Metal bigger in Europe than in USA?

[LeoP]

Is it really so that metal is bigger in Europe than in the US of A? I dont mean just slightly, I mean a lot. I'm not talking about half-ass acts like Korn or Limp Bizkit, I mean metal, Like Halford and our favorite alcoholics Amon etc. I mean as far as I understand it, Halford will pack a whole arena full in Europe, but can only fill smaller venues in USA. Do I have it all backwards? Or is it so that only american bands do well in USA, like Slayer?

 

[Patric]

I dunno, I keep hearing from American friends that their country sucks big time when it comes to metal. And yet I have the US to thank for some of my favorite bands...I dunno man, guess we'll have to ask some of the Americans here.

 

[Brainkisser]

Sure seems that way to me. Take a look at tours: Europe gets all the killer packages, the massive summer fests with all the best bands. The US? We have Jack Koshick's fests, which usually suck even if there are a few good bands playing, which is rare. Death/grind is really popular here, so if you want to hear anything else (black/power/viking/folk) you're usually shit out of luck. I saw Enslaved about a year and a half ago and by the time they went there eight people left at the club. Eight. Then again it was the same for Immolation at that same club. In terms of major tours though we really don't get a lot, that's why everyone was so excited for the Metal Gods tour. Big acts like Iron Maiden can and do sell our arenas every time they come around though.

 

[Belgar]

I would not say bigger, you get kick ass tours when there is dedication.
Nothing worse than going to a show in the US and see a bunch of people standing up not headbanging or watching a show like they would go watch a movie.
Europe as a lot more hardcore fans, I could name numerous shows I saw in the US where you have posers with baggy pants and korn or slipknot shirts who think that they are the kings of the pit. lmao. You won't see that in Europe, you are hardcore or you are out there with the MTV crew of vomit numetal garbage. Just my 2cents.

 

[Tomasz]

The two scens can not be even talked about on the same day. Whether it is the fans, tours or the festivals there is just no comparison. Prime example, while in Poland in unknown city last fall I went to a show with local metal bands. Turn out around 300. I go to a show in Tampa where Cadaver Inc. played on Friday and turnout was eh me and this other guy, well no I'm lying there were few others but I think they are there everyday anyhow. Things definitely were better in US back in the early nineties with better turnouts, more tours and same poser, fly-by fans/posers and very few true metal heads.

 

[M.]

[ europe > usa ] @ metal

 

[Cimmerian]

hey brainkisser was that show by any chance at north six in brooklyn?

 

[Patric]

Anyone knows how metal Ireland is? Cause I might be spending some time there in the future.

 

[Odis]

Dunno but they have excellent whiskey @ patric

 

[Patric]

Pubcrawling every night

 

[Sumerian]

As far as death/black metal bands go, the promotion here sucks. When European bands tour here, there is almost no promoting at all. The only reason why bands like Slayer, Pantera, even Morbid Angel do so well here is because they have been grinding it out for so long and now their names are well-recognized. All in all touring/promotion here in the states is crap. Even Cannibal Corpse is forced to play in small local venues, even though they are usually jam packed. Overall, Europe is better for metal!

 

[M.]

yeah, archenemy played at The Troubador here(los angeles, california), where the standing room is narrower than the stage, and the stage is probably like 20 feet deep... then theres a bar and a balcony over the bar and some of the standing room, if i remember correctly. big band, tiny venue. Sumerian's right about promotion sucking. Blind guardian had to cancel some dates (2 or 3 i think?) in texas on their last tour here because of bad promoting. its pretty frustrating.

 

[Brainkisser]

hey brainkisser was that show by any chance at north six in brooklyn?

No, it was at Obsessions in north Jersey. I've got a more detailed review of the show on my page (http://www.monmouth.com/~hgreen/) if you're interested.

 

[Cimmerian]

I was just curious as I saw enslaved on the same tour in brooklyn where they went on at like 2:00 in the morning to a crowd of twenty.

 

[AxeOfDarkness]

i believe europe gets bigger shows and shit cause of the whole new wave of british hair metal back in the 80s and stuff... cause alot of the original big metal bands like iron maiden, manowar, motorhead and all the other classics... thus they play shows in europe alot and have more promotion over there since they live there and stuff.. so i think since alot of it originaly came from europe that would be why maybe.... or something like that....
@summerian- Slayer became big cause there stuff was played on the radio from the start just about so alot of people found out about them due to that...same with pantara and whatever else... true death metal in america doesnt get to big since its not played on the radio and all that... i dont know if it does in europe...???

but whatever it is i think europe gets a bigger scene

 

[tal shiar agent 930]

it is. like, the usa has something of a metal community, but the members of such communtiy are separated, and we sometimes see each other on the road, stores, school, etc. soemtimes, perfect strangers become best of friends when we see each other at malls with our metal shirts. and we all meet with each other at the shows. and when metal shows do happen here in the usa, we have night clubs that host most of the shows instead of stadiums, which i personally think is better cuz the atmosphere is more friendlier and we actually get to meet the musicians from such bands in a very casual setting. but i wouldn't say that the usa is bad either, cuz at least we have many reources for our metal (internet, zines, etc.), and on top of it, its not like we have to buy what the tv tells us to buy cuz the beauty of the usa is we have the freedom to buy whatever cds we want instead of what the crapstream media tell us, thus scoring "one more for the goodguys" - scott hall.

 

[christcrusher]

In Finland I would say one out of every 10 people I saw there was a Metal Head....And that includes all forms of Extreme Metal excluding nu-Metal....It was fucking great!

And Ireland is pretty dry as far as Metal goes, but it is a fucking beautiful country!!

 

[M.]

i always got the impression that the usa was the worst (meaning they do it the most) about doing what TV tells us to. seriously, like 80% of we americans are total morons. maybe thats why metalheads are so rare around here :\

 

[Heavy Metal Samurai]

My thoughts on the subject:


The bands are just as good, so I don't see anything different in terms of quality or anything.

I don't think the fans are to blame either, there are obviously die-hard commited fans the world over, this forum proves it.

The problem is with the fat cats at the top, there isn't much money to be made from a bunch of guys in armour singing about "Slaying Infidels" in a really high voice

America is the land of capitalism after all, and most of our british pop stars fuck off to America the first chance they get, Robbie Williams, Craig David...whoever.

But a good point was made, the fact that the metal is so small makes them committed and it feels more personal but that can happen anywhere.

I went to a gig the other day and it was quite amazing, a tiny little pub that could hold about 60 people, I walked in and Immolation were sitting at the bar and Malevolent Creation were eating breakfast (with beer) at 5 in the afternoon.

The gig was Noctiferia (cool Black/death), Aborted (Gore Grind is not my thing) Malevolent Creation and Immolation and was absolutely brutal, I had to drive home deaf .

But that was in a place that only holds 100 people at most, and the 2 main bands are American So it confuses me, it's all about money in America, lousy fucking MTV.

 

[North Sea Stormrider]

I'm surpirised nobody brought up the fact that damn near everyone in the USA is worried about being politically correct, and they see metalheads as being a lower lifeform, mainly because all the music is irritating to those with closed-minds, and that plenty of the songs deal with killing, satanism, and various other "R-Rated" stuff. (You wouldn't see Cannibal Corpse's "Worm Infested" reach platinum, even if they wanted it to. That's just the way it is here)