Controversial opinions on metal

[Eligos]

theneedledrop is a solid source of criticism if you're a hipster like me.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z-GBzgZ9Y8&list=PLP4CSgl7K7orAG2zKtoJKnTt_bAnLwTXo[/ame]

 

[Mort Divine]

He is fucking unwatchable with his downright awful editing and cringe worthy attempts at "humor"

 

[SentinelSlain]

most youtube celeb types are abrasive I find. I kind of like cristina rad though, she's ok, but I would prefer it if she just spoke to the cam, with no edits or attempts at sexy shots.

 

[Onder]

Video reviews are just fucking terrible.

 

[divine_torture]

theneedledrop is a solid source of criticism if you're a hipster like me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z-GBzgZ9Y8&list=PLP4CSgl7K7orAG2zKtoJKnTt_bAnLwTXo

You're not a hipster

 

[Svářeč]

My friend everybody:
"Metallica is one of the most overrated bands of all time."
"Thrash metal is just mindless garbage."
"Nightwish is high art."

 

[Baroque]

I agree that music reviews are unnecessary nowadays. I'd rather spend a few minutes listening to 1-2 songs than reading the article.

Same here, I prefer to form my own opinions. If I see highly rated music on EM i'm more likely to try it. But more often I'll just listen to random bands in my genres on youtube or bandcamp. Lots of bad music, but the gems are worth it. And sometimes I'll find stuff that hasn't been reviewed yet.

 

[waif]

Nightwish is for wimps and posers.

 

[no country for old wainds]

i LOVE music criticism, film criticism etc. when it's good it can offer new perspectives, explain why something has the effect that it does, explain where something fits into historical context, analyse the themes at play in the music, etcetc. i get a kick out of reading that stuff, it's not that it helps me form opinions so much as it explains/illuminates my reactions and often enrichens those reactions by opening my mind to other aspects/interpretations of the work i hadn't fully considered. i have no issue with people who just wanna throw something on that sounds cool and not think about it, but i love approaching the arts in an analytical way, discovering fresh perspectives, developing my tastes etc. and i do my best to understand the appeal of stuff that's not immediately accessible - if i hadn't done that in the first place, i doubt i'd ever have developed a love for extreme metal.

the problem is the vast majority of metal reviewers write like they're 15 years old (probably because they are), and seem more interested in sounding knowledgable and preaching to the choir than actually bringing something new to the conversation.

 

[0Marty]

I agree that good review can give you another opinion, it helped me understand why people like genres that I don't, now even if I don't like that one subgenre, I understand what it can offer. I simply think that it's not a good idea to create opinion based on other people's review. Just like they heard they heard the record before they've written the review, I also like to head the music first. My personal probles is that I tend to have slightly biased opinion after reading review. I often hear things that are not there or other way around. My problem with reviews is that I don't know how many times has the author heard the music. I believe you need to hear music several times in wider time span to form valuable opinion. Emotions, positive or negative can really affect my opinion - I don't get what I expected, I am dissapointed so my review would be very negative or I am surprised and excited so my review is too positive.

 

[divine_torture]

i LOVE music criticism, film criticism etc. when it's good it can offer new perspectives, explain why something has the effect that it does, explain where something fits into historical context, analyse the themes at play in the music, etcetc. i get a kick out of reading that stuff, it's not that it helps me form opinions so much as it explains/illuminates my reactions and often enrichens those reactions by opening my mind to other aspects/interpretations of the work i hadn't fully considered. i have no issue with people who just wanna throw something on that sounds cool and not think about it, but i love approaching the arts in an analytical way, discovering fresh perspectives, developing my tastes etc. and i do my best to understand the appeal of stuff that's not immediately accessible - if i hadn't done that in the first place, i doubt i'd ever have developed a love for extreme metal.

the problem is the vast majority of metal reviewers write like they're 15 years old (probably because they are), and seem more interested in sounding knowledgable and preaching to the choir than actually bringing something new to the conversation.

You said exactly what I was thinking here.

I especially like well written and intelligent opinions that oppose my thoughts on an album/movie/book etc. When I really think highly of an album, it's really quite interesting to see flaws I may not have noticed because of my bias. It helps me to fully understand and take in everything about the music.

For example, those of us that are musicians ourselves will listen to things in a more technical and analytical way than someone who's never played an instrument. If I hear a blast beat, often times I hear the simplicity or generic quality it has and ignore how it might blend in well as a whole with the riffs and pathos. Someone who doesn't play may feel and hear the pathos more and won't notice that something is a little bland in the layers of a song.

 

[no country for old wainds]

I agree that good review can give you another opinion, it helped me understand why people like genres that I don't, now even if I don't like that one subgenre, I understand what it can offer. I simply think that it's not a good idea to create opinion based on other people's review. Just like they heard they heard the record before they've written the review, I also like to head the music first. My personal probles is that I tend to have slightly biased opinion after reading review. I often hear things that are not there or other way around. My problem with reviews is that I don't know how many times has the author heard the music. I believe you need to hear music several times in wider time span to form valuable opinion. Emotions, positive or negative can really affect my opinion - I don't get what I expected, I am dissapointed so my review would be very negative or I am surprised and excited so my review is too positive.

yeah, that's a fair point about reviews sub-consciously creating bias. i doubt anyone is immune to this, but it's very difficult to go into an album blind - after all, you may not have bought an album unless you read something about it which piqued your interest. hell, there are albums i've discovered through reviews that i'd probably never even hear of otherwise - i almost always approach an album with some kind of expectation or bias instilled by the hype or criticism of others. my advice to everyone is just to try to keep your mind as open as possible, and get to know an album well enough to shake off those initial biases before you start harping about how good or bad it is. first impressions are rarely 'wrong', but they're rarely the full story either; time usually tells what aspects of your initial opinion are actually superficial.

