the metal world needs more webzines dedicated to the REAL underground only

[JayKeeley]

Disclaimer: Century Media artists and their ilk are NOT the underground. I'm talking mostly about self-released, self financed artists recording demos on 8 tracks and wot not.

So I think we've accepted the fact that people can either download or sample before they buy, but for the most part, people will only sample bands they've heard of, or perhaps it's through recommendation on a forum. I'm pretty certain that most of these bands are reasonably well established to begin with.

Reviews for well established artists are near redundant, particularly when you can just go listen for yourself.

That said, just how many recommendations cover the variety of artists residing in the underground? How many unknown artists are out there? Has anyone ever browsed through myspace, link after link after link of independent metal bands?

Who's reviewing this stuff? I'm sure zines must exist, so let us know of any reviewers out there identifying the next big hitter.

Here is a link I found from the KILLINGSWORTH myspace page: single paragraph reviews. I think I've heard of maybe 20% of those bands listed.

I'm sure so much of it is just utter crap, but there's gotta be a few diamonds in the muff. It blows my mind knowing there are GREAT bands out there that have yet to be discovered.

 

[Necromunchkin]

I entirely agree with this. One of the few things about myspace I actually like is that I've found some unknown but great music. I think a return to true underground approach to new, non-sponsored bands is what is needed.

 

[skeptik]

There are plenty of underground paper 'zines still circulating, you just have to find them. One reviewer that I've always liked (who is actually working on starting his own paper 'zine in the future) is Nin Chan of Diabolical Conquest, almost exclusively reviewing fairly obscure works.

 

[General Zod]

It blows my mind knowing there are GREAT bands out there that have yet to be discovered.

Do you think there are bands out there that have actually reached "greatness", who remain completely obscure?

Zod

 

[JayKeeley]

oh god yes

all underground bands start off obscure -- someone somewhere has to filter them out, and I bet half the time it's just pot luck

I can't imagine how many hours Doomcifer dedicates to searching this stuff through, for example

An underground webzine should comprise of "researchers" doing this on all our behalf and writing up reviews. In fact, this wouldn't be feasible for all things metal. You would need to limit it by genre or geography.

 

[Eminor]

Metal Review reviews a ton of unsigned bands. I'd guess probably about 20 a month. Problem is, most of the stuff ranges from mediocre to poor. Although, I've found some absolutely excellent stuff as well.

 

[Thanatopsis123]

It's true. I hardly ever bother with reviews anymore because they usually aren't pointing me in the direction of something I wouldn't have gotten around to hearing anyway.

For a long while I was going to certain distros like Red Stream and simply browsing. If I was in the mood for black metal I would just check out any band I hadn't heard of in that genre one by one. It helped me find a lot of shit I wasn't hearing about anywhere. Although good lord shit was that draining (on both time and money). If some zine could do a competent job finding and reviewing obsure stuff to save me time, I'd be all over it.

 

[JayKeeley]

Metal Review reviews a ton of unsigned bands. I'd guess probably about 20 a month.

I guess if you opened the floodgates, this number could become 100. Of course, this will get in the way of reviewing your label promos no doubt.

Problem is, most of the stuff ranges from mediocre to poor.

No doubt. Just like label promos!

Although, I've found some absolutely excellent stuff as well.

THIS is the stuff I'm interested in. Or rather, we should ALL be interested in.

 

[Krilons Resa]

Hellride

 

[lurch70]

[cough]RC[/cough]

 

[JayKeeley]

If some zine could do a competent job finding and reviewing obsure stuff to save me time, I'd be all over it.

Yes exactly. Regular zines will review what's sent to them, mostly promos or CD-Rs.

A true underground zine will need to do the research themselves. It would take time and dedication. It's taking full advantage of the internet -- for bands to release their own music independently, and likewise for zine researchers to go dig it out.

 

[lurch70]

is this a research thread to convince yourself to resurect RC?

 

[JayKeeley]

Hellride

Really?

 

[Thanatopsis123]

Yes exactly. Regular zines will review what's sent to them, mostly promos or CD-Rs.

