The oddest of the odd ball slot suggestions

[Harvester]

The wild card spot is probably the festival's only misstep. It's a great concept, but its usage has been lacking.

Zod

It was never intended as a true concept. I just always booked the one band that pushed the boundaries of the festival just a bit outside of traditional prog/power, whether it one way or another. PC69 is a prime example. The name just took on a life of itself so why fight it?

I never intended (nor will I ever) to go out and book the most fucked up band I can find just so they can truly be the "odd" band. Plus, you do realize that what the majority of the festival attendees would consider "odd" would be considered normal by you right? That's not intended as an insult, but I think the forum knows that your tastes fall outside the norm genres here the majority of the time.

 

[dcowboys311]

Ram-Zet please

 

[Cheiron]

I'm still pulling for Cathedral.

 

[AngraRULES]

Its a real PITA when most "progressive" fans, want nothing to do with progression..




/waits for the tomatoes to come flying

Soooo true...

And by the way, I'll help you dodge the tomatoes, bananas, bullets and other projectiles...

 

[mëtålspëd]

 

[Cheiron]

Is this a hint that you want Yanni?

 

[AngraRULES]

 

[Jasonic]

I'm still pulling for Cathedral.

 

[General Zod]

It was never intended as a true concept. I just always booked the one band that pushed the boundaries of the festival just a bit outside of traditional prog/power, whether it one way or another. PC69 is a prime example. The name just took on a life of itself so why fight it?

I never intended (nor will I ever) to go out and book the most fucked up band I can find just so they can truly be the "odd" band. Plus, you do realize that what the majority of the festival attendees would consider "odd" would be considered normal by you right? That's not intended as an insult, but I think the forum knows that your tastes fall outside the norm genres here the majority of the time.

I recognize my appreciation for some of the more extreme Metal genres makes me a bit of a statistical outlier.

I feel the idea of a "wild card" was a ingenious one. However, in hindsight, I think it could have been used more to broaden the appeal of the festival. In my opinion, you could be leveraging the wild card to reach out to Metal fans who would otherwise not attend this festival, but fans who would fit in well socially. For instance, a band like Agalloch is a band people would travel to see, a band some of the regulars already love and a band that some of the regulars would appreciate if they played PP. In addition, some of those folks who traveled to see Agalloch, might very well return to future PPs, even if a band like Agalloch wasn't on the roster because the festival itself is so much fun. I think the vibe you've created, is a huge selling point. And I think the more people you expose to the dynamics of this festival, the wider an audience you'll be able to draw from. Finally, as the core audience opens up a bit to bands like an Agalloch (not Agalloch specifically), it gives you a wider range of bands to build each year's roster around.

Zod

 

[DADRocks]

It was never intended as a true concept. I just always booked the one band that pushed the boundaries of the festival just a bit outside of traditional prog/power, whether it one way or another. PC69 is a prime example. The name just took on a life of itself so why fight it?

I never intended (nor will I ever) to go out and book the most fucked up band I can find just so they can truly be the "odd" band. Plus, you do realize that what the majority of the festival attendees would consider "odd" would be considered normal by you right? That's not intended as an insult, but I think the forum knows that your tastes fall outside the norm genres here the majority of the time.

While I'm not a fan of this years odd ball, DSO, I have been of ones of past PP acts PC69 and Freak Kitchen. So keep it up.

 

[Diabolik]

Skyclad.......thier new disc is amazing.

 

[Jasonic]

I recognize my appreciation for some of the more extreme Metal genres makes me a bit of a statistical outlier.

I feel the idea of a "wild card" was a ingenious one. However, in hindsight, I think it could have been used more to broaden the appeal of the festival. In my opinion, you could be leveraging the wild card to reach out to Metal fans who would otherwise not attend this festival, but fans who would fit in well socially. For instance, a band like Agalloch is a band people would travel to see, a band some of the regulars already love and a band that some of the regulars would appreciate if they played PP. In addition, some of those folks who traveled to see Agalloch, might very well return to future PPs, even if a band like Agalloch wasn't on the roster because the festival itself is so much fun. I think the vibe you've created, is a huge selling point. And I think the more people you expose to the dynamics of this festival, the wider an audience you'll be able to draw from. Finally, as the core audience opens up a bit to bands like an Agalloch (not Agalloch specifically), it gives you a wider range of bands to build each year's roster around.