I especially like well written and intelligent opinions that oppose my thoughts on an album/movie/book etc. When I really think highly of an album, it's really quite interesting to see flaws I may not have noticed because of my bias. It helps me to fully understand and take in everything about the music.

For example, those of us that are musicians ourselves will listen to things in a more technical and analytical way than someone who's never played an instrument. If I hear a blast beat, often times I hear the simplicity or generic quality it has and ignore how it might blend in well as a whole with the riffs and pathos. Someone who doesn't play may feel and gear the pathos more won't notice that something is a little bland in the layers of a song.

yeah, i feel the same. to me, it's about analysing myself as much as it's about analysing the music. a lot of people are too aggravated by contrary opinions to take anything from them except a desire to say YOU JUST DONT GET IT YOU DUMBFUCK ASSCLOWN, but if you work to understand their point of view then it actually helps clarify the whats and whys of your own feelings about the album in question, even if you remain in complete disagreement.

and ideally, if my opinion does change upon relistening after reading some reviews, it's not a case of copying somebody else, it's a case of an album not holding up so well (or holding up better) when the fuller picture - the full span of perspectives - emerges. in a way, listening to an album is like sampling somebody else's perspective for an hour anyway, so reading music reviews is just an extension of that. you could argue music criticism is an artform in itself.

 

[Matt]

Can't believe how bad the new Opeth album is. I'm so disappointed. They were soooo good just a few albums ago and now they're total garbage.

New Mastodon also sucked. All my favorite bands are turning to shit!

 

[divine_torture]

@no_country:

Another positive aspect of thinking about another's criticism or being open minded about what you absolutely love or hate, is that it prevents stagnation in taste and keeps one's ability to enjoy new works, ideas and such, open. By being open to these new things and to other's opinions, I think I can avoid being like a stereotypical 45 year old mullet who thinks real metal is still Van Halen and Def Lepard, not that "kill your mom worship Satan rawr rawr rawr shit".

Adaptation to thoughts and changes and other people is natural humanity. If one can't listen to a differing opinion or accept that a keyboard used in a death metal song isn't necessarily bad, than one is still an ape in some way.

EDIT: or one is 12. Either way, it's not growth in any way.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

the problem is the vast majority of metal reviewers write like they're 15 years old (probably because they are), and seem more interested in sounding knowledgable and preaching to the choir than actually bringing something new to the conversation.

The problem I find is that the reviews are so pretentious. I mean, there's one dude on Blabbermouth whose reviews I used to read and he has an amazing ability to write 1000 words without actually telling us what the music sounds like. I mean, it's utterly remarkable in a way. I don't need or want or care for album reviews in Shakespearean language. Flowery language doesn't really fit with death metal. Just tell me what the songs sound like: are they fast, is there melody, are the structures creative, are the riffs original? Most of these guys need to stop writing in such laughable, esoteric language.

 

[Draehl]

Can't believe how bad the new Opeth album is. I'm so disappointed. They were soooo good just a few albums ago and now they're total garbage.

The new Opeth aint amazing, but its better than GR/Watershed for damn sure. You might call it their third worst? (I actually really enjoyed Heritage) That being said the 3 songs in a row "Goblin", "River" and "Voice of Treason" are pretty great. "Eternal Rains Will Come" is a solid opener too. The rest is filler nonsense.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

but mikael sounds better than ever...

 

[Onder]

Haha, so even Opeth fans now say they're garbage? The worst fucking band ever.

 

[no country for old wainds]

The problem I find is that the reviews are so pretentious. I mean, there's one dude on Blabbermouth whose reviews I used to read and he has an amazing ability to write 1000 words without actually telling us what the music sounds like. I mean, it's utterly remarkable in a way. I don't need or want or care for album reviews in Shakespearean language. Flowery language doesn't really fit with death metal. Just tell me what the songs sound like: are they fast, is there melody, are the structures creative, are the riffs original? Most of these guys need to stop writing in such laughable, esoteric language.

i dislike pompous flowery writing too, but a review can be thought-provoking and insightful without being pretentious imo. i mean, personally i'm more interested in music criticism that assumes you've heard the album already, rather than reviews that serve as ads for consumers, telling you stuff that anyone could work out from a single cursory listen. it's like film reviews that are just plot summary... that stuff is worthless to me.

but even if a review IS aimed at someone who hasn't heard it, i prefer them to be creative and knowledgable about their descriptions rather than just 'its melodic and creative and it has heavy guitars and the drums are good but the vocals suck and it reminds of opeth because it has growls but also reminds me of metlalica because it has fast parts and slow parts'.

 

[ProphetofHatred]

Anyone hear the similarities between Fragile Dreams and Service With a Smile (By Happy The Man) They have the same fucking riff. I always wonder if Anathema was aware of HTM.