40 thoughts on “The hipster invasion of heavy metal”

  1. MetalMetal says:

    more than traitors, I’d call them fakes.

    1. OFFENDED HIPSTER says:

      YOU ARE THE FAKE ! ! !

  2. Ori says:

    I’m sorry but in my opinion this article is bullshit. I myself am not a fan of Deafheaven per say, but bands who have been bashed to death like Liturgy (who’s leader I will admit is an absolute douche) did bring something new to the table mixing optimistic major melodies with extreme metal tremolo picking. You’re complaining about Deafheaven for making metal mainstream or I guess making metal a bit more accessible (I guess) but it’s very obvious that metal is very much in the mainstream and has been for years. That’s neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Good music is good music- metal, pop, or Mongolian throat singing and caging metal just like any genre is idiotic. There’s no need to police any borders- mostly because they barely existed 20 years ago and don’t exist at all today- and I for one am happy for that.

    1. eman says:

      I’m sorry but your opinion is bullshit.

      I laid a turd on my breakfast table this morning, right next to the bacon and eggs. My wife said, “What the hell is that?!” And I said, “Something new.” Liturgy did the same thing.

      “Good music is good music”? Do you know what a tautology is?

      Good music is not metal. Some of us would rather hear metal than what is considered “good music”. That is why borders will continue to be policed, regardless of how happy or unhappy this will make you.

      1. Seth says:

        HAHAhaha I don’t know what a tautology is but I love your shit and eggs analogy.

      2. Robert says:

        Lol, Liturgy is shit on the breakfast table indeed. A substitute for the bagels maybe.

      3. Ori says:

        You have chosen to instead of actually referring to anything my comment said, to just make a retarded rain dance around the fact I actually like Liturgy :O (oh noooooooo), really makes me understand how much you were missing the point. When I say “good music is good music” I mean to say you care way too much about what metal is or isn’t. The fact that you were trying to show me that your some sort of incredible rebel “fighting the good fight for metal!”(“That is why borders will continue to be policed, regardless of how happy or unhappy this will make you.” oh boyyyyyyy) just kind of shows that you live in some sort of dream army where you literally (as Manowar might often say) “Die for metal”. It’s fucking music, that’s it. Just enjoy it, or not. It doesn’t matter, there’s just nothing to fight about here.

        1. Lord Mosher says:

          Typical retard that only enjoys post 1995 “metal” and thinks everything that came before it’s okay but not for me thanks. It’s just music so don’t judge me for being a moron. I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the classic albums and the irrelevant ones, and even if I could, I’d still enjoy Liturgy uber alles. Ok… hold on… one frappucino to go please…

        2. Wild says:

          If there’s nothing to fight about, why are you here trying to convince us metal means nothing?

          Clearly there is something threatening your worldview.

          1. Ori says:

            Threatening my world view? This all just discussion after all :) . I’ll be okay. It interests me to see how I can listen to bands who can be considered as very much in the metal kvlt whatever camp and at the same time listen to things the metal community have raped with criticism and not really feel like I’m sinning against the holy metal church. They aren’t judging the music as much as they are the judging fact that Deafheaven are breaching a community which doesn’t really exist. This article isn’t so much about not liking Deafheaven’s music as much as it is about one scene invading another scene. I just don’t really see what they’re talking about- there is no particular scene frankly. Metal today is as varied as any other genre. It’s OK to have things be kind of metal, kind of screamo/emo if we take Deafheaven as an example. I just don’t see why people can’t cope with other people calling Deafheaven black metal- or transcendental meta-physical progressive post-black metal it all really just amounts to whether you like the music or not. I don’t mind people not liking (nay, despising) Liturgy’s music and criticizing it publicly- you’re opinion bruh bruh, I just see a lot of criticism that isn’t more than skin deep- something I feel to be a bit of a shame, it can distance people from music they might actually like.

            1. fenrir says:

              I think you confuse “having a standard” with ridiculous “kvlt” fanatism that borders on actual hipsterism as well. While we consider Deafheaven hipster for the way it attempts to seem Metal while it is not in essence, the main criticism (and this is something apart) is that it is just poorly composed music.

              No, contrary to what you think there IS a standard of what constitutes refined music writing and it is not “Metal elitism” only. There is a whole musical discipline built around it and they even teach it in universities as the classical music discipline. Apart from that this website attempts to further specify a standard that extends to Metal and tries find a philosophical position in relation to how the music is built. So you can believe whatever you want and yes, anything we say is merely “our opinion” but our opinion is actually subject to a standard we decide to apply, instead of adhering to the chaos most people apply of “liking whatever they feel like if it makes them feel good”. Think about it, would you apply that thinking to anything else in your life? Eating habits? reading habits?

              That being said, the position and standard chosen by this website is not chosen simply based on someone’s “feeling”. You should have that very present before talking so much shit. It is a sincere attempt at having a center to actually find what is good in the middle of an ocean of mediocrity.

            2. fenrir says:

              Also
              “I just don’t see why people can’t cope with other people calling Deafheaven black metal- or transcendental meta-physical progressive post-black metal it all really just amounts to whether you like the music or not. ”

              Well, would it bother you if people started calling pizza “hamburgers”? at the end what matters is if you like the food or not.
              Don’t be ridiculous, naming conventions apply for their usefulness, if we just call anything we like anyway we want it then it just becomes completely meaningless.

            3. eman says:

              That’s cool.

