Metal music today: what's wrong with it?

[guitarmike]

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.

Not exactly

There is a consistent theme of quality in music that goes back 100's or years that is missing in most of today's music. It has little to do with each generation,s scorn of the next's music. What is missing in most of today's music is quality. That goes across all genres, not just metal. Music is pushed as a commodity for the purposes of making a quick buck, not for the sake of the art. That has changed, and that is what I believe is the real problem. Show me a well crafted, well done song in any style and I can appreciate it even if I don't like the style. Yes, there still is great new music out there, it is sadly, no longer at the top as it once was.

No, the music is still fine, you've just turned into a grumpy old fart.

Old yes, grumpy no. We'll see how much screamo is listened to 30 years from now. The music of my generation will be played and enjoyed long after I blow my last fart. I doubt yours will last so long

If you like it, then its great, there are only 2 kinds of music, the kind you like and the kind you don't.


Mike

 

[some dude]

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.

None taken.

Boris (link below) is a sludge metal band, but they cross genres a lot and are hard to pin down. Although the song below isn't one of their more metal tunes it is a 10 minute long guitar solo arraigned into the form of a song.

First 36 seconds is a pre-recorded intro... it gets better once they switch to the live recording.

And for the fun of it....

I'd play some of their more 'metal' stuff, but most of the forum probably wouldn't get it.

 

[Spaceboy]

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.

Not exactly

There is a consistent theme of quality in music that goes back 100's or years that is missing in most of today's music. It has little to do with each generation,s scorn of the next's music. What is missing in most of today's music is quality. That goes across all genres, not just metal. Music is pushed as a commodity for the purposes of making a quick buck, not for the sake of the art. That has changed, and that is what I believe is the real problem. Show me a well crafted, well done song in any style and I can appreciate it even if I don't like the style. Yes, there still is great new music out there, it is sadly, no longer at the top as it once was.

No, the music is still fine, you've just turned into a grumpy old fart.

Old yes, grumpy no. We'll see how much screamo is listened to 30 years from now. The music of my generation will be played and enjoyed long after I blow my last fart. I doubt yours will last so long

If you like it, then its great, there are only 2 kinds of music, the kind you like and the kind you don't.


Mike

"Screamo" has been kickin' longer than I've even been alive. It started in 1984.

 

[Anonymous]

+1 on new metal for me, I cant stand the cookie monster stuff. The last metal band that really did it for me was Pantera. Guess I am showing my age.

Personally, I dig the latest metal and growling vocals stuff a lot and I'm 50. I don't think it is necessarily an age thing - you either like it or you don't...

Steve

 

[NinjaRaf]

I love me some modern metal with cookie monster vocals and chugs and squeals lol. Bands like killswitch engage, lamb of god, all that remains, children of bodom, kalmah. I grew up on 80s thrash, and I love that stuff too. There are a few bands that have that sort of thrashy vibe with the cookie monster vocals, and I REALLY dig that...like sylosis, for example.

 

[TTripp]

The only problem with Metal today is that I was 18 30 years ago.

 

[HottKarl]

What's wrong with metal today? One word: money.

Once people realized that there were lots of kids listening to metal, they started treating it as a 'product' to market, sell and make money off of. There's a sea of crappy 'metal' out there.

But there are still a lot of great metal bands out there, both old and new, who are doing it solely for the love of playing metal. I'll echo the sentiments that you should listen to whatever moves you. If it happens to be crab-core or math-core, than so be it. Enjoy it.

Here is my contribution of bands who play awesome metal, just because they love to play metal:

 

[Inquisitor]

+1 on new metal for me, I cant stand the cookie monster stuff. The last metal band that really did it for me was Pantera. Guess I am showing my age.

Personally, I dig the latest metal and growling vocals stuff a lot and I'm 50. I don't think it is necessarily and age thing - you either like it or you don't...

Steve

Your definitely one of the cool dudes. I typically get shit for waking up alive in the morning

 

[blackba]

I don't consider myself a metalhead so keep that in mind. I would be curious to see a poll on this forum, to see how many people consider themselves metalheads.

To me what's wrong with the new metal that is coming out is that I am too old. Think about your favorite music, you probably started liking it as a teenager and you look back fondly on those days about the music. Most of the new music coming out for any genre, I don't like much. For metal, I can't stand the cookie monster vocals anymore than I like the autotuned vocals I hear on alot of the new pop music.

