ARCH ENEMY's MIKE AMOTT: 'Heavy Metal Fans Are Such Bitches'

[NocturnalSun]

how do you know they purposely said "hey lets make this shit catchy and easy on the ears so it'll sell more to the media-loving public."?

why the fuck would they? if you were a real songwriter, you'd understand the process to writing/composing metal songs. Nobody purposely says "hey we're gonna do this to the music to make it sell better." The process basically is writing material and then putting it out there on the chopping block for everyone to bitch/moan about or worship/adore. If it happens to be 'easy on the ears and catchy' in someone's opinion, then so be it. If it happens to be 'fucking great and intense', then also so be it.

Do u see at all? music can be interpreted many ways. Take In Flames' new album. I've heard so many different opinions on that one. Some people interpret it as catchy and media-influenced, but some interpret it as a new level of playing and a heavier style. That's the beauty of music. Something is not DEFINITELY SHIT or DEFINITELY NOT SHIT. It's that way for the sole purpose of the listener to label it as one or the other.

sorry for goin on there... as a songwriter, I can really understand where Mikey's comin from, cuz like i said before, when u make music, u put your own head on the chopping block. do ya get where I'm coming from?

 

[Rottuated]

They admitted to making it more "ear friendly". One of them said they are tired of living in some apartment with their sister living with them and want money.

 

[NocturnalSun]

sounds reasonable about the sister thing, but where did they admit to making it more ear friendly?

 

[SculptedCold]

In an interview, Angela Gossow clearly stated that she actively wants to make more money from the music and be able to live off of it. She didn't say this in a sort of 'oh yeah, it'd be great if that could happen, obviously...but..' way, she actually pretty much made it clear she wanted to write music and be in the band to make money. The direction they're headed in kinda confirms there's a sentiment towards commerciality....because no doubt about it, not only is Anthems of Rebellion thematically geared towards mainstream attention (cummon, the album title itself....) but the music is even more generic than Wages of Sin (something I didn't really think was possible) and much more catchy/chorus based.

 

[Tool]

EVERYONE is a whining bitch... EVERYONE.

 

[Populated by the Fathomless]

Sometimes I just have to laugh at the absolute ridiculousness of metal fans, and the 'sheep' mentality. You CANNOT DENY THAT HE IS RIGHT!!!

I don't understand how they can have sold out with AOR. 'Despicable Heroes' is the fastest song they've done since Black Earth, FFS. Now I will say its not as good as the first 3 albums, but it is a damn sight better than Wages, which I thought was very dull. My main problem is the almost 'emotionless' nature of the songs.

It seems to me that most people on metal forums seem to have to analyse everything until they can find something to moan about, and if they can't find it, they'll make something up. Like the "nu-metal riff in Instinct". Fucking hell, 10 years ago that would have been a nice 'groove riff', but now its a 'nu-metal riff' and must be hated. Come on, wise up. And EVERY artist wants to make a living off their music. WTF is wrong with that, or does that clash with valued metal principles? Maybe Judas Priest and Iron Maiden sold out in that case?

 

[SculptedCold]

Sometimes I just have to laugh at the absolute ridiculousness of metal fans, and the 'sheep' mentality. You CANNOT DENY THAT HE IS RIGHT!!!

I don't understand how they can have sold out with AOR. 'Despicable Heroes' is the fastest song they've done since Black Earth, FFS. Now I will say its not as good as the first 3 albums, but it is a damn sight better than Wages, which I thought was very dull. My main problem is the almost 'emotionless' nature of the songs.

It seems to me that most people on metal forums seem to have to analyse everything until they can find something to moan about, and if they can't find it, they'll make something up. Like the "nu-metal riff in Instinct". Fucking hell, 10 years ago that would have been a nice 'groove riff', but now its a 'nu-metal riff' and must be hated. Come on, wise up. And EVERY artist wants to make a living off their music. WTF is wrong with that, or does that clash with valued metal principles? Maybe Judas Priest and Iron Maiden sold out in that case?

'She didn't say this in a sort of 'oh yeah, it'd be great if that could happen, obviously...but..' way, she actually pretty much made it clear she wanted to write music and be in the band to make money.'

