Heavy Metal

[World Eater]

When I became a teenager I started listening to metal. I started with the old bands, like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Then I borrowed some CDs from a cousin and found Slayer, Marylin Manson, Alice in Chains, Tool, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Nine Inch Nails. But it was around this time when Nu metal was starting to die out and Metalcore was taking over MTV. I started to buy my own CDs from bands that were always obscure or just faded away quietly from the spotlight.

At first I listened to thrash metal bands, then industrial, then goth and now I'm mainly into death metal and black metal bands. Some of my classmates always tried to get me to listen to "true metal bands". Bands like Korn, Disturbed, Limp Bizkit, All That Remains, Bullet for My Valentine etc. But I didn't like them as much, I preferred listening to the bands which were unknown or alien to others.

After failed attempts to convert me, I started wondering about what would happen to the metal genre as a whole. Some of the bands that I listen to have started to change their sound or genre within metal. Opeth, from Sweden, started out mainly as death metal with some prog and black metal influences, but then changed to prog death. That's what the band mainly was from 1995 to 2008. An album released in 2003 titled Damnation was different, as it included both clean vocals and guitars. They went clean again with Heritage and will do it again with a third album coming this month (can't wait). Morbid Angel from Florida, was pure death metal from 1989 to 2003. In 2011 their most recent album Illud Divinum Insanus was panned by most fans just for having industrial influences.

So some have changed and some have stayed the same. Should metal bands change their sound to and earn the enmity of hardcore fans, stay in the middle or should they remain consistent with their sound? Should they go mainstream or remain obscure?

[Stryker125]

I think bands should do whatever they want, whether that means drastically changing their sound or not. Sometimes a drastic change will gain them lots of mainstream fans for a while, and that's okay. It's also completely okay to be super obscure and have only a few people come out to the shows. I just think as long as they believe in what they're doing and are having a good time doing it, then great for them.

[Ben_Frost]

Limp Bizkit and Bullet for my Valentine true metal? Pfffft...

Bands shouldn't be really changing entirely, I think each one should probably evolve but keeping an iconic elemente that made them who they are, it's disappointing to see old metal bands losing their most faithful fans because they changed their sound to appeal to new audiences. Perhaps change their themes but remain with the same sounds, or change their sounds and add new elements to their songs.

[World Eater]

Limp Bizkit and Bullet for my Valentine true metal? Pfffft...

Never liked the former, indifferent on the latter.

Metalheads seem to love consistency and say "don't fix what ain't broke". I guess I understand this, but I feel that some bands just run out of ideas and their later efforts are usually bland. If a band starts becoming bland, then I think that's the cue to change. How much should they change? Up to them, I guess. Listening to the same thing does get boring at times, but then the consistency defense could be brought up.

[Fractured Silhouette]

This is the most pointless topic ever. Bands should make whatever music they want to and if they want to sound terrible to please other fans so be it, the old music will always be there to listen to and any fans that dislike the new album just won't buy it, so there's no problem. This doesn't even apply to metal bands exclusively, meaning the thread title is really misleading.

Well in any case, the new Fellujah (The Flesh Prevails) and Martyr Defiled (No Hope, No Morality) albums fucking slay, if you haven't already listened to them, I highly suggest you do.

[World Eater]

This doesn't even apply to metal bands exclusively, meaning the thread title is really misleading.

I know, but I feel metalheads always get upset the most when their favorite band changes and I see it a lot more in metal than most other genres. Maybe I don't listen to other artists as much as I like to tell myself. >.>

Well in any case, the new Fellujah (The Flesh Prevails) and Martyr Defiled (No Hope, No Morality) albums fucking slay, if you haven't already listened to them, I highly suggest you do.

Noted, I just finished Behemoth's Satanist and Septicflesh's Titan.

[Fractured Silhouette]

I know, but I feel metalheads always get upset the most when their favorite band changes and I see it a lot more in metal than most other genres. Maybe I don't listen to other artists as much as I like to tell myself. >.>

Well that's because metalheads are the bitchiest fans on the planet. Which is probably what keeps quality metal bands continue releasing quality metal. That being said it doesn't make them any less bitchy and annoying.

Also Nexliva (Eschatologies) released a killer album this year as well.

ncJxIxl9GmA

[Typhlosion]

Should metal bands change their sound to and earn the enmity of hardcore fans, stay in the middle or should they remain consistent with their sound? Should they go mainstream or remain obscure?
Whatever they want to do...?

Neither of those three are desirable, and aren't in sequence. Any band that keeps 100% consistent with their sound will disappoint in not maturing, changing or having something different to offer. The middle-term is half mainstream appeal? What? Whaaaaaaat? The last option is to make money??????

