Retro Bands - Good fun or a detriment to progression?

[Life Sucks]

If it's well done, it's great, and if it's not, it sucks. I personally love retro old school style dm bands. Horrid and Bloodbath, for instance, do a good job playing Sunlight studio style old school dm.

 

[Demilich]

To create truly timeless music, you have to disregard what's "modern" or at least be able to acknowledge it and put it aside, do you not? "Modern" is just whatever's trendy or the most prevalent at the time. The only thing that makes music "retro" is that it was popular in the past. Its not like the style ever went anywhere, just lost its media focus and probably doesn't have a million bands popping up a day. I hate to hear people say a genre of music "is dead." The only thing that makes a genre "dead" is the musicians playing the music... if they're not putting in the effort, nothing's gonna go anywhere.

 

[byrne]

not all good music is timeless though. a band can have distinct influences from a certain period and still be enjoyable. but what you are saying factually, is quite true.

 

[swizzlenuts]

All I care about is, is the song good or not. I don't care that it has been done before. As much as people seem to think it's easy to rehash a style or sound, it's not that easy to do it WELL.

Anyone can write a song, but not everyone can write a good one.

I dislike this statement, mainly because what is a point to write a song, good or not, which only uses the ideas of a band that has already done it.

To create truly timeless music, you have to disregard what's "modern" or at least be able to acknowledge it and put it aside, do you not? "Modern" is just whatever's trendy or the most prevalent at the time. The only thing that makes music "retro" is that it was popular in the past. Its not like the style ever went anywhere, just lost its media focus and probably doesn't have a million bands popping up a day. I hate to hear people say a genre of music "is dead." The only thing that makes a genre "dead" is the musicians playing the music... if they're not putting in the effort, nothing's gonna go anywhere.

i dont necessarily think trying to relive the "golden days" is going to be a good thing. i think regardless of what a band is hoping to accomplish by being heavily influenced by that era, you need to have a modern touch to the album - something new and fresh. i think drunkard, witchcraft, hypnosia (and so on) do that quite well.

when you have total revival style bands, with nothing new being brought to the table, you typically just get lifeless, repetitive, second rate doom, or scratchy worthless thrash (so on and so forth). being totally stagnant is just counter productive

That's pretty much how I feel, the only thing that bugs me is the fact that right when some hears a traditional doom riff, it's instantly copying Sabbath, and instantly worship or trying to relive the golden days.

 

[Priest of Evil]

Music doesnt necessarily have to be "original" or everytime to make a band valid but a bit of innovation or flair with compositions will go a long way. Lets face it, every single note has been played before, making it impossible to actually be original.

At the end of the day, its just people playing their instruments for fun. If people buy your music its a bonus. People look for different things in music so why bother trying to please anyone but yourself?

 

[hibernal_dream]

What, are you Gene Simmons? Music isn't just a random combination of notes and there are billions of combinations that haven't been played before.

 

[Procella]

If tthey like such music I don't see the reason why they shouldn't play it. Every band should play what they really want to play, no matter if it's retro or modern.

 

[Demilich]

People look for different things in music so why bother trying to please anyone but yourself?

Yeah, I repped you for this because this is very true

 

[Susperia]

I love retro metal. I must check out this Goat Horn and Witchcraft of which you speak.

 

[Demilich]

Susperia, I'll PM you some of both of those bands (Goat Horn first because I think I already have it on my comp!)

 

[Susperia]

Yes please do! Right now I'm downloading Goat Horn's 2005 album though.

 

[Demilich]

Thats just an EP, and it is a bit of a step down from their 2003 full length "Storming the Gates." I also have their debut, and it has its moments but isn't as rockin!

They're also local guys and their singer Jason Decay is a very nice guy!


edit: I uploaded one track for now, and I'm sure you can find some Witchcraft online...check their official site or probably Myspace or something

 

[Sonnenritter]

Constantly rejecting bands that aren't doing anything new leaves you with a very small catalogue. Retro or not, if I enjoy <random band>, and ten years later <random band> uses similar ideas and writes good songs, I'm all about it. There is no possible way for every band to be groundbreaking.

 

[skeptik]

Well, it is theoretically possible, but in practice it would create an exponentially smaller number of bands.

 

[CF87]

All new music is pretty much restrospective.

 

[Mort Divine]

All new music is pretty much restrospective.

uneXpect
Diablo Swing Orchestra
Especially Likely Sloth
maudlin of the Well
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Anubi
etc etc etc.

 

[Susperia]

All new music is pretty much restrospective.

Yes but technically you can say that about everything. Life is retrospective. You can't get here without being there, etc. We're talking here about bands that use a certain model that has been done before and almost copy that model. Not to say they don't bring anything new to it, they sometimes do.

 

[skeptik]

uneXpect
Diablo Swing Orchestra
Especially Likely Sloth
maudlin of the Well
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Anubi
etc etc etc.

All new music is pretty much restrospective.

.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

uneXpect
Diablo Swing Orchestra
Especially Likely Sloth
maudlin of the Well
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Anubi
etc etc etc.

Coincidentally, most of those are "try to be different" bands that usually suck. Some are OK though.

 

[Mort Divine]

.

Problem is I could spout bands out of my ass for hours that disprove his statement.

Replace all with many in his statement and it is a whole new thing.