Did Grunge really “kill” Metal?

A lot has been said over the past 2 decades (is it really that long???) about how alternative rock/grunge killed metal in the early 90’s. I really don’t think it did. By the end of the 80’s metal had lost its direction and had become a watered-down, embarrassing shadow of what it had been at the beginning of the decade...at least in the mainstream sense. Of course death metal had risen to prominence, and black metal had just begun to raise its corpse-painted head, but as far as “people” were concerned, metal was a spent force and consisted of bands such as Poison and their ilk. Something needed to happen, and just as Punk had kicked the overblown, pompous hard-rock of the 70’s to the kerb and spat in its face, grunge essentially did the same to the floundering metal scene at the beginning of the 90’s. But rather than kill metal, all grunge really did was to drive metal back underground to lick its wounds and to start the process of coming back stronger. The underground is where metal  thrives and like a wounded animal, when it is cornered, it is more vicious.

Besides, many of the bands that made the biggest impact on the heavy music scene in my youth were metal bands...Acts such as  Pantera, Carcass, Sepultura, Machine Head (along with the likes of Paradise Lost, Fear Factory, etc) and of course the old guard of Iron Maiden and Metallica where the heroes of the early-mid 90’s. Add to that, the sudden explosive (literally) rise of black metal in Scandinavia and the rising Swedish death metal scenes (Gothenburg and Stockholm had 2 equally important, but also different styles) and the newly emerging so-called nu-metal sound. Therefore, I would argue that all grunge did was kill off the dead weight and to put an end to the awful glam-metal scene of the 80’s. Of course, there some great bands within said scene, but like all other popular musical movements, it was full to the point of bursting with chancers, fakes and posers. The music industry had got its claws well and truly in, and was demanding MTV airplay, stadium tours and stellar record sales.

Many bands that were considered to be past their prime and finished, went on to release some of the strongest albums of their respective careers after grunge, and many are continuing to this day. Compare that to the all but forgotten bands from the grunge era. Those that are still a going concern are, for the most part, nothing more than classic rock bands (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains)...the fresh sound of the early 90’s now over-played and overdone by wave after wave of post grunge rubbish such as Nickelback, (later), Staind, etc. In the end, it is metal which had the last laugh, as it is now, even after 40 years, stronger than ever and the rise seems to be showing no signs of slowing.

So, did grunge kill metal? Of course not. Metal was just resting and regaining its strength. Grunge won the battle, but metal won the war in convincing style.

This is by no means, an exhaustive account of the enormity and impact of the many different scenes and sub-genres of the 1990’s, but rather the random thoughts going through my mind as I type, so please forgive the disjointed and possibly rambling text above. I am, however, currently working on an in depth piece on the changing face of metal/hard rock over the past 40 years, and will be posting that as soon as it’s done.

Under-rated albums/artists: Part 4

Ok...so, I have decided to type a whole piece on under-rated music containing a number of bands and albums I think deserve more recognition. Those of you who have read my previous blogs will be aware that i have usually dedicated one blog at a time to each of these, but this time I have decided to save time (and capitalise on my current inspiration) by including a few bands at the same time in this one.

Earthtone9:

Ok, so I have said (along with many in the music press) for many years that this band deserved so much more recognition than they ever received. I was always baffled that this band never quite managed to capture the imagination of the collective metal audience despite releasing a string of top quality albums/EPs.  It’s even more strange when you consider that they were (rightfully) the darling of the UK metal press for a while back in the late 1990’s/early 00’s. The “Arc’ Tan’ Gent” is/was a flawless metal/prog masterpiece and still stands up as an all time classic even now. Imagine a less boring and self-indulgent Tool, but with, dare I say it, Nu-metal influences (does anyone remember Kilkus?), then I think you will have an idea of how this sounds. You can imagine my delight then, when I discovered a few weeks back that they have decided to reform. Let’s just hope that they have a little more success this time round, because if any band deserves a little credit and respect it is these workhorses of the UK metal scene.

Standout tracks: Tat Twam Asi; Star Damage For Beginners; Yellow Fever.

The Duskfall:

This sadly defunct Swedish group took their inspiration from the predictable and somewhat obvious source for a Swedish band - melodic death metal -  but then added their own slant/take on the well worn and familiar sub-genre and infused it with a healthy dose of thrash/groove metal. Unlike many bands within the scene, The Duskfall managed to make each song sound unique and interesting, and even though their albums retained a fairly strict melo-death (easier to type) blueprint, they bolstered this with classy, memorable riffs,  top quality songwriting and almost annoyingly catchy choruses (without being cheesy). The vocals are very much in the vein of Mikael Stanne or Peter Dolving, so don’t provide much in the way of inventiveness, but they work perfectly for this style of music.  While, they are certainly not for everybody, if you are a fan of bands such as At The Gates, The Haunted,  Skinlab, Dew Scented, etc... I would recommend these guys very highly indeed.

