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The direction of Metal in the 21st century


WattsUrizen

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For all metal fans out there:

 

As we should all know, the great Emperor disbanded last year. With them goes a great black metal legacy of a handful of albums, EP's and demo's. But what they gave us was more than that. Emperor achieved what no other metal band has. Pure, unadulterated despair, hate, nihilism. Emperor were the finest metal band the world has ever seen, bar none. And so, I look forward to the next few years of metal with great hesitation. I wonder where metal is going to get it's passion, vitality and adventure from? Will it fail? Or will other's rise to succeed Emperor's throne?

 

When will Opeth finally use their abundance of talent, and write a REAL song, not a hodge-podge of riffs?

 

There aren't many metal bands with much talent left. Novembre, Dark Tranquillity, and Blind Guardian are the best of what remains. Yes, those are very talented bands, but there isn't much behind them. The multitude of power metal bands are just producing moldy cheese. Death and black metal are digging themselves deeper into the underground, seeking new ways to shock and deliver messages of evil.

 

My main thoughts about metal is that while the overall standard has increased, due to increased technical proficiency, there is far too much mediocrity. But I think that afflicts all music these days. I'm just wondering what other people think of metal these days?

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I've just formed a death/grind band myself, and rather than 'trying' to shock we've taken a much more, well, controversial route; comedy death metal (boy do we get insulted for that).

 

More talented than Bad News

More sinister than Spinal Tap

More brutal than {censored} Your Yankee Bluejeans

The Legion of Gloom

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Metal is better than ever. The problem is that we've been conditioned to expect absolute supremacy from our metal. Bands like Emperor Slayer Metallica etc etc have set the bar REALLY REALLY high. Occasionally we get a fresh sound (Fear Factory's Demanufacture) but really, there are too many followers.

 

Honestly, there is only so much you can squeeze from a genre. I think bands like Strapping Young Lad will start to rise more, the wall of sound technique will be developed further. Simple guitar riffs isn't enough. The best stuff lately is about layers and layers...

 

Go out and support your local metal bands in the pubs and clubs. These are the future superstars. If you don't help em out, who will?

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I think you've hit the nail on the head, in saying that there are far too many followers. I'm not really sure whether this is due to 'hero worship' or just a lack of talent. Yes, technical proficiency is up, but there hasn't really been an increase in originality to go with that.

 

You say that we've been conditioned to expect absolute supremacy. I somewhat disagree, but I'll explain why in a minute. Firstly, however, I'll say that there is nothing wrong with expecting great music. In fact, there is everything right with that. If metal fans want mediocrity, than that's what bands will create. By having high standards, it pushes bands harder.

 

The reason why I disagree that we've been conditioned to expect absolute supremacy is because there are so many second rate bands. Great bands are not the norm, they are special, and we take notice. I think we WANT great music, not necessarily expect it. And of course, this helps metal, for reasons earlier mentioned.

 

While recently there has been many great releases involving many layers in sound (Blind Guardian, Neurosis, Pain Of Salvation) I don't necessarily think this will become metal's sound. Opeth, Novembre, Babylon Whores, all use the humble (but mighty) two guitars-bass-drums texture. (Ok, Babylon Whores has a single guitarist who plays all the parts, but it's the same thing). The texture doesn't matter, it's what resides within that matters.

 

And Hell yeah, get out there and support local music.

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Guys, there is tons of innovative metal out there right now ...you're just not looking hard enough. People who crap on metal as being sterile and unoriginal at this point in time annoy me cuz they listen to 3 bands and make a judgement call on an entire underground scene that they haven't even begun to scratch the surface of.

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Originally posted by The Cerastine Order

Guys, there is tons of innovative metal out there right now ...you're just not looking hard enough. People who crap on metal as being sterile and unoriginal at this point in time annoy me cuz they listen to 3 bands and make a judgement call on an entire underground scene that they haven't even begun to scratch the surface of.

 

 

Please name innovative bands, I would like to know which of the hundreds of metal CD's I own I have overlooked.

