The Coming Tide

[claymanx]

I haven't posted for about 4 months (No computer) so I haven't noticed if a thread like this has been posted. Anyways, I have been a metal head for close to 7 years (early high school) and looking back I've noticed that metal is getting more and more prevelant in the U.S.A. Back in the day I was lucky if I saw 1 metal show a year, this year I have seen 3 metal shows already, and will see 2 more, not including Prog Power because it should count for like 6 shows.
It seems to me that we are at the begining of another metal movement in this here country. Nothing would make me happier than to throw on the radio and hear Iced Earth, Arch Enemy, or Blind Guardian on some mainstream station, not because I want the music to be "mainstream", but because there is so much crap out there right now, and it is a damn shame that this music is not appreaciated the way it should. Look at the attendance of prog power over the last three years, it has grown expoentially, and there is no telling how big it will get in the future, pretty soon we will have our own Wacken in America. The next woodstock will be all metal, and ironically less violent.
I was just wondering if others are noticing this also. I mean I wear metal shirts and get compliments every so often, this would never have happened a 2 years ago.

 

[rhavin2112]

To some degree yes, metal has gotten more prominent. But it will never be as prevelant as it was in the late eighties.

The Metal genre as a whole has begun to stagnate, as there are far more clone bands than true innovaters. As a result the metal underground will most likely implode in on itself in the next few years and the music will retreat into the underground once more.

I think that's just what the genre needs.

 

[lady_space]

Gee, I thought this htread would be about Alabama whipping Tennessee's ass Saturday.

Shaye

P.S. I'd be thrilled shitless if anything emerged to reduce the amount of "nu metal" that bombards the airwaves, but I can't see prog/power metal gaining real wide support.

 

[LadyLovelyLocks]

Me and my mom are hoping like hell that power metal will be the next big thing. And I am doing my best to help it, and I suggest that all of you do the same if you want that vision to come true. All you have to do is brainwash everybody. Hey! They're all brainwashed anyway! We should all try to brainwash them the right way! All of those people who listen to the radio are all sheep. They listen to what the radio tells them to listen to because they have weak minds. But we are strong because we listen to whatever we want! And we are not persuaded by the wrongness of pop and nu-metal and so on. So anyway, what we have to do is introduce real metal to all the sheep. If you have any friends that doesn't know what real metal is, tell them about Blind Guardian and Iced Earth and so on, and keep going on about how cool it is, and well...brainwash them! That's what I do. And play it in their presents all the time. And blast it out of your car windows. That'll show those damn rappers what real music is. Maybe if we try hard enough this will work! We metal fans have to stick together and stand up for what's right!

 

[Daybreaker]

Im one of those people who blast metal as loud as possible. On days I have class I park my truck right in front of the entrance and blast the hell outta whatevers in there be it Sonata, Nocturnal Rites, Edguy, Pretty Maids, Arch Enemy, Judas Priest whatever. I get weird baffled looks everytime but the biggest stares come from Nightwish. I guess they just arent used to Opera Metal.


Ben

 

[Wishmaster]

Originally posted by Daybreaker
I get weird baffled looks everytime but the biggest stares come from Nightwish. I guess they just arent used to Opera Metal.

I get the same looks whenever I have Nightwish cranked and someone pulls up next to me at a traffic light with their windows down. It's funny to see some of the reactions you can get to this kind of music.

--Mike

 

[JayKeeley]

Originally posted by LadyLovelyLocks
Me and my mom are hoping like hell that power metal will be the next big thing. And I am doing my best to help it, and I suggest that all of you do the same if you want that vision to come true. All you have to do is brainwash everybody. Hey! They're all brainwashed anyway! We should all try to brainwash them the right way! All of those people who listen to the radio are all sheep. They listen to what the radio tells them to listen to because they have weak minds. But we are strong because we listen to whatever we want! And we are not persuaded by the wrongness of pop and nu-metal and so on.

Although I share your enthusiasm, music genre bigotry exists even within the tr00 metal scene. Perhaps bigotry is a harsh word, but you'll find metallers hating power metal as much as nu-metal. The recent poll on the UM general music discussion had a vote asking for fans least desired metal category, and Power Metal won hands down I'm afraid.

When you talk about Power Metal, that is, Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, Nevermore, Angra etc, most people don't register. They tend to think of Manowar and Spinal Tap or whatever.

It's a shame, but before the general public see the talent in power metal, we may have to sell the concept to other metallers first! It's an uphill struggle, and unfortunately the genre is marred by some horrifically bad power metal too. I know every genre has some 'bad apples' but power tends to get the most IMO. Don't get me wrong though, I love Power Metal generally - but it does revolve around, say, the same 5 or 6 bands for the most part.

 

[LadyLovelyLocks]

Originally posted by JayKeeley
Although I share your enthusiasm, music genre bigotry exists even within the tr00 metal scene. Perhaps bigotry is a harsh word, but you'll find metallers hating power metal as much as nu-metal. The recent poll on the UM general music discussion had a vote asking for fans least desired metal category, and Power Metal won hands down I'm afraid.

When you talk about Power Metal, that is, Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, Nevermore, Angra etc, most people don't register. They tend to think of Manowar and Spinal Tap or whatever.

It's a shame, but before the general public see the talent in power metal, we may have to sell the concept to other metallers first! It's an uphill struggle, and unfortunately the genre is marred by some horrifically bad power metal too. I know every genre has some 'bad apples' but power tends to get the most IMO. Don't get me wrong though, I love Power Metal generally - but it does revolve around, say, the same 5 or 6 bands for the most part.

