Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Dismal Current State of Mainstream Heavy Metal

Is there anyone we can rely on to put out a good mainstream heavy metal album anymore? I’m serious. Mainstream heavy metal is in some major trouble and in desperate need of new blood. Let’s take a quick look at some of the genre’s most popular bands, and see what the hell is going on with them.
 

Metallica: The most popular metal band to have ever existed just put out a 3D movie no one asked for. Metalheads can’t even rely on Metallica to put out a good record anymore. Just when the band had finally slightly redeemed itself with Death Magnetic, they put out Lulu. Now all hopes and expectations are out the window.

Megadeth: Really guys? Super Collider? That record speaks for itself. It’s a piece of trash. I want United Abominations and Endgame Megadeth back.

Slayer: Fans probably would have accepted the band with Gary Holt just permanently replacing Hanneman, but getting rid of Dave Lombardo was too much of a slap in the face for Slayer fans. Lombardo is essential to the band, and without him and Hanneman, what hope does Slayer have of putting out a decent record?

Black Sabbath: Without Bill Ward the band just feels incomplete. The newest record is still good, but something is missing, and I think many other metalheads will agree with me on that point.

Sepultura: REUNITE WITH THE CAVALERA BROTHERS ALREADY! This is getting ridiculous. 

Slipknot: The world could really use Slipknot, but Corey Taylor is holding his crew back from putting out the comeback record that fans are all dying to listen to. The motivation for the record is there for everyone but him, and it’s driving listeners insane. System of a Down is experiencing something very similar with Serj Tankian’s lack of desire to fully recommit to the band, despite the excitement of the rest of his bandmates. 


And those are just examples of what’s wrong with some of the active bands. Iron Maiden and Judas Priest are taking a really long time to release new stuff. 
 
Meanwhile, you have heavy metal icons such as Phil Anselmo, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie trying to get back in the game, but still coming short of reclaiming past glory.


Taking a look at newer popular heavy metal groups, Avenged Sevenfold basically just released a covers album, Device sounds exactly like Disturbed, Hellyeah has never released an original record, and really Stone Sour? That’s your attempt at rejuvenating heavy metal? Your last double album was good, but not nearly as exciting as promised. 


Oh, and I haven’t forgotten Five Finger Death Punch, who hasn’t released a memorable record since the debut, yet is still managing to get major headlining gigs. Then there’s Trivium, who wrote a tribute record to Metallica a while back and now seems to be doing so for Disturbed, further tarnishing their good reputation.


At least mainstream heavy metal has Anthrax, though, right? The band's last album was pretty great. Hopefully Rob Caggiano wasn’t the only one keeping them in check. 

Look, I’m not trying to just shamelessly bash popular heavy metal groups. What I’m trying to point out is that a lot of metal’s most beloved bands are lowering their standards and not thinking out their records. It’s easy to have fun and put out a metal album. It’s hard to put out a record that is of high quality, and it’s even harder to put out one that sounds original. 

I think with fame a lot of bands have become lazier and/or less inspired. Megadeth’s new album is a good example of both of those characteristics. Super Collider sounds like an album made by a band going through the motions, and that’s just not alright. I have a lot of respect for bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Tool, who are bands that collectively took a step back when they didn’t feel motivated. Taking a break to explore other musical outlets can sometimes be exactly what a band needs in order to sound fresh again. 

Deftones is a great example of a band that is just always out to impress their fans, no matter how famous they get. They threw out an entire album because they felt they had a bigger statement to make. They followed their artistic vision and look at how that turned out. Diamond Eyes was incredible, and worthy of the praise it received. 


Some of these famous bands, such as Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium, just have no idea where to go. They lack direction, and a directionless band can never and will never be able to put out a memorable record. These groups either need some fresh blood, a producer to give them direction (who isn’t David Draiman) or maybe just a break.

It’s also not alright to keep rehashing the same album. The only metal band who can do that and still be accepted by both critics and their fans is Mötorhead, but they've earned that right.


I think what heavy metal really needs is some new blood. There are a lot of exciting new things happening in the heavy metal underground, but nothing is happening in the heavy metal mainstream. There hasn’t been a new hugely successful metal band since Avenged Sevenfold. To clarify, I’m not talking about the Lamb of God and Machine Head level of success. I’m not even talking about super cool, "scene" Asking Alexandria success. I’m talking about rock star success. The kind of success that allows people to include “Synyster Gates” and “Slash” in the same sentence. 

I think the world needs a new figurative Slipknot. When Slipknot came onto the scene, people freaked out. The group had nine members, chaotic live shows unlike anything else and had music that balanced aggression with exciting creativity. In other words, people need mainstream metal that sounds fresh and hasn’t been done before. 


Kudos to Ghost for trying, but the over-the-top-Satanic band just doesn’t have the exciting music to coincide with the cool gimmick. They will never be as big as they could be because of that, even if it is nice to hear Blue Oyster Cult-influenced metal suddenly get a little bit more popular again. 