Standout tracks: The Wheel and The Black Light; Sealed With A Fist; The Option And The Poison.

Before The Dawn:

There is not a whole lot I can say about this Finnish band that would really do them justice. If I start mentioning influences, style, etc, then you will probably decide that you already know how they are going to sound. Whilst this is, for the most part, melodic death metal, Before The Dawn bring a slightly more Finnish sound to the Swedish dominated genre. This is especially evident in the vocal style (which is both harsh and clean in pretty much equal measures), and in the guitar melodies. These guys are absolute masters of the hummable/singable chorus, and some of these songs will be stuck in your head for days. I could list influences all day, but people will always judge for themselves anyway. I will, however, say that I hear a little Amorphis, Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium and even Dark Age in their sound, but I will stress again, that this is all wrapped up and presented nicely in a style that is more than merely the sum of its parts.  Overall, it could be said that BTD have a far more polished sound than many of their contemporaries and benefit (or suffer depending on your view) from a top notch production which allows the band to shine and to show off their, not inconsiderable, songwriting muscle.

Standout tracks: Exile; Painless; Deadsong.

The New Wave of Trad Heavy Metal (NWOTHM)

I would like to start off by pointing out that I don’t usually go for this whole retro thing...revival, rebirth, rip-off (?), as I find it, for the most part, derivative and unnecessary. I mean, what is the point of bands such as Airbourne when AC/DC are still alive (just) and well? I understand that bands have to start somewhere, and I definitely appreciate wearing your influences on your sleeve...but sometimes it just crosses the line into plain facsimile territory. Again, I know that young bands need time to develop their own unique style, but many bands of this ilk are well aware that there is a market for 70’s/80’s style retro rock, and are therefore reluctant to spend too much time trying to find their own place in the rock world. To be honest, if it’s an authentic 70’s rock experience that you crave, you could do worse than to check out the band “Witchcraft”.

Ok, so now I get to the point of this blog. I started off by saying how I don’t usually go for these retro movements (new thrash, new grunge, etc), but I have to say that, so far, I am totally smitten with the NWOTHM. This is basically a tribute to/revival of the British heavy metal sound of the late 1970’s/early 1980’s. The so called NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) scene was forged from the dying embers of the punk movement and spawned the likes Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Diamond Head, Angel Witch, and a host of lesser known (but often better)  bands, who I will come back to later. In recent years there has been a slow, but steady rise in the number of hungry young bands, who have been inspired and influenced by this exciting and important period of metal history.

Two such bands which spring to mind are Sweden’s “Enforcer” and White Wizzard from the USA. Both bands have a shared love of old school metal, but approach it from different angles.

Enforcer have really gone for the NWOBHM vibe, with a sound that is reminiscent of early Iron Maiden (just listen to the song “Midnight Vice”), as well as taking in elements of bands such as Weapon, White Spirit, Sweet Savage, Paralax and a whole host of the lesser known bands from the era. Whether this is by design or purely by accident, I have no idea. It is one thing to write songs and to play in the “style” of a particular era, but to then back this up with the “feel” and “attitude” of the time with such a level of authenticity is something else all together and for me, that is one reason this band stand out from the pack. I can’t recommend this album highly enough. I would have said it was a classic NWOBHM album, but its 30 years late and, er the band are Swedish. Those 2 minor niggles aside, this is an (almost) perfect traditional metal album.

White Wizzard on the other hand, whilst they have also headed back to the 1970’s/1980’s for their influence, it comes, this time, in the form of Queensryche and Judas Priest (among others, obviously). Once again this album not only has the sound, but also the genuine feeling of the period.

Incidentally though, both bands happen to have a song called “High Roller” on their respective new albums....coincidence or just a stereotypical name for a song from the period? I’ll let you decide.

The bottom line is that I am feeling excited by a genre revival for the first time as far as I can remember. This is most likely to be as much to do with my own personal love of NWOBHM as it is about the bands themselves, but long may the NWOTHM live. It is full of energy and passion and is a breath of fresh air in the modern metal world. For all of you over 30’s out there, and for those curious youngsters interesting in expanding your knowledge of where metal came from, I would certainly suggest giving these two bands a try...who knows where it  will take you!?  Maybe you will fall in love with NWOBHM in the same way I did when I picked up a second hand tape from “Oldies” in Wolverhampton way back in 1992. That day certainly changed my life. I was already into metal, but at that time I had little or no knowledge of the importance of the early 1980’s British metal scene, and certainly not of the bands that made it happen.