Zod

Well said Zod.
I agree 100% with all you had said.
I think Glen has done that though in recent years, with Orphaned Land, Amorphis, etc......

I think it comes down to the fact that everyone has an idea of what progressive metal is. Some are limited in mind to prog metal only being "elite" metal for "elite" people. Sorry if that is harsh, but from reading this forum for MANY years, there are still many of folks out here with this.

Then there is the more open minded approach of bands who progress in their sound over the years, while remaining true to their roots (VoiVod quickly comes to mind, amongst others). This is the bucket to which I see a lot of the darker metal bands falling into.

 

[General Zod]

I think Glen has done that though in recent years, with Orphaned Land, Amorphis, etc......

Exactly. I'd add Into Eternity to this list as well, since they were the band who broke ground on the Death vocals for this fest. But those are the types of bands who can expand this audience.

I think it comes downto the fact that everyone has an idea of what progressive metal is. Some are limited in mind to prog metal only being "elite" metal for "elite" people. Sorry if that is harsh, but from reading this forum for MANY years, there are still many of folks out here with this.

Yep... the devil is in the details with respect to the genre's name.

Zod

 

[Cheiron]

I can easily see somebody liking the music of Dream Theater, but not liking VoiVod. To like 'progressive' does not mean you have to like every kind of music that takes on any qualities of 'prog.' Just as with liking metal does not mean you have to enjoy all forms of metal. I enjoy most subgenres of metal, and the progressive bands within those genres. However, I can't sit here and tell people 'ohh you need to be more 'progressive' with your 'progressive,' as if I have a more elite listening approach to music. Enjoy what you like, don't limit yourself by the tastes of the crowd; that's my only rule.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

WoW! I have been away from my computer for a few days so I was shocked to see the response this thread has gotten. I really meant it as a type of a joke and to see how many other horror music fans there were out there, and it has turned to a really deep conversation(with alot of great stuff mentioned). That is one of the things I have come to love about this forum.

Now on to the the talk of the "now famous" unofficial spot known as the "oddball". I have been to every PPUSA since 7 and I plan to continue to go for as long as I can, and the "oddball" slot has become something that i look foward to every year. Sometimes it maybe a band that it seems like everyone loves i.e. Freak Kitchen, other times it might be a band that splits people down the middle like DSO, but it has really "unofficailly" became an important peice to this festival. So yes it is hit or miss, but it always makes the event and build up to it fun.

As to some of the bands mentioned.....really mixing doom metal bands in a power metal festival.....why not! It seems that there is a nice [size] group of a doom metal fans in here. It may not be my cup of tea but i slept, I mean sat through the Riverside set and enjoyed some of it, so I am sure I might enjoy one or two Novembers Doom tracks before nap time.

And I have to admit that some of the death metal bands mentioned here are very progressive, once agian not my thing but i alot of people like them.

And has any one else seemed to notice the trend of the festivals having an "oddball" slot and a "heavy" slot i.e. Freak Kitchen and Mercenary; Muastuach and Amorphis.


oh and one last thing LORDI is so much better than GWAR

 

[Jasonic]

I can easily see somebody liking the music of Dream Theater, but not liking VoiVod.

Oh, totally.
My only point in pushing Voi Vod was that they are an extremely overlooked band in general, that I think a lot of people who are into progressive music would enjoy.

 

[Jasonic]

Skyclad.......thier new disc is amazing.

As amzing as yuor speling?????

 

[Cheiron]

To the OP: What other horror metal bands are you aware of? I've found very few.

p.s. Corbett played in Gwar, automatically making them better than 95% of metal bands out there (*wink*).

np: Notre Dame

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

I know of a couple of horror based bands but most of them are kind of lame, but I am always looking for new stuff

 

[zinescene]

I know of a couple of horror based bands but most of them are kind of lame, but I am always looking for new stuff

I don't know if this qualifies as HOrror Metal but I love the band the Vision Bleak. Check out Wolf Moon & Night of the Living Dead