Heavy metal needs a band that can get the masses freaking out again. A new boundary needs to be broken. A new anger needs to be unleashed. A new group needs to step up, and just take the world by storm. 

The question now is, how much longer will it take for this new band to appear? With the music industry constantly evolving and heavy metal becoming more and more multi-dimensional, one can only hope that the next big thing in heavy metal is only a couple of years away. Until then, the wait might be difficult with releases like this:

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Fake Subgenres

According to this blog, there are 47 subgenres of heavy metal. These are all of the common ways I’ve heard metal categorized throughout the many years I have spent discussing metal with my friends, peers and strangers on the internet. I have heard many uneducated individuals describe types of metal using incorrect categorizations, though. Subgenres such as rap metal, dark metal, shoegaze metal and pornogrind aren’t actually real categorizations and there are better ways to describe bands that seemingly fit into these fake subgenres.

“Rap metal” is a term that has been thrown around forever. Even critics in the 1990s used to describe metal bands that took influence from rap and hip-hop artists as “rap metal” groups. For a while, the subgenre seemed to be real. But since the 1990s, the term has kind of fizzled out. A lot of proclaimed rap metal bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More are now more frequently categorized as alternative metal. Meanwhile, other proclaimed rap metal bands, whose instrumental music fit in better with the nu metal scene, are just referred to as nu metal bands.


The truth about the “rap metal” term is that it just didn’t specifically describe the music being played well enough. Heavy metal has never been characterized or categorized by vocals alone. That’s why the term “rap metal” has not withstood the test of time. It’s still a term that tends to be thrown around haphazardly, but most proper critics and music analysts choose to ignore the rap metal categorization.


“Dark metal” is another fake subgenre. It’s a term that was created online by musicians who couldn’t figure out how to categorize their bands. Now it’s a term that is used to describe bands who either combine too many subgenres or who combine metal music with ambient passages. For the former group of bands, “experimental metal” is a more proper categorization, and for the latter, “dark ambient” is a better term to use. There is no need for the term “dark metal,” as it just comes off as a vague way to categorize underground metal bands.  


“Shoegaze metal” is a categorization that has appeared recently, due to the rise of black metal bands trying to include softer shoegaze passages in their music. “Shoegaze metal” is a term that might become legitimate soon, but for the time being the term “blackgaze” is a more appropriate way to describe these bands. Other types of metal combined with shoegaze should just be said to have “shoegaze influences.”


Finally, the term “pornogrind” isn’t real. It’s just used to describe goregrind bands with more over-the-top sexual lyrics. Variations of the words “grindcore” and “goregrind” are often created as jokes by metalheads to describe music of those subgenres. Like “pornogrind,” “crabcore” is another term that is used online more often than it should be. These categorizations should be ignored when used. 


There are many other fake heavy metal subgenres out there that people create on a whim. The fake subgenres mentioned above though are some of the most frequently used. “Into the Pit: A Metal Blog” is an accurate subgenre encyclopedia that I hope people are able to refer to whenever they have any heavy metal categorization questions. 

Next week, the blog will change direction and focus more on my own individual rantings about the world of heavy metal. Stay tuned. :)

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Other Subgenres

The final subgenres that have not been discussed on "Into the Pit: A Metal Blog" are more specific classifications of heavy metal, with most of them being particular types of death metal and black metal. These styles are not worthy of having their own posts, but are important nonetheless.

This will be the blog’s last post discussing official heavy metal subgenres. Next week’s blog post will conclude our discussion about heavy metal subgenres, and will talk about fake subgenres and false classifications of heavy metal that are technically incorrect. All subsequent posts on "Into the Pit: A Metal Blog" will be about miscellaneous heavy metal topics, including current trends in the genre, exciting new releases and heavy metal news. We will also look to the past to discuss some underrated pioneers of heavy metal, some of which are still overlooked.

Now, without further ado, here are the final subgenres of heavy metal!

1        Technical death metal. This subgenre describes death metal that contains complex song structures, unusual rhythms and progressive tendencies. Technical death metal bands rely on sophisticated songwriting and irregular time signatures in order to leave their mark on heavy metal history. Some pioneers of the subgenre include Death, Atheist, Cynic, Pestilence and Suffocation. Modern examples include Decapitated, Decrepit Birth, Aeon, The Faceless, Nile and Obscura.


2        Brutal death metal. This is the most extreme type of death metal, focusing on speed, technicality and brutality. The music in this subgenre is always very fast and features extreme guttural vocals, grunts and even pig squeals. Bands who have proudly earned this classification include Dying Fetus, Devourment, Krisiun and Cerebral Bore.
 

3        Progressive death metal. Bands of this subgenre are even more progressive than those in technical death metal. These groups take direct influences from progressive rock music, but add a death metal twist to the genre. Two of the best examples of progressive death metal are Opeth and Edge of Sanity, as they both have almost exclusively played the style of music throughout their existence. 


