To be (metal), or NOT to be (metal)..........

[Derek Kerswill]

Ahhhh, the internet. Such an amazing tool in the advancement of technology. I can remember back in the day going to my first message board to look for live VHS bootlegs of bands I loved, posting my first auction on eBay and getting $76 for a limited edition Kyuss 7", and attempting to log on to these new things called "chat rooms" to meet new people and network - all while waiting for about 3 hours for each page to load at 56k (remember dial-up?)

Here in 2008, just about anything is available at our fingertips. For a long time, this concept was new and exciting. You needed a movie? Log onto Netflix and it's at your house in one day. Need a used cymbal because yours broke? Go to eBay or Craigslist and get one for half the price of Guitar Center. Need a song? Go download it for free? I’m not going to get all Lars Ulrich on you, but I am going to present the idea that might have devalued the art of music. Music seems to have become nothing more than a promotional tool, like the posters, koozies, and free promotional CDs that have been given away for years to promote artists' new albums. Part of me believes this is great, but the other part of me is sad to see the idea of a "record" quickly fading away.

I talk to a lot of kids. I always ask them strategic questions about how they listen to and/or acquire music. All of this in hopes of trying to figure out the next medium of delivery for records. The truth of the matter is that I don't even buy records like I used to. I remember lining up at Newbury Comics EVERY Tuesday to purchase whatever new CDs I was excited about. I just don't do it anymore, and I find myself falling into the same trap as everyone else - loading mp3's into my iPod and throwing it in shuffle mode, almost forgetting that I just downloaded the new Radiohead record until one of the songs comes up randomly and I think to myself "OH YEAH! I really need to take a listen to that album", and never really get around to it.

Metal has always been a very tight-knit community. Metal and it's fans have always shown more DEDICATED support than any other genre. Take the Massachusetts metal scene, for example. I believe that the whole reason it succeeded is because there was nothing competitive going on. Music is not a sport, it’s an art form, and everyone was in it for all the same reasons. Let's push the envelope of what's heavy and bring something new to the table. A lot of us have jumped from one band to another, and helped our friends’ bands - whether it be filling in here and there, or producing records and doing side-projects together.

Lately I've been noticing a lot of separation and drama in the metal community. And, not so much with the bands, but mainly with the fans. It's not just "metal" anymore.....there's about 3000+ sub-genres of metal now. Nu-New-Metal, Screamo-pop-metal, mall-core, post-grunge-core, death-core-sludge-metal and the list goes on and on. What happened to the communal feel that helped us get to where we are today? When all is said and done, it's really all "metal", isn't it? And we're all just trying to do what's best for the development of our bands and deliver something heartfelt to our fans.

Everyone is most definitely entitled to their opinions. I’ve read that I'm the greatest drummer in the world one minute, and that I suck balls the next. Killswitch Engage is a perfect example of this. How many times in the last 5 years have you read "Howard Vs. Jesse" posts on message boards, YouTube comments, etc. Let's look at the reality of these situations: here's a band working hard to move their way up in the scene, and their front-man leaves the band. The only thing that they can do is find someone that they gel with musically. and most importantly, on an emotional and personal level. Same thing with Unearth – they were in the middle of an album cycle and had to find someone QUICK! I happened to be on my way home from a Seemless tour when they called. I jumped head-first, and haven't looked back since. These were not situations that the band chose - they were circumstances the band was given and the only way to recover was to find the best person fast and move on. It had taken me a good few months of being with Unearth before I was confident and comfortable enough to play the stuff. I didn't have much time to prepare. I learned a whole set of material and played our first show together after only one rehearsal.

I personally do not have the time to look at every and most posts about myself and/or friends bands, but I do know that some of my peers have taken what some people have said online to heart, and I just wonder why there is always this negative energy being wasted on slamming bands and artists, rather than just using that energy towards something positive. Metal seems to be the only genre that fans are fighting over who is better at anything and/or everything. What does it really matter? I want music with character. If August Burns Red isn't as “brutal” as Suicide Silence, who really cares? Both bands are amazing and its apples and oranges. Listen to what you want, but give me a break – neither one of these bands suck, by any means.

I guess when you don't feel threatened, there's really nothing to prove. I mean, let's face it.....the majority of negative stuff that anyone says is a direct result of their own issues and insecurities, and it's definitely safe to say that jealousy and envy often plays a huge part in this, also.

I'm fairly opinionated when it comes to music. I like what I like, but I can at least appreciate what I don't like. Take Mastodon, for instance. I so badly want to like this band, but there's something that they have that I just do not connect with. Is that to say they "fuckin suck" now? Hell no! I can obviously appreciate the fact that they are killer musicians making integral music. I happen to be a fan of less chaos and more structure, so for my tastes, Mastodon doesn't translate well in my brain. Give me Pantera over Dillinger Escape Plan, but I am not going to slam DEP, I just simply do not connect with their music.

Albums and songs are moments in time captured forever. The feel and vibe of a record is normally reflecting the place that a band is in at that time. It was never intended to be over-thought or scrutinized. Most bands I know are making the best records they can with the time and deadlines they are given. That's the beauty of art, the emotional connection that we build when we hear or see something that moves us. It seems that some people have forgotten about this and simply want to rush and judge something because it makes them feel powerful.


Much love & respect to you all! Thanks to anyone and everyone who supports what I do. I've always been in this for the right reasons - to be part of something positive that gives back what I received when I needed it most.


