Is Progressive Technical Metal the way into the future?

[Shadow X is back]

What Pro-tech-metal holds in the immediate future? to navigate against the tide somehow is the price that all of us have to pay. Moreover, I say all of us because Pro-tech-metal means Mass’s Enlightenment. (In my opinion, this Music is very uncommon in the market and becomes a burden to those who contribute to the authorship and the ones who continue the work). Here some facts:
Progressive Technical Metal is not popular among the worldwide audience. Nowadays is hard to find a label that supports such kind of music and big companies give no credit at all, therefore making sales and promotions plans have been the turmoil of all these bands.
Nevertheless, who would be the ones who welcome such complex concept and ideas?
Before answering this question let us, dig a little about this subgenre.

Musically is one of the most complex delicacies you may find nowadays
Is usual to encounter intricate riffs, shifting signatures in time and air, harmonically chaotic in certain spots. Is amazing how much freedom this style provide to the point that you may find any treaty or harmonic concept applied. Freedom has been along the history one of the things that musicians were stuck for. I would say that World Music (as many others) is already a genre included in Pro-Tech-Metal. Paul Masvidal (Cynic) said once that they didn’t have an idea of how deep was the work while writing “Focus” and the results were beyond their expectations. This is what I believe is the main objective, the music that challenges the listener, as well as pushes the abilities of the musicians and man.

Now going back to the question, Pro-Tech-Metal is a subgenre that pushes you to think and will never be welcome for masses, which are mentally lazy. This phenomenon has not been provoked by the masses itself but many guilds, creeds, governments, parties, companies, etc. who sustain that “ignorance is bliss” and establish certain patterns, trends and behaviors in society where everything is ruled by their standards. It is notorious that ignorant people are easier to control and I couldn’t picture a society full of philosophers where a president like George W Bush is sending out intellectual troops to Iraq war … lol.

Despite all this, I do believe that it is undeniable that a new era of thinking man’s metal already has begun. There cannot be progress without knowledge or freedom without demand.
The mission relies in every one of us so let’s spread out the word of mouth in every corner of this planet!

 

[progmetaldan]

Of course!

 

[Occam's Razor]

blablabla...the future of music will be good music that plucks the strings of people in any way, be it on traditional or "progressive", primitive or sophisticated paths...

 

[progmetaldan]

Hopefully the people come to their senses and realise that Progressive really is the way of the future...

 

[Shadow X is back]

Those who only play traditional things will always be stuck in the past. Progressive is about progress, change, the new discovery that will lead us to the next level while traditions don’t imply change nor analysis. If ever there was progress, was a new direction. I could’t figure out Baroque without Bach, Classicism without Mozart, Romanticism without Tchaikovsky and so on many other artists that contributed in the history of art.

 

[Occam's Razor]

Nonsense. The sheer fact that you write Progressive in caps implies that you are concerned about a genre which has shot its own back years ago already. The crucial thing is true progression in terms of new visions - not emulating the progression others engaged in decades ago.

And you cannot build something valid out of hot air without knowing tradition. The past is vital in anything you dó at present which shall maintain its worth in the future. Without understanding the past, you are uprooted - which also goes for a person's personal level.

And again: if something allegedly "traditional" grabs the heart of a listener or mathces the vision of its creator, it is legitimate. Realize that traditional is also a relative term that is often confused with things that are merely "established". Even though there is a traditional form of blues in its most archaic form, then why is it that the blues referred to as traditional is already an expansion of the original concept. It is more an established form of blues, and the traditions - also and especially in metal - are often only half-heartedly internalized, understood and reflected in meaningful music at present. What some metalcore acts describe as their traditional roots is often watered down rehash of hackneyed elements that does not show much thought.

 

[progmetaldan]

woah...

 

[Shadow X is back]

Well I didn’t say forget traditions. Nevertheless, let us keep in mind if you ONLY embrace traditions you will never find progress. We must select which traditions can bring the benefit into the future and which cannot.

As long as I know this genre is still much fresh despite the fact that was create years ago. It is just that new bands had to retake some material already forsaken and ignored. Seems like no one had the courage to continue such endeavor, aside from that I don’t see any other traditional aspect. Likewise, I don't see any progress in those alternative Nu metal-whatever bands being play in the radio, despite all their popularity. It has been already more than one decade they took over a space that should be given to a better genre. In addition, for me traditions and things that are merely established are the same. uke: uke:

 

[Occam's Razor]

What disturbs me about this "progress" talk is the general understanding with which the term is used. It shows how much we Westerners are influenced by our predominant capitalist systems: it all needs to be bigger, better, flashier...progress in this case means: "How many more notes can you squeeze in?" or: "how eclectic can you get mixing styles?" In this context, we tend to confuse the progressive with mere novelty, which has nothing to do with innovation. Also, progress need not mean innovation. I'd rather like to see a´kind of progress towards a healthy environment for music to dwell with regards to the pool of sharks that is the music business. In such an ideal world, there would only be musicians that play from the heart without commercial concerns, while at the same time being independent from financial troubles. I guess this concern with quality in any area of music is just as utopistic as the dream of progress that implies a growth in quantity of any kind (faster, more technical, etc.).

 

[Shadow X is back]

Of course, it is not only about squeezing notes or mixing styles. Faster does not necessarily means technical (if you analyze bands like Cynic or Spiral Architect they are no the fastest) and finally none of these elements are definitive for music, you could omit any of them and still create a masterpiece. Yet I am of the concern that if we use as many resources we have in hand then would be easer to mold all our ideas and abilities to create something better.

 

[Occam's Razor]

Of course, there should be no restrictions, but again: "more" does not make things necessarily "better".

 

[Khaos_McDoom]

what if you has more lessness? hehe

 

[Shadow X is back]

ok Razor you win ... lol j/k

 

[Occam's Razor]

No I don't win, it's just my stance - you might have your own, or is it that I could convert you to think like me?