4        Progressive black metal. Black metal bands that have more progressive tendencies are often given this classification. The direct correlation between the subgenre and progressive rock isn’t always clear, and the progressive black metal classification is often just given to bands who experiment within the scope of black metal. Bands/artists such as Weakling, Wolves in the Throne Room, Krallice, Nachtmystium and Ihsahn are frequently given the progressive black metal label.


5        Death/doom. This subgenre is exactly as its name describes. Death/doom is the combination of death metal and doom metal. It’s very melancholic and dark, but also heavy, featuring growled vocals and double-kick drumming. Bands of this subgenre include Paradise Lost, Anathema, My Dying Bride, Swallow the Sun and Novembers Doom.


            Funeral doom. This subgenre of metal is for the gloomiest of listeners. It is a cross between death/doom and funeral dirge music. Ambiance and atmosphere are very important to this style of music, as it is solely focused on death and despair. The music is very slow and features heavily distorted guitars. Vocals are varied, but are often shrieked, growled and horrifyingly screamed. Examples of funeral doom bands include Esoteric, Evoken and Thergothon.  


7        Symphonic black metal. This subgenre combines black metal with symphonic and orchestral elements, and is very popular. Orchestral instrumentation is expected in the subgenre, but sometimes just the addition of a keyboard player can earn a band the classification. The style sticks to normal black metal conventions, but the added instrumentation gives the music a grander, epic sound. Popular bands within the subgenre include Emperor, Dimmu Borigr, Chthonic, Cradle of Filth and Abigail Williams.


8        Symphonic death metal. This is similar to symphonic black metal, but with death metal elements replacing the black metal ones. The song structures are similar to those found in death metal, but the symphonic metal instrumentation makes the music sound more progressive. Symphonic death metal isn’t a commonly practiced subgenre, but the bands that play the style have become significantly successful. Septicflesh and Fleshgod Apocalypse are two of the most well known symphonic death metal bands.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Christian Metal

I’m just going to come right out and say it--I don’t get Christian metal. Maybe that’s just because I’m Jewish. Either way, why do religion and heavy metal need to be associated with one another? How does screaming, shrieking, howling and growling about Jesus seem like a good way to honor him? Heavy metal has always been a genre of music about evil, anger, frustration and coldness. I don’t understand why anyone would want to associate such a dark genre of music with their religion (unless their religion is Satanism).

Nevertheless, Christian metal is a real thing, and I’m going to tell you, my adoring readers, a little bit about it.   

Christian metal is not united by any specific musical traits, except for lyrics, which are of course about Christianity. Christian metal is usually spread amongst religious groups as well as Christian music networks of various kinds. Therefore, the music doesn’t usually get that much distribution. But there are a few more widely known Christian metal acts that have made their way to the mainstream. The lyrics of the music also generally tend to be more uplifting than that of traditional heavy metal.

Christian metal was created in the 1970s, but the first band to make it popular was Stryper in the 1980s. Combining a glam metal image with Christian lyrics, Stryper was not initially well received by critics of Christian music. Nevertheless, the band’s accessible musical style managed to strike a chord with audiences around the world, propelling them to sell millions of records. To this day, there is no Christian metal band who has received more success than Stryper.


After being rather popular in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Christian metal began to lose popularity during the 1990s. Stryper had broken up, and heavy metal in general was exiting the mainstream, thanks to the introduction of grunge. Christian metal became a more underground subgenre of metal, and musically started to vary more in musical extremity. 


Christian heavy metal even started to mix with black metal, in order to rival the NSBM black metal scene in Norway. This style of Christian heavy metal was called unblack metal. The scene was short-lived and now the backlash against Satanic black metal bands isn't very strong.


Christian heavy metal reentered the mainstream with the band P.O.D. The band's style of nu metal was focused on combining rap and heavy metal, and the band took lyrical inspiration from Christianity. P.O.D.'s 2001 album Satellite propelled them to success, allowing the band to achieve very high record sales. 


Since the 2000s, Christian metal has been most popular amongst the metalcore scene. Bands such as Underoath, The Devil Wears Prada, Norma Jean, As I Lay Dying and Blessthefall have all achieved a great amount of success, even with audiences outside of Christian metal. 


As years have passed, some of these bands (Underoath and Norma Jean in particular) have managed to disassociate themselves from the Christian metal scene. Many of these bands have had revolving line-ups with some musicians not even being Christian. The lyrics of many of these groups also have taken less and less influence from Christianity. 


There are also some Christian metal groups who achieve the “Christian” label just because their members are all Christian, not because their music has anything to do with the religion. These groups usually try to defend their image, denouncing the Christian metal categorization, and wishing to not be associated with the scene.

Today the Christian metal scene is still fairly active and new bands within the subgenre pop up all the time.