*derek*
Unearth//Kingdom of Sorrow//Seemless

"Let us believe neither half of the good people tell us of ourselves, nor half of the evil they say of others."
J.
Petit Senn

[Audrey]

Some individuals do not take in the music the same way. When we are talking about...the divisions and genres I do not see where people have the time to create and discuss and understand and interprit so many categories for one culture of music. But I would rather be in a room full of people without saying a word then to talk just to hear myself know what I'm talking about even if that means it is potentially destroying a fair perception, well, with the exception of having a little alcohol in me or something then I'd talk about anything just to hear myself talk, sometimes; by saying this I mean I like to come up with my own ideas and feel my own inspiration more than I like to analyze and criticize what other people do...I like metal becuase of the ways it makes me feel. My listenning preference is a live concert over any record player or ipod. But I have to admit most of my listening time is by cd in the car at this point in time...
I can relate to some of this...at the age of 16 I can remember thinking that something out there would not take me seriously enough if I like Fiona Apple AND Korn but at the age of 26 I still like both. But I was playing and composing classical style music and eigther way I can never stand country music. (I do not say that it sucks but I do not feel there is anything I could ever do to like it.) I feel at home listening to metal. But the only contribution I could give metal is abstract and I like that.

[Mattdaddy]

Here Here brother! We seem to share a lot of the same opinions on this subject... Here in Orlando, there was basically a huge division among the cliques and genres of Metal in the late 90's, and it really took a cultural state-of-mind CHANGE to improve on the solid foundation that was already in place. So much negative energy was wasted among the "competitive" bands they didn't stop to realize that "we're all in this together" - once the bands and fans started believing that together we could make a change, all of a sudden the Orlando scene flourished, and remains the ONLY METAL SCENE in Florida that has stood the test of time over the past 8 years. Tell everyone that your scene RULES, and people will start to believe... otherwise, it's just the haters talking trash about how "the scene sucks", and once that concept becomes reality, your scene will truly suck balls...

[Derek Kerswill]

Amen on all accounts, brothers! And thanks for reading my post. I tend to think about this shit WAY too much, but it's usually without any ill will.

I know I bounced around two different subjects - the "devaluation" of music as a product, and the close-mindedness of fans these days. But, both tie in together for one main fundamental reason and it's the idea of SUPPORT! Support metal, in general. If you don't like a band......so be it. I wasn't the biggest Forbidden fan, but goddamn it....they WERE part of the Bay Area thrash scene that spauned most of my favorite metal bands.

I am still a purist myself, but I find that I'm buying more VINYL than anything. More "bang for your buck", I guess?! Bigger, sounds better, way cool to listen to, and there's nothing like my Technics mk1200 baby!

I'm thankful that I am and always have been in a circle of people that are lucky enough to have careers in music. But, I can even see some of them worried about exactly what our future is, because the kids are so A.D.D these days that they can't even listen to a record in full! It's "OH MY GOD! I love those three songs!!"

But, I digress......i'm blessed with the ability to connect with people on a pretty large level, and that's truly all I ever wanted from what i do.

Thanks again for reading, guys!
I'm sure this will continue...........

[The Mighty RoadRash]

Being a music writer and long-standing metal fan, I've watched the genre change drastically over the years. I'm not just talking about the music, either. The people in the scene have changed as well. Used to be, you could find Shout At The Devil, British Steel, Ride The Lightning, Piece Of Mind, Rage For Order and Destroyer sharing space in any one metalhead's collection.

Nowadays, close mindedness and intolerance have alienated fans of one sub-genre from another and reduced the classic stuff to labels like butt-rock, hair metal, etc. If your Slipknot crowd finds an Yngwie Malmsteen CD in your collection, you're likely to get your metal card yanked and a big red "A" plastered to your forehead!

My attitude is this: Metalheads need to unite, because our genre is STILL the underdog ... always has been ... and there's strength in numbers. Because I've been a musician for 35 years of my life, I appreciate a wide variety of musical styles (primarily metal, but I have a few dirty secrets in my collection) and to hear metal bands called names like "sell-outs" or "posers" just because they've broken out of the underground and into the mainstream ... or they're not brutal enough for the status quo ... is a blight on our genre and our selves.

I suppose I'll get off my soapbox now and go back and listen to Angra one more time ... learning that one solo is kicking my ass!

[Chuck Loesch]

Hate to have a somewhat serious reply, but I want to be the devil's advocate on this one for a second...because I scream the same message from the top of my little hill here in Texas. So I ask - can most of this be attributed to the all mighty dollar? The fact that the first CD I ever bought was Pink Floyd - Wish You Were here for the price of $15.99 and the CD costs the same 20 years later is somewhat astonishing.

If it were all indeed about the art and the music, would companies fight so dilligently against 'illegal' file sharing essentially carving the consumer out of the process - unless they have the cash to participate? Mutilating a brilliant disc from Converge and harvesting only one or two songs on ITunes will suffice for most of an audience, because that is the way the industry packages and sells the material. So why is it so difficult to understand how...

I believe in the full length, the package, the art of the music, but I am also 34 years old and still have a record player along side my Ipod, so I admit I am out of touch with the average tweenie buying the latest A7X single online, but see where this trend has taken the game, and many of those who can't understand why the 'model' doesn't work anymore are the ones who have ultimately destroyed it...

I see the same trends though, metal fans factioning themselves off into the same groups that have been created by jack-offs like me on the radio and in magazines. Creating ficticious sub-genres, talking shit about bands who have 'sold out' and don't take the time to actually listen to music for what it can do to your goddamn soul...

I don't know if that made any sense...
I talk out of my ass quite frequently, great party trick....

[Derek Kerswill]

"There goes the NEIGHBORHOOD!!"

[Andrew]

Body Counts' in tha house!

[Rev Ciancio]

I remember waiting in line to buy BODY COUNT'S debut album. I was so excited! I was also the only person in line.