Metal becoming hip?
- Thread starter adaher
- Start date
rockyracoon
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Yngvai X said:
I'm not so sure I agree here. I could really care less whether or not the metal I like rebels against anything at all, really. And just what is metal supposed to be rebelling against? I find this odd since most bands would probably site things like popularity and high record sales as a positive thing, and yet in the eyes of many metal fans, that would be deemed too mainstream. I'm not into the whole "metal," "non-metal" arguement.
BTW, the school is Coral Springs High.
I notice that for the first time I'm also running into metal more often without having to actually turn on my CD player. I went to a club and the DJ played "Wish I Had an Angel". I downloaded a World of Warcraft video some player made and the background music was "Emerald Sword". I went into a record store and "Black Halo" was playing. I passed by someone at work listening to Within Temptation.
I'm not asking for Top 40 and sold out stadium tours, but I'm glad to be able to just see my favorite music around me more often.
I notice that for the first time I'm also running into metal more often without having to actually turn on my CD player. I went to a club and the DJ played "Wish I Had an Angel". I downloaded a World of Warcraft video some player made and the background music was "Emerald Sword". I went into a record store and "Black Halo" was playing. I passed by someone at work listening to Within Temptation.
I'm not asking for Top 40 and sold out stadium tours, but I'm glad to be able to just see my favorite music around me more often.
I have to tell you this, the radio station here in this two horse town started playing a new song by a NEW band from one of those Scandinavian courtries about 3 weeks ago. The song - "WISH I HAD AN ANGEL" the Band - of course NIGHTWISH. So in some towns and cities its the fault of local radio stations and DJs who have no clue as to what is out there as far as music goes. So we as ProgPower fans need to spread the word anyway we can, by any means(legally) hehehe, just kidding. But all kidding aside it seems to be some of the younger kids 18 and under that are receptive to prog and power metal, so lets try and get the word out.
Unca Kev
Bass Player & Music Pimp
adaher said:
Well in that case you may have been talking to one of Greykiller's converts then. It wasn't his daughter that you had talked to though, as you had said that the girl you talked to was 16. His daughter is 17.
But yeah it does seem that these bands are getting more popular here and around the world even. A few years ago when asking people from Finland or Sweden if they had heard of Evergrey or Nightwish, they had no clue who I was talking about. Then within the past year or so, my Finnish friend, who lives in Sweden, was telling me about them and how they're more popular now in both countries.
As far as here in the U.S., a good example of what's popular amongst the kids was the Evergrey, Iced Earth, COB show at the HOB, in Orlando, around a year or so ago. Most of the kids were there to see COB, as evidenced by all the COBHC t-shirts. But what was reassuring is that there was some good applause from them when Evergrey opened though. Although I think that it is an injustice, IMHO, that Evergrey opened for COB, but obviously who opens and who headlines isn't about taste. It's about which bands those kids will spend their allowance or after school part time job wages on. It seems that bands like COB, Killswitch Engage, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Slipknot and Korn will get more of that than Symph X, EG, DT, Kamelot, Epica, Dreamscape, Pagan's Mind and Redemption (although I will say that Nightwish and Within Temptation are approaching that level of fame now). But I hope that changes to some degree (with the minimal amount of poseurs of course), since it seems that it's more about what the kids or older mainstream music fans want, then the rest of us. That way we can get more touring from these bands!
I notice the Darkness is doing well too. A ridiculous band, but with surprising songwriting ability.
Yngvai X
Dark Emperor
rockyracoon said:
I should perhaps embelish my point...THe bands themselves don't have to have rebellious lyrics or come out and say it, its the music itself. Metal is supposed to be a steak through the heart of mainstream culture and media. Of course we want to be more popular and have higher record sales...among metalheads, and especially in Europe, there are a LOT out there (just because you appeal to a lot of metalheads out there doesn't mean a band has sold out...I'm not that tr00
).Of course, you have bands like Slipknot and all the nu metal and mallcore bands that are very popular right now, but again, those wouldn't be "real" metal bands in my eyes because of how they cater to the mainstream and how musically, they pretty much are absent of some key qualities that a metalband should have, or if they are there, they are completely dumbed and watered down.