 

[Erik]

And EVERY artist wants to make a living off their music.

No. Once you make a living off your music, you depend on that income to survive -- that means you're consciously or unconsciously making compromises in the music lest it should stop selling well. This compromises the integrity of the art and almost always results in reduced quality. Some artists understand this and don't want to make money at all from the music. Sure, if you get some money to buy new strings and picks that's fine, but if you're after money get a fucking job.

 

[NocturnalSun]

okay now I'll believe the commerciality. I had no idea Angela would be that way. That sucks ass...

However, I still think Wages of Sin was wicked. I liked it and it had some great riffs in it for me to try to learn on guitar. I'm all about skilled guitarists and they definitely are skilled, as uncreative as they may be. But after hearing about the commercialism thing, I'm glad I didn't go see them 2 days ago here with Slayer and Hatebreed.

 

[SculptedCold]

No. Once you make a living off your music, you depend on that income to survive -- that means you're consciously or unconsciously making compromises in the music lest it should stop selling well. This compromises the integrity of the art and almost always results in reduced quality. Some artists understand this and don't want to make money at all from the music. Sure, if you get some money to buy new strings and picks that's fine, but if you're after money get a fucking job.

Exactly, well said.

@NocturnalSun, I'll try to find the review where Angela makes her commerciality views known, I think it was from DigitalMetal but i'm not sure.

 

[Oceanic Motion]

Take In Flames' new album. I've heard so many different opinions on that one. Some people interpret it as catchy and media-influenced, but some interpret it as a new level of playing and a heavier style.

Who the fuck thinks that!? I've yet to hear one positive thing about any new In Flames material, apart from metal newbies.

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

I love RTR. Am I a metal newbie?

 

[sixxswine]

Actually I agree with LuminousAether

You agree? Wow that's a first. I love the band. It was a pretty stupid comment. It's stuff like this that will kill a band. Where did you get this? Blabbermouth?!

 

[NocturnalSun]

I love RTR too. and btw have u ever thought of what bashing metal newbies is doing? theyre new and learning whats good and whats not, theyre not fully developed yet, so give em time to find the real shit. When u bash em and make them not like that stuff, they're just gonna like it more. Plus, you need metal 'newbies' right now so they'll be experienced metalheads when all the current metalheads are dead. haha but anyway RTR is praised by newbies and plenty of metalheads alike.

 

[Rottuated]

Sculpted, it was on Blabbermouth.net as well. I saw that review..

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Ummm...forgive my ignorance, but what's wrong with wanting to play music for money?

I'm sure there are lots of respected artists living comfortably. I mean, if I was in a band for a living, I know middle-class is the abosulte best I could get, and I'm okay with that.

I don't want to have a five-story mansion on MTV cribs every other week. And something tells me Arch Emeny don't either. This is their life, and I think they do have the right to try and make more money. That doesn't necessarily mean they have to play lowbrow commercial rock.

Look at Sepultura, Queensryche, Opeth, Machine Head, and Dream Theater. Those bands' best albums weren't very mainstream at all, and the ones that did get critical and popular attention were still excellent albums.

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

If they wanted to play music for the money, then why would they be playing metal.... the only kind of music done only for the money is MTV pop.

 

[HardSide]

Just to clarify, wages of sin was written before she came to the picture and just sang it, so the wages of sin album has really nothing to do here.

As for her, its understandable that she wants to make money of music, hell what band doesnt wanna make money off just playing music. The sad part is that she did say she wants to reach out to a newer audiance, this was in reply after their messageboard was attacked with "you went nu-metal" or something to that extent.

She also replied a few weeks later (to what she wrote, above) "its selling, so what does it matter?" or something to that extent, im not clearly sure what exactly she said, but thats how it was depicted.

 

[\m/]

You agree? Wow that's a first. I love the band. It was a pretty stupid comment. It's stuff like this that will kill a band. Where did you get this? Blabbermouth?!

sixxswine sorry for the missunderstanding, I love the band as well and I also liked Anthems of Rebellion, what I was agreeing with was that he was the "too stupid to make good comments" part.

 

[i acnt spell]

So true.