Have you outgrown metal genres?

[Shadow298]

Was thinking a bit earlier today about how I don't like some bands and genres now that I am in my 30's than I did back in my 20's.

I've always like the moody progressive and lyrical stuff such as Anathema that I listen to now but seems I'm less and less interested in the fast technical and flashy genres like Power Metal or overly brutal chuny Death Metal.

Never much of a fan of Grindcore or Black Metal either.

Some fusion genres or very well playing bands like Mastodon and Baroness impress me but find it harder to listen to some bands like some old Dungeon songs, Rage and more especially uber wankery like Manowar. Yet I still love my driving thrash, especially old bands with new albums -alla Testament and Overkill.

Anyone else found similar that as they get older they look to more refined genres and sounds or have your tastes stayed pretty consistent as you've aged?

 

[Stonewall]

I have similar feelings sometimes. I used to enjoy a lot of music because it had the fun element to it, but I find that doesn't appeal so much anymore, unless it fits whatever context I'm in.

I've always preferred music that has some depth to it, emotional, lyrical or whatever, even if musically quite simple, but also enjoyed a decent amount of power metal. Flashy or brutal as you say just doesn't appeal any more.

Been going through a big Katatonia phase atm, looking forward to having my hands on the newie.

 

[Goreripper]

Listening to that right now, Stoney. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Southy]

Never been into genres shit, just music that moves me. As I get older there are times when what used to move me doesn't move me as well now. But then there are time where I just want to listen to whatever didn't suit me weeks or months earlier. But I can't think of anything in particular I have shifted away from that I may have listened years ago

 

[Stonewall]

Listening to that right now, Stoney. You won't be disappointed.

sweet, think it'll be in the mailbox monday.

I think the whole question here can be a little bit of growing out of some genres and bands, on the one hand, and just moving on, on the other hand.

How to tell exactly which is which, well, I'm not sure.

If you never listen to death metal anymore under any circumstances, I would say you have moved on.

If you occasionally pull out the old favourites, but don't follow the genre at all, then you have probably just grown out of it (like skateboarding and lego I guess).

 

[Shadow298]

If you occasionally pull out the old favourites, but don't follow the genre at all, then you have probably just grown out of it (like skateboarding and lego I guess).

YOU NEVER GROW OUT OF LEGO!

You just have kids so you have the excuse to play with it.

 

[Lord Tim]

I can't say I've outgown anything because to me that sounds like you're a bit pretentious and you think you're more mature than some genres or it was just a phase and you didn't know what you really liked. But I will say that most power metal especially bores the absolute fucking shit out of me. (And yes, I'm aware that some of what we do would be classed as power metal, but I'm mostly talking about that uber cheesy, ultra triggered, way over produced European shit that still seems to sell well in Germany). Adding into that especially are bands who take themselves soooo fucking seriously... argh. It's just music, guys - it's not your religion, you're not fighting any mighty battles for it, and if you ever meet any metal gods of steel, please - introduce us! I'm sure it'll be a fun time had by all!

I find I've gotta be in the right mood to listen to ANY metal now, really, but it's definitely not something I feel like I've outgrown as such - there's still a lot of it (including some power metal) that I really do enjoy. But I do find myself preferring to listen to other styles lately. That said, when you've taken time away from listening to metal and you come back to it and get smashed in the face by some awesome slab of music, there's nothing better than that feeling!

 

[Shadow298]

But I will say that most power metal especially bores the absolute fucking shit out of me. (And yes, I'm aware that some of what we do would be classed as power metal, but I'm mostly talking about that uber cheesy, ultra triggered, way over produced European shit that still seems to sell well in Germany). Adding into that especially are bands who take themselves soooo fucking seriously... argh. It's just music, guys - it's not your religion, you're not fighting any mighty battles for it, and if you ever meet any metal gods of steel, please - introduce us! I'm sure it'll be a fun time had by all!

Really agree with you on this point, Tim.
More so with the American bands like Wizard who are trying to be like such European bands.
Dragonforce also shit me to tears, as to other bands of that ilk.

There is still great power metal out there but the moment that they fall into the above formulas they become very bland and boring.

Same for pretty much any genre.
Once you love any form of original flavour for your band, you tend to lose the sense of fun and identity.

 

[Stonewall]

I can't say I've outgown anything because to me that sounds like you're a bit pretentious and you think you're more mature than some genres or it was just a phase and you didn't know what you really liked.

I'm the first to admit that I'm pretenious, but for me that doesn't really come into the way I was thinking about it personally. There have always been genres that I have looked down upon, which makes me sound like a bit of a wanker, but I'm not that bad, honestly.

I just think that sometimes certain bands or genres stop continuing to engage you like they once did. Maybe your tastes have changed, or maybe they just stopped offering anything new to keep you interested.

I was a big fan of The Offspring since my mid-teens, and for years would cite them as my favourite band. I could put on any of their first 6 or 7 albums on right now and enjoy the hell out of it, and not just out of nostalgia. But somewhere along the way I just lost interest in hearing any new material from them. Not because I never 'really' liked them, not because they changed, I dunno. Maybe it was because they didn't seem to change that much.

If a genre is around themes that are aimed at 14-24 yo males, and you no longer fit that group and lose interest, I don't think it is pretentious to say you're more mature than that genre. I suppose it sounds perjorative, but it doesn't necessarily need to be. I don't read R.L. Stein anymore, but it isn't because I'm an upmyself wanker.

