Rock/Metal? When will it return to mainstream?

[thebassace111]

Hi everyone, just need a bit of input.

I'm the bassist and vocalist for a metal funk rock band which sounds like Rage against the machine crossed with Nirvana and the old RHCP. I'm not an awesome singer and I take pride in my basslines more than vocals, (I don't play like a boring bassist), and if you can picture this lineup, could you answer this: Do bands like this have ANY chance at mainstream, ie not just underground music? All the pop I hear on the radio etc is so annoying I was wondering how long till music shifts back to rock and metal, so these sort of bands can have a chance?

[buliwyfff]

that band three days grace is rock/metalish, I think rock is still mainstream (not as popular as pop and rap or whatever though) but I dont think metal ever really was mainstream.

[Poop-Loops]

Rock is definately mainstream. It's just not a single genre anymore. You have alt rock, hard rock, etc. But it's still mainstream.

Metal is different. There has been a surge of crap metal lately. People made it more and more brutal, angry, fast, and technical and somehow it just fell apart. I mean, there is still good metal, it's just not as popular as the crap metal bands like Disturbed or Drowning Pool.

Originally Posted by thebassace111

(I don't play like a boring bassist),

While I applaud you for doing something cool and fun, you WILL get your ass kicked for this comment and get called a wanna-be guitarist and a bunch of other crap from the R-5 crowd. I'd hide if I were you.

[bassfacekevin]

I actually think that metal is on the rise right now. lamb of god, mastodon avenged sevenfold (not as metal these days but I digress) are getting signed to major labels, there are now big tours (other than ozzfest) that are popping up everywhere. Heavy music has always had its place, and I truly believe it's beginning to rear it's head again. Horns up!

(I feel like one of those evangelical "crazies" that stand on the corner and damn people walking by on a megaphone. )

~K

[thebassace111]

Originally Posted by Poop-Loops

Rock is definately mainstream. It's just not a single genre anymore. You have alt rock, hard rock, etc. But it's still mainstream.

Metal is different. There has been a surge of crap metal lately. People made it more and more brutal, angry, fast, and technical and somehow it just fell apart. I mean, there is still good metal, it's just not as popular as the crap metal bands like Disturbed or Drowning Pool.



While I applaud you for doing something cool and fun, you WILL get your ass kicked for this comment and get called a wanna-be guitarist and a bunch of other crap from the R-5 crowd. I'd hide if I were you.

I assure you I don't play like a guitarist. I just mean I do more than a single note every 8 bars. Does anyone think metal funk ie nu metal will return? My voice is grungy but does well in hard funk.

[Matt Till]

Originally Posted by Poop-Loops

While I applaud you for doing something cool and fun, you WILL get your ass kicked for this comment and get called a wanna-be guitarist and a bunch of other crap from the R-5 crowd. I'd hide if I were you.

Don't pull that bull ****. Everyone appreciates flashy bass (I MEAN EVERYBODY) IN CONTEXT! The "R-5 crowd" doesn't like mindless wank solos. As long as it fits the song and works with all the other musical elements, I think everyone can agree. If this guy is talking RATM/RHCP/Nirvana... I don't think he's playing mindless solos.

On topic: No, ROCK is done being in the mainstream, and really hasn't been in the mainstream in a looooong time. "Alt Rock" dances in and out of the mainstream constantly. If you sound like Nirvana mixed with RHCP mixed with whatever 90s band, I don't know if you'll hit it big... a lot of garage bands I've heard mix that formula quite a bit, they are three of the biggest influences on a lot of modern rock stuff. I don't forsee that becoming popular again. If you are in it for the money, just copycat whatever you hear on the radio. Otherwise, make art and screw "making it" because the only way you are doing it is copying everyone else.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Rock hasnt really been main stream since the 80s and maybe early 90s

doubt it will come back, but theres nothing wrong with playing "underground" it beats getting screwed over and making money for a big company.

[cheezewiz]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Don't pull that bull ****. Everyone appreciates flashy bass (I MEAN EVERYBODY) IN CONTEXT! The "R-5 crowd" doesn't like mindless wank solos. As long as it fits the song and works with all the other musical elements, I think everyone can agree. If this guy is talking RATM/RHCP/Nirvana... I don't think he's playing mindless solos.

Yep

[BrandonBass]

the heaviest band that is mainstream i can think off the back of my head is avenged sevenfold. but they have some great songs going, and hav the right image and are actually talented

[PurplePurple]

+1 for metal coming back

Protest The Hero and abnds like it are going to start popping up alot.

[Matt Till]

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

...and hav the right image...

That's the reason true rock will never again be in the mainstream.

You MUST be this ugly to rock


But then again 3 doors down are rather ugly and don't rock... and in the mainstream (or they were).

Basically, I won't be satisfied until a band with big fat ugly guys enter the mainstream. Crowbar, now is your time to shine.



THAT would rock

[B-NoteCowboy]

By "mainstream" do you mean populating half the slots on top 40 radio? Don't know about that, but rock sure as hell isn't underground either. It's always been popular with a huge segment of the population and always will be.

It's got too many labels now, but stuff either rocks or it doesn't. It's like Porn... I can't define it, but I know it when I see it.

But anyway, I think there's already a rebound towards more of an old school rock sound afoot. This is the first decade I can think of that doesn't yet really have a defining musical identity. You can't reinvent the wheel, but I think a swing back toward heavier guitar driven rock is already happening.

