Metal music today: what's wrong with it?

[noseminer]

Some of what I've been listening too:

 

[guitarslinger]

What's wrong with it:

It's angry, ghey, and girls hate it.

 

[axemeaquestion]

Some of what I've been listening too:




The Tesseract tune is easily the best song in this thread. Good tune.

 

[some dude]

What's wrong with it:

It's angry, ghey, and girls hate it.

Not all girls...

 

[guitarslinger]

okay, 3 women out of 3 billion like it.

 

[some dude]

Forgot about this one...

And this...

(just kidding)

 

[guitarslinger]

I like Avril Lavigne

 

[Ventura]

It's all about preference and taste... But personally? I can't handle anything with cookie monster grovelling lyrics in it, a lack of melody, chaotic time signatures, and overall, a lack of form in the music. The comment before about earlier metal never being derived from 'metal' is very true, it was a derivation from classical for the most part, Randy Rhoads nailed that point home time and time again. I think the last 'metal-like' band that really got me going was System of a Down. Other than that? Deftones latest is rockin' the house. But all this other crap, Behemoth included, is just shyte. As Adam Jones commented, "a bunch of guys dressed up in pirate clothing...".

I don't give a shit about the 'speed' of a guitarist, or drummer for that matter. It's about the feeling that's conveyed when all the elements of the musicians' input is put into the mixing pot... It's got to be synergistic, ya know?? And I feel with today's modern metal, it's so surgical and clinical and isolated - oh, there's the guitarist's 128th's chops, oh, there's the drummers 64th note fill-ins, oh, there's the bassists 32nd's note walking line, and oh, there it goes back into the cookie monster mix vocals. It's almost designed as though the musicians all played their part in an iso room, and then the mix was made and VOILA - that's it. It's got ZERO feel.

Whatever, I am 40, but I listen to a LOT of music...and some of the best music is that which comes from all the members playing together, and creating something more than the sum of their individual parts. As an old musical mentor used to tell me - 'means shit what they sound like on vinyl, cassette or (today) CD...if they suck live, they suck for real'. How very true.

Still blabbin... Sorry. I miss GOOD metal, period.

V.

 

[axemeaquestion]

I

Still blabbin... Sorry. I miss GOOD metal, period.

V.

I pretty much agree with what you said.

Name 3 groups I should be checking out.

 

[Spaceboy]

There is plenty of originality in modern metal and to denounce it to blindly screaming and chugging is ridiculous. I guess it could sound that way to those who aren't accustomed to that style of music, or maybe people who don't have ears. Anyways, there's often a lack of melody, because writing according to traditional and predictable melodies is extremely limiting, and there has ALWAYS been a competition in (extreme) metal to see who's faster, heavier, and more insane. You don't listen to bands like Spawn of Possession with the same attitude you listen to Ozzy/Randy.

 

[Shask]

I dunno, I like all kinds of stuff. I grew up on Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura, etc...

I love lots of the screaming, clicking drums songs. I can easily listen to 4 minutes of chugging on 1 note And honestly think the "solo" is overrated, and never understood the fascination with it.

There is more metal out there than ever before. There is just tons of stuff. Hell, Thrash has had a huge revival in the last year or 2 with bands like Exodus, Overkill, Lazarus AD, etc..

And most of all, remember that tomorrow wont be like yesterday. The world changes, and bitching about how things used to be "better" is futile. In music and the world in general. Accept the changes, and sort from there...

 

[rupe]

There is plenty of originality in modern metal and to denounce it to blindly screaming and chugging is ridiculous. I guess it could sound that way to those who aren't accustomed to that style of music, or maybe people who don't have ears. Anyways, there's often a lack of melody, because writing according to traditional and predictable melodies is extremely limiting, and there has ALWAYS been a competition in (extreme) metal to see who's faster, heavier, and more insane. You don't listen to bands like Spawn of Possession with the same attitude you listen to Ozzy/Randy.

