|
Post by scsweat on Nov 28, 2011 2:02:17 GMT -5
Something I've noticed over the last couple of years of being a metal fan is that everything is better if it comes from Europe (/opinion).
Seriously though, those guys have got the market cornered on metal music and it's HUGE! Bands that barely get 300 fans at bars and clubs in the US (i.e. Nightwish, Symphony X, Epica, Turisas, and so on) are playing huge festivals and jam-packed soccer arenas to crowds of thousands at a time!
From what I can tell, heavy metal there is like pop or country music here. I mean the guy who won Finnish Idol (yeah, Finnland's got one too.) won the whole competition with a Sonata Arctica song a couple years ago.
They've got pop and country and rap over there too - so why has metal grown to be so massive in popularity over there but never fully catches on here? I have opinions but I'd like to hear others' first. This is a discussion board, after all.
|
|
Metal-X
New Member
Culprits Unite \m/
Posts: 10
|
Post by Metal-X on Nov 30, 2011 0:25:21 GMT -5
I think it all has a lot to do with weather...
You see the weather over there sucks ass.. for the most part. The rest of the time it sucks dick. And that makes people rather pissed off, thus the natural draw to metal, not only in Europe but check the northern states in America!! See what I mean!! That's my theory anyways.
Seriously, I think it has a lot to do metal just being an outlet for people's emotions just like any other form of music. That combined with already established scenes, the need to people to conform to a group, and its an excuse to sneak a few punches in during a mosh and I think you got something going there.
|
|
|
Post by scsweat on Nov 30, 2011 19:06:27 GMT -5
I need to post a disclaimer before anybody reads this: I am *NOT* bashing Christianity or any other religion. I am *NOT* trying to dissuade anyone from believing the fundamentals of Christianity or any other religion. I'm just stating my observations. So please feel free to state your opinions, but be respectful.
I think Metal in America hasn't caught on because of the church. Not necessarily because the church itself is saying, "Heavy metal is the devil!" (even though they have done their fair share of that) but because this country has an ingrained sense of fear for anything that feels or sounds dark.
Think about it - metal was originating in the 70's and growing in popularity and influence in the 80's...That's also when the whole televangelism movement was at its most prominent. So while the genre was in its first stages of growth, and while metal fans were becoming more confident in their intrest in it, the evangelists on TV were preaching to everybody else about how everything that wasn't in a suit and tie with a clean-cut hair do was "The devil" and our poor, naive, parents and grandparents bought it hook, line, and sinker.
I think that now, three decades later, the slightly over-enthusiastic televangelist crowd has dropped off but the sentiment remains. Christian or not, if you play our music for most 40 to 60 year olds, they're going to say, "That sounds like the DEVIL!" Not because they believe that we're summoning the devil, but because that misled fear of anything dark is their default setting.
To sum all that up, Americans, as a general rule, can't think for themselves so the first generation was told by the church that anything different was to be feared - the following generation is too scared to question the first generation.
Meanwhile in Europe, most countries have already labeled themselves "Post Christian" or "Post Religion." I am in no way saying that people should forsake religion, but I think metal caught on such a large scale because the devil wasn't everybody's "Boogie man" and people couldn't blame satan for every little thing that came along that was different.
I tried to keep this post concise....I failed.
|
|
|
Post by synap2012 on Dec 2, 2011 11:50:41 GMT -5
Funny though, The Christian Metal scene in the states is HUGE! Very Lucrative! Packed Shows! Its great to see the most violent bands play at a church and the kids are fucking kicking peoples faces in, in church, its great, hahaha, police, drugs and everything at these shows. Book a christian metal tour through the southern states and watch them vomit tons of money on you!
21+ scene in the states blows donkey balls 18+ scene isnt much better It must be all ages with alcohol if you want to be lucrative in the states
I look forward to get over in Europe, for their metal scenes are more brutal!
|
|
|
Post by medic1 on Dec 3, 2011 16:49:03 GMT -5
Well... european metal has a few things on american metal. Easily Digestable, Prominent melody lines, standard time signatures that can be broken down to 4/4 at the bottom, and a radio networking system that supports the genrea. Think about it... the average American listens to their choice of music in the car.... in the car you want to do a few things... one of them is sing along with the cd that you currently have cranked.
If the lyrics are not easily digestible (I.E. A cartoon is easily digestible due to it's simplicity) People won't want to listen to it on a regular basis (Thats main stream)
If your target audience is purely metal heads, you better hope your shit is heavy enough and interesting enough and caters to the criterea that those individuals grew up on. Alot of the new metal heads out there grew up listening to the same stuff... Metallica, Death, Megadeath, Arch Enemy, Pantera, and a slew of other un-mentioned bands in the early days of our chosen genre. (There's a TON!)
we can place the blame all we want on other people, but quite simply as a musician I personally want to cater to what that person wants to hear within my scope of artistic validity.
"The hardest thing about being a musician is making your music commercially viable yet artistically valid"
SO really the only people we have to blame for a failing scene is ourselves, the mainstream doesn't want to hear in-audible vocals, they want to sing along with powerful vocals powerful guitar work, drumming, and bitching guitar solo's!
all of this of course is just my opinion.
|
|
|
Post by medic1 on Dec 3, 2011 17:27:13 GMT -5
Correction on the 4/4 business i was basically trying to state that the music can be broken down to time signatures that are easily understood by the human brain..
|
|
|
Post by Heralds of the Sword on Dec 5, 2011 2:08:46 GMT -5
Well said medic1. That is a solid opinion no doubt and really gets to the roots of the comment from the OP. Lots of inspiration should come from European Metal because its obvious they continue to do something right. Lerador www.heraldsofthesword.com
|
|