Dolamite S. Biffle
Biffliest Person Ever
Unca Kev said:
I also went to this tour and COB played before Evergrey, so I think that they alternately.
rockyracoon
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Yngvai X said:
Thanks for the clarification, because I totally agree with you on this point. I didnt know you were even including bands like Slipknot or other numetal and mallcore bands in your original point. I thought that within the confines of actual "good" metal, you were trying to make a distinction between "real" and "not real." Like saying SX is real but Angra isnt, for example. Anyway, I do agree with you.
Yngvai X
Dark Emperor
rockyracoon said:
Ah no problem
. To me, any band falling under the banner of power, prog, black, death, doom, folk, gothic, heavy, or thrash metal (or any included sub-sub genres bands like to fit themselves in) would be "real metal" so I guess I have a really broad idea in my head as far as that goes.
Joel-RZ
Member
Hmmm...This whole 'real' metal thing is really getting kinda silly imo. No matter the band, real or not real (by whoever's opinion) you are still writing to appeal to a particular fanbase, hopefully with your own twists. The goal, for the most part, is for your band to be successful in in whatever genre you appeal to. If you are putting a product out for sale, you are trying to make money. If you are doing it to support a particular lifestyle, or just trying to have fun, you probably aren't selling anything and also probably don't care if you are popular or not. You would be happy to play your basement, if you are doing it for the 'art' of it.
Not to call something 'metal' just because they seem to cater to a particular market seems silly to me as EVERY band I have ever heard, met, played with, etc was trying to make the most of their project. If its playing what die-hard metal heads would consider 'real' metal, then you are still catering to that market in hopes that they will at least be into it. If you could appeal to even MORE people allowing you to do this full-time, wouldnt that be a good thing? It means what you are doing is hitting home with more and more people. Or you have a GREAT marketing team.
But if a band like Killswitch Engage, for instance, is able to combine all their influences (which I can easily say include 'real' metal bands) and come up with a style that incorporates all their inlfuences and packages trhem up into an easily digestible format, all the power to them. There aren't that many bands able to achieve that, whether you (or I) think they deserve it or not. Its just as hard, if not WAY harder, to write a GOOD catchy song in whatever style you choose than it is to write a GOOD song that may not be as catchy. Its all subjective. It will still scare the shit out of my Grandmother. Thats all that matters. Its metal for crying out loud. I bet half the bands considered 'real' metal would drop a load the size of connecticut if a pop-culture store started sellign all kinds of their schwag, giving them a bigger platform to fall from.
How about Evergrey taking on a mainstream producing team that has worked with such acts as Britney Spears? Im sure that makes a lot of Evergrey fans very nervous. I, for one, am excited at the possibility to see where they go with this opportunity. If a band like Evergrey gets some mainstream support and becomes succesful in 'Pop' terms, that can only be a good thing for metal on the whole. Yes, everyone who wanted to keep Evergrey their own little secret will feel slighted. But think about th rest of the people that will have access to some great music, whether it be their back catalogue or their newer material.
Im rambling a little now. I guess my main thought behind all this is if we (the metal community) continue to bicker about what is real or not, we will further add to the decline of this form of music. Divide and conquer, all these rebellious teens will start infighting against their metal bretheren and the PMRC will just sit back and watch as the metal stereotype is played out in front of them.
Carry on.
Joel
Not to call something 'metal' just because they seem to cater to a particular market seems silly to me as EVERY band I have ever heard, met, played with, etc was trying to make the most of their project. If its playing what die-hard metal heads would consider 'real' metal, then you are still catering to that market in hopes that they will at least be into it. If you could appeal to even MORE people allowing you to do this full-time, wouldnt that be a good thing? It means what you are doing is hitting home with more and more people. Or you have a GREAT marketing team.
But if a band like Killswitch Engage, for instance, is able to combine all their influences (which I can easily say include 'real' metal bands) and come up with a style that incorporates all their inlfuences and packages trhem up into an easily digestible format, all the power to them. There aren't that many bands able to achieve that, whether you (or I) think they deserve it or not. Its just as hard, if not WAY harder, to write a GOOD catchy song in whatever style you choose than it is to write a GOOD song that may not be as catchy. Its all subjective. It will still scare the shit out of my Grandmother. Thats all that matters. Its metal for crying out loud. I bet half the bands considered 'real' metal would drop a load the size of connecticut if a pop-culture store started sellign all kinds of their schwag, giving them a bigger platform to fall from.
