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Heavy metal gets smart

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SpacemanSpiff:
While I can actually understand Khar's point, I still think the article is good. The metal scene is insanely complex and big and of course the mainstream media will focus on the more popular bands then.
I find this article very useful though for two reasons: First of all, it tarnishes the myth that metal is "dumb music" and second of all, it might interest a few of the readers in these bands. And, as the guy from Pelican said: This might be their gateway. They might discover the more obscure bands that way.
This how I discovered most obscure bands - you find out about a band that actually gets a little bit of recognition in the media, then read about their influences and then listen to that and so on.

Also, I find it amazing that The Flying Luttenbachers were mentioned in there. Even though I wouldn't call them metal at all. But still.
The only thing that bugged me about that is the the article makes it sound as if they aren't around anymore. They are though, I've seen them live a few months ago.

Kai:
Crotchduster is way more arty than Sunn O))) or Isis or anybody.

KharBevNor:

--- Quote from: SpacemanSpiff ---
I find this article very useful though for two reasons: First of all, it tarnishes the myth that metal is "dumb music" and second of all, it might interest a few of the readers in these bands. And, as the guy from Pelican said: This might be their gateway. They might discover the more obscure bands that way.
--- End quote ---


They don't though, and this is the point. The vast majority just listen to the narrow selection of 'art metal' that gets reviewed by major indie reviewers and then don't give a shit, or worse, feel that they have now experienced the cream of metal. On this forum, and at others, last.fm for example, I have several times seen voiced opinions that amount  'I see kids talking about the new Children of Bodom album, but when I mention 'Panopticon' to them they don't know what I'm talking about. I totally know my metal more.' When of course, this guy hasn't heard any more fucking metal than Isis, Pelican and Iron Maiden. He probably hasn't even heard a single Children of Bodom song all the way through. Only the barest majority ever try and get into real metal off this bat, and most of them only manage to scratch the surface. Jeph, for example, has made an effort: he acknowledges In Flames and Opeth, which is, I suppose, a start. The real problem is, there is something deeply anathemic about the two scenes. In a very real sense, I don't think something is really metal if you strip it from the long hair and the black clothes. 'Metal' is something far more visceral than a song structure or a tuning pattern. Metal is knowing when to throw the horns, metal is actually identifying with Hammerfall lyrics, it's a whole package. What am I even ranting about now? I dunno. Thing is, metal has never really been dumb, especially not when compared to other sorts of music. Aggh. I hate trying to iterate this stuff, especially without being rude or sounding stupid, both of which I'm sure I've already done somewhere.

Anyway, I have this theory that the metal community will be ostracising art metal in the next couple of years. These things take some time. They were pretty cool with hair metal and nu metal at first as well. Some things just can't co-exist with the essence of metal though, and I reckon this stuff is one of them.

Also, go listen to Borknagar.

Borondir:
Borknagar IS art metal though. So they didn't get mentioned in the article, what's your point.  

Its not like the entire art metal scene is devoid of black shirts and long hair either. Look at Sunn 0))). Stephen O'Malley is more kvlt than half the Norwegian BM scene put together.  

I really do understand where your coming from on this Khar, I just have to respectfully disagree about whether this art-metal actually belongs or not. I think it does.  

On the discovering more thing, the vast majority of kids in general who listen to metal only listen to a couple of surface semi-popular bands and then pretend to grow up once they hit college. So indie kids finding out about a few metal bands from a different starting point isn't really different than how most  
"metalheads" listen to metal.

Borondir:
BTW, I am going to go listen to Borknagar.

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