Morning Metal – Metal Rant #1: Elitists

Rockso Rants:

Metal Rant #1 – Elitists

I began writing a book a long time ago titled “Modern Metal” which detailed metal’s beginnings, albums, significant events and many other things. My original plan was to continuously release it through here with a chapter each week – but after skimming through the book, it had a lot of old events and stuff like that that had already been reported on. However, I will be adding parts of it into my new rants.

Instead, I am going to be releasing my thoughts on the music scene around the world each week. My first topic being the wonderful thing that plagues no other music genre; elitists.

I am sure there are a few pop and punk goofs that think they know all there is to know about their respective scenes and downplay to anyone else who thinks otherwise. Metal and hard rock music, however, has an overwhelming amount of these grubs. You all know what I am referring to. Every website, blog, video and group has these people who will call out your musical tastes and claim you aren’t “brutal” enough. It is almost a crime in their eyes that if you listen to Avenged Sevenfold but not Amon Amarth. They will belittle you if you jam to Ghost, a band that is currently being petitioned to disband because of people who do not like their music, and don’t jam to Suicide Silence.

http://www.metalsucks.net/2014/07/18/someone-started-petition-break-ghost/

REALLY?

You are going to go out of YOUR way to cause another persons music endeavors to end? Then again, this isn’t unheard of. The same deal goes for bands like Nickelback, a band that may have a lot of originality, where people have publicly announced that they want Nickelback to die. I may not be a big fan of Kroeger’s lyrics or the songs in general, but they are writing music for the same reason Metallica did – which by the way inspired them and have even covered.

Don’t label me for a Nickelback fan, but I do occasionally listen to where they are musically. For scientific purposes. Yes, science.

Metal elitists are the disease that is growing and spreading into the metal scene. Nearly every other musician or metal head I have talked to have claimed they hate the idea of metal heads hating other metal heads. We are a family, after all. Or at least we used to be. Now it’s a competition to see whose music has more growls.

As much as the metal scene goes overall, it is gaining insane amounts of momentum due to the amount of metal bands all over the world. Every one wants a piece of the action and the spotlight. Even if there isn’t any money in it, they still get to say to their girlfriends “I’m in a metal band, this is what I am going to do with my life.”

Good on you for having a dream. it is my job to help metal spread, after all. So send me your music and I can play it on radio.

My fear with this music is the amount of elitists will seep through the woodwork. You know, the scene will continue to grow and expand and new genres will eventually form like “electrohouse metalcorestep”. It is bound to happen, and I am certain those metal gurus will trash it. Instead of embracing diverse genres and having an open mind, they will continue to hate. Not even ignore, which is what you should do if something doesn’t tickle your fancy.

People ask me, “James, what are you saying? You like Blood on the Dance Floor? Is that it, you love them? You love Sleeping with Sirens?” And I would say the same thing every time; No. 

There are a few bands that I could say I love. Love is a strong word, even in music. You could love Mars Bars and only like Oh Henry’s. I love Demon Hunter, and I really like Periphery. I don’t even go out of my way to say Blood on the Dance Floor or Sleeping with Sirens are metal, because they’re not. People mixing up hardcore and metal – effectively creating metalcore, has convinced people that hardcore music is now ALWAYS mixed with metal.

Comeback Kid isn’t metal, just because it is heavy doesn’t mean that it is metal. I am simply not a fan of certain bands, and that doesn’t make me a bad guy. Every person could name a band they don’t like, but I bet you they can name 10 that they “hate”. Metal is black and white now, and even for goth bands, that’s bad. Black and white metal. There’s a new genre. It’ll combine death metal, black metal and goth metal – and eventually electronic music. Dark metal? Evil metal? Satan metal? Shit, Ghost is Satan metal.

Anyways, my whole point through this is to have an open mind when it comes to metal. If this somehow reaches someone who hates a certain type of music, don’t announce it everyone. You’ll just look like a dick. If you’re like me and you love metal – just say that. It has even gotten to the point that the top end metal websites like Metal Injection, Metal Hammer and MetalSucks have started hating on metal. No, you represent a mass metal audience, don’t jump on the haterboat departing from Hatersville on a hate voyage to United States of Hatemerica. You are the worst of the worst. Knock it off.

My final statement – Please leave Metallica alone, they’re trying their best.

These are some of my favourite metal bands currently;

Suicide Silence – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-uqrYLIzXI – Deathcore

Red Skies – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkuKcwadLGg – Metalcore

Of Reverie – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFn5lgcIm84 – Metalcore

Architects – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MHTy_dcSKE – Metalcore

Insomnium – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBZ5SLJmfdw– Melodic Death Metal

Anubis Gate – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLZZ8tUfVtM – Progressive Metal

Avatar – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKe8jze56Vg – Melodic Death Metal

Chevelle – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfD6V8b1zco – Alternative Hard Rock

Conquering Dystopia – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY1X0e3Lkqc – Instrumental Metal

I am always open to new music, believe it or not. Every rant will come equip with new links.

Until then, cheerio.