Scene

[aquarius]

There’s a scene out there somewhere, far, far away from here, where failure just isn't an option. Not because the fans can’t tell shit from gold, or because they’ll find and beat you for not consistently producing gold, but because you would rather commit ritual suicide out of sheer humiliation. That’s just how it is. Consequently, every album that was released after Hvis lyset tar oss was forced to raise that bar just a little bit more, hard as it might have been. But it was preferable to either wimping out or dying. And just think of all the great music! 

[hell]

is supposed to call him this lifestyle until go into the maw of consumerism, therefore, requires more and more quality, musically and artistically speaking, the passion stay out, stay out feeling.

I know many who are here (in Metal) for aesthetics, not for passion.
 

[Annihilation]

Sounds like that "Sunbather" album.

[aquarius]

We're talking about strength here, not weakness.

[Annihilation]

Scenes (a vile word), like civilizations, aesthetics, etc. are like everything else in the physical world - conditioned, and fleeting.

[aquarius]

Perhaps 'anti-scene' is the more appropriate word. Anyway you do know what I mean don't you? A lot of bands just don't seem to be trying anymore, like not breaking new ground is the new 'new ground' (or something like that).

[dead last]

Perhaps 'anti-scene' is the more appropriate word. Anyway you do know what I mean don't you? A lot of bands just don't seem to be trying anymore, like not breaking new ground is the new 'new ground' (or something like that).

Ha, that is an apt way to put it.

I could think that these "throwback" (choose your own pejorative term) bands are actually trying to get somewhere, but they've seen other bands before them run into so many dead ends, what with metal-core, post-metal and blackened-such-and-such or revivalist thrash. Some may be retreating to the stylistic limitations in which they perceive a safety zone, more or less giving up on pushing the style forward, instead attempting to refine their sound within those limitations. Others may be moving back into those limitations with the intent of following a yet-unexplored branch, trying to proceed from a purer perspective, rather than continue to progress by mutation (fusion of concrete genre memes).

Don't know if this is really the case, maybe I'm just being devil's advocate.

[Annihilation]

Perhaps 'anti-scene' is the more appropriate word. Anyway you do know what I mean don't you? A lot of bands just don't seem to be trying anymore, like not breaking new ground is the new 'new ground' (or something like that).

Yes. Idealizing is fine, and you're an exceptional writer. But, we all know where metal's at, and why it's there. How do we effect the genre for the better?

[aquarius]

It’s just that the early 90s bands where able to create something completely new and exciting just by learning well, then trying to magnify and enhance elements of the bands they wanted to pay homage to. It was new but still old in a way. The bands that came after them are just plain old derivative. Surely, it’s not that hard pick a basic concept and flog it for what it’s worth.

“Let’s make music that sounds like Slayer, only ten times faster!”

or

“Let’s create melodies that sound so dark they make Darkthone sound happy”