Random Thoughts Following The Sad Passing Of Ronnie James Dio.

It is the sad, and unavoidable truth, that often an artist needs to pass away (young is good, but not essential) to be truly appreciated, and in some cases revered. Already this year, we have been unlucky enough to have lost two giants of the metal world (literally in the case of Pete Steele...not so literally with the more portable RJD). On both occasions I was shocked and saddened...what was my first instinct? To post a condolence on Facebook, of course (the joys of the modern world). Obviously my second instinct was to spend the next few days playing nothing but the music of the aforementioned artists...proclaiming to myself and to anyone else who cared to pay any attention to me, how great and under-rated they were.

This is always the case isn’t it? We all know how great these people are, and always feel that it doesn’t need to be said. It is only on the sad occasion of their passing on from this mortal coil, that we feel the need to suddenly share this opinion with everyone else. Wouldn’t it be nice if we took the same time to celebrate them when they were still breathing air? To set up, for example, a Facebook page or a website extolling the greatness of our favourite artists. Ah, wait. This does happen, but when the artist in question is still with us, these people are considered a bit too fanatical in most cases...just for doing the same thing we will all be doing when the person dies. 

No, this blog is never going to go anywhere...I’m just spending a few minutes getting these random ramblings out of my brain to make room for new stuff.

But when all is said and done, whatever our motives or reasoning, the people who give us this wonderful music which makes our time on this earth that much better deserve our time and our thanks....be it during their lives or by remembering them on the day of their death. I would, therefore, just like to say a huge thanks to all of the bands and musicians who have improved my life over the last 2 decades. I can’t even begin to list individuals here, but I am sure that I will remember you all and honour you all in due time. Unfortunately, you will more than likely be in the next world when this actually occurs.

Rest In Peace Ronnie James Dio and Peter Steele. You will both (truly and honestly) be missed, and although it is a cliché, the world will certainly be an emptier and less interesting place without you.

Under-rated albums: Part 3: This is Menace - The Scene Is Dead

This instalment of my series focuses on the second album by the “supergroup” This is Menace. It is one of those albums (you know the ones) where each track features a different singer. This type of album (project) is, more often than not, nothing much more than a vanity project from an artist (or artists) who wants to record an album with metal luminaries, childhood heroes or “celebrity” friends just to give their own ego a rub. We (the consumer) usually don’t get anywhere near as much from them,  as these projects, by their very nature, are more often “miss” than “hit” (think Probot or Iommi),but this album is definitely a “hit” (after hit).

I think one of the main reasons for this, is despite each track having a different “guest” vocalist, this feels like the work of a real band. This is down to the fact that each song has the same core musicians (with 2 members of Pitchshifter among them) which gives the album a more cohesive feel than others in this vein. Also, when you take into account that most of the vocalists here appeared on the first album (No End In Sight) too, it all starts to make sense. Rather than “feeling” like a real band, this IS a real band...just with a wide variety of singers and singing style. To my ears, this gives This Is Menace a real edge over a lot of other bands in the scene, and definitely makes for a more interesting and compelling listening experience.

“No End In Sight” was a worthy enough debut, but I felt that it lacked that certain something. The band has come on in real leaps and bounds (to use a well-worn cliché) on this, their sophomore release, giving us, the listeners, a lot more to get our teeth (ears surely?) into. Each song, whilst being distinctive, gels nicely into the album as a whole, and with the vocal style changing with each track on the CD, it is a little more exciting to listen to. As I said previously, though, this doesn’t  detract from the album at all, and this still feels like the work of a group of musicians with a common agenda and a singular goal. That, for me, is why “The Scene Is Dead” stands mightily over the pretenders and over the metal scene in general. If you haven’t heard this, well, why not?  It features the talents of some of the best (and most loved?) singers the metal/rock world has to offer, ranging from the more mainstream palatable, Colin Doran (Hundred Reasons) and JS Clayden (Pitchshifter), through to the more extreme in the forms of Barney Greenway (Napalm Death) and Jeff Walker (Carcass).   It is hard to pick out stand-out tracks, so I would just recommend that you go out and buy this record (come on, you can trust me) or check out any random song on itunes...go on...be daring!

To summarise, this is definitely a “real” album by a “real” band, so don’t be put off by the, often used and misleading, “supergroup” term. It’s hard to really describe what the band are doing here musically, other than just to say that Pitchshifter are an obvious point of reference as far as the guitar and bass style goes, but the overall songs take on a life (and style) of their own, which I would say id distinctively “This Is Menace”. This is a band which deserves much more recognition, and maybe we can all help them to achieve it.

Why Is The Local Live Music Scene Dying?

