The Direction of Modern Metal

[Shoden]

I hate to stereotype, generalise and assume because yeah, yeah bigotry, pretentious nonsense, don't like, don't listen to it, you do better. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Sod it, let's all go nuts. Keep it friendly!

Ok, so MODERN Heavy Metal bands, there's 2 sides of it, 2 sides of the coin if you want to be really, really basic.

You got your bands which fit under labels like Metalcore, Deathcore (I wanna be brootalz hardcore death metal emo), and there's also the many areas of Death Metal which I'll just not go too deep into but you get the point.

On the other side of the spectrum you got your neo classical, keyboard heavy, dragon fairytale, dungeon siege Power Metal stuff. Right, If I go too deep into this I'll just end up being bias straight away so I'll leave it all at this.

Compare this to the olds, the NWOBHM, The Big 4, Classic Rock, Prog and just think and ask yourself this;

Do you like the direction of which metal music is going in this age?

EDIT: There's also a 3rd movement, the most vulgar, unoriginal and boring of them all. The core genres. Metalcore/Deathcore which is like the designer kid, scene kid, pop metal stuff like Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet For My Valentine, Trivium, Machine Head and Killswitch Engage.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Yes, listening to the same thing over and over is boring.

[Shoden]

Fair point but so many of these bands, the cream of the crop of the new age have nowhere near the originality or the creative spark that their predecessors did at the exact same age, with LESS. Less diverse influences, less advanced technology to work with.

To me, its mostly the modern stuff that sounds the same, soul-less, generic, unoriginal and uninspired. The original punk movement did more with 3 chords and lack of skill than say Bring Me The Horizon and Dying Fetus.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Punk is bollocks.

You might want to take off the nostalgia goggles there, buddy. There's plenty of great music out there, you just have to be willing to listen.

[NeoCracker]

I'll agree with NCG here.

Though I'll also add in, there was a lot of freakin' music from days old we completely missed out on. All that's really remembered and talked about are the greats.

It's not like it was an age of nothing but originality. They had their fair share of soulless hacks who just did what every one else is doing.

It's just that now we have the internet, it's easier to not only find the good stuff, but to be overwhelmed by the flow of .

[Laddy]

I can't like a genre that's sole goal is to make itself as unpleasant-sounding as possible.

EDIT: I know that's a generalization, but even "good" metal isn't my cup of tea. I'm an Indie/Progressive guy, so maybe I'm just being an ass.

[Pheesh]

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Modern metal is pushing the envelope in ways that are just incredible. There are plenty of carbon-copy bands that don't try to create a new sound. Even that's okay to me. Having a band in an established genre with an established sound is perfectly fine to me. As long as they have that passion, and play what they believe in, so what?

But to say new, talented bands aren't out there trying different sound combinations and succeeding is just bogus.

The easy example is BTBAM, but like I said that's easy. I've always had respect for the amount of research Nile puts into their lyrics and music structure to give it an authentic Egyptian sound.

Some other bands that have come on the scene more recently that really push things forward are: Animals As Leaders, Scale the Summit, Born of Osiris (especially the second album), Periphery, Textures. The new Tessaract E.P. is amazing. There's so many more. Don't even get me started about awesome folkmetal groups.

There's a lot of crap, same as there always was, but talent is still out there. It's nice to know there are some fellow metal fans.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I'll agree with NCG here.

Though I'll also add in, there was a lot of freakin' music from days old we completely missed out on. All that's really remembered and talked about are the greats.

It's not like it was an age of nothing but originality. They had their fair share of soulless hacks who just did what every one else is doing.

It's just that now we have the internet, it's easier to not only find the good stuff, but to be overwhelmed by the flow of .

This.

It's easy to look back on a decades past and only remember what was good about it and then turn on the radio and listen to the drivel that passes for music and wish for things to be the way they were.

I'll second the vote on BTBAM and Nile, both highly talented bands with great music. Opeth is an awesome prog metal band that does some great things musically as well.

[Shattered Dreamer]

Sorry guys but in the past few years I've found Metal to be an extremely boring genre of music! There is only so much guitar masturbation that a guy can listen too ya know.

