Proselytism

[Gëist]

I've heard a lot of people saying "I don't want [fill in undergound band name] to be famous, it's MY band, I don't want to see all those assholes listening to it!"

I never really understood that. I'm the kind of guy who is... well, almost sad for people who don't like - let's say Opeth for example :Smug: - believing they're missing something unique.
Sometimes I go on a crusade to convert people to my music, saying all I can say to make them understand what's so good with it.

What do you think about that? Do you prefer to be the only one to listen to a band, considering yourself some kind of "elite", or do you prefer to share it, as one share the same faith?

*Buuuuuurn the infidels!!!*

 

[hibernal_dream]

Just don't go on crusades and don't care if people listen to your stuff. Screw prosyletism, embrace solipsism

 

[dwoakee]

Do you prefer to be the only one to listen to a band, considering yourself some kind of "elite", or do you prefer to share it, as one share the same faith?

A little of both. I definitely want to share stuff. I wouldn't go as far as crusading, but I also try to get people to like the stuff I like. But I also like the thought to have some stuff in my collection that practically nobody else knows about. Eg. the Japanese Metal outfit "Sigh" is not that popular. Or "Humbug", a nice album by some musician called "Lorenz" from Krefeld, Germany, practically unknown to the rest of the world.

 

[LexPWeller]

well, i think that's always good for a band to gather new fans without selling out, and i was very happy when opeth reached this point with still life first and then blackwater park for the worldwide success.

ok, i have to say that i miss a little those days when they were some sort of cult, when nobody knew them, and if you did you surely were a total fanatic. i remember that people who were into opeth in the early years, like me, were really crazy for them, and felt like keeping some sort of wonderful musical secret that ordinary people would have never understood

those were good days, but i was really happy for them when they managed to get the exposition and the success they deserve, through honest evolution and no quality drops.

 

[Vega Skater]

If my mates had good reason to dislike Opeth I'd be fine. But when they claim 'Opeth is shit' I am influenced to correct them. Shame really, best mates in the world, just don't leave the comfort zone enough.

 

[Mantraschism]

Blind Guardian's from Krefeld, too, and I love them, so I'd be willing to check out something else from that town. =D Also, I've been interested in Sigh for years, but have still never heard them! =[

Anyway, I definitely make all of my friends listen to the stuff I like, and I talk about my favorite bands to anyone who will listen. (I'm most vehement when it comes to Katatonia. Opeth's well-known enough that I don't feel the need to really 'push' them.) I don't like when stupid people all of a sudden get into a band, then start talking about whatever album they first heard being the band's 'first'. (This happened once when someone referred to Metallica's self-titled album as 'their first album'. And I loved Metallica back then.) But I do like having stuff 'to myself', as it were.

Really, as long as the quality doesn't suffer from 'mainstreamism', a band can get as popular as they want.

 

[Sisyphus's Struggle]

i've always thought that knowledge was public...

 

[Carta's]

At first, I tried to make people listen to my music. Then, when I saw that it was all useless, I said, "screw that".

 

[Gëist]

Of course you're right, I shouldn't try to make people like it (I can't anyway), but I've always hated being unable to talk to music with someone. This forum is the only place I talk about Opeth! I just wish I could share and discuss music, discover new bands without always searching the net for new releases.

when nobody knew them, and if you did you surely were a total fanatic.

I can't say I was, I didn't know them by the time ^^ I discovered Opeth with Ghost Reveries. And I love every other album they released... except maybe Orchid and Morningrise, I don't like the production. But I can't deny they're great albums.

 

[uber-engl]

i do miss concerts back than when there where only about 30-50 people in the club (backstage-munich-deliverance tour) compared to the sold-out show on there ghost reveries tour, so yes its cooler when bands stay underground for me because gigs are more fun but on the flipside i want the band to have money so ... i go with the flow (now i have my new underground fun-band where gigs are cool and where you can speak to the guys without any problem (ephel duath) , so im cool )

 

[LexPWeller]

i do miss concerts back than when there where only about 30-50 people in the club (backstage-munich-deliverance tour) compared to the sold-out show on there ghost reveries tour, so yes its cooler when bands stay underground for me because gigs are more fun but on the flipside i want the band to have money so ... i go with the flow (now i have my new underground fun-band where gigs are cool and where you can speak to the guys without any problem (ephel duath) , so im cool )

only 50 people during the deliverance tour? strange.
who does remember the morningrise tour with the filths? greatgreat.

