Finally heard AGALLOCH

[beast from the east]

We've played with a few bands with that "competition" mentality, and it's always bands who are struggling to become more known. We do see this quite a bit actually, since we're not at the same level as some of our peers, but we're well known enough, and sell enough where we are considered one of the bigger bands in our respected genre. I think it's normal for a band to fight for their rank, but once you reach a certain tier, and you're out of the "basement" the competition disappears and your energy is now focused on the business side of things.

Chicago was INFAMOUS for bands in competition with each other. We had 2 major groups of people, who would support each other, and shared the same fans, and never support the other side. We as a band, chose to stay out of that, and we decided to focus our attention on Europe, and other areas, while the local bands fought for the local title. I believe it's one of the reasons the Chicago metal scene collapsed in the 90's, and all the great bands we had went away. Too much petty competition, and not enough focus.

That's really a shame. I guess I can understand why some bands take a competitive stance, just like in any other industry. It's too bad that it keeps potentially great music from being created though.

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

There's healthy competition, and then there's being shittalkers who get so consumed with trying to slag off everyone else in their scene just to make themselves look better. The Chicago scene was really bad with that for a while and it caused many potentially successful bands to wind up laboring in obscurity and eventually folding. If more emphasis would've been put on just making themselves better as a band and looking at having more broad goals as opposed to trying to be the baddest bullies on the block, they might've done more. I'm glad we managed to stay out of that shit for the most part over the years.

 

[beast from the east]

I'm glad we managed to stay out of that shit for the most part over the years.

As are all of your diehard fans!!!

 

[AnTz0r]

tomorrow i am sort of auditioning on bass for a new band too...

Now I hope it will go well... I first contacted them yesterday, tomorrow I'll be meeting the guitarist and drummer to see if we "click" and to work on my learning the songs a bit. if it goes well, sunday band rehearsal, next week, first gig nothing like takin' it slow, you know....

So I went there, it was pretty cool, I liked the new tracks I heard better than the ones I had heard already, so that was a bonus. Glad I found a new band that seems to be coming up to steam now. Gigs scheduled, album recording has already started... nice to step on a running train. Now... up to learning 8 songs in 1 week, heh.

We've played with a few bands with that "competition" mentality, and it's always bands who are struggling to become more known.

And yes, from just 1 evening I guess it's safe to say the same thing is happening in the Dutch scene... they were talking about one band that didn't like the other band etc.... I guess it's the same everywhere. why can't people just play and be nice

 

[Jasonic]

Jealous shit talkers in the Chicago scene?
No..............never!!!!

 

[metalprof]

It's the other people- fans, critics, etc.- who do all the comparing and debating about who is more original, who ranks higher or lower, and so forth. I have great respect for bands like Opeth, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Agalloch, etc. I would even to a certain degree consider myself a fan of most of those bands. I just don't understand why it is that some people seem to feel that the world is not big enough for all of those bands and ND to all coexist within their cd collection.

I've written similar things in the past when I've seen the "Band B sounds like a clone of Band A!" argument to dismiss Band B. Well, f Band B does in fact sound just like Band A, and they are *good* at it, then who cares? What's the difference between Band A having 10 great CDs and Bands A and B both having 5 great CDs? It's just all good music. If I like a certain style of music, the more bands making that style, the better!

Down with the Clone Wars, I say!

Ken

 

[metalprof]

There's healthy competition, and then there's being shittalkers who get so consumed with trying to slag off everyone else in their scene just to make themselves look better. The Chicago scene was really bad with that for a while and it caused many potentially successful bands to wind up laboring in obscurity and eventually folding.

Does it seem like that has gotten better? As an outside ignorant observer of the local scene, it looks to me like there is a lot of support among many current bands, at least among a core of 5-6 of them - with members of these bands attending each others shows. I usually see people from ND, Ion Vein, 12th Gate, Edens Fall, Mindwarp Chamber, and now Sacred Dawn cross pollenating each others shows, and I think that's great.

Ken

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

Yep it's true, the members of those bands (including us) do openly support each other, and that's a good thing. Alot of that probably having to do with the fact that we're all older and getting to the point where everyone realises that shittalking and stepping on each other isn't going to get any of us anywhere. But I still hear about alot of rivalry and stuff amongst many other bands in the scene, it'll always occur. Chicago became infamous in the early and mid-Nineties for the rivalry between the different factions of extreme metal bands. I won't name names (the people involved and who were around then will certainly recall them!) but I can remember how certain bands would refuse to play with certain other bands, and there were alot of fights and shit-slinging occuring then. I hated the fuck out of it, especially because I was friends with people on both sides. Had the bands bonded together a bit more and really tried to make a unified scene of it, there might've been more notice given to the talent involved in Chicago then. C'est la vie.

 

[OPETH_DT]

I acknowledge Chicago as a hot spot for metal now. I can only imagine what the gigs were like back in the day, before everyone knew about them via the internet, or newer bands.