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Where are the metal bands?

Sadly I think the time has passed. Too many bands doing exactly the same thing as you and I mentioned above.
I wonder how much of that can be blamed on the record producers too. I mean, if they're producing a sound that doesn't sell, why are all the new groups copping the same sounds? Just from my time on TB, I see there's a lot of new, young talent that is in love with the Metal genre. So why no new megagroups? Maybe the Metal labels need some new talent at the mixing desk.
 
Looking at all of the latest press on metal blogs I'd say that the new bands are being choked off by all the old bands that are dropping in once every five years to do a tour or release something to keep the brand afloat. The labels are just like the big Hollywood studios, they'd rather spend a few bucks backing a known quantity with an existing audience than putting any money behind a fresh new act that could flop or flash out. Smaller pie and more old bands grabbing a piece = no pie for new bands. The classic risk-averse behavior of a shrinking and top-heavy media market.

No more new rock stars.

But outside the mainstream there is a lot of good metal coming out.
 
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Metal seems to have divided into a million little niches. I could name some great bands in a lot of those niches but I can't name too many bands that transcend those niches (minus the couple that have been mentioned). I don't like all of these niches and I think that is kind of the point, something for everybody. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a couple of big metal bands that everyone could sing along with.
 
The Sword and Red Fang are two of my favorite heavy bands, and they're relatively new.

Same here. Over the past few years, The Sword and Red Fang have been the two newer heavy bands that I really dig. They can play, they can sing, and they don't look like idiots in Halloween costumes or have a lot of the cheese associated with some metal. i think the whole Stoner Rock scene has had the coolest heavy bands over the past 10 years.
 
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There's still a lot of variety and great songwriting though. And metal is a great umbrella to use when playing music that's off the beaten path. Check out the following song: this band I was in tried to debue this album at a progressive rock festival, and it was a bad idea. Even though we were playing progressive music it was too heavy for the prog-heads that wanted to hear Marillion or whatever. But playing to metal crowds there is a lot of creativity you can get away with...



I'm really digging this!
 
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I'd rather have 100 above average metal bands touring large clubs than 1 arena-level band.
Don't we already have that? It'd be nice to have at least a handful of new metal bands breakthrough to the mainstream and have some representation there. I guess a lot of metal fans like being underground and obscure, but I don't.
 
Don't we already have that? It'd be nice to have at least a handful of new metal bands breakthrough to the mainstream and have some representation there. I guess a lot of metal fans like being underground and obscure, but I don't.
Music isn't a popularity contest for me. I just want some heavy music. I've been refusing to listen to radio for at least 5 years so I don't expect to hear new stuff there. I started listening to Pandora, Spotify, Google Music, and lately Bandcamp.
Sure I work harder to find good stuff but is not really that hard.
Found this on Pandora and LMAO.


Heard about this one here and likewise LMAO.
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Neither is really radio material is "comedic heavy music." Where is the revenue stream with that?
Who cares though I've got stuff to rock out to.
 
Ha! I love to hear the younger players whining about their favorite genre disappearing. Sorry, guys, but that is the way it is. Other genres you don' hear any more:
  1. When was the last time you heard a band to a disco album?
  2. How long since a doo-wap group did an alubm?
  3. Name a folk rock group that is touring.
I could go on.

Times change, music progresses and replaces old style. Learn to live with it. Some day your kids will think you are outdated for still wanting to play "that old metal crap".
 
You have to remember that Metallica were really the first band with "extreme" metal subculture roots (i.e. the subculture of thrash) to go mega-global. So in that respect they are kind of unique, as that moment in time has now passed.

What's happened today is that the GENRE of metal is bigger than ever - huge festivals, loads of fans, quite a lot of bands with a good mid-level following, and a LOT of bands barely scraping by, commercially, but making great music. You're correct in that really only the "heritage" acts are filling stadiums (ironically, Metallica are now in this category).

But there's still plenty of good stuff out there that's getting commercial success (especially in continental Europe and America), starting with Mastodon at the top and moving downward from there. My current favourites are Kvelertak, check 'em out!
 
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