A true underground zine will need to do the research themselves. It would take time and dedication. It's taking full advantage of the internet -- for bands to release their own music independently, and likewise for zine researchers to go dig it out.

I wonder how much traffic an online zine of this nature would actually get. As great as this could be, I'm not holding my breath. Add in that it's hard enough to find reviewers that describe music well or that you can at least figure out whether or not you'd enjoy the music based on their opinions, and this zine becomes even more unlikely.

 

[JayKeeley]

is this a research thread to convince yourself to resurect RC?

Not really. Not yet anyway. All I'm doing is pointing towards the future.

 

[Krilons Resa]

Really?

Absolutely! They review TONS of unsigned or very obscure bands. And on the forums, they hardly ever talk about any non-obscure bands other than the classics like Maiden, Sabbath, etc... I have learned of some of my favorite bands from the guiys over there and have made some great friends as well. Plus, you cant beat guys who are regulars like Rich Walker, Ross from Ogre, Karl and the guys from Gates of Slumber, the guy from While Heaven Wept, and a SHITLOAD of other musicians from amazing bands. I've gotten a couple people from here to participate over @ HR too.

Edit: This is where I found out about Killingsworth. Review Here

 

[JayKeeley]

I wonder how much traffic an online zine of this nature would actually get. As great as this could be, I'm not holding my breath. Add in that it's hard enough to find reviewers that describe music well or that you can at least figure out whether or not you'd enjoy the music based on their opinions, and this zine becomes even more unlikely.

True. All good points.

Perhaps what's needed is a weekly update on the "latest and greatest" finds. All that would be required is a summary description + hyperlinks to samples (so we don't need these in-depth reviews anymore). Just give me the band name, the genre, other artists that sound similar, inspiration, etc.

It's similar to what Demonspell used to do for UM -- quick descriptions on tracks or albums (albeit for 'major' artists) except with sample links.

If such a thing existed and was updated once per week/month, I would probably check it out.

 

[JayKeeley]

Absolutely! They review TONS of unsigned or very obscure bands. And on the forums, they hardly ever talk about any non-obscure bands other than the classics like Maiden, Sabbath, etc... I have learned of some of my favorite bands from the guiys over there and have made some great friends as well. Plus, you cant beat guys who are regulars like Rich Walker, Ross from Ogre, Karl and the guys from Gates of Slumber, the guy from While Heaven Wept, and a SHITLOAD of other musicians from amazing bands. I've gotten a couple people from here to participate over @ HR too.

Edit: This is where I found out about Killingsworth. Review Here

Outstanding!

*bookmarked*

 

[Jim LotFP]

Yes exactly. Regular zines will review what's sent to them, mostly promos or CD-Rs.

Or what we buy.

The idea of reviewing anything that I just heard on the internet seems really sloppy to me.

Then again, listening to anything on the internet seems really sloppy to me so I guess it's just a consistent policy.

But yeah, that does cut down on the unsigned bands able to be covered, because there's only so much money I have to spend on that stuff (although I did spend a couple hundred bucks a couple months ago buying independent bands' work), and many bands think A- Sending friends requests to everyone on Myspace is a good way to get the name out (these days I delete any requests from bands I don't have on CD without even looking at their page), and/or B- Sending copies to press is useless because they won't get serious coverage anyway. Not saying both cases aren't correct, but ya know...

But anyway, stuff from big labels is banished from the upcoming LotFP (and maybe every LotFP from here on out)... well, one Osmose band is getting a writeup but that's a special case.

 

[JayKeeley]

The idea of reviewing anything that I just heard on the internet seems really sloppy to me.

Not in-depth reviews but perhaps a 'recommendation' based only on those samples provided. That's all that's needed now anyway because those of us listening to the same samples will decide for ourselves whether we'd buy or not.

90% of what a real underground zine should accomplish is research, just to filter the gold from the silt.

The more I think about it, this is what the "metal community" does quite naturally. We are all collectively going out and hunting out new bands (whether signed or not). We then congregate on forums such as this one and share those recommendations.

I would say 80% of my new finds over the last few years have emerged from this forum alone.