 

[dwoakee]

Blind Guardian's from Krefeld, too, and I love them, so I'd be willing to check out something else from that town. =D

Lorenz is something completely different. No metal at all. Just some modest, dreamy pop/rock. Don't know how to classify. I only know of this one self-produced album and only because my guitar teacher played some guitars on it. I was pretty surprised when I found that it is currently up on ebay.

Also, I've been interested in Sigh for years, but have still never heard them! =[

Sigh are pretty weird. While it's mostly Metal of a slower kind, they mix in all kinds of musical pieces from the western hemisphere. Opera, Disco-Funk, Classical Music, ... I only have the "Imaginary Sonicscape" album. But this one is pretty great. The keyboard player is the mastermind of the trio. He's a musical genius. The guitar player is sometimes good, sometimes sloppy, but he can play lots of styles convincingly. The drummer ... well, he just plays drums. Be prepared for shitty production.

 

[Metalstrm]

I honestly had to look that word up, hehe, and I thought I knew English well. Anyway, I do take some joy at liking a non-mainstream band. I don't feel sad about anyone else who doesn't like Opeth. To be honest, I never liked growls before I started listening to Opeth, so it's a bit understandable that you need a certain kind of leap before you start appreciating the music. Besides, it's often complex and not so accessible to an ear used to single melody lines repeated throughout. So I take joy that I can understand and appreciate the music. Of course, I'd still like to have more people listen to it. In fact, I'm always trying to spread the word among metalheads with a half-open mind, but not it seems like the marketing of Roadrunner is taking over and I don't really feel that need to crusade anymore. Most metalheads I speak to nowadays know about Opeth.

 

[noura]

Dwoakee, you just released information so dear to you, how does it feel? They sound like I wanna check them out.

I don't really know that many people that listen to metal and if I do then it's usually the more "mainstream" or less brutal/extreme/underground bands so when I do try to talk them into giving bands I like a listen - not just hearing -they they can get annoyingly judgemental about them "BURRRR" so usually I don't tend to but when I speak to someone who looks/sounds interested then I will go on about what's so good about the particular band's music.

I do find it annoying when the 'elites' think you haven't heard a band's music and when they found out you have and it's not just the newest album then they go on to list several REALLY underground bands that perhaps only play in their backyard:Smug:

 

[dwoakee]

Dwoakee, you just released information so dear to you, how does it feel?

You're talking about the guitar teacher stuff? I wasn't realizing how personal it was when I wrote it. *shrug*

They sound like I wanna check them out.

You're talking about Sigh here? Go ahead, check them out. Check Wikipedia or their MySpace. Did I say something about Sigh being slow? I just listened to a new song on their MySpace. It is not ... really ... that ... um ... slow. ... Thrashy and Gothic is more like it. ... err ... well, it seems there's one or two more albums I need to buy.

 

[noura]

No I was talking about Sigh,

some stuff in my collection that practically nobody else knows about. Eg. the Japanese Metal outfit "Sigh" is not that popular

I will check when I get home for now it is quiet time at the library. Hmm from slow to thrashy sounds appealing.

 

[mylovedenied]

I try to introduce friends to my music fairly often. I have the only car out of half my friends, so when I'm driving I'll put on some of my music I think they'd like. My view is, if I was in a band I'd want more fans which means more money, better tours, better CD productions and such. So I spread the word.

 

[Mr. Bland]

I've shown quite a few friends Opeth and gotten them hooked. It was great, because I was the first to know and showed a few people who showed a few more, etc.

The growls in Opeth are very unappealing to people who have never them before, so it isn't the easiest music for people to get into. I personally had no problems with the growls when I heard Master's Apprentices for the first time because it was augmented with clean vocals and I thought it brought a lot of contrast and beauty, not to mention it kicked ass.

I try to show it to people here and there, some take to it, others don't and there isn't much you can do about them. The only thing that bugs me is if a person get's into a new band and suddenly thinks that they know everything about them. That just pisses me off.

 

[The Trees]

bands need to get big how else are they gonna pay their bills?

 

[dwoakee]

Blind Guardian's from Krefeld, too, and I love them, so I'd be willing to check out something else from that town. =D

I just found out that Lorenz - Humbug is available from iTunes. So, you can try it out if you like. It's a very soft album, completely unlike Blind Guardian.