Metal bands are usually hobbies, very few people can actually make a living off of them. Mainstream is usually great news for anyone, even if it means adapting the style to a broader audience. Are you trying to argue that metal bands shouldn't attempt to appeal to a broader audience? What about metal that already has a sound that may appeal to a broader audience, maybe like Allen-Lande? I don't get it.

Also...

Some of my classmates always tried to get me to listen to "true metal bands". Bands like Korn, Disturbed, Limp Bizkit, All That Remains, Bullet for My Valentine etc. But I didn't like them as much, I preferred listening to the bands which were unknown or alien to others.Whaaaaat.

Metal is not a hipster genre. Like what you like, be it popular or not? I love Iron Maiden as much as I love Eventide as much as I love Haken as much as I love Black Soul Horde. Plus, try searching any of those bands on the metal-archives, I'm 110% sure nothing like Disturbed will be there. "True Metal" :lol3:

After failed attempts to convert me, I started wondering about what would happen to the metal genre as a whole.It'll stay here for a longer while. Trends will go in and out, few people play hair metal nowadays, a lot are going for a more progressive sound. Then something else will go out and another variation will be in. Metal is NOT as small as I assume you assume it to be, with almost 100,000 bands registered on the archives (which doesn't include Nu, Alternative, Djent and some other more modern acts) and tens of new albums pouring every day on metal torrent sites... it's not a small thing. Metal is a thing for life.

[Gamma Male]

Music is constantly evolving, you can't expect metal to sound the same forever or for certain genres to always be around.

[World Eater]

Well that's because metalheads are the bitchiest fans on the planet. Which is probably what keeps quality metal bands continue releasing quality metal. That being said it doesn't make them any less bitchy and annoying.

Also Nexliva (Eschatologies) released a killer album this year as well.

ncJxIxl9GmA

Good point I suppose.

And holy shit that was awesome.

Whatever they want to do...?

Neither of those three are desirable, and aren't in sequence. Any band that keeps 100% consistent with their sound will disappoint in not maturing, changing or having something different to offer. The middle-term is half mainstream appeal? What? Whaaaaaaat? The last option is to make money??????

I guess I could've worded it a little better. Bands should always change something in their sound. How much is up to them. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. I probably should've used a better example than Morbid Angel.

Metal bands are usually hobbies, very few people can actually make a living off of them. Mainstream is usually great news for anyone, even if it means adapting the style to a broader audience. Are you trying to argue that metal bands shouldn't attempt to appeal to a broader audience? What about metal that already has a sound that may appeal to a broader audience, maybe like Allen-Lande? I don't get it.

I have no problem with bands going mainstream. I just listen to more bands and artists that don't have a huge following and are...underground, I guess? That's not to say I don't listen to bands with mainstream following. I think a band should try to reach an audience any way it can, because I think all bands/artists (not just metal bands) have something to offer and contribute.

Whaaaaat.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Metal is not a hipster genre. Like what you like, be it popular or not? I love Iron Maiden as much as I love Eventide as much as I love Haken as much as I love Black Soul Horde. Plus, try searching any of those bands on the metal-archives, I'm 110% sure nothing like Disturbed will be there. "True Metal" :lol3:

I'm very sure they were on there, if only for a short time. Then again (knowing them) It could've been a April Fool's Joke.

I'm still not over that fake FBI shit.

It'll stay here for a longer while. Trends will go in and out, few people play hair metal nowadays, a lot are going for a more progressive sound. Then something else will go out and another variation will be in. Metal is NOT as small as I assume you assume it to be, with almost 100,000 bands registered on the archives (which doesn't include Nu, Alternative, Djent and some other more modern acts) and tens of new albums pouring every day on metal torrent sites... it's not a small thing. Metal is a thing for life.

Yeah hair metal has come and gone. I actually liked some it, but I craved for the darker, mysterious and more brütal (am I typing that right?) bands as I explored death metal and black metal. And there are a lot more metal bands I know. It's just...well I don't know where to start I guess haha. Metal will change and I'm ok with that. Bands will also change and that's fine. That's why I like Opeth, because they're going for a more melodic approach and it's nice to see them move away from the harshness of death metal. At the end of the day, all that should be said is "to each their own".

[trustn01]

I thing bands should change their sound 'just' to get more fans, but if they really hate what they are playing then, by all means, change! There is a reason I only listen to the first three albums of Rammstein - I want to hear about death (Rammstein), God (Bestrafe Mich) and jealousy (Eifersucht), not red roses (Rosenrot) or sand (forgot the name of that one)

[Hyper]

Music should be a creative pursuit.

Musicians should do whatever the frack feels right for them.