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I really lost interest in metal in the late 80's. I really miss bands like iron maiden. Metal sort of turned in to super technical babble with out any feeling. Like metal was trying to prove to the rest of the world that metal players were tallented, and eventually the art got lost in it. I think metal really needs to get back to it's roots. These guys all need to go pick up some old sabbath, and ACDC, and early slayer, and remeber where it all came from. I'm not saying everyone should sound like them, not at all. Most metal bands i hear are either too interested in showing off how fast they can play, or shocking people. I really like the new slipknot album, but im not a metal head, and i'm sure you know about lots of other bands that i dont. I live in Seattle, and the only underground stuff here is punk and electronic, so i'm out of the loop on the metal seen these days. I do remeber when it died though.

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There are some metal bands I like at the moment, although most of the stuff I like is older. Current bands I like include Children of Bodom, In Flames, Archenemy, Soilwork, The Haunted, Theory in Practice and Tool, but I'm not massively excited about the scene. Of all the genres of metal, I think death metal has stagnated the most, whereas the more melodic and technical styles have more to offer.

 

Ever hear of Acercocke (sp?). They're heralded as the future of black/death metal in England, but I really don't see what all the fuss is about.

 

As far as future directions, I would predict more integration of electronic music and samples, I have generally not enjoyed the way this has been done in the past though.

 

Personally, I'm involving myself in the underground scene, playing gigs and making contacts and recording with my band, which is very rewarding.

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I dunno, a lot of metal out there today is overdone, cliched, boring crap. But then again...it's always been like that with every genre. There are bands doing stuff that's completely new, like Blind Guardian, and then there are bands who are taking something that's alread been done, polishing it off, and putting their own spin and attitude on it, like Iced Earth. I think theres a lot of exciting stuff out there. And there are more and more bands cropping up with guitarists who are really really good...but don't sacrifice technicality for songwriting. Michael Romeo of Symphony X and Jeff Loomis of Nevermore are both very VERY skilled guitarists, many would label them shredders, but at the same time, they've found their own style and write awesome songs.

 

I was never into death and black metal all that much, most of it sounds the same with a few exceptions. I've been getting into Death lately though, great great band. Children of Bodom is a great band too, Alexi Laiho is easily one of the top 3 most skilled guitarists out there, I'd even put him above Yngwie, and he writes kick ass metal songs. CoB isn't the most versatile band, but they do what they do very well. The underground is where it's at right now, ya just gotta keep digging and you'll find stuff. Metal is making a small comeback. Look at Iced Earth. I saw them in New York in April, and there were around 2,000 people at that gig, most of them to see Iced Earth. This from a band that was playing in front of an average of a few dozen people per show on their last tour. There are plenty of bands pioneering new sounds and genres, so I'm not too worried; I'm just waiting for the new Nevermore and Opeth albums :cool:

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Personally I think Nevermore's latest release was a backward step after the mind-blowing Dreaming Neon Black. Dead Heart was more Meshuggah-ish and Machine Head-ish, and lacked the individuality of the previous album. (I also thought it was a tad dull). Maybe it had something to do with Calvert's departure. Hopefully the new album goes back to the style on Dreaming Neon Black.

 

I'll give Opeth one more chance for the next album. Blackwater Park was a travesty. They have got to be the downright laziest band around.

 

Personally, I'm waiting for the new Babylon Whores album. These guys just plain RAWK, But there's also some brilliant subtlety in the structures and guitar work. 'King Fear' is in my top five metal albums of all time. For all those people who want something a bit more old school (maybe Sabbath-y or something), the Whores are definitely worth a go.

 

The best few releases I've heard this year are from Vader, Arcturus, Blind Guardian and Dark Tranquillity.

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the "face" of Metal (not necessarily what all metal is, but what people like me who don't pay that much attention to metal will see it as) will continue to be a bunch of guys who can't think of anything creative to write about so they will use the words despair, darkness, death and suicide 20 times per song, and continue enjoying cheesy imagery involving vicious and dangerous animals. Furthermore their drummers will continue wishing they could play punk rock, but will continue having to use those {censored} double-kick setups to do so. have a nice day.

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Originally posted by billyscorps86

Furthermore their drummers will continue wishing they could play punk rock, but will continue having to use those {censored} double-kick setups to do so.

 

 

You don't pay much attention to metal, and then you say this. I'll forgive the stupidity of that comment, since you already confessed ignorance. Listen to Martin Lopez, Thomas Stauch, Van Williams, Trym Torson, Anders Jivarp, Giuseppe Orlando. I could go on for ages. If you think metal drumming is just wannabe punk, you are severly misguided.

