i'm sorry to break into the conversation, i didn't even follow it or anything, but i just gazed at that remark and oh man... dude did you ever heard of the band called "Metallica"? they make fucking horrible music (since the black album) and together with Nirvana they influenced most USA bands than any other, does that make them good? no fucking way! i tend to think ALL usa bands are crappy exactly because of that influence! that's why i tend to european metal, cause it's half a world away from all that commercialism ball that is the United States!
there might be exceptions such as Dream Teather and some other (i don't listen to Iced Earth or In Flames, never got around to try them)
but in the big generality of cases, the rule is true! the bands do tend to that commercialist metallica/nirvana sound which fucking blows!
this is a highly opinionated conclusion and i won't claim that it's valid over anyone else's conclusion, but at least try to spot the few REAL facts there!