Defenders of the Faith: The State of Heavy Music Today
By Walter Beck
As someone who listens to music, plays music and works in local music, I feel I can offer a valid opinion on this matter. Here in Avon, IN, there is a growing group of “posers” (for lack of a better word). These people should be recognized by the underground and cast out! You may wonder to whom I refer when I say this; I refer to those conformists who walk around wearing shirts with the likes of Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses without even listening to them; those who think of punk in terms of Good Charlotte and Blink 182, instead of the Clash, the Ramones and Sex Pistols; those who go to hardcore shows and then be a walking example of what the underground is against; this to whom I refer when I speak of “posers”. These people should be recognized by the Defenders of the Faith (referencing to the classic Judas Priest album) and shunned immediately! For these people bastardize what hard rock has embodied for over thirty years! Metal, Punk, and other types of heavy music should embrace the downtrodden and reject the conformists of society. Now of course, we’re all “conformists” in some way, but I refer to those in upper, middle-class (or who try to act like it).
One other thing I wish to address is the state of the actual music. While some new bands, like Lamb of God, Devildriver and Throwdown are original and are worth your while, most “heavy” bands are the same repetitive crap! The saddest thing is the rise of hardcore and emo bands. Within hardcore, the problem I find (besides the fact that all the bands sound the same) is the over-use of a double bass pedal. As a drummer, I can appreciate the use of a double bass pedal in accents and intricate beats (please refer to Rush and Dream Theater to explore this point). But, in most modern hardcore, if you take away the double bass, you have nothing as far as drums go! Another complaint I have is the vocals. All they do is scream into the mike like they have constipation from Hell! Some will argue that as a fan of death metal, this is a mute point for me. Well, death metal vocals at least have some flow and rhythm to them (refer to Deicide, Morbid Angel, and post-Vile Cannibal Corpse).
The rise of emo bands is whole other pan of hash. For those who are wondering what emo is, it is basically watered-down punk with the theme of “Wah! My girlfriend left me and I’m gonna bitch about for the entire album.” Dude, if your girlfriend left you, write your one sad song and get on with it! Emo kids are the truly pathetic ones though. They wonder around aimlessly and whine all the time about how depressing the world is and how their relationships fail and blah, blah, blah! You just want to go up them and say “this is the world’s smallest violin playing ‘My Heart Pumps Purple Piss for You’ in D Minor (said by Nigel Tufnel to be the saddest of all keys)”.
Well that’s it for me. I hope you saw my point; and remember, keep the faith my friend. The Rock Revolution will happen soon and we will be there to greet it with open arms. In the mean time, continue to support the old masters that still keep giving us true rock n’ roll. While the crap has infected us, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, King Diamond, Slayer, Mercyful Fate and many others are keeping the fires warm for us.