IMO competition has no place in music...and trying to be unpredictable for the sake of simply being unpredictable also has nothing to do with being musical. Nigel Tufnel said it best..."There's a fine line between clever and stupid".

 

[guitarmike]

I dunno, I like all kinds of stuff. I grew up on Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura, etc...

I love lots of the screaming, clicking drums songs. I can easily listen to 4 minutes of chugging on 1 note And honestly think the "solo" is overrated, and never understood the fascination with it.

And most of all, remember that tomorrow wont be like yesterday. The world changes, and bitching about how things used to be "better" is futile. In music and the world in general. Accept the changes, and sort from there...

Solo's are always overrated by those that can't play them

I think what us old timers miss is the craft of writing a song. A well written song. I know we're talking metal but what new bands out today can write songs like Led Zep, Styx, Kansas, etc? Crafting a song where all parts fit is a lost art in popular hard rock/metal. That is the point. You have to listen to prog metal to get any sophistication in writing. Even the laughed at hair metal had well written songs amongst the crap. Listen to a white Lion song, I hate the singers voice but they really had good melodies and hooks, Vito Bratta is very underrated.

Tomorrow won't be like yesterday, its just too bad it is worse (at least with the music industry).

Mike

 

[some dude]

Solo's are always overrated by those that can't play them

I think what us old timers miss is the craft of writing a song. A well written song. I know we're talking metal but what new bands out today can write songs like Led Zep, Styx, Kansas, etc? Crafting a song where all parts fit is a lost art in popular hard rock/metal. That is the point. You have to listen to prog metal to get any sophistication in writing. Even the laughed at hair metal had well written songs amongst the crap. Listen to a white Lion song, I hate the singers voice but they really had good melodies and hooks, Vito Bratta is very underrated.

Tomorrow won't be like yesterday, its just too bad it is worse (at least with the music industry).

Mike

That's what my dad was saying about 80s music back in the 80s...

My Grandfather was probably saying the same shit to my dad about Zep and Floyd...

 

[Spaceboy]

There is plenty of originality in modern metal and to denounce it to blindly screaming and chugging is ridiculous. I guess it could sound that way to those who aren't accustomed to that style of music, or maybe people who don't have ears. Anyways, there's often a lack of melody, because writing according to traditional and predictable melodies is extremely limiting, and there has ALWAYS been a competition in (extreme) metal to see who's faster, heavier, and more insane. You don't listen to bands like Spawn of Possession with the same attitude you listen to Ozzy/Randy.

IMO competition has no place in music...and trying to be unpredictable for the sake of simply being unpredictable also has nothing to do with being musical. Nigel Tufnel said it best..."There's a fine line between clever and stupid".

You're trying to say that musicians shouldn't break away from the normal and do something they perceive as interesting, for the sake of being "musical"?

Modern metal is really more rhythm-focused than melody-focused, but then again, melody is only a pattern of notes, which even if not within the boundaries of the major scale can still be technically labeled a melody. It might not sound "musical" to you because you are used to a certain sequence of notes, but you're wrong, because it is.

I hate how much the word "musical" thrown around on the internet. I always see these snoddy comments that this or that guitarist isn't "musical" or some similarly illogical bullshit. Someone could run through some chromatics, and it's still going to be musical because there a definitive rhythm and melody, two of the building blocks (but not requirements) of music.

I probably did a bad job at explaining the thoughts going through my head. I'm not a pen and paper kind of fella.

 

[Shask]

I dunno, I like all kinds of stuff. I grew up on Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura, etc...

I love lots of the screaming, clicking drums songs. I can easily listen to 4 minutes of chugging on 1 note And honestly think the "solo" is overrated, and never understood the fascination with it.

And most of all, remember that tomorrow wont be like yesterday. The world changes, and bitching about how things used to be "better" is futile. In music and the world in general. Accept the changes, and sort from there...