              You can also have Dali and Monet hanging all over your house, but spend most of your time looking at Family Circus cartoons. That doesn’t mean that your understanding and capacity for open-mindedness is so vast that you can see truth and beauty anywhere you turn your head. It just means you have low (or no) standards.

              Some people pursue more in life than self-gratification and amusement. That is why some people would say that Deafheaven sucks. It amuses and gratifies, but that is all.

              1. Ori says:

                “There is a whole musical discipline built around it and they even teach it in universities as the classical music discipline.”

                I have to manically disagree with you here. I don’t see the point that you have here- so there’s a standard for musical composition which constitutes whether you consider the music good or not? Isn’t this something metal would’ve tried to stray from all along. Well not stray as much as not really give a fuck?

                Regarding the “genre tags”. This isn’t food- it’s just music. If you call “rat poison”… “pizza” (yeah let’s disregard the fact that pizza looks nothing like rat poison) you can possibly kill a few people. If you call a “indie band” a “brutal death metal” band nobody will die, you just might be a bit disappointed, and not even necessarily that if you like the music anyway.

                As I said, I don’t mind criticism of Deafheaven’s music (I don’t really like them that much in the first place!), I just feel that in this article’s case, the writer fails to give more sound criticism other than the fact that “Deafhaven has more in common with emo and indie rock than it ever will in metal” and even more ridiculously he thinks this to be some sort of hipster military coup: “we want the traitors out.”

                1. Ori says:

                  @ Lord Mosher – frappucinos are delicious and I usually ingest them while slowly stroking and goggling at my Neutral Milk Hotel vynil collection.

                2. fenrir says:

                  I agree with you on the fact that I also think that the emphasis of this article is a little misguided. Although we should make it clear we do not consider this to be Metal, the emphasis should be on the quality of the music itself.

                  No,no, the standard does not say if music is good or not. But through centuries… actually millenia of experimenting, a standard for music has been developed. Developed by those who paid the closest attention and devotion to it while at the same time making the most trascendental music.
                  As Nadia Boulanger said:”To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must break them. “.
                  First it should be stated that there is a lot more to music learning than just scales, chords and keys (as modern bands seem to think). Secondly, studying music, and almost any art a deeper appreciation of it is needed. Music almost always is about life, something in life, a reflection or appreciation of life, from the writer’s point of view.

                  This is not unlike literature.
                  Many millions adore the Twilight saga. A glimpse at its first few pages convinces an experienced reader of universal literature that this is, in fact, a piece of shit. I wonder why people are so scared to do the same with music.

                  Please do not say “this is JUST Music” again. If that is what you think. Then we may as well stop this conversation as your appreciation of art goes nowhere beyond superficial enjoyment.

                  1. Ori says:

                    yep… I guess I just like it when guitars go chugga chug chug…

                    1. fenrir says:

                      Think about it first. Answer when you aren’t tired, man.

                  2. Ori says:

                    Deeper appreciation doesn’t necessarily come from studying music from an academic pov. I think we can both agree on that. Also, viewing music as entertainment doesn’t necessarily make the enjoyment of it superficial. Entertainment isn’t necessarily brainless- something we can both probably agree on. And finally- not taking music with overt seriousness doesn’t mean it can’t be just as profound, interesting and life-changing. It can also be taken with a dose of sense of humor and just calmer rationality and pragmatism.

                    1. Lord Mosher says:

                      “Deeper appreciation doesn’t necessarily come from studying music from an academic pov”
                      .
                      People are not equal. Reality, truth and meaning reveals unequally and in different degrees of depthness to different individuals. That’s why some people can anticipate the consequences of peoples’ actions that would take decades to manifest in a society before becoming evident to everyone.
                      .
                      Some individuals are bright, others are incredibly intelligent, others possess an exceptional emotional/spiritual awareness. These are the few. Some of these people were Metal composers, some metal fans and others are now Metal historians or writers.
                      For those who are able to tell who these people are/were and opt to preserve their legacy, there will always be a right path or a correct way of doing things: a high standard.
                      .
                      You can only love that which you consider the highest approximation to truth or beauty.
                      .
                      Those who are able to see this will follow. Those are the ones who know that Metal is not about a scene. It is about a Spirit. You either have it or you don’t.
                      .
                      Expect people to notice if you don’t and call you a fucking faggot poser!

                3. eman says:

                  “If you call a “indie band” a “brutal death metal” band nobody will die”

                  Not if I have anything to say about it. TROO METAL 4 LYFE.

  3. moosetips says:

    I don’t understand the elitist ideals regarding Deafheaven. What happened to the encouraging of something unique? If you don’t consider them metal, A Day To Remember, Black Veil Brides, Letlive, I See Stars, Asking Alexandria and every band similar to any of these should be the absolute bane of this genre. I think Deafheaven is great. They have written a beautiful piece of music with Sunbather. If you can’t see that, maybe you should reevaluate your ideals regarding music altogether.

    1. trystero says:

      It isnt unique at all though. Not even mentioning that novelty in itself is nothing special, Deafhaven just takes established elements of non-metal genres and makes `metal` out of them. It is obfuscation, trickery, nothing more. The way to tell is that it is devoid of artistry, absolutely empty music. Something beautiful? Something pitiful perhaps.

      Every complaint that rankles is elitist though isnt it? Any standard is elitist. If what Deafhaven made was a worthy artistic statement, we would be all over it like hitchcock over foie gras.

      It isnt just that Deafhaