Modern Metal....I don't get it.

[GoneForever]

'm 24 and I'm seeing this with the company i work for I haven't gotten a raise in two years and I'm working for people that would rather wipe there ass with 20's and shit on there employees that way then can get there annual 7million out of a company that has about 40 employed.

You better show some respect. They are hurting.

[EyesOfAnguishbassist]

To the casual guy, Matt, they do sound the same. Detuned guitars? Check. Gutteral/screaming vocals? Check. Lyrics about how fucked up life is? Check. Drummers playing 100000000 beats per minute (which is totally badass, BTW)? Check. Metal is metal is metal, no matter how you want to subcategorize it or break it down into sub-genres. There's Hardcore, Grindcore, Mathcore, Deathcore, good old Thrash, Death, and five bazillion other categories. Why must we categorize metal into little boxes, claiming that they are all different? It's really not. It's fast, angry, and rage-filled. Maybe I'll never get it, but I think if you are satisfied to divide metal up into 5000 different categories to legitimize it, maybe those people need to quit making fun of other types of music and examine their own.

Back in my "metal days", we didn't need to define what metal was or was not. As long as it was heavy and hard, it was metal. Bands like early Metallica, Death, Bolt Thrower, Slayer, Exodus, Cannibal Corpse, Megadeth, and Pantera all were metal. Not some defined-core crap. Maybe that's the problem today...y'all want to define metal completely instead of enjoying it for what it is.

Thank you!! A few of my friends have a tedancy of doing this and it gets on my nerves. The one day we were trying to find something to listen to and he asked me what I wanted to listen to. I said "death metal" in which he responded " Death Metal or Death Core?" .... ummm isn't it all the same?? haha

To me metal is metal, there are many different styles but we don't need to categorize everything with "core" at the end, so I was glad you wrote this.

[slackin@dabass]

Don't get me wrong, cause I do likes me some metal, but I'm looking for answers here from the 25 and under crowd. The question...

WHAT THE F*CK ARE Y'ALL SO PISSED ABOUT???

In all seriousness, your lives at (for example) 19 are WAY better than someone from my generation at that same age. You have access to WAY more income and goodies than we ever had, yet all I hear anymore out of metal is rage and hate and anger. WTF??

To me, a TON of it sounds the same. To my ear, August Burns Red sounds like Hatebreed, who sounds like Underoath, who sounds like Atreyu, who sounds like Bullet For My Valentine, and on and on. Everyone is sounding alike, yet you "young 'uns" are the ones who crack on the 40 something crowd for the glut of 80's metal acts that got overrun by grunge.

My point is this: Despite the war in Iraq, and the economy, life in 2009 for a young person is friggin' awesome. I sell electronics for a living, and most of my customers buying laptops, IPod Touches, IPhones, and 42" LCD Televisions are people under 25. Most teenagers nowadays drive nicer cars than I do. Parents have (somehow) more disposable income now, and are absolutely drowning their kids in stuff that the kids really don't need. Don't tell me they aren't, I see it every single day. And the chicks now are WAY hotter than they were 20 years ago, believe me.

Musicians tend to write about things they know, mostly life experiences. So given the above paragraph, shouldn't metal be more gearing towards bands like Airbourne, Gotthard, and Rhino Bucket, instead of the psuedo-anger crap that is permeating the community?

I'm really not being a smart-ass, or a bitter old man. I just don't get it. My generation gets made fun of for crap hair metal bands like Trixter, Bang Tango, and Tuff, but you guys defend essentially the same thing, just angrier, harder, and faster. It's still all the same.

Get it?

the who wasn't pissed when they wrote my generation?

the beatles weren't saying something when they wrote revolution?

ac/dc wasn't mad when they wrote if you want blood?

cannibal corpse was formed in like 87 or 88. metallica's first album was out in 83. black sabbath was mad. listen to warpigs. i see what your saying, but at the same time, i also see alot of classic rock or 80's bands pissed, as well.

[cucuplex96]

I agree with Paul.. Dig deeper to find other musical outlets of good quality and taste.

There is good shit out there, just not on the charts.


I used to love metal because of the raw power you can bring across thru your amps and a huge P.A. system or the subs in your car.

My opinion on metal started to change over the years. They all do sound the same.. but in groups.. You got the all the bands that sound like goddsmack, you got all the bands that sound like Bullet for my Valintine, Killswitch Engage.. all the bands that sound like, Cold, 3 days grace, seether, and all the bands that sound like Hinder, theory of a deadman, and Nickelback.. and it goes on and on.. you got Fergie and Lady Gaga for christ sake.. I mean it really does go on and on..

Nothing popular captivates me anymore. Top 40 junk

I started to think differently about metal because of that I think.

I started to think.. ok.. so when you scream you sound like the depths of hell

all the music is pounding full force 100% of the time..ok

and ok. your guitar player can shred like a half assed Dime Bag

Your bass player can throw his bass around and look mean. ok

and your drummer can run the kicks all day... so what



I started to lean more towards singing instead of sceaming, songs that breathe instead of just pounding your head in the whole time.. and a whole lot more melody because good melody is what really moves people.

I would like to see more "singers" emerge from the area, more players then shredders no matter what insturment you play.

but that is talk for another thread..

This is what I am talking about.. this girl is incredible!! and they are coming to Johnstown Folk Fest!! Watch this! Real Tasteful stuff



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYrdfFpxTXQ

[RobTheDrummer]

I agree with Paul.. Dig deeper to find other musical outlets of good quality and taste.

There is good shit out there, just not on the charts.


I used to love metal because of the raw power you can bring across thru your amps and a huge P.A. system or the subs in your car.

My opinion on metal started to change over the years. They all do sound the same.. but in groups.. You got the all the bands that sound like goddsmack, you got all the bands that sound like Bullet for my Valintine, Killswitch Engage.. all the bands that sound like, Cold, 3 days grace, seether, and all the bands that sound like Hinder, theory of a deadman, and Nickelback.. and it goes on and on.. you got Fergie and Lady Gaga for christ sake.. I mean it really does go on and on..

Nothing popular captivates me anymore. Top 40 junk

I started to think differently about metal because of that I think.

I started to think.. ok.. so when you scream you sound like the depths of hell

all the music is pounding full force 100% of the time..ok

and ok. your guitar player can shred like a half assed Dime Bag

Your bass player can throw his bass around and look mean. ok

and your drummer can run the kicks all day... so what



I started to lean more towards singing instead of sceaming, songs that breathe instead of just pounding your head in the whole time.. and a whole lot more melody because good melody is what really moves people.

I would like to see more "singers" emerge from the area, more players then shredders no matter what insturment you play.

but that is talk for another thread..

This is what I am talking about.. this girl is incredible!! and they are coming to Johnstown Folk Fest!! Watch this! Real Tasteful stuff



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYrdfFpxTXQ

What you call this is maturing as a musician.

[cucuplex96]

Yeah I couldn't argue with that Rob



Hey guys watch this one too..

shame-less plug


LIVE AT THE WING OFF LAKEMONT PARK


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6FwP3O-RUg

and this one from State College

SUMMER'S BEST MUSIC FEST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eL5IzodcKE

[greaser]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdGwjI73Fmg

[UNEARTHA7XMatt]

I agree with Paul.. Dig deeper to find other musical outlets of good quality and taste.

There is good shit out there, just not on the charts.


I used to love metal because of the raw power you can bring across thru your amps and a huge P.A. system or the subs in your car.

My opinion on metal started to change over the years. They all do sound the same.. but in groups.. You got the all the bands that sound like goddsmack, you got all the bands that sound like Bullet for my Valintine, Killswitch Engage.. all the bands that sound like, Cold, 3 days grace, seether, and all the bands that sound like Hinder, theory of a deadman, and Nickelback.. and it goes on and on.. you got Fergie and Lady Gaga for christ sake.. I mean it really does go on and on..

Nothing popular captivates me anymore. Top 40 junk

I started to think differently about metal because of that I think.

I started to think.. ok.. so when you scream you sound like the depths of hell

all the music is pounding full force 100% of the time..ok

and ok. your guitar player can shred like a half assed Dime Bag

Your bass player can throw his bass around and look mean. ok

and your drummer can run the kicks all day... so what



I started to lean more towards singing instead of sceaming, songs that breathe instead of just pounding your head in the whole time.. and a whole lot more melody because good melody is what really moves people.

I would like to see more "singers" emerge from the area, more players then shredders no matter what insturment you play.

but that is talk for another thread..

This is what I am talking about.. this girl is incredible!! and they are coming to Johnstown Folk Fest!! Watch this! Real Tasteful stuff



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYrdfFpxTXQ

What you call this is maturing as a musician.

I totally agree with you here Phil. You have a great singing voice! That works well for you. For us who dont have that great of a singing voice the screaming just works better. Its what better fits me. I do sing along with my screaming and I try to mix it up as much as possible. You've done harmonies with me before you know I dont have that great of a clean tone but I try. I enjoy the raw energy that comes out in the screams that I do, That raw intensity that gets people pumped up gets me amped to do a better show. What you guys have goin on is awesome Phil and Ive told you a million times that I wish i had your voice. I hope things keep goin well for you and Im glad that you are finally happy with what you are playing!

[cucuplex96]

Thanks Matt.. its not so much the screamin singers so much.. I like a good scream in a song.. its that stuff that makes your ears tired, that I dont like.. the shit you have to walk away from.

There are bands out there that pull it off and sound good.

I dont like the bands that sound like a building collapsing

its all just noise to me

[Victor Synn]

Don't get me wrong, cause I do likes me some metal, but I'm looking for answers here from the 25 and under crowd. The question...

WHAT THE F*CK ARE Y'ALL SO PISSED ABOUT???

In all seriousness, your lives at (for example) 19 are WAY better than someone from my generation at that same age. You have access to WAY more income and goodies than we ever had, yet all I hear anymore out of metal is rage and hate and anger. WTF??

To me, a TON of it sounds the same. To my ear, August Burns Red sounds like Hatebreed, who sounds like Underoath, who sounds like Atreyu, who sounds like Bullet For My Valentine, and on and on. Everyone is sounding alike, yet you "young 'uns" are the ones who crack on the 40 something crowd for the glut of 80's metal acts that got overrun by grunge.

My point is this: Despite the war in Iraq, and the economy, life in 2009 for a young person is friggin' awesome. I sell electronics for a living, and most of my customers buying laptops, IPod Touches, IPhones, and 42" LCD Televisions are people under 25. Most teenagers nowadays drive nicer cars than I do. Parents have (somehow) more disposable income now, and are absolutely drowning their kids in stuff that the kids really don't need. Don't tell me they aren't, I see it every single day. And the chicks now are WAY hotter than they were 20 years ago, believe me.

Musicians tend to write about things they know, mostly life experiences. So given the above paragraph, shouldn't metal be more gearing towards bands like Airbourne, Gotthard, and Rhino Bucket, instead of the psuedo-anger crap that is permeating the community?

I'm really not being a smart-ass, or a bitter old man. I just don't get it. My generation gets made fun of for crap hair metal bands like Trixter, Bang Tango, and Tuff, but you guys defend essentially the same thing, just angrier, harder, and faster. It's still all the same.

Get it?

the who wasn't pissed when they wrote my generation?

the beatles weren't saying something when they wrote revolution?

ac/dc wasn't mad when they wrote if you want blood?

cannibal corpse was formed in like 87 or 88. metallica's first album was out in 83. black sabbath was mad. listen to warpigs. i see what your saying, but at the same time, i also see alot of classic rock or 80's bands pissed, as well.

Sorry if I screw this post up too much, but I'm drunk on Absinthe, so whatever. I don't think Kevin is saying 80's bands or older bands never wrote about shit that pissed them off. I think what he means here is that it doesn't saturate a band's entire CD like it does these days. Or if it did, it was hidden under the upbeat nature the song may have had. Not done with instruments tuned a full step down across the board. I agree with Kevin, though. I stopped listening to regular radio about 11 years ago when all I ever heard was Staind and Godsmack and I'm happy to say I never tuned back in. I like a few bands that are modern, but I get tired of hearing bands like Bullet For My Valentine and then immediately hear a band like Nickelback after it trying way to hard to make themselves out to be an 80's styled party band. Overall, it just comes off as lame-assed no matter how you look at it. Things are hard these days for sure, but the less I need to hear about it, the better off I'll be. Wallowing in it by listening to modern metal or rock is not my idea of escapism.

