Why does the media ignore power metal in the States?

T

TheGraveDigger

Heavy Metal Maniac
Sep 29, 2002
1,716
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Union, NJ, USA
After just reading and replying to the Primal Fear post about poor turnouts in the US and talking about these other bands that can't fill these clubs it made me think of something I often think about and that is the media. How can this metal be so huge in Europe, Asia, Latin America, etc and so unknown over here?

It just pisses me off so much that nobody in the states as far as radio and TV go really pushes for this kind of metal as I know if more people were exposed they would love it. Everyone I know who is a fan of hard rock or metal but has no clue about power metal has ended up becoming big fans by the time I showed them a little. I have turned friends of mine who listen to bands like Slipknot, Korn, Linkin Park, etc. (not that theres anything wrong with those bands, I like Slipknot and Linkin Park) into fans of Edguy, Primal Fear, Stratovarius, HammerFall, Sonata Arctica, Helloween, etc.

Recently Eddie Trunk from Q104.3 FM in NYC and VH1 Classic's That Metal Show had Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed on his That Metal Show and the topic was... where is the next generation of rock/metal that can pack arenas? They basically came up with the answer that it doesn't exist. These guys are so blind and ignorant because if they looked at DVD's released from the likes of Edguy, Nightwish, Blind Guardian, HammerFall, Helloween, Primal Fear they would see just what kind of impact these bands are making overseas and that they are the current generation of packing massive audiences over there. I have e-mailed this guy Trunk many times about exposing this type of metal and he won't even answer my e-mail or saying anything about it yet if I e-mail him something about UFO or AC/DC he will write back in a heart beat. What is the resistance for exposing this type of metal?

I was so furious after the show with Jasta that I e-mailed him and said the next generation is alive and well it just doesn't exist in the US because certain radio personalities only play stuff from the 80's and only play new stuff when bands like Motley Crue, Megadeth, Slayer, etc release new records (cheap shot at Trunk). I told him to do some homework and go buy the Edguy 'Fucking with Fire' DVD or the Helloween 'Live on Three Continents'. I mentioned that Firewind had to make enough of an impact with someone for Gus to end up as Ozzy's new guitarist. Mentioned how well bands like Primal Fear, Stratovarius, etc. do in Europe but can't sell out a venue in NYC.

Does anyone think our beloved power metal ever stands a chance of blowing up in the US?
 
In Florida I can point out a major problem ... Clearchannel. They bought up almost every radio station and stick to a computer generated format, even for their "all request shows. I know because Iw as working at THE rock station in the Tampa area when Clearchannel came through town with their wallet and nabbed 3-5 stations.

In the Tampa area we have a classic rock station and a "new rock station" (not counting 97X for you Tampa peeps). The new rock station plays the same material as the classic rock station for the most part and are owned by the same company. Makes no sense.

Seems most people aren't willing to take a chance on new material to play, even new material from established bands. Seriously, how many times do we need to hear "Rock N Roll All Nite" or "You Shook Me All Night Long" when both of those bands have released enough albums to feed a small nation?
 
My brother listens to clearchannel and tells me he hears Symphony X and Dragonforce (lol) on a rare occasion,that's all.
 
While I'd agree, that the media in our country is embarrassingly awful, I don't feel they deserve any blame for not covering Power Metal. Power Metal is of no interest in the U.S. Why would the media cover it?

Zod
 
Clearchannel in Tampa plays the same crap now when I used to work from them15+ years ago... sad in my opinion.

Zod. That can be a double-edges sword. There could be no interest due to the fact that there's no promotion by the media. There's a radio show called the Pit on our Clearchannel station. It was cancelled a while back, but now it's back on the air. It airs form midnight to 3 AM. Occasionally you might hear some power metal. I know I've heard Iced Earth and Nevermore years back, but Iced Earth was home grown here in the area and Nevermore has Sanctuary roots which was big in this area at the time.

We could argue that if during the day someone decided to play some heavier material that wasn't decades old Metallica or Pantera during the daylight hours that that genre of metal could gain some popularity as well.
 
I think the most important things to average Americans are trends and the popularity of a certain artist/band/style. They only want the latest and hottest band...until the next one comes out. There really is not a consistent music genre of choice as far as rock/metal is concerned.
 
modernwizardry said:
I think the most important things to average Americans are trends and the popularity of a certain artist/band/style. They only want the latest and hottest band...until the next one comes out. There really is not a consistent music genre of choice as far as rock/metal is concerned.
Click to expand...

Thank you. That pretty much sums it up.
 
Grave Digger, I feel like Americans wait to be "spoon fed" from the execs of record companies and MTV. It seems like it's been that way for several decades. As far as Eddie Trunk goes, he doesn't know as much as he thinks he does. I saw him get "stumped" on his show, by not knowing which Ratt member toured with Whitesnake. He didn't have a damn clue! Of course the answer is Warren DeMartini, but I got a kick out of him not knowing that. With that said, I promise you that our local resident, The Metal Madman, has forgotten more about metal than Trunk will ever know, seriously!

