Swedish influence on modern metal.

[Hatebreed]

Its very obvious Swedish metal is soley responsible for 90% of hardcore metal today. The whole metalcore genre, aside from its hardcore punk sounds, is Swedish. The melodies, the vocal style, the lyrical themes. Bands like "Himsa, Bleeding Through, Unearth, Killswitch Engage, Chimaira come to mind. It's pretty wild when you think about it. Throughout the nineties, Swede metal was heard pretty much in Scandinavia and thats it. But now in 04, Swedish bands are getting regular airplay here in the states, and are touring and doing shows at major American festivals. But not just Sweeden, the whole Scandinavian scene is on the rise. Dimmu Borgir made the main stage at Ozzfest which such heavy weights as Ozzy, Slayer, Judas Priest, Black Label Society. Lacuna Coil, playing Second stage, getting regular Airplay on MTV2. In Flames is on the brink of attaining the status of bands like Korn, Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage. It just goes to show you, We've come a long way. Unsigned Swedish and Scandinavian bands can look forward to and dream of playing the world, instead of just their area and Japan. Things are looking up.

 

[HarmonyDies....]

............................no.

 

[Chopstick up the Peehole]

Swedish influence on modern metal?

Faggotry.

 

[genocide roach]

well, yes and no. take a close look at inflames and soilwork, the 2 swedish bands getting the most commercial attention. they have completly watered down their music. its modern rock. there is no more riffing, the vocals have changed, the tempo has changed. .. they aimed to sound mainstream and now they got it. and they a reaping the rewards, what little there is to be had.

HOWEVER, these 2 bands do NOT reprisent the rest of scandinavian metal. the same goes for dimmu borgir.

while i would love to see scandinavian metal get its well deserved attention, it isnt currently happening, its just a couple of fringe bands catering to the mainstream sound. they just happen to be from scandinavia. mainstream rock is mainstream rock, no matter where it comes from.
~gR~

 

[Death Aflame]

If their is one major downfall to the whole metal scene and its community its the so called elitist's that claim every band that evolves from their original sound into something different are sellouts that now suck. IMO that way of thinking is bullshit. Automatically hating a band because of their commercial success(even though said bands are far from being played on mainstream radio and tv stations or ever achieveing platinum sales) doesnt make sense. Of course their sound might have changed and could be considered more accessable but does that make the music bad? hell no. Sure synthesizers, clean vocals, orchaestras are not a common attribute when one thinks of metal but if listen to solely metal we limit ourselves. The so-called sellout bands are trying to increase the range of their sound and progress into something that they wouldnt have normally done early in their career. In Flames for example made arguably 5 great albums before they really introduced all new mechanics. If I was in that band i wouldnt want to right melo-death for ever it gets boring and monotonous and after putting out such influential albums that the metal world gobbled up I would hope that as an artist I would be allowed to grow or perhaps call it quits. The former requires a change in the sound. Writing these new songs Im sure they are conscientious that alot of fans won't like it. They're willing to take the risk and continue progressing which is the sign of a true artist. Not being influenced by what the fans want, but influenced by what they want.

</rant> *prepares for flames*

 

[Caelum Adustum]

Making more simple music doesn't equal progression.

Hardcore sucks, keep it out of metal.

 

[Chopstick up the Peehole]

Making more simple music doesn't equal progression.

Technicality does not automatically equal good songwriting.

Of course their sound might have changed and could be considered more accessable but does that make the music bad?

A lot of the time it does make the music "bad" because the elements that initially made the music enjoyable - such as vocal/riffing style, production, arrangements - are no longer present.

 

[Tauredil]

. Lacuna Coil, playing Second stage, getting regular Airplay on MTV2.

Pure fucking scandinavian metal!

 

[Iron Harvest Productions]

Swedish influence on modern metal?

Faggotry.

Indeed.Fuck I hate melodic shit "metal" like soilwork, in flames etc.
Although there is still some good stuff coming out of Sweden - Craft, Leviathan, Setherial etc.

 

[\m/]

I think Bathory and Maiden are the main influence period.

 

[Death Aflame]

A lot of the time it does make the music "bad" because the elements that initially made the music enjoyable - such as vocal/riffing style, production, arrangements - are no longer present.