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Originally posted by billyscorps86

the "face" of Metal (not necessarily what all metal is, but what people like me who don't pay that much attention to metal will see it as) will continue to be a bunch of guys who can't think of anything creative to write about so they will use the words despair, darkness, death and suicide 20 times per song, and continue enjoying cheesy imagery involving vicious and dangerous animals. Furthermore their drummers will continue wishing they could play punk rock, but will continue having to use those {censored} double-kick setups to do so. have a nice day.

 

 

Wow. one of the most ignorant posts I have seen yet...I don't think I need to repeat what Anomandaris has said, but your comment about the lyrical content is about as educated as myself saying that punk is simply about anti-establishmentarianism. Now, lets say that's true (since the birth of punk was built on being a "rebel".) You are just as guilty of being narrow minded and sterile with your lyrical content as your target metalheads, in fact more so. But let's say that you argue that I am wrong, that punk sings about lots of other stuff (like relationships and such, which some bands do). Well, you're also shooting yourself in the foot because the beauty of metal is that is deals with FAR more lyrical topics than you can ever do with punk. Metal creates a platform for a greater range of ideas, such as philosophy, creation, death (both literally and in a metaphoric/philisophic sense), science, religion, cosmology, as well as the "stereotypical" metal lyrics such as violence and suicide...but even they can be topics portrayed in creative, poetic ways. Let's see your punk bands be that flexible.

 

I've given up criticizing punk as a musical artform equivalent to {censored}. Its simply not worth my time. But for ignorant excuses for musicians like yourself I will once in a while come out of my shell and set you straight. Yes, people will always try to portray metal in the superficial way that you see it, because you don't want to see it as anything else...so keep on believing what you want but you might want to be a bit more informed before you make posts that frame yourself as an idiot.

 

PS. if you'd hear these bands and READ their lyrics you'd begin to realize the depth of your ignorance.

 

*Sirius - Spectral Transition - Dimension Sirius

*Zyklon - World of Worms

*Edge of Sanity - Crimson

*Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black

*Emperor - IX Equilibrium

*Arcturus - anything!!!

 

Dammit, I could seriously go on forever...

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Originally posted by billyscorps86

Furthermore their drummers will continue wishing they could play punk rock, but will continue having to use those {censored} double-kick setups to do so. have a nice day.

 

 

I'm remember drumming in a punk rock band but the drumming was soooooo boring, if we played covers the other band members would get annoyed if I spiced up the playing in any way shape or form. I'm sure there must be good punk drumming out there but I haven't heard it. Now I play in a metal band and I so glad I'm no longer stunted by the 'we're crap but let's say it's because we're punk' ethos. I use a double kick, but not to do any punk beats (I certainly wouldn't need a double pedal for that!), but rather for 200bpm 16th note parts and the like, something that it is humanly impossible to do with one pedal, however green your mohican.

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the future of metal lies in a local scene, grass-roots type movement. Kids playing just for the love of it...almost in a punk-rock approach if you will. I think too many musicians in general are concerned with appeal and have too many fantasies about playing huge arenas.

 

good songwriting, mean riffing, melody, DYNAMICS, tone...it's all part of the formula.

 

too many bands just string together a bunch of challenging riffs and a few tempo changes and call it a song, when in reality, its only half a song. Too many bands now worry about being the fastest, or the heaviest, or the most technical, or the loudest, or the most extreme...They should just play good, loud, heavy rock and not worry about what so-and-so did.

 

go back to the roots...

 

old Deep Purple, early Sabbath, Motorhead...you'll find elements of all sorts of music within...it kept the listener challenged and not knowing what to expect.

 

Tony Iommi was the master of dynamics...just listen to Spiral Architect or A National Acrobat...those songs are loaded with mood and texture.

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this was an experiment and i proved my hypothesis correct...

 

i knew i would piss you all off. see, if someone comes up to me and says "punk {censored}in sucks" i'm just like "ok man, whatever." but whenever anyone says anything remotely bad about metal, even in a joking fashion, all you metalheads start getting all worked up and crying about how metal is the most glorious art form in the history of the modern world. You all should start wearing pink dresses instead of dressing up all scary and badass, cuz thats how you {censored}ing act.

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Originally posted by billyscorps86

this was an experiment and i proved my hypothesis correct...