If I had to pick between the 2 types named though I'd lean towards the neo classical because at least your musicianship has to be very very high for that kind of music to sound anyway decent. As for that Death Metal crap I would rather drive a railroad spike through my skull with a meat tenderizing hammer then listen to it for 5 seconds! I mean come on, listening to a guy growl like he has pretty bad stomach cramps while a guitarist plays scales and the lyrics are apparently about murder & burning churches & other things you do when you dress like a goth & hate the world(fyi I'm not ragging on the subject matter, not touching that topic with a barge pole), that is of course if you can understand the growling that is!

But notwithstanding what I've just said I'm into grunge, punk & hardcore so these days anything heavier just seems to much like white noise & hate on me for it or not but heavy metal is angry adolescent music as far as I'm concerned.

But be thankful Metal fans at least your music does require a decent standard of musicianship unlike Indie music

[Flying Arrow]

I used to be the absolute biggest metal fan. I still listen to a good deal of it, but I don't keep up to date with new releases. I generally don't feel like I'm hearing anything new so I'm way less patient (I'm also not 18). But there are still some class releases that come out every year that grab me. Although lately it's been from reliable sources (Mastodon, Enslaved, Ihsahn, Devin Townsend) - I haven't listened to/been exposed to anything that's new to me.

[Shoden]

There are some great modern bands out there but the norm, the spotlight, the cream of the crop shines the most repulsive and generic stuff. Yes, fusing and mixing genres to get a new sound is great but too much mixing and matching and it becomes a wall of noise. Especially since the digital revolution of music, the Line 6 era...

I just don't buy into this "designer" and "fashionable" pretty boy screamo metal sensation though. They're obviously shunned by the hardcore Death Metal scene of which these "core" bands like to associate themselves and their music with.

I like music that's creative, balanced between technical and melodic but also music that stands out, that can be told apart from other bands around. Which is what I'm aiming to do with my own band.

though for prog metal, I would define as Ayreon, Symphony X, Dream Theater and Stratovarius rather than Nile or Opeth. =\

Bands that combine the cliches of new with something else, like folk music, bands like Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire standout too, but they actually have incredible singers who aren't trying to imitate a dying pig.

[Shattered Dreamer]

Bands that combine the cliches of new with something else, like folk music, bands like Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire standout too, but they actually have incredible singers who aren't trying to imitate a dying pig.

A dying pig describes the noise most metal singers make perfectly

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Death growls and screams are a very polarizing vocal style. You love it or hate it. I think it's a great sound to have that conveys certain emotions in a way more traditional vocals can't. Just my opinion, many will heatedly disagree. Usually the best bands use some of each style. It's nice to have range, and to be flexible with your sound.

So are any other folks appreciating the "djent", "ambi-djent" scene recently? A lot of people write off the bands as Meshuggah 2.0, but many of them are much more.

And I also appreciate a lot of bands from the "core" scene. Many of them are totally shoving the tight pants and white belts in your face, but others are just regular folks who enjoy that music. Good for them.

EDIT: I keep going back and editing this because metal is one of my favorite genres. ha ha. Anyway, Another good example of scene kids pushing the envelope and actually poking fun at "the scene" is iwrestledabearonce. Talented, down to earth, good people.

Shoden, seriously give a listen to Animals As Leaders, Scale the Summit, and early Periphery before the vocalist came on board. They're all instrumental bands, so just give a listen to the music and see what you think. I think they're taking metal in great new, different directions.

[Shattered Dreamer]

That it from somebody who sings, death growls are just plain stupid! First because if you're an anyway decent singer you can use tone of voice, volume & projection in order to create a variant or convey emotion. People who growl or roar down a microphone do so because their singing ability is quite frankly horrific! Second, you are almost guaranteeing yourself surgery to have growths removed from your vocal chords because you're damaging them growling like a dying pig. Metallers beloved M Shadows from AX7 already had it done hence why he sings now more then makes animal noises! side note: I hate AX7

As for scream, if it is done well ie in key it can really add to song for example Jared Leto in the 30STM song Attack or Dave Grohl in Best Of You by the Foo Fighters. Then there is an entire genre of doing it wrong, I think it's called screamo or emo core lol