Amaranthe's new single, "Hunger" video now online (Elize = hot)

[miel]

I wouldn't dare name band names, but I have seen female-fronted bands mentioned on this forum that IMO, have a fugly singer, and not once did I see the type of <negative> comments that I see for Delain and Amaranthe.

~Jen

 

[nailz]

Sex sells. I only know of one female fronted band that's spearheaded by a woman who isn't model-like thin and photogenically gorgeous.

 

[Akumu]

I wouldn't dare name band names, but I have seen female-fronted bands mentioned on this forum that IMO, have a fugly singer, and not once did I see the type of <negative> comments that I see for Delain and Amaranthe.

~Jen

To be honest, I think Delain and Amaranthe have a certain commercial influence that most other female-fronted bands don't, so those who are focused on keeping metal "true" or whatever might be wary of them being advertised as metal in the first place... so they take it out on the singers' looks (because pop = pretty = UN-METAL).

I think the arguments over "hotness" get tiresome, tbh. So if you want to be a female singer in the business, you have to be hot to draw attention - but not TOO hot, otherwise you're actually talentless and the music doesn't matter. And if people don't like the band's music, well, they're just using you to get fans, because why else would people like you?

(Vaguely related: I remember when Tristania first released pictures/sound clips of Mariangela, people were complaining because, "Oh look, the singer's a total babe, of course. Ho hum." But when they put out music and people didn't like it? "Ew, I hate her, and she's ugly." The same situation with Nightwish, to a certain extent.)

One thing that's always bothered me, though, is when people say that "it's just a gimmick" - what, the style of music, or the singer's gender? Because I find it awfully dismissive, like it's saying "Oh well, you're a chick singing, so you don't actually count, lolz."

 

[miel]

Good points, Akumu.

I certainly don't intend to flame anyone, but I do have to ask, what mainstream radio station plays songs with growls like those in Hunger?

~Jen

 

[nailz]

what mainstream radio station plays songs with growls like those in Hunger?

~Jen

I can see this being played on 97.9 KUPD in Phoenix, sort of. The growls wouldn't be what scares them off from this, it's the more metal heavy synth that would. I don't fucking understand how something like this gets labeled mainstream but Edguy doesn't though. This doesn't sound mainstream at all.

 

[Diamond45]

Other than the growls, I could see this on our wanna-be modern rock station in DC (DC101 - WWDC 101.1 FM).

 

[DTJeff]

Good points, Akumu.

I certainly don't intend to flame anyone, but I do have to ask, what mainstream radio station plays songs with growls like those in Hunger?

~Jen

I really try to avoid mainstream rock radio, but I was subjected to about an hour or two of it a few weeks ago and was honestly astounded by how many songs with some form of growls were being played.

 

[DTJeff]

I can see this being played on 97.9 KUPD in Phoenix, sort of. The growls wouldn't be what scares them off from this, it's the more metal heavy synth that would. I don't fucking understand how something like this gets labeled mainstream but Edguy doesn't though. This doesn't sound mainstream at all.

You're joking, right?

Not disagreeing with you about Edguy though, at least in context to the last 2 or so albums' singles.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I certainly don't intend to flame anyone, but I do have to ask, what mainstream radio station plays songs with growls like those in Hunger?

~Jen

None. This has band very little appeal in the US whatsoever for the most part.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

I just heard Amaranthe for the first time, you haters can just hate I like that stuff.

 

[Claus / Intromental]

Wonders aloud.. so, if Elize was fugly, would you all give the band, as a whole, more credit?

More credit? No!
I've turned bands down in the past because the main focus of the band (the singer) was too damn ugly. There's no way you can sell a female fronted band that's butt ugly in today's market.

Someone sounds bitter that they didn't think of it first. LOL!

I would have loved to think of something like this for sure - there's got to be a good amount of money rolling in on the bank account of whoever (whichever TV network, haha) came up with this idea

I wouldn't dare name band names, but I have seen female-fronted bands mentioned on this forum that IMO, have a fugly singer, and not once did I see the type of <negative> comments that I see for Delain and Amaranthe.

Jen, in all fairness, YOU set this thread up to take this turn by posting in the subject "Elize=hot". You obviously wanted us to pay more attention to her looks than to the music, since you didn't mention that in the subject. Right?

I certainly don't intend to flame anyone, but I do have to ask, what mainstream radio station plays songs with growls like those in Hunger?