 

Mate, please don't become a scientist if this is how you draw your conclusions :p

 

i knew i would piss you all off. see, if someone comes up to me and says "punk {censored}in sucks" i'm just like "ok man, whatever." but whenever anyone says anything remotely bad about metal, even in a joking fashion, all you metalheads start getting all worked up and crying about how metal is the most glorious art form in the history of the modern world.

 

Erm.....where did I say that? I'm perfectly happy for someone to say metal sucks, music is subjective, as Dizzy Gillespie said 'If it sounds good, it is good'. Metal is no inherently better than punk, jazz or the sound of someone being sick, it's all in the mind of the listener. But you didn't just say metal sucks, you made a load of demonstrably wrong generalisations (for instance the drummers wishing they could play punk rock!!!!!), so don't be surprised when you're called on them my friend.

 

I wasn't worked up, why would I waste my precious negative energy on an anonymous internet user when it can be more effectively chanelled via satanic animal sacrifice rituals? ;) I just wrote honestly what I have found from my own experience. I'd really like to hear some punk stuff with cool drumming, most of the stuff I've heard fits the music fine, but is rather monotonous and dull (IMO). If you can recommend any bands that aren't like this I'll check them out, I'd like to hear them.

 

You all should start wearing pink dresses instead of dressing up all scary and badass, cuz thats how you {censored}ing act.

 

I prefer frilly nighties personally.

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Originally posted by Ultrahighgain



too many bands just string together a bunch of challenging riffs and a few tempo changes and call it a song, when in reality, its only half a song.

 

 

I think I'm pretty guitly of that, it's something I'm working on improving. But well said, a great song for me is one where all the parts compliment each other, some classical music is incredible the way all the parts flow seamlessly and themes are developed; it's as though the whole thing was in the mind of the composer before pen was comitted to paper.

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Originally posted by Kachana



I think I'm pretty guitly of that, it's something I'm working on improving. But well said, a great song for me is one where all the parts compliment each other, some classical music is incredible the way all the parts flow seamlessly and themes are developed; it's as though the whole thing was in the mind of the composer before pen was comitted to paper.

 

Being a classical musician, the metal songs I write a really just classical music, but played with two guitars, bass, drums, with a lot of distortioln ;) I don't care what sort of music you talk about, be it jazz, country, rock, punk, hip-hop, etc. You just can't beat classical.

 

But I'm getting off topic. I think Kachana's problem of writing is one which troubles metal greatly. Opeth is the prime example, but they aren't alone. I'm very picky about structure. If things seem out of place, I don't really favour the song that highly.

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So, Anomandaris, got any useful directions on making a cohesive song that is more than a mish-mash of parts? (I think we're into similar musical styles, I certainly like the more classical influences found in black metal and the like.)

 

I'm definitely improving in this regard but mainly by trial and error, like concentrating on developing a theme throughout a song, or bringing back rhythmic phrases in different parts throughout the song (an idea I stole from Beethoven's 5th!). I'd rather approach this in a more technical and theoretical way though. I bought Arnold Schoenbergs "fundamentals of Musical composition" recently but haven't properly started it yet, and think it may be rather a challenge for me. Do you know of any good theory books/ websites that are helpful in developing overall song structure/ key changes etc.?

 

Cheers!

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There aren't really any definitive ways to build a cohesive song. However, a few pointers.

 

You seem to be on the right track anyway. Developing a theme is perhaps the best way to build continuity. There are two ways to do this, which I like to call the German way, and the Russian way.

 

The German way is that of Beethoven and Brahms, in which they present various short motifs, usually a few notes long. Then they manipulate the motifs, put them together in different ways, and they get a variety of different themes. It's a more organic route, but also more difficult.

 

The Russian way is that of Prokofiev, Glazunov, etc. in which they present the entire main theme, and then manipulate it. It's much easier.

 

In general, structure is about balance. It's a very difficult thing to explain, but you will know yourself if your structure is balanced. It will just sound right. Parts shouldn't go for too long or short, there shouldn't be too much repetition, etc. Of course, it's all relative to the greater whole. It's all about proportion.

 

As for books, pick up anything that details Classical structures. This will give an overview of the most common structures, from smaller phrases, to sonata and rondo forms. Once you are familiar with these, you can play with them in ways to create a different structure that you are happy with.

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Guest Anonymous

Devin Townsend's work with Strapping Young Lad, and especially his solo work, is indeed worth perusing.

 

 

 

It's amazing.

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