I sure hope so. I also hope a swing toward alternative country continues because country is a genre that has completely lost its connection to its roots.

[Demon]

When officials stop calling it the devils music maybe^^ But Metal especially has been craptalked so much about, and many shun it just because of that, when all they heard was korn anyway. Besides, the thing is that most metal doesnt appeal to many people
of todays standard. But it would be cool if metal went mainstream, but that would mean the world would have to go through a load of changes before that would happen. besides, im fine as it is now. Metal will always be keept alive, mainstream or not.

[Poop-Loops]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Don't pull that bull ****. Everyone appreciates flashy bass (I MEAN EVERYBODY) IN CONTEXT! The "R-5 crowd" doesn't like mindless wank solos. As long as it fits the song and works with all the other musical elements, I think everyone can agree. If this guy is talking RATM/RHCP/Nirvana... I don't think he's playing mindless solos.

Ya, somehow when I try to explain that, nobody seems to understand. People literally thought I was going to solo through My Girl or something like that.

On topic: No, ROCK is done being in the mainstream, and really hasn't been in the mainstream in a looooong time. "Alt Rock" dances in and out of the mainstream constantly. If you sound like Nirvana mixed with RHCP mixed with whatever 90s band, I don't know if you'll hit it big... a lot of garage bands I've heard mix that formula quite a bit, they are three of the biggest influences on a lot of modern rock stuff. I don't forsee that becoming popular again. If you are in it for the money, just copycat whatever you hear on the radio. Otherwise, make art and screw "making it" because the only way you are doing it is copying everyone else.

Yeah. It seems like music has kind of "settled down" in that there is no "big thing" anymore, just kind of even all across the board. Yeah hip hop, rap, and rock will always be on top I think, but they're not as big as before. At least it seems like there are more bands that all suck equally instead of a few that were very good.

Originally Posted by thebassace111

Does anyone think metal funk ie nu metal will return? My voice is grungy but does well in hard funk.

God I hope not.

[QORC]

Metal in the mainstream? that lasted about 15 nanoseconds. The kind of metal you're talking about will never be mainstream again, and if so, not for very long. It mostly only appeals to young white males, ages 15-21. That's a rather narrow swath of the market.

[Pbassred]

I don't even think that mainstream will be mailstream again. Everything is multi genre now. Since pop means to be popular, everything is pop.

In the past, pop meant fashion, so a band had to be like something else. Since fashion splintered, anything goes, provided its different. The 14 year olds have never heard the old styles before, so they recycle.

In the UK we just had The Darkness which a friend of mine proclaimed as the most original band he had ever seen, until I sugested listening to some Led Zep and Purple. Right now we have Knarles/Barkley - 70s soul. Both bands reflect OLD styles polished up. However both bands are the ONLY current example of their styles.

Be unique. - just don't expect pretty pink 14year olds to buy it

[Vandelay]

We're in the MySpace/YouTube era, where thousands of artists can develop their own small cult following, and anyone can get about 24 hours of fame. Everyone's into their own little thing now. It's causing the cycles in the music business to get shorter and shorter, and the "mainstream" is getting smaller and smaller.

So you're just not going to see a multi-year trend towards metal, or any other style, anymore. On a very sporadic basis, you'll see a metal band crossover into the mainstream, followed by a few copycats, then within a year, the "mainstream" will have moved onto something else.

Of course, I could be wrong.

[tlwaps]

The only mainstream "metal" bands I hear are Disturbed and Drowning Pool, which both of them are terrible in my opinion. However, I believe that a certain genre of music dies when it becomes "mainstream." Look at rap/hip-hop for example, when it first came out it was great and dealt with a lot of polictal issues as well as personal issues. Now it's all about the money, fame, "bitches and hoes," cars, clothes...etc. They're only about the almighty dollar and not the art. That's what happens when a genre of music goes mainstream; they begin to care more about the money than they do the actual art.

I also believe that metal hasn't been mainstream since Pantera and Korn were huge in mid/late 90's and look at how long they lasted on the charts.

[chaosMK]

I wouldnt stress about your style of music being the factor which would determine if you guys "make it big" (actually, I wouldnt stress much about making it big either!). If you are a put together band and know how to market yourselves, you could get somewhere with any style of music.

Get your vocals in shape, see if you can dominate your local scene.

If you want to be on a top 40 station, add some pop sparkle to your music. A lot of originally hard bands are going kind of pop these days.

[MeYHymN]

*** is the R-5 crowd?
As far as metal goes, I've been here since 85 or so (being the only kid in 6th grade that wore metal shirts). Onslaught, Slayer, etc etc. Metal never has been the mainstream, and real metal heads prefer it that way. Metal is all about rage,frustration & hatred. The mainstream is WHAT we hate. Metal is still live and strong Kreator/GWAR/Blind Guardian/Anthrax/Testament/SFU/Opeth/In Flames/Hypocrisy, etc. list is possibly endless. So pick, become a mindless zombie cash cow for Scarin Osboob, Sony and all their ilk,OR proudly extend your middle finger and scream (sing along with me) "WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT!"
k, I'm done rambling. FWIW, check my band, ever think we'll be on MTV or top anything? Doubt it, but that's the point.

+1 on Crowbar.....All I had I gave!