Where did Metal leave off?

[Werewolf]

Did this really happen? What I heard from people was mostly disappointment with the ARE YOU TALKIN TO ME? riffs on the first few tracks. Considering Frost's screwup with ambient and female vocals on their last few releases, I wouldn't blame them if they did.

I'm not sure I buy the Immortal argument. We should all regress by twenty years and re-make Judas Priest albums?

I hear from two groups on metal. One thinks the diehards are a problem, another thinks the outside influences are a problem. Neither is addressing the root of the issue, which is that metal bands today are imitating either past or other genres, but no one is focused on getting the content correct.

Was Immortal re-making Judas Priest albums? Forgive me, but I never thought that Immortal sounded like Judas Priest, or was really similar to them at all. Please explain. I have only heard Pure Holocaust.

Anyway, what I meant was that Immortal's approach to making black metal was one that had not yet been played out, and could be explored further.

You mention that content is lacking. Do you mean musical ideas (in terms of structural and melodic integrity), ideological content, or a successful fusion of both of those?

[Necrolust]

The realization of Immortal's realm of "technical BM"... look no further than Averse Sefira. Also, clatterblast bands like Antaeus, Funeral Mist, et al. Maybe Watain too.

"Content" here means musical significance. Not just belting out tremolos, blastbeats and rasps with nothing to say; actual communication of ideals represented in narrative musical form.

[FIAT]

Blizzard Beasts!, Hate!, Nespithe!: these are all albums which have left dormant fruits, still waiting for the necessary environmental conditions to ripen and birth a new generation.

However, while most are looking for a new aesthetic direction, this is not what is necessary. What has been learned? What patterns do we see? What data can we synthesize?

Production has been more or less perfected if we are to retain the standard collage of instruments used in metal. Technical proficiency has peaked. The forms are understood and have been ingrained in the consciousness of any would-be metal aspirant.

We now stand on the shoulders of giants.

Are we to succumb to Zarathustra's dwarf, the spirit of gravity--the Hindu tamas, the Muslim nafs, the Christian Satan--and rise to heights only to be blinded by the sun of the sight that lay before us?--or may we truly become the loneliest, as only he can be that has the courage to slay--to slay his ego and laugh as a man does who is man no more?

We hear the laughter. Is it directed at us?--or is it we who laugh?

[born for banning]

I think metal needs a general rebuilding.

It needs someone to translate the vestiges of its 1980s-era ideology into this time. I think ANUS is the best option.

It needs some renovation of technique as well, to push aside years of verse-chorus and other noise.

It also needs this crowd of idiots who are imitating bad imitations to die, or move on to emo, which is where they belong.

[antithetikal]

Many bands explored possible paths for metal to follow in the future. But I don't see many bands following into it. Maybe because isn't trendy at all.
For instance, bands like Burzum and Summoning have been exploring different ways to compose metal. Now how many bands exploring those venues do we see? not many. Obviously leaving aside the few bands that firmly believe that by plugging their guitar directly to their computer, using Fruityloops and screaming like little girls, already got the "Burzum" sound.
We aren't even speaking about sound here. But ways to compose. Most bands nowadays got a tendency to go fast. Where funeral doom bands like Winter, Disembowelment and Skepticism could demonstrate that brutality can be reached with slow melodies. All resides in the mood.

Someone a couple of post ago said something about industrial music. Well, it's true, Industrial music is too urban. But, electronic music haven't been fully explored within the metal realms. And I'm not talking about adding a couple of Techno sounds and make it sound harsh and there you go, new hit. No, I'm talking about how sounds can be manipulated using synthesizers. Then a whole new world is open wide.
New recoding methods? crazy things as distorting the sound of drums? Adding effects to it? make it more psychedelic? Less accessible  for those who are merely looking for some adrenaline rush.
These are the few possibilities I see. After all we are in a post-modern world. And the romantic vision of a glorious past brought by Black Metal can no longer co-exist with the post-modern world we live in. Only
by embracing new technologies and injecting its ideals will metal be able to survive and give birth to a new generation of bands.

[Svmmoned]

We aren't even speaking about sound here. But ways to compose. Most bands nowadays got a tendency to go fast. Where funeral doom bands like Winter, Disembowelment and Skepticism could demonstrate that brutality can be reached with slow melodies. All resides in the mood.

