My girlfriend and I went to see a friend of ours in a show earlier today. He used to play bass for a very well known local alternative rock band, but they split up and the singer and one guitarist went one way, while everybody else got a new singer and become a progressive/death metal band.
We showed up at 7, and from 7 until 10:30, I could not have told you when the bands changed if I was outside. The whole night was double bass, walls of distortion, diminished scales, and god awful screaming. Typically I love metal -- depending on when you ask me, my favorite band is Tool, Opeth, Protest the Hero, Dream Theater, etc. I wore my Slipknot shirt to the concert. But the state of metal here is really sad and makes me think. I love those metal bands because they bring something musically that I love. Even at the heaviest, they have a sense of melody. The local bands all seem to imitate that, without actually knowing what they're doing. Most of the bands are just really low drop tuned power chords, and 80% of each song is one long breakdown. I've grown to dread breakdowns just because of their overuse lately.
I realized earlier today that whenever I do a show, I go out fully expecting to come across at least one terrible metal band. I'm surprised now when I look at a line up and it's not more than 50% hardcore bands. It just feels like almost everybody who plays an instrument anymore just decides to form a cookie cutter hardcore band. It's become a cliche. They're becoming the talentless wall of noise that people have been calling them for years, and taking over local music so much that I haven't been to once local show that hasn't been filled with them.
I'm new to the local music scene, and my band plays rock and metal, but I really need a break from all the hardcore stuff. Most local shows I go, I end up sitting outside half the night because I can't stand the bands inside. Guess I just needed to rant about that.
We showed up at 7, and from 7 until 10:30, I could not have told you when the bands changed if I was outside. The whole night was double bass, walls of distortion, diminished scales, and god awful screaming. Typically I love metal -- depending on when you ask me, my favorite band is Tool, Opeth, Protest the Hero, Dream Theater, etc. I wore my Slipknot shirt to the concert. But the state of metal here is really sad and makes me think. I love those metal bands because they bring something musically that I love. Even at the heaviest, they have a sense of melody. The local bands all seem to imitate that, without actually knowing what they're doing. Most of the bands are just really low drop tuned power chords, and 80% of each song is one long breakdown. I've grown to dread breakdowns just because of their overuse lately.
I realized earlier today that whenever I do a show, I go out fully expecting to come across at least one terrible metal band. I'm surprised now when I look at a line up and it's not more than 50% hardcore bands. It just feels like almost everybody who plays an instrument anymore just decides to form a cookie cutter hardcore band. It's become a cliche. They're becoming the talentless wall of noise that people have been calling them for years, and taking over local music so much that I haven't been to once local show that hasn't been filled with them.
I'm new to the local music scene, and my band plays rock and metal, but I really need a break from all the hardcore stuff. Most local shows I go, I end up sitting outside half the night because I can't stand the bands inside. Guess I just needed to rant about that.
) but we're left with other bands who will also play any gig, and the talent is missing most of the time.