[tornandfrayed]

The times they are a changing....

I try to listen to a lot of different shit... Most of it does not move me the way that I know music can...

Times will continue to change. It might not get any better unless someone does something to make it better.

Cucuplex, hats off to the Lakemont Park show and hats off to-

Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band. They stand out from the current crop locally and they are also really good guys. I can't tell ya how much I am enjoying the CD.....

They let EVK open for them that night! It was awesome!

Keep your ears open for new stuff and I always have to remember to listen more then once cause sometimes the first listen sounds weird as hell...

[cucuplex96]

You know what it is dave.. We rock out with a Ukulele.

who the eff does that.. haha!

[DMFJ03]

Kev, JMS told me one time in passing that most of today's modern music wasn't meant for him. He doesn't get most of it, and doesn't want to. Perhaps that is all the further you need to travel to find your answer?

Detuned guitars isn't just a metal pidgeon-hole either. Country music is detuned alot of the time too. It's just all perception. I didn't detune my album because I thought that would make things heavier (even though it was a bonus), I did it because I have a hard time singing in standard tuning. I configured my sound to compliment my vocal range. I could actually probably stand to tune to C standard tuning, but we have started learning more songs in drop C tuning, so that helps.

The reason I grew up listening to "Angry" music was because it always made my problems seem smaller.

Another thing I like about it is that the lyrical message (no matter how simple, or curse infused it is) is honest and straight to the point. If I am in the mood to kick a kitten down the street, and crush a small child through a card table - hey, Chimaira is rocking tunes! There isn't a lot of guess work. I'd rather be told what's up striaght away then have to pause and take a step backwards to see the big picture. At the same time, if I am in the mood to listen to some thing that will make me think Musically, Lyrically, or Whateverly...I have a dozens of those cds as well.

Perhaps music, like fashion, has a point where people just step off the train?

Interesting.

[Dragan Kalasa]

I'm kinda going backwards doing this sorry.

DMFJO3 - Kev, JMS told me one time in passing that most of today's modern music wasn't meant for him. He doesn't get most of it, and doesn't want to. Perhaps that is all the further you need to travel to find your answer?

100% agreed.

cucuplex96 - My opinion on metal started to change over the years. They all do sound the same.. but in groups.. You got the all the bands that sound like goddsmack, you got all the bands that sound like Bullet for my Valintine, Killswitch Engage.. all the bands that sound like, Cold, 3 days grace, seether, and all the bands that sound like Hinder, theory of a deadman, and Nickelback.. and it goes on and on.. you got Fergie and Lady Gaga for christ sake.. I mean it really does go on and on..

First music has been around for so long that originals aren't too original anymore. We sample, redo/remix, and sound like our predecessors. And that's the reason I think we need the subgenrés, because "They do all sound the same, but in groups..." and to say KoRn sounds like Cradle of Filth isn't right either so you just can't use one all-encompassing supergenré.

Kinda makes me wonder too when you hear the word metal what bands do you actually think of? Cause I'm wondering why no one is using metal examples like:

Black/symphonic black Metal: Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Celtic Frost, Cradle of Filth

Industrial: Fear Factory, Static-X, Dope

nu-metal/rap-core : KoRn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit

and even that is just a small fraction...lol

I learned some stuff from the documentary "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_subgenres <--and that too

But now to the core question and the whole reason for the thread in the first place. I'm 27, so I know it probably doesn't matter since I'm not under 25...lol. But, I don't necessarily think that all vocals are meant to be angry. I believe the music (lyrics too) itself and the genré as a whole is geared to a more no-holds barred blatant primal feel and sound, but I believe it's the fans and haters who create the physical entity of it being an angry being.

"Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton
"In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
"Life is Beautiful" by SixxAM
"You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morrisette

I realize that one of those songs listed above is metal, maybe two depending on your definition. But my point is that the vocalist has more to work with than just his or her surroundings, or material things. Maybe it's not so much what's happening around them but rather what's happening/happened to them? Maybe it's something more personal. Maybe it's more of a coping mechanism and/or release.