What I would like to see is metal come back to the mainstream. Alot of the stuff I hear today would never make it on the radio. I mean if Metallica was the band of the 80's, Pantera the metal band of the 90's, than who is the metal band of the 2000's? I think we are missing a Metallica or Pantera in the genre, someone who will bring in more the massees. I don't really see that happened.

 

[EXPcustom]

Jesus may forgive Ozzy but he will never forgive what you kids have done to metal.

 

[Inquisitor]

Jesus may forgive Ozzy but he will never forgive what you kids have done to metal.

 

[Spaceboy]

We haven't done anything to metal. If you want to point a finger at someone, blame your own generation for creating thrash and harder forms of rock 'n' roll, which was the fundamental stepping stone for all extreme modern metal. Metallica, Motorhead, Venom, Slayer, etc were all bands around during Ozzy's time, doing something much heavier, much darker, and IMO, better than anything that spawned from the mainstream. The following generations have only progressed what those bands have started. It just happens that this style of music is much more popular due to better sources of information like the internet and a more productive music industry.

 

[travis bickle]

Damn dude you are living in a bubble!
You have more choice now than ever. The problem for you is you choose not to look. If Darwin's theory of evolution pertained directly to music you would be the Dodo bird. Don't blame the current Metal scene for your failings. People play what they want to hear. It is a voice for so many now. I like Randy Rhoads and I have respect for them helping shape what we have today. I guess I wouldn't want to listen to only Ozzy/Randy for the rest of my life either. Don't blame the scene for your lack of effort. That is as stupid as saying I don't like Ford trucks. They are all red and I don't like red so Ford's suck.

Metal is bigger than ever before. TV shows dedicated to it, Video Games, Festivals that host 80,000+ people, Metal acts that Sellout Arenas, Death Metal acts that open for Arena acts. Seriously Death playing in Stadiums! You could not say that even 10 years ago. There are more choices now in metal than the limited handful of metal bands in the 70s. How lame would it be if every metal band sounded like Ozzy. I bet there would be NO metal scene left if that were true. (Which I find funny you mention Ozzy as he is 2nd largest sellout in the metal world) If you can't find something good you ain't looking

this. there is a ton of great music out there, you just have to find it.

also, what you call "cookie monster" vocals have been around since the mid 80's so it isn't new. im 38 years old and love the new metal that is coming out. im not stuck in the "good ole days". besides, it sounds like most of you aren't truly metalheads. sounds like a bunch of old, disgruntled hard rockers.

 

[Spaceboy]

besides, it sounds like most of you aren't truly metalheads. sounds like a bunch of old, disgruntled hard rockers.

You might want to run for cover. I'm sure you're aware of the bloodbath that follows when someone says a metalhead isn't metal enough.

 

[Dr. Swamp]

There is a ton of diversity in modern metal, if you go searching for it. Progressive sounds, sludgy drones, wide dynamic ranges, extremely heavy tones, blazing speed, whatever you're looking for.

 

[srinivassa]

Did somebody say Linkin Park? Officially, I don't like them, but they do throw in a lot of metal riffs and vocals. They may be disqualified as metal because it's not all darkness and gloom. I certainly like them better than the 'cookie moster' vocals. Their riffs are as good as I've heard for new metal. They just don't take it to the extreme. That way it stays musical.

 

[sinfish]

Avenged Sevenfold has great vocals too. But Necrophagist is the BOMB!!!!!!

 

[skoora]

It's never been the same for me since Max left Sepultura. They were the one band doing something interesting with mainstream metal in the mid 90's and then it was over. Then it was just Limp Bizkit/ Rob Zombie and Korn and Machinehead who were rapidly going downhill after an awesome debut. There luckily was still some good stuff coming out of Europe, mainly Sweden, but you had to search for it. By the late 90's I had become a lot less ravenous for metal and started sliding into the classic/Hard rock shadow of a man you see before you now

 

[nighttrain69]

i would never call it crap, it is something that i personally cant listen too though.. im 43 and grew up on the old school metal, that being said there is some cool new stuff out there also,

theres heavvier stuff from these bands but theres one thing it all has in common
a good rhythm
a good melody
and guitar work you can get into

 

[FixXxer]

There is no soul in some of this crap. Its just contrived and whatever.

I do like Disturbed and Godsmack (I think they are newer at least to me.) and a few newer hard rock bands, but I'm sad to say nothing new in the metal arena does it for me.

The Drop C and all that crap does not compensate for lack of tone, and good lyrics / singing is bad.