~Brian~
 
The media... haha...they have absolutely no clue what is going on. If the music doesn't come from some twit that was on American Idol, they couldn't care less. As far as I'm concerned, the media ignores ALL metal in the US, not just power metal. It doesn't surprise me at all.
 
Most Americans have a misconception of power metal and progressive metal. They think when they hear the word "metal" that it has to be death/thrash/goth, etc. Also, most metal bands are on independent labels. Big radio station conglomerates (i.e. Cheap Channel) wouldn't touch that stuff with a 10 foot pole! So if it doesn't get played on the radio, it doesn't stand a chance of getting popular.

The only reason I've even heard of power and prog metal is through the Internet (PP USA included). Cheap Channel and other big radio companies control everything you hear. If they don't get kickbacks from the record labels, it won't get played.

I'm still waiting for the next rock "revolution", similar to summer of 1991 when Nirvana came on the scene and launched the so-called alternative/modern rock movement. Unfortunately I doubt it will ever happen since rock music takes a back seat to other forms of "music" (if you want to call rap and hip-hop "music").
 
Why would the media ever cover a bunch of sweaty long haired 30 somethings singing about dragons and elves when you have pop-princesses shaving their heads and supposedly being transvestites?
 
Ummm....do you want your "beloved" prog and power bands to get mainstream attention????

The majority here couldn't stomach DragonForce's minimal mainstream attention.

Why would you even want power metal to be popular?
 
TheGraveDigger said:
After just reading and replying to the Primal Fear post about poor turnouts in the US and talking about these other bands that can't fill these clubs it made me think of something I often think about and that is the media. How can this metal be so huge in Europe, Asia, Latin America, etc and so unknown over here?
Click to expand...

Didn't we have this discussion here ... like ... a hundred times?

Power metal is NOT huge in Europe. Primal Fear honestly don't play for thousands of people each night in Europe either, not today and not 10 years ago. Heck, there was a tour with Gamma Ray, Steel Prophet and Angel Dust (I believe this was the package) 8 years or so ago that got run totally into the ground financially with an average of 75-100 people per show. Bands that have headlined PPUSA (t.ex. Sonata Arctica, Evergrey, Pain Of Salvation, Angra etc ...) they don't play to more than a couple of hundreds in most places around Europe, and then they have some strong markets (for SA and Angra that would be France, for PoS that would be Greece and so on) where they pull 5-800 people, but that's about it.

It's a huge misconception, which we've mentioned several times before, that power metal bands draw big crowds in Europe. Now, if these bands would be able / could afford to tour as much over here as they've done in Europe, they would also have built up a following here of 200-500 people per show as they have over there - it's all about keeping yourself out there, and with each show draw more new people in (word of mouth).

c.
 
If power metal pulled in Europe, two ProgPower festivals in Europe wouldn't have had to cancel a year, or for good.

If you want power metal to be bigger, then you need to show up to all shows. Local, national, international. I don't care if you don't like the 'power metal band from yukatuna, Mississippi. Promoters aren't going to bring the bands down, if they lose money promoting that genre. They will obviously look at the popularity of a band, but the more you show the more they'll bring, and then things can catch up.
 
Jasonic said:
Ummm....do you want your "beloved" prog and power bands to get mainstream attention????

The majority here couldn't stomach DragonForce's minimal mainstream attention.

Why would you even want power metal to be popular?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. DF has been the closest to gaining commercial popularity...and they get slagged daily by the crowd that should be pushing them the most...on this forum even. DF was almost that "gateway" band.
 
Look, I want all my fav bands to do well, both musically and financially.
From a long term perspective though, even if power metal "broke" in the states, how long would it last?

How big would you want it to get?

Would you want to go to an arena to see Helloween, HammerFall, and Primal Fear? Or would you rather see them in a 1000 or less venue with 500 fans who truly enjoy the music?

Would you think of the music the same way if it truly "broke"?

Isn't being underground one of metal's redeeming qualities?

I am not some elitist who thinks that no one outside of the inner circle should ever hear bands I like, but metal never has nor never will "maintain" mainstream success.
 
Claus / Intromental said:
Didn't we have this discussion here ... like ... a hundred times?

Power metal is NOT huge in Europe. Primal Fear honestly don't play for thousands of people each night in Europe either, not today and not 10 years ago. Heck, there was a tour with Gamma Ray, Steel Prophet and Angel Dust (I believe this was the package) 8 years or so ago that got run totally into the ground financially with an average of 75-100 people per show. Bands that have headlined PPUSA (t.ex. Sonata Arctica, Evergrey, Pain Of Salvation, Angra etc ...) they don't play to more than a couple of hundreds in most places around Europe, and then they have some strong markets (for SA and Angra that would be France, for PoS that would be Greece and so on) where they pull 5-800 people, but that's about it.

It's a huge misconception, which we've mentioned several times before, that power metal bands draw big crowds in Europe. Now, if these bands would be able / could afford to tour as much over here as they've done in Europe, they would also have built up a following here of 200-500 people per show as they have over there - it's all about keeping yourself out there, and with each show draw more new people in (word of mouth).

c.
Click to expand...

Man, it hurts me like hell when I fully support/agree a post by Claus such as I do here . . .
 
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