• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

A "Metal Fender" discussion

#61
guys seen using fenders

jake shultz(norma jean)
nate newton(converge)
sergio vega/chi cheng(deftones)
troy sanders(mastodon)
adam blake(h20)
bryan richie(the sword)
chris aiken(strung out)
duff mckagan(guns n roses/velvet revolver)
timmy c(rage against the machine)
joe principe(rise against)

not all "metal" guys but i'd say the give the brand pretty good standings in the rock/hard rock/metal/punk arena

i guess i'm defending the brand because i've always played a fender and gotten suitable tones no matter what style i was playing...but the brand doesn't really need me it pretty much defends itself
 
#62
tomas_almeida said:
I do agree with some of your points, but Metal is now A LOT BETTER than it ever was!

Of course with the enormous amount of bands that exist most of them will be completly unnoriginal and musically weak.
However, nowadays' bands are pushing everything to the edge, and I'm not talking about technical wanking. You can see it albums such as Gorgut's Obscura, Meshuggah's Destroy Erase Improve, Ark's Burn The Sun, Sol Niger Whithin's self titled and more recently in acts such as Animals As Leaders, Intronaut (Joe Lester is a fantastic bassist by the way), Gojira, etc.

In fact, when I hear some of the "old stuff" and compare it to comtemporary acts I laugh at the enormous difference. There has been a significant improvement.

Although I completly agree that those old timers were pioneers for doing what anyone wasn't at the time nowadays they've been clearly surpassed by some.
Click to expand...

:eyebrow: vast inmprovement?

Al the metalheads i know HATE the new metalcore stuff.....there is not vast improvement.....technicality does not mean better.

Saw Gojira open for metallica....i see no improvement in my opinion.
:rollno:


**** sometimes being a metalhead pisses me off, considering that so many other metalheads are closed minded nimrods.


Play what you like

Listen to what you like
 
#64
KingCrimson said:
:eyebrow: vast inmprovement?

Al the metalheads i know HATE the new metalcore stuff.....there is not vast improvement.....technicality does not mean better.

Saw Gojira open for metallica....i see no improvement in my opinion.
:rollno:


**** sometimes being a metalhead pisses me off, considering that so many other metalheads are closed minded nimrods.


Play what you like

Listen to what you like
Click to expand...

refer to my big ass post in page 2. Sure, there are trends in metal today, and I admit I really don't most of the technical things going out these days (they lack musical direction IMO). But then, you have bands like Mastodon with their newest records, or Between the Buried and Me with their 2 last records, that break the molds and aren't afraid to try something new. It's for those bands, and most of the underground stuff, that makes modern metal a big improvement from what it was at the beginning.

Just think about it this way:

Death first album: Scream Bloody Gore (1987)
Death last album: The Sound of Perseverance (1998)

Those show very well how metal evolved through the years and if you know them, you'll agree with me.
 
#65
Is the argument that Fender is somehow not a "Metal" bass?

I think Christian Wolbers played a 5 string Fender when he was bassist in Fear Factory. At least that's what it looks like he's playing in the "Linchpin" video. He also played an upright double bass live on "Edgecrusher" when I saw them (and now that I listen to the song it does indeed have a double bass on it).

I've seen a lot of people play Music Man basses for metal as well, which to any layman probably looks quite similar to a Fender (if we're talking about image then that's mainly what matters, what the lay community defines as "metal")
 
#69
flipper_gv said:
refer to my big ass post in page 2. Sure, there are trends in metal today, and I admit I really don't most of the technical things going out these days (they lack musical direction IMO). But then, you have bands like Mastodon with their newest records, or Between the Buried and Me with their 2 last records, that break the molds and aren't afraid to try something new. It's for those bands, and most of the underground stuff, that makes modern metal a big improvement from what it was at the beginning.

Just think about it this way:

Death first album: Scream Bloody Gore (1987)
Death last album: The Sound of Perseverance (1998)

Those show very well how metal evolved through the years and if you know them, you'll agree with me.
Click to expand...

I love Death, but i know old school death metal guys who prefer the first 3 albums, (still love the later ones). I for one love symbolic.

You could also look at it like metallica

Kill em all

Death magnetic :hmm:

And justice

Load:hmm:


IMO this whole new scene is focusing too much on technical lame shredding, with cheesy harmonizing....as well its growing a whole new group of kids who can play at 8236236423873274723 bazillion bpm but can't stay in time..... People are ignoring the basics to being a good player...and in turn i see a lot of sloppy "shred". Albeit the 80s had that as well, its going to ridiculous levels now....at least back then there was still focus on basics.

I'm done here.......**** stupid metal threads ima go listen to what the heck i want and play what i want.

Miles davis & weather report
 
#70
A lot of my favorite metal bass players use or have used Fender basses. Stroud from Fear Factory uses a J, and Christian Olde-Wolbers before him used a P. I've seen Newstead using them, and even John Myung started with bass on a P.

I don't, because I don't like the way they feel when I try to play them. All of the above are vastly better bass players than I am, so I cannot deny that fender makes good isntruments. I just don't find them to be comfortable to use. Ergonomics is a very subjective part of an instrument, and I think it is really silly to qualify or disqualify someone's playing based solely on whether or not they are playing a Fender bass.

To be honest, I really think you are seriously overqualifying what makes metal "metal", unless you are specifically thinking of the "Heavy Metal" category, which is a pretty narrow part of the overall metal superset.