Anyway, for me, the key to enjoying music is some form of emotional engagement. If the music is fun, I find the enjoyment is short lived, and usually a social thing between mates. But if the material is more serious, and such that I can engage with it in a multi-dimensional way, well, then I find it is more likely to stick with me long term.

Amon Amarth are a good example of this, went through a huge phase and loved them, but listening now, while I still enjoy what I hear and can have fun with it, I'm not at all engaged in the same way.

I guess some music just represents the stages of your life, and other music can sort of grow with you through stages of your life.



*long post = assignment due tonight

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Awesome thread, and I agree with almost everything everyone has said, even if it contradicts other things I agree with. Its all relevant.

As a music fan, I keep travelling on like I always have. Every now and then (say every six months or so) I get utterly fixated on new bands, and will listen to them almost exclusively for months at a time, then move on. Sometimes during this time I explore their entire catalogue, sometimes only a few albums. Sometimes I come back to these bands regularly, sometimes I burn out on them and never listen to them much again except the odd spot here and there. Sometimes my favourite bands of all don't interest me and I won't listen to them for like a year, other times they are all I care for.

I find it interesting that I often go back and really get into bands from the past that I would have liked to get into at a certain time in my life (or before my time) and never did, and can get a real sense of nostalgia by discovering something "new" from that era. I've done this with 90s bands and 80s bands, thrash bands, industrial bands, electro music, pop and rock, and am currently just getting into some 60s and 70s stuff more than I have previously, like Led Zep, Hendrix, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, etc.

I like what Stonewall said about The Offspring. I feel that way about some artists as well. And I am really looking forward to new Katatonia as well.

 

[Lord Tim]

Just FWIW, I wasn't particularly calling anyone here pretentious or anything. It's moreso the "oh yes, I used to like Pantera but you know I like Opeth now. I don't know what I was thinking, it's such childish music. I've definitely evolved my taste" kind of wankers you find on music forums around the place. Evolved? Maybe. Utter twat? Definitely.

 

[Stonewall]

Just FWIW, I wasn't particularly calling anyone here pretentious or anything. It's moreso the "oh yes, I used to like Pantera but you know I like Opeth now. I don't know what I was thinking, it's such childish music. I've definitely evolved my taste" kind of wankers you find on music forums around the place. Evolved? Maybe. Utter twat? Definitely.

Fn metal hipsters, that's what they fn are.

It also sounds like the sort of music fan who is more into genres than bands or music. The sort who gets really angry when their 'favourite band' deviates even slightly in style and claim they have betrayed their fans.

I've long been of the opinion (rightly or wrongly, maybe both) that much more important than genre (though this comes into it in another way) when it comes to liking music is the song writer asthetic.

Why do I continue to like some bands even when they dramatically change their style? Well, because I like lots of different styles anyway, but most importantly I like how those songwriters write and make music.

Why do I think Johnny Cash doing covers is a quasi-spiritual experience but his own songs do nothing for me? Because generally those songs I like however they are presented and he was amazing, but sadly his own songwriting doesn't really connect with me in any way.

Why is it I think Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (yes, and I suppose The Offspring fits this too) are amazing when they write songs about serious subjects in a serious way, and yet, all their 'funner' songs, while on the surface I enjoy, don't really stick to me the same way?

In some ways that seems to contradict my earlier position, but is more of a like it a lot, like it but like it less situation, and is more representative of the element that I want from music.

 

[Shadow298]

Fn metal hipsters, that's what they fn are.

It also sounds like the sort of music fan who is more into genres than bands or music. The sort who gets really angry when their 'favourite band' deviates even slightly in style and claim they have betrayed their fans.

Scene kiddies and hipsters will always be about to drag down the other flavours of fandom. Been the history of pretty much anything since the dawn of time.

Why do I think Johnny Cash doing covers is a quasi-spiritual experience but his own songs do nothing for me? Because generally those songs I like however they are presented and he was amazing, but sadly his own songwriting doesn't really connect with me in any way.

Have found the same with such artists as Nick Cave as well.

Voices that transcend and defy time and genre.

Plenty of metal singers have such talent as well (other band members too such as guitarists like Randy Rhodes) but they aren't often allotted the same level respect as someone like Cash for some reason.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Why is it I think Judas Priest are amazing when they write songs about serious subjects in a serious way, and yet, all their 'funner' songs, while on the surface I enjoy, don't really stick to me the same way?

You're telling me that this hasn't changed your life in a big way?


Leave the hall.

 

[Stonewall]

Not in as big a way as yours obviously.

Nah, definitely love it, but I loved it more at the time I got into it, whereas my enjoyment of songs like Desert Plains continues to grow.

 

[Lord Tim]

Desert Plains is one of their best! Underrated as helll!

 

[Winmar]

There's some stuff that I delved into a bit maybe a decade ago which I would not bother with these days e.g. cheesy power metal, but nothing that I was heavily into that I no longer like. The guys who say "I was into metal when I was a teenager, but grew out of it" shit me and make me want to kick them in the balls. If they think they grew out of it then they probably weren't into it for the right reasons in the first place.

 

[Southy]

They weren't in it. Full. Fucking. Stop.

Everybody I know who has ever actually considered themselves a fan, are a fan for life