn't rob the album of all its soul. Which is why I can't stand Andy Sneap's mastering work, he makes everything sound far too clinical and overproduced.
And for the record, although Nirvana weren't ever the best band musically, Kurt Cobain wrote some f**king awesome songs.
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Post by Azrael on Jan 24, 2011 21:39:51 GMT -5
I enjoy A Day To Remember and the Zombie EP from TDWP is pretty well done. Just sayin' And the new Norma Jean is really good too, regardless of the exaggerated difference between "metalcore" and "metal" I enjoy all of them too. The problem I have is that people think this is all that there is. They don't bother digging deeper. I remember when I was in my metal n00b phase, I couldn't get enough of it. Yes, I was embarrassing. Yes, I would go around asking people if they were into metal. But I was always trying to find more bands and to listen to people who actually were in to the genre. I started off with Demon Hunter, but within a month I was listening to BTA, Opeth, LS, and Extol. These kids are just content to stick to the surface, but seem unwilling to admit there's more out there. Metal's becoming trendy. Even when Nu Metal was popular, it was never trendy. I don't really have a problem with this on the surface, but it's going to end up doing bad things. People are going to focus on the things that the trendy bands do well (catchy melodies, heavy breakdowns, good production quality), and swear all of these things off in order to be "legit." Then nobody wins. The trendy stuff has no competition to ground it and keep it somewhat rigorous. The obscure stuff becomes even more obscure and elitist. I wouldn't consider ATDR metalcore either, they're hardcore with pop-punk thrown in. Norma Jean are a quality metalcore band, but if anyone thinks that 'core is the be-all and end all of metal, they're wrong. There's some great producers around (Devin Townsend and Steve Wilson are probably two of my faves at the moment), but for every one great producer, there's a stack of terrible ones who either don't know how to record an album (which I have less of a problem with if the band's broke because their average concert attendance is about 12) so it sounds a mess, or they brick-wall everything so there's no sense of dynamics in the recording. It doesn't matter if it's recorded in an analogue or "normal" studio, as long as the producer doesn't rob the album of all its soul. Which is why I can't stand Andy Sneap's mastering work, he makes everything sound far too clinical and overproduced. And for the record, although Nirvana weren't ever the best band musically, Kurt Cobain wrote some f**king awesome songs. Like I said, I agree on Norma Jean (although I think there best work is a couple albums behind them on O God). I've also always had a problem with overly-clean and clinical sounding records which is why I had a problem with AILD and KSE for a long time. As for Cobain, he had a very successful minimalist approach to songwriting. So does Damien Rice. The problem is that very few people have the ability to discern talent from stupidity-induced simplicity. The damage Cobain and Reznor have dealt to modern music has been severe in that respect. As for Indie Folk artists, I consider it their fault my college is blessed with an over-abundance of whiny folk hipsters assaulting my ears with their pseudo artistic spoken-word lyrics most likely ripped off Dashboard and their pathetically simple guitar chords that always turn out to be a 5-2-3-1 progression (see Hey Soul Sister, Don't Stop Believing, Paparazzi, Shake It, so on and so on ad nauseum). |
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