Solo's are always overrated by those that can't play them

I think what us old timers miss is the craft of writing a song. A well written song. I know we're talking metal but what new bands out today can write songs like Led Zep, Styx, Kansas, etc? Crafting a song where all parts fit is a lost art in popular hard rock/metal. That is the point. You have to listen to prog metal to get any sophistication in writing. Even the laughed at hair metal had well written songs amongst the crap. Listen to a white Lion song, I hate the singers voice but they really had good melodies and hooks, Vito Bratta is very underrated.

Tomorrow won't be like yesterday, its just too bad it is worse (at least with the music industry).

Mike

Actually, I pretty much always listened to the groove under the solos, so I really dont miss them much

There is still plenty of melody and solos in metal though. One example that comes to mind is in power metal, like this song I hear on the radio daily that I cant stand

 

[skoora]

I'm the old guy with the lost baseball collection in view of the kids who hit them in my yard!!!
I have nothing against a sound or stylistic approach or production (am partial to less clickity clack though) I just miss songs. I'm ok with a lot of harder vocals, I dig Napalm and Entombed a lot. Been enjoying Death Breath (a throwback to the early 90's though).

That being said I have hard time finding anything new at all that I like or find remotely memorable. I think it's not that the talent isn't there, it's that the creativity isn't. I would say the biggest thing missing for me right now are singers I enjoy. Lots of great riffs and amazing drummers, just very uninteresting vocalists and forgettable arrangements.....and yes I can't say I'm into the scream to Jonas Bros clean in a lot of "metal". I'd rather a guy ride the middle and give me a bit of a melody, but that's just me. I got plenty of old shit to listen to so you youngsters can have your new stuff, it doesn't bother me. I just turn the station or fire up my droid instead.

I can only imagine what guys who were in their prime in 1975 thought when Reign In Blood came out and blew my 16 year old mind.

 

[Deleted member 10619]

Solo's are always overrated by those that can't play them

I think what us old timers miss is the craft of writing a song. A well written song. I know we're talking metal but what new bands out today can write songs like Led Zep, Styx, Kansas, etc? Crafting a song where all parts fit is a lost art in popular hard rock/metal. That is the point. You have to listen to prog metal to get any sophistication in writing. Even the laughed at hair metal had well written songs amongst the crap. Listen to a white Lion song, I hate the singers voice but they really had good melodies and hooks, Vito Bratta is very underrated.

Tomorrow won't be like yesterday, its just too bad it is worse (at least with the music industry).

Mike

That's what my dad was saying about 80s music back in the 80s...

My Grandfather was probably saying the same shit to my dad about Zep and Floyd...

This.

 

[Erock]

Solo's are always overrated by those that can't play them

I think what us old timers miss is the craft of writing a song. A well written song. I know we're talking metal but what new bands out today can write songs like Led Zep, Styx, Kansas, etc? Crafting a song where all parts fit is a lost art in popular hard rock/metal. That is the point. You have to listen to prog metal to get any sophistication in writing. Even the laughed at hair metal had well written songs amongst the crap. Listen to a white Lion song, I hate the singers voice but they really had good melodies and hooks, Vito Bratta is very underrated.

Tomorrow won't be like yesterday, its just too bad it is worse (at least with the music industry).

Mike

That's what my dad was saying about 80s music back in the 80s...

My Grandfather was probably saying the same shit to my dad about Zep and Floyd...

lol, this exactly. What each generation considers great writing changes right along with the music. If you keep an open mind, there have been a lot of great hard rock/metal bands in the last 5 years even.


some hard rock I've dug

Shinedown

Stone Sour

Dark New Day

some music from forum members:
Bulb from Periphery

Ola from Feared

Pete from The Absence

 

[TheMagicEight]

What's wrong with it:

It's angry, ghey, and girls hate it.

Not all girls...

A woman should never front a metal band. Makes the entire group look like a bunch of fairies IMO. Show me a female guitarist with chops AND songwriting skills and I'll be thoroughly impressed, though I have yet to see any. As for vocals? I don't listen to metal to hear things from a woman's perspective, nor can they scream or yell worth a damn. It's not heavy, it's annoying.

No offense.