Yes but I'm trying to change that. Perhaps we can make people see the talent in power metal. Although they probably won't because it takes an intelligent person to appreciate real talent. For instance, you won't find a screaming, screeching, cussing death-black-thrash-WHATEVER fan listening to classical music. Unless they just don't dig fantasy elves and stuff, but that's fine. And I don't care about the general public, THEY'RE ALL SHEEP (even fans of some other metal genres)! I have to go against them all and stand up for what I believe in, because that's what I do. I do it naturally, that's why I'm a shepard. And although it may always end in failure for me, I have to keep trying (with or without your help). I have to make power metal one of the top metal genres!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!JUSTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ProgMetalFan]

Originally posted by rhavin2112
To some degree yes, metal has gotten more prominent. But it will never be as prevelant as it was in the late eighties.

Most of the prevelent late 80's metal wasn't really metal anyways... poser glam crap.

I don't think there's every been a better time for metal than today.

 

[lady_space]

Originally posted by ProgMetalFan
Most of the prevelent late 80's metal wasn't really metal anyways... poser glam crap.

I guess I'm a bit of a weirdo, listening to stuff like Kiss *and* PoS, but some of that poseur glam crap was kinda fun!

Shaye, 80's metal child

 

[JayKeeley]

Originally posted by lady_space
I guess I'm a bit of a weirdo, listening to stuff like Kiss *and* PoS, but some of that poseur glam crap was kinda fun!

Shaye, 80's metal child

If Skid Row, WASP, and Motley Crue were poseur glam crap, then I'm guilty as charged!

Even if you took the glam scene out of the equation, the metal era of the 80's was still bigger than it is today, no question.

 

[ProgMetalFan]

Originally posted by JayKeeley
If Skid Row, WASP, and Motley Crue were poseur glam crap, then I'm guilty as charged!

Even if you took the glam scene out of the equation, the metal era of the 80's was still bigger than it is today, no question.

More popular...

but not bigger... and certainly not better...

 

[Strigoi]

What about early Fates Warning, Omen, Crimson Glory, Watchtower, Candlemass, Leatherwolf etc? I'd take those early metal bands over 90% of the derivitive metal that's out now. And even though I didn't get into the fluffy metal bands back in those days they did have some hot guitar players like Vito Bratta floating around.

 

[ProgMetalFan]

Originally posted by Strigoi
What about early Fates Warning, Omen, Crimson Glory, Watchtower, Candlemass, Leatherwolf etc? I'd take those early metal bands over 90% of the derivitive metal that's out now. And even though I didn't get into the fluffy metal bands back in those days they did have some hot guitar players like Vito Bratta floating around.

I'd take the rosters of the last 3 ProgPower festivals over the stuff from the 80's.

 

[Strigoi]

Originally posted by ProgMetalFan
I'd take the rosters of the last 3 ProgPower festivals over the stuff from the 80's.

Damn young whippersnapper. Why in my day...

 

[JayKeeley]

Originally posted by ProgMetalFan
More popular...

but not bigger...

More popular but not bigger....eh?

Dude - you were born in 1982. Commentary on music scenes of yesteryear should go hand in hand with actually having lived through the era (post pre-pubescence) - it's all part and parcel.

And always respect the roots. There is NO music that exists today had it not been for its predecessors - it's so much more interesting if you don't limit your tastes to album release dates.

 

[ProgMetalFan]

Originally posted by JayKeeley
More popular but not bigger....eh?

Dude - you were born in 1982. Commentary on music scenes of yesteryear should go hand in hand with actually having lived through the era (post pre-pubescence) - it's all part and parcel.

And always respect the roots. There is NO music that exists today had it not been for its predecessors - it's so much more interesting if you don't limit your tastes to album release dates.

Bigger" not in terms of popularity or album sales... but bigger in that there are many more bands... and a wider metal genre now filled with all sorts of subgenres that weren't in existance in the 80's...

And I have plenty of 70's and 80's albums... I enjoy them... I've been into metal since 1986 when my older brother first played me "Somewhere In Time" and "Peace Sells"... but today's metal bands are clearly superior...

 

[lady_space]

Originally posted by ProgMetalFan
Bigger" not in terms of popularity or album sales... but bigger in that there are many more bands... and a wider metal genre now filled with all sorts of subgenres that weren't in existance in the 80's...

many more bands? Not that it's really provable one way or the other, but I don't think so. Back in the late 80's, EVERYONE had a damn band. There were rock and metal bands coming out of everybody's collective ass back then. And don't fool yourself into thinking metal wasn't just as diverse back then as it is now. We simply didn't use so many damned labels.

And I have plenty of 70's and 80's albums... I enjoy them... I've been into metal since 1986 when my older brother first played me "Somewhere In Time" and "Peace Sells"... but today's metal bands are clearly superior...

I don't think that's clear at all. There was some gret stuff then, and there's some great stuff now. As someone else pointed out, a lot of stuff you probably listen to wouldn't be aound if it weren't for all those inferior 80's bands.

Not to date myself too much here, but when I started listening to Fates Warning and Dream Theater, btw, no one I knew used the terms "power" or "prog" to describe them.

Shaye

 

[JayDubya]

Right on Shaye!!!!!! For someone who was BORN in 1982, they don't have too much of a perspective, other than historical, and all those 80's compilation cd commercials. I graduated highschool in 1982, and went to my first real concert in 1979 (AC/DC w/Bon Scott with Pat Travers opening the show). Back then there was rock, metal, and thrash as sub genres. That era was quite FUN!
The musical atmosphere was much friendlier too!
You hit the nail on the head Shaye. Good job!

 

[Wishmaster]

Originally posted by JayDubya
...went to my first real concert in 1979 (AC/DC w/Bon Scott with Pat Travers opening the show).

I often think how cool it would have been if I had been old enough in the 70s and 80s to go to those shows and appreciate the music while it was in its heyday. I'll just have to live vicariously through your memories.

--Mike