What do you think about the future of Metal?

[makensens]

I have been wondering lately about what is going on with the metal scene.

What trends do you think will come out for this upcoming decade?

A return to the heavy/trash roots?
A more pronounced progressive metal?

A more streamline X-core genre?

Any new genres emerging?

Is metal going more heavy or less heavy? I guess it all depends of your definition of heavy

I simply hope technicality will overcome the core trend that is going on with no more soul and auto-tuned computer generated sound, especially for drums. It's been a while since I haven't heard some Dismember drumming sound (not talking about style)

 

[Vossyrus]

I'm not sure I see any real potential for metal on the horizon, at least in regards to what I find interesting. That's OK with me though because I know there's still an endless supply of worthwhile older bands/albums I have yet to fully explore or even discover. Lately I haven't been that interested in new releases, except for those being released by bands I already listen to.

Regarding heaviness, I think it's been a long time since metal has gotten heavier. I think most of the perceived heaviness has to do with the way an album is being produced. That brings me to another point...I strongly dislike modern production techniques and I wouldn't be surprised if they found a way to make drums sound even more clicky and plastic, and if clean vocalists started implementing auto-tune regularly, if it isn't already being used in metal, and if many future albums had that horrendous Death Magnetic production to it.

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

Look at the cycles in popular culture, and you can predict in which direction metal will go. Metal is subculture, yes, but it follows the same pattern. Everything that was popular 20 years ago always comes back. Just as we did in 1991, we are seeing the waning popularity of melodic and thrashy metal. Metal as a whole is will be forced far underground, and in that underground, only the most extreme metal will prevail. The only metal that will gain any notoriety is slow to mid paced psychedelic and stoner metal. If any new ground is made, I imagine it will be combining metallic elements with a completely unrelated genre of music.

 

[Kara-Shehr]

Metal has gotten to the point where inorder to sound orginal you have to mix genres together. I feel like too many bands focus too heavily on production to create their own unique sound. Theres too many clones of X band. Bands need to let their own personalities come out in their music which is hard to do because keeping a band together long enough to find your sound is no easy task.

 

[The Butt]

Personally I see nothing wrong with metal right now, there's still shittons of good bands releasing good albums and that's all I care.

 

[Kreated]

Heavier versions of death

Deathcore more and more popular

More soundtracky / experimental / ambient stuff

Some weird new dubstyle / metal fusion genres

 

[fps]

There will be a proliferation of bands as the listening audience dwindles.

There will always be room for a band with great SONGS, something to say, and a great live show. The feeling that all music must progress in some way is nonsense. I don't like the djent/prog combinations that are proliferating all over the place. There is plenty still to be done in terms of writing great music, but increasingly it's becoming a production and heaviness contest, and that gets boring fast. I hate the plastic POD/ home recording sound that's becoming the norm, the drums on the new Crowbar album nearly made me vomit.

 

[Mort Divine]

I'd like to see more bands taking wholly new approaches to existing styles without having to draw from completely outside influences.

Revelation has done this with doom, so I don't see why others couldn't for other styles.

 

[The Emptier]

The whole field of djent/progressive/experimental is taking off, as well as certain BM scenes (French in particular). Also as far as I can tell there is a lot of old school death metal revival happening.

I personally think metal has never been better, the sheer amount of amazing albums that has been put out this year alone is ridiculous, and there are many more to come.

 

[Astrum]

the same thing as the future of the rest of the world....

 

[RavageTheKingdom]

I agree with what someone above said, metal is slowly being pushed underground.
I think we will see something happen in the coming years like the Norwegian bm scene. A very extreme genre will emerge from the underground, and then become too commercial, fade and die, and the cycle will repeat again.

I am ready for metal(especially black) to go underground again.

 

[VelociBrad]

The whole field of djent/progressive/experimental is taking off, as well as certain BM scenes (French in particular). Also as far as I can tell there is a lot of old school death metal revival happening.

I personally think metal has never been better, the sheer amount of amazing albums that has been put out this year alone is ridiculous, and there are many more to come.

agreed for the most part. metal right now is stronger than it has been since the explosion of DM/BM in the underground. it's very strong right now, I don't see any issues with the future.

unless you're talking about commercial/mainstream stuff, then I don't honestly care. I don't listen to -core/djent/etc.

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

Mainstream metal was never good, except for maybe the NWOBHM era, and a few exceptional bands here and there. I know there is a lot of shit talking about Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera, Slipknot, and Lamb Of God, but I like at least a couple albums by each of those bands. That being said, I'm ready for metal to get pushed under the radar again. It will only purify the genre, as all the shit bands will throw in the towel.

 

[unknown]

it'll still be there

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

Of course, metal will never die out. Those who consider themselves to be "experts on" or "students of" music need to realize that metal is one of those genres of music that is all about musicianship. Just like orchestral/symphonic music, jazz, and the blues, metal will always remain outside the mainstream and be most appreciated by those who can recognize musical virtuosity and don't just concern themselves with a catchy chorus and a danceable beat.

 

[-CC-]

Also as far as I can tell there is a lot of old school death metal revival happening.

This.

Metal is going back to the future.

 

[The Emptier]

Of course, metal will never die out. Those who consider themselves to be "experts on" or "students of" music need to realize that metal is one of those genres of music that is all about musicianship. Just like orchestral/symphonic music, jazz, and the blues, metal will always remain outside the mainstream and be most appreciated by those who can recognize musical virtuosity and don't just concern themselves with a catchy chorus and a danceable beat.

True, but all of those genres have had periods of time where the majority of the country, or even world favored it. I think we are heading in a similar direction with metal. I'm not really talking about the "good" metal, but as a whole it seems people are leaning towards heavier music, and all kinds of folk seem to enjoy the mainstream core music that, in a weird way, may well exemplify a catchy chorus and a danceable beat.

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

Sure. Talk to a classical music nerd, and they'll tell you that there is so much more out there that is better than Beethoven and Mozart. And, even though pop music today doesn't employ thrashing guitars, harsh vocals, or double bass drumming, it is a lot darker and more aggressive than the pop music of 20 or even 10 years ago. Imagine the outrage Lady Gaga would have caused in 1981 as opposed to 2011. That, and fucking Rhianna murders someone in her new music video!

 

[SkeletonWitch]

In the near / medium-term future, I see this whole shoegaze creeping its way to more black metal releases. Many new bands are playing the shoegaze/bm subgenre and even established bands such as Drudkh and Nae'blis are jumping on the bandwagon.

 

[Lateralus14]

Of course, metal will never die out. Those who consider themselves to be "experts on" or "students of" music need to realize that metal is one of those genres of music that is all about musicianship. Just like orchestral/symphonic music, jazz, and the blues, metal will always remain outside the mainstream and be most appreciated by those who can recognize musical virtuosity and don't just concern themselves with a catchy chorus and a danceable beat.

I don't know if I'd describe metal like that necessarily. It's definitely not most concerned with catchy choruses and danceable beats but I would hardly say the classic bands like Possessed and Venom are appreciated for musical virtuosity as much as attitude/aesthetic/etc.