How about Evergrey taking on a mainstream producing team that has worked with such acts as Britney Spears? Im sure that makes a lot of Evergrey fans very nervous. I, for one, am excited at the possibility to see where they go with this opportunity. If a band like Evergrey gets some mainstream support and becomes succesful in 'Pop' terms, that can only be a good thing for metal on the whole. Yes, everyone who wanted to keep Evergrey their own little secret will feel slighted. But think about th rest of the people that will have access to some great music, whether it be their back catalogue or their newer material.
Im rambling a little now. I guess my main thought behind all this is if we (the metal community) continue to bicker about what is real or not, we will further add to the decline of this form of music. Divide and conquer, all these rebellious teens will start infighting against their metal bretheren and the PMRC will just sit back and watch as the metal stereotype is played out in front of them.
Carry on.
Joel
Daybreaker
Red, Hot, and Heavy
I would be more surprised if I saw a high school kid wearing a Journey shirt than Sym X. If I saw that while driving by a high school I'd pop on my essential collection and yell Dont Stop Believing you fucker and give them a thumbs up. And a beer.
dargormudshark
Senior Member
I love Journey, but I wouldn't exactly call them fresh and new. Symphony X brings something fairly new to the table.
urinalcakemix
man who plays drum
I see a lot omre Journey shirts than Sym X shirts @ My school. Singing the opening lines to "Don't stop believing" and probably half the school population would know that song.Daybreaker said:
Pellaz
Tigron of Immanion
Must be an oldschool-school.
Have to agree with what some others have posted here about metal and the mainstream. "A rising tide lifts all boats," and anything that gets kids away from rap and R&B and back into playing guitar or bass or keyboards is generally gonna be a Good Thing.
Really couldn't have said it better myself. \m/
Have to agree with what some others have posted here about metal and the mainstream. "A rising tide lifts all boats," and anything that gets kids away from rap and R&B and back into playing guitar or bass or keyboards is generally gonna be a Good Thing.
Really couldn't have said it better myself. \m/
Daybreaker said:
I have a couple of Journey albums too...but they are from when Neil Schon was the lead singer.
Burke
Member
Greykiller said:I have a couple of Journey albums too...but they are from when Neil Schon was the lead singer.
WOW dude......
You're like, old.....
Gregg Rolie was the lead singer.Greykiller said:I have a couple of Journey albums too...but they are from when Neil Schon was the lead singer.
Daybreaker
Red, Hot, and Heavy
Hahaha, nah I wasnt trying to say Journey were fresh or anything like that just I'd be more surprised to see younger people into them than Iced Earth or Sym X.
Here's a random tangent topic. I think Power Metal now is gasping for air desperately. The boom is approaching 9 years (1997) now and most of the clone bands have been weeded out and those that are left (all of LMP's roster and Italy) have no hope of being "big" even in metal standards. The big heavy weights like Helloween, Angra, Blind Guardian are still alright musically and financially, and then the new high rollers are either stagnating or changing drastically. Two bands of reference: Hammerfall and Edguy. Hammerfall is stuck writing the same song and the new Edguy album is a hard rock cd (and a good one at that).
For all the metal that's been released this year the most played cd I've bought has been the new Bon Jovi.
Here's a random tangent topic. I think Power Metal now is gasping for air desperately. The boom is approaching 9 years (1997) now and most of the clone bands have been weeded out and those that are left (all of LMP's roster and Italy) have no hope of being "big" even in metal standards. The big heavy weights like Helloween, Angra, Blind Guardian are still alright musically and financially, and then the new high rollers are either stagnating or changing drastically. Two bands of reference: Hammerfall and Edguy. Hammerfall is stuck writing the same song and the new Edguy album is a hard rock cd (and a good one at that).
For all the metal that's been released this year the most played cd I've bought has been the new Bon Jovi.