The production for many of these bands is usually at its best in the later part of their career, again another In Flames example, but the production on Lunar Strain when compared to Clayman is absolute shit. I still thoroughly enjoy Lunar Strain but as far as production goes it is the major downfall of that album.

As far as riffing and vocal styling, it will change overtime guaranteed(or why bother recording a new record?) in any band that has put out at least four albums. Whether fans find the new style enjoyable or not is simply a matter of opinion. Since it seems many metalheads have very stark boundaries for metal, any metal band that tries to step outside this boundary when they have not previously done so, are automatically considered sellouts. This is an idiotic idea. Sure you may not enjoy the music anymore but since you dont like it, it isn't automatically crap to others who perhaps are more open minded with their metal or music in general. I am not saying I am immune to this or a perfectly open minded person when it comes to music but metalheads seem to slap "sellout" on to anything that deviates too far from what is set in their minds as "metal". This ignorant approach to what metal is, again, is what i hate about the metal community.

 

[Varulv]

Ughhh... Thank Odin for the underground death/black metal scene.

 

[Caelum Adustum]

I don't consider bands that evolve or change "sellouts" unless they are In Flames or Soilwork, and that is because they play POP now not because they changed styles.

Did Empyrium sellout? No.
Opeth? No.
Summoning? No.
Vintersorg? No.
Arcturus? No.
Enslaved? No.
Death? No.
Emperor? No.
etc.

 

[Death Aflame]

I don't consider bands that evolve or change "sellouts" unless they are In Flames or Soilwork, and that is because they play POP now not because they changed styles.

Did Empyrium sellout? No.
Opeth? No.
Summoning? No.
Vintersorg? No.
Arcturus? No.
Enslaved? No.
Death? No.
Emperor? No.
etc.

Even if what they play now could be considered pop music that is a change in style is it not?

I dont know what your definition of pop is but it obviously differs from mine. If I played a "Figure Number Five" the song to a random mallcore kid he/she would most likely not enjoy the song because of its angry singer and heaviness, even though to you in me it is rather light when compared to metal as a whole. Also to qualify as pop music Soilwork and In Flames would have to be overplayed on MTV or a rock radio station and sell millions of records. Both bands are far from ever getting close to this point and therefore do not qualify as pop music, and I doubt they ever will.

 

[Chopstick up the Peehole]

The production for many of these bands is usually at its best in the later part of their career, again another In Flames example, but the production on Lunar Strain when compared to Clayman is absolute shit. I still thoroughly enjoy Lunar Strain but as far as production goes it is the major downfall of that album.

As far as riffing and vocal styling, it will change overtime guaranteed(or why bother recording a new record?) in any band that has put out at least four albums. Whether fans find the new style enjoyable or not is simply a matter of opinion. Since it seems many metalheads have very stark boundaries for metal, any metal band that tries to step outside this boundary when they have not previously done so, are automatically considered sellouts.

- Some people prefer a more raw or "real" production, rather than crystal clear, studio-buffed perfection.
- It seems that when a lot of bands are adopting a new style, they're not building on the strengths they showed that used to make them appealing.....they're watering it down, making it less extreme/more commercially appealing and/or experimenting with ideas that simply don't work at all.....and I think that's why they get backlash.

This are just my observations.
But hey, what do I know......I listen to grind.

 

[Caelum Adustum]

I meant I don't consider them sellouts SOLELY because they changed styles.

 

[Death Aflame]

I meant I don't consider them sellouts SOLELY because they changed styles.

Then why do you consider them sellouts?

 

[Caelum Adustum]

:zombie:

 

[no country for old wainds]

Opeth? No.
Vintersorg? No.
Arcturus? No.
Enslaved? No.
Death? No.
Emperor? No.
etc.

Actually, virtually every band you named decreased in quality over the years, although perhaps not all to 'sell out' as such.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

In Flames are sellouts because their new music flat-out sucks. And Soilwork because they increased the clean vocals to the point that the music became unremarkable.

I listen to older Soilwork, and the clean vocals accentuated the music without annhilating it or watering it down. And In Flames don't suck because they're trying to be nu-metal. I like Trapt, and In Flames are no Trapt.