Can you really listen to bands like Fear Factory and Meshuggah, and not think they are metal? There are bands doing things with metal now that the originals either could not do due to technological limitations, or did not think of.
 
#71
Why do modern metal fans obsess over what is metal? Back in the day, AC-DC was considered metal, as was Van Halen. Hard to believe today, with Mastodon and Disturbed being so far of a cry away from "Whole Lotta Rosie", but true.

What defined metal were the fans, the people who called their favorite music "metal."

Steppenwolf coined the term, but they were referring to bikes, not music. And they would have called themselves hippies. Definitely not meal. Their fans smoked dope, and I'm sure some of them also liked Sabbath, Priest, and motorbikes. Thus the phrase was born.

Punk was all about making a statement - metal was originally much more about saying screw making statements, I don't care what others think of my dirty hair, boot legged cassettes from bands that no one else has heard of, worn jeans and beat up van. It was when MTV picked up the LA Scene that image became more important, around 1983, and suddenly everyone needed a leather jacket and some bandanas.
 
#72
I like how metalheads are sooooo serious. I think being tongue-in-cheek is very important you know? Everyone's got their fave bands, views, etc, it's all for good argument's sake. Hopefully someone will get turned on to some new music, old or new and gain something. Defining what is "metal" is no different now than it was back in the heyday. The '80s got quite horrible when everything was metal. Stryper was in the same record bins as Venom and Rush. Quite a range there. "Classic" metal seems to be appearing on the scene again. It's actually refreshing to hear some "singing" again instead of death growling. I miss the "songs" of the old days. I must admit there is some good stuff though happening these days. Metal never dies and the debates will never end. Same with punk and hardcore.

Everyone thought "For Whom the Bell Tolls" was a guitar back then! I jammed with a few guys who were great musicians and didn't know. I at least got to see Cliff on the "Master" tour about 5 months before he died. I loved Cliff and still do. They were never the same for me. I cannot believe they have remained huge.
 
#75
blackriverstan said:
so basically the we're debating whether new metal sounds better than old metal?
Click to expand...

Heh! I love this.

Someone innocently said "Why some bassists who play metal do not play a Fender?" Which turns out to be a beautiful seed, if for nothing else, it inspired a lot of emotion.

It can be answered philosophically, or gear-wise or spoken about within the context of one sub-genre or another or in terms of availability or time period, etc...

Of course, as BBs go, everyone is trying to quantify it, which is impossible. I'm very happy you can list 15 metal Fender players.
If there are 200 metal bands, that's 7.5%. If there are 2000, that's .75%

You can't count the metal bands. You can't really even figure out "who is a metal band"

The personal anecdotes are better: ""I play metal and I did or did not choose a Fender because...". And I think that's good, but only as good as your importance to the Heavy Metal community.

I don't think there is an "argument" per se. I think it's a -
everyone throw in your 2 cents as to whether or not you think "Why some bassists who play metal do not play a Fender?" is a valid observation.

~Jimm
 
#77
Metal is my favourite genre to play.
Style: Blind Guardian, Helloween, Rhapsody, Iron Maiden, Iced Earth... and even some Motörhead.


My favourite bass to play is: Fender fretless precision bass, Tony Franklin signature. And it's sunburst with tort pickguard.


Does one thing exclude the other?

No IMO.
 
#78
KingCrimson said:
:eyebrow: vast inmprovement?

Al the metalheads i know HATE the new metalcore stuff.....there is not vast improvement.....technicality does not mean better.

Saw Gojira open for metallica....i see no improvement in my opinion.
:rollno:


**** sometimes being a metalhead pisses me off, considering that so many other metalheads are closed minded nimrods.


Play what you like

Listen to what you like
Click to expand...

I think you didn't quite read my post...

I never mention the term metalcore, in fact, I tend to hate most bands described with -core.

I even said that the improvement I was speaking about WAS NOT ABOUT TECHNIQUE (although nowadays people spend more time perfecting theirs, and that's completely positive).

If you're using the term close minded to describe me (since that was the impression I got) I think you're being somewhat hypocrite, since I am the one that's trying to çure people to the new stuff.

You can't be more close minded than not to listen to music just because it was released post 80's.

Despite this I agree with your last statment.

EDIT: And IMO I think Gojira's music has a lot more quality to it than Metallica's, not excluding the first albums. It uses structures that are a lot less primitive, repetitive and they actually are somewhat original.
 
#79
KingCrimson said:
:eyebrow: vast inmprovement?

Al the metalheads i know HATE the new metalcore stuff.....there is not vast improvement.....technicality does not mean better.

Saw Gojira open for metallica....i see no improvement in my opinion.
:rollno:


**** sometimes being a metalhead pisses me off, considering that so many other metalheads are closed minded nimrods.


Play what you like

Listen to what you like
Click to expand...

Are you insinuating that Gojira is metalcore? LOL.
 
#80
Funny how it can be cool to like one type of metal but not another.
in the 80s, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Motorhead, Maiden, Twisted Sister ad Crue were all happy to share Hit Parader and Circus magazine. Exposure is exposure and cross-over is the best way to gain market share (see: Micheal Jackson getting Van Halen).

Then grunge showed up and you had to sound like one of those schmucks, or you had to sound like Helmet (and get 100 more tattoos, mind you). The best band to watch trend-jump is Pantera. They did whatever was selling. It was like watching kiss do Dynasty.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back