What has happened to the, once flourishing, local metal scene? Back in the late 1980’s and throughout the 90’s local bands and venues could count on a good attendance, and a little support/interest from the local metalheads. Those days seem long gone in the UK now. Even fairly established bands, who have featured in magazines or on the various music TV channels, fail to pull anything more than a sparse crowd, consisting mainly of the hardcore fans...despite the fact that the entrance fee may be just a few pounds. Why is this? I think there are a number of contributing factors, but none really explain the complacency or downright apathy of modern metal fans. It makes me feel so sad and frustrated when I see a band play in front of an audience of maybe just 20 people, when I know that there are a sizeable number of rockers in the area.

What I find hardest to understand is the fact that popularity of live music is on the rise in these times of illegal downloading, due to necessity on the part of the bands/music industry, yet locally staged gigs seem to be experiencing a drop in attendance numbers. Could it be that people are spoiled in the current climate, where even in a fairly small town or city, a gig by a well-known band is never a long journey away? Maybe people feel that they would rather spend their money watching a “bigger” band or at least, one they might have heard of. While this is understandable, it also a little short-sighted as there are many great bands on the underground scene, who are worthy of your attention.  

It could that the modern way of life is also to blame, to a certain degree, as people have access to so much new music through the internet. The knock-on effect of this is that it is hard to keep people’s attention/interest when there is so much competition out there. This could go a long way to explaining the problem of low attendance numbers. When you have, for example, 20 bands all competing for ticket sales in the same scene, then the market share of the ticket-buying public is, perhaps, being spread a little too thin. In the current economic climate, people can only afford/justify spending a certain amount on going out. Therefore, a decision needs to be made. In most cases, people will spend their money on seeing a band they are already familiar with or a bigger band who tour less often, and in bigger venues. Once again, this is totally understandable, and indeed, forgivable...but the damage being caused to the up and coming bands could be catastrophic.  

It frustrates me when a promoter makes the effort to get a good bill together, combining local support with a decent and often established act, and charges just a few pounds, yet people seem reluctant to make the effort to turn up. I have actually seen people approach the door of a pub on a gig night, and when they see that it costs £3 to get in they then walk away or go to the “bar” room next door. I would understand if the entrance was £10, but when the price is so low and you get 3 bands on a bill, choosing to go elsewhere rather than to give the bands a try for the price of a pint is completely unfathomable to me.

It is often the older people within a scene  that are the most guilty of this behaviour, despite the fact that the local pub circuit was very important back in the day for helping to establish many of the bands we all know and love today. Where would we be without the pub/club circuit of the 70’s and 80’s? Well, we wouldn’t be watching huge metal bands in stadiums/clubs or arenas, that is for sure.

Maybe a possible solution to this would be for smaller/local venues to entice people in on less-popular nights of the week as opposed to the usual Friday/Saturday nights? I mean, come on, weekends are often the nights that people just want to sink a few cold ones with their mates, and not want to pay to get into the pub they regularly frequent. Of course, the downside to this is again down to the amount of disposable income people have in their wallets. Many venues have, for this reason, combined the two, by having bands play at the weekends, and make entry free. The bands may make less money, but in the long-term they are playing to more people and getting their names out into the public consciousness, so this would seem to be the ideal solution.

So, to sum up, we can all help this once great institution and the bedrock of the music we love, by just popping to the local club or pub nights and checking out what they have to offer. Come on, it’s just a few quid to get in, and will help to build the bands of the future, and to ensure that new bands are inspired to form. There can be no losers here, and besides, you can get a great night out for the price of a beer. Who knows you may discover the band that will change your life on your own doorstep (not literally of course...that would just be weird).

Finally!

I know this has been a long time coming, and is not exactly going to set my blog page (or the world) alight, but as I haven’t written anything for some time, I figured now was a good time while the inspiration was there.

So.....2010 rolls on, and the great albums keep on coming. Can this year get any better? Well, I really hope so, but it has been such a strong and exciting 4 months, that I can’t help but feel that this upwards trajectory can’t continue for much longer...can it?!  Saying that though, I really hope it does, as this could be one of the best years of my life as far as music goes...I mentioned some great releases so far this year in a previous post, and I can add Svartsot, Cypress Hill, Heidevolk, Barren Earth and (from what I have heard so far) Soulfly to the growing list of quality albums of 2010.  Whatever your taste in rock/metal (and beyond), there really has been something for everyone this year.

Ok, so this hasn’t been much of a post...more the product of my excited state of mind, which in turn filled me with the need to get this out of my system in a constructive way...and also, I feel a bit inspired to write again, so expect a couple of reviews before the weekend, and the next instalment (or 2) in my Under-rated series...that’s all for now. I thank you.