I wouldn't go further than Asphyx on that field. MANY of doom/funeral/drone bands resembles hard rock or indie/alternative in technique rather than metal. They are structured like Black Sabbath or Melvins. This genre was originally asociated with England (which is since grind innovation very weak in creating extreme metal, spoiled by 70's nostalgia and punk mentality; it seems like they don't understand metal because they were good in thrash or death only when influenced by foreign factors) or certain scenes in U.S. like Seattle which are entirely different realms than metal.

There was similar thread: two genres of metal

[antithetikal]

I don't see the link between Disembowelment and Indie  or even Alternative that you just mentioned.
I was talking about Funeral Doom/Death bands, simply, among others.

[Arctic Sun]

I find it troubling to think of metal as having been discontinued at some point along a definite path.  In fact, I think that line of reasoning is one of the major problems with the art form since it implies a kind of linearization.  Where's the spiritual liberation in that?  Where's the imagination?

It's strange that people are willing to admit that the current state of metal shares a likeness to that of a dysfunctional assembly line, but still insist on looking down its rubber belt.  (Not to mention the pre-packaged angst reserved for anything that offers a few new ideas, but is not perfect.)

As far as the subject goes: excellent metal wasn't a pre-conceived product when it left off.  It wasn't concerned with a scene, but rather with making a statement that could invoke a feeling that, perhaps, might even lead to further action.  There's really no definate formula to recreate that kind of outlook.

[antithetikal]

The main problem is the self limitation that bands/musicians impose themselves when making music. they simply 'wanna' make the same music and 'sound' the same. I'm sure they even bring a fetish album to the recording studio and tell the engineer: 'Hey man, we wanna sound like this X band ya' know?'
That's the problem... Not many are exploring new venues that might eventually lead to new a new 'style' ( I hate the word style, it categorizes and I simply dislike that idea, but couldn't find a better word for it at the moment).
The most important thing is to explore with no boundaries so creativity can speak out loud and bring a concept/ideology to the light...

At least, that's how I see it, but in practice it is much more difficult that that.

[esoteric]

It's strange that people are willing to admit that the current state of metal shares a likeness to that of a dysfunctional assembly line, but still insist on looking down its rubber belt.  (Not to mention the pre-packaged angst reserved for anything that offers a few new ideas, but is not perfect.)

Actually, I would think metal depends on a dysfunctional assembly line. As soon as society corrects itself, there will be no reason to be frustrated enough to create rebellious and confrontational music. It would be like in ancient times playing war songs at a festive banquet.

[kontinual]

I find it troubling to think of metal as having been discontinued at some point along a definite path.  In fact, I think that line of reasoning is one of the major problems with the art form since it implies a kind of linearization.  Where's the spiritual liberation in that?  Where's the imagination?

The focus seems to be on what ideas have been planted in the past that have yet to germinate, not on the idea of "metal" as a whole suddenly losing creative drive somewhere in linear time.  

[Nile577]

At an album-by-album level, the "career path" of Deathspell Omega is very similar to that of Gorguts.

I think Si Monumentum is quite interesting. I enjoy listening to it.

[born for banning]

It would be like in ancient times playing war songs at a festive banquet.

Most of the great epic poems were war songs.

Like metal, they also included other emotions. Is "Pure Holocaust" entirely about war? It is warlike, but not limited in that way.

[MLK]

interesting as you mentioned industrial and both of these are influenced by industrial and ambient music. though usually industrial tends to be very urban, hopeless and fatalistic territory..

see track "parasite": www.myspace.com/programmedcelldeath
When you take out the rockish elments, industrial metal basically becomes Kraftwerk on guitars. Its an interesting basis for building upon, has its limitations (phrase) but also has room for scope in other ways, particularly for building up multiple rhythmic and melodic layers. This is essentially how  Summoning work.

Blizzard Beasts!, Hate!, Nespithe!: these are all albums which have left dormant fruits, still waiting for the necessary environmental conditions to ripen and birth a new generation.  

This is interesting. Whilst its nothing "new", these albums do represent some of the most refined developments in the underlying riff-logic of metal and therefore are a good place to start for the continuation ofmetal's uniquely phrasal nature.

[Werewolf]

I've just listened to a little bit of Cryptopsy, and now I wonder -- what about these "Hyperblast" bands that came out of Canada in the early 90s ? Surely there's something here that's yet to come to fruition.