This music isn't intended for the US. In Europe this will go over VERY WELL, and I can easily see it make the mainstream hitlists in Finland, Sweden, Germany and other countries.
Case in point: SONIC SYNDICATE

Here's the thing; when I made the joke about how the band was put together it was nothing but a joke based on the obvious looks of ALL band members (not just the girl), the obvious "here's a girl part, here's a soft boy part, here's a roaring lion growl part" formula, the clichee video etc. If we stop for a second with the joking part (my side) or the fan boy / fan girl part (other people's side), it does come across like there's been put some serious thought into how to present this band. I'm sure there's been some clever thinkers behind this - if it's the band themselves that have thought up it all (from looks to sound) then good for them...

At the end of the day, what it comes down to is not whether I believe that this band / project has been put together by some clever people or not. It's the music that matters. It's easy digestable, and in my opinion very easily forgotten. I wouldn't buy it. But those who like it - good for you. I've heard far worse over the years.

 

[nailz]

You're joking, right?

Name one band they sound comparable to that's done Arena tours in the US.

 

[Harvester]

Jen, in all fairness, YOU set this thread up to take this turn by posting in the subject "Elize=hot". You obviously wanted us to pay more attention to her looks than to the music, since you didn't mention that in the subject. Right?
.

Hold up!

I modified the thread title with the (Elize = Hot) thing, not Jen. However, I didn't think about it being under her name. I said the same in my post that was under my name in the thread. The original thread title was about the song streaming that she posted.

I apologize to my wife for the misunderstanding.

 

[Claus / Intromental]

Hold up!

I modified the thread title with the (Elize = Hot) thing, not Jen. However, I didn't think about it being under her name. I said the same in my post that was under my name in the thread. The original thread title was about the song streaming that she posted.

I apologize to my wife for the misunderstanding.

Ahhh ... that I didn't see, sorry.
Sorry Jen!!!
c.

 

[nailz]

More credit? No!
I've turned bands down in the past because the main focus of the band (the singer) was too damn ugly. There's no way you can sell a female fronted band that's butt ugly in today's market.

I find the 2nd part of that statement to be a travesty. I also believe it works the same for guys. I can't tell you how many times I've heard fat jokes about some of the men who've been on the PP stage.

 

[Claus / Intromental]

I find the 2nd part of that statement to be a travesty.

Agreed. But if the "fans" won't buy it, it makes sense for the labels (and managements) not to invest time and money into it.

I also believe it works the same for guys. I can't tell you how many times I've heard fat jokes about some of the men who've been on the PP stage.

It does - to a certain extent, but in general we're more "forgiving" if it's a guy. Example; if Jon Oliva was a girl, not nearly as many people would buy the albums or go to the shows.

It's the same in movies as well. Do you think Steve Buscemi would ever have gotten a job if he had been a girl?

 

[Akumu]

I find the 2nd part of that statement to be a travesty. I also believe it works the same for guys. I can't tell you how many times I've heard fat jokes about some of the men who've been on the PP stage.

+1 to the bolded part of your statement. However, I don't think it works exactly the same for guys -- there are a ton of successful metal bands with fat/ugly dudes in their ranks, and while fat jokes suck, it doesn't really prevent them from selling records/getting people out to shows.

(annd ninja'd by Claus)

 

[MartinW]

I find the 2nd part of that statement to be a travesty. I also believe it works the same for guys. I can't tell you how many times I've heard fat jokes about some of the men who've been on the PP stage.

That hasn't stopped them from being successful, though. There's a big difference. A man doesn't have to be conventionally attractive to make it in metal, but a woman does. In fact, a man is in many ways probably helped by not being good-looking, as that makes the straight men (who, let's face it, dictate the inherently sexist metal scene completely) feel less threatened.

 

[AngraRULES]

I find the 2nd part of that statement to be a travesty. I also believe it works the same for guys. I can't tell you how many times I've heard fat jokes about some of the men who've been on the PP stage.

I don't think it works the same way. As some stated above, look at Jon Oliva.

Amon Amarth has a singer who usually gets on stage shirtless and with a huge beer gut. They are doing very well.

 

[miel]

IMO, it seems as if some feel that when a band's music and/or image is "too poppy, mainstream, or bubblegum" that they aren't as credit-worthy as musicians.

Claus, your original joke about putting an ideal, marketable band together totally made me LOL and does indeed have some truth to it.

I guess (as I'm becoming more musically diverse!) sometimes I take offense to folks calling the type of metal I lean toward "mainstream or bubblegum". I say that b/c IMO, it seems as if those labels come with a negative connotation- that these bands' musicians somehow aren't as "good" in the metal world. *Shrug* To each their own. Personally, I love both Amaranthe and Delain (hey, Charlotte!!) b/c their music isn't so dark and deep.

~Jen