Technicality or stupidity?

[Idunnonuten]

When it comes to technical music I'm pretty picky. To me there is a fine line between successfuly technical music and sheer stupidity. I'm tired of hearing bands that are merely guitar wanking and trying to call it challenging (just about any Petrucci, Vai, or Satrianni -esque guitar players).
I'm also frustrated with bands that are praised as technical when all they do is hit a few eighth notes in any time signature other than common time (examples being Meshuggah, System of a Down, Byzantine, or Norma Jean).

Some of the most successful technical bands are:
Golem
Nile
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Between the Buried and Me. Any input?

 

[IOfTheStorm]

W-A-T-C-H-T-O-W-E-R

 

[Demilich]

challenging (just about any Petrucci, Vai, or Satrianni -esque guitar players).

May be beating a dead horse with this one, but Necrophagist is the supreme example of this for me.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

Satriani? stupid technical? Have you even fucking listened to him? He's shit is easy and he never claims to be technical. He's has a very lyrical quality to his guitar playing. For fucks sake, go be stupid somewhere else.

 

[TylerTheNuke]

Kind of. I see what you are saying but I disagree with examples. Like satriani and meshuggah. Those deserve to be on the bottom list. Satriani is just great. Meshuggah is very technical when it comes to the mathematics. Just because they don't wank or show off all of the time doesn't mean they aren't very skilled musicians. Take Thomas Haake's drumming. He is godly, as evidenced on nothing, but he switched to a drum machine for catch 33. The guitarist shows skills on sol niger within, but resorts to chugging slow power chords for meshuggah. Why? I'll leave that one to you to figure out.

 

[Mort Divine]

Umm, you saying that Steve Vai is a guitar wanker is about as stupid as it gets, and for saying that you should be shot.

 

[Under The Oak]

The Dillinger Escape Plan
Between the Buried and Me. Any input?

Yes, I do have input. Those bands fucking suck. They're not technical at all. People like you just think playing dissonant chords and complex SOUNDING riffs is what successful technicality is, but it's not. John Petrucci could play circles around those fags in Dillinger and Between the Buried. Hell, your heroes may even be inspired by the guys you hate. If you want real technical talented stuff, try Atheist's "Unquestionable Presence", Cynic, Necrophagist, or Liquid Tension Experiment if you don't like Dream Theater's stuff.

There is a fine line between people who recognize talent in spite of "wanking" and those who write it all off as shit because of it. I'll agree that Steve Vai does go over-the-top sometimes with his playing, but Petrucci and Satriani? It's like you're criticizing without even hearing the musicians. What a dumbass.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

. . . but he switched to a drum machine for catch 33.

Really? I didn't know that. That's weird.

 

[Mort Divine]

Steve Vai, is proof that music can be VERY technical and VERY beautiful at the same time.

 

[unknown]

pretty much everybody in this thread has been right except for the topic starter. you fail.

 

[MasterOLightning]

I think at least Necrophagist knows they're being stupid with their technicality. Ever heard Mutilate the Stillborn? It doesn't get more silly than that song.

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

silly?

 

[EVH316]

I still consider Vai's Sex & Religion among the albums of the 90s. Wanky? Perhaps but do I care? No.

DEP eh? Well they're not shit but they fail when it comes to diversity. Very repetitive. I can't sit through an entire album.

So your argument is repugnant. Go away.

 

[Mort Divine]

Sex and Religion has nothing on Passion and Warfare.

 

[EVH316]

It has Dev

 

[Mort Divine]

Yes, and his voices ruins the mood of the album.

 

[Perpetualpain]

For fuck sakes lets not forget about Death.

 

[EVH316]

Yes, and his voices ruins the mood of the album.

I beg to differ. In fact, I don't even beg - I just differ.

 

[Velvet Creation]

Spiral Architect is VERY technical and damn good! They might not appeal everyone though.

 

[Mort Divine]

Spiral Architect is VERY technical and damn good! They might not appeal everyone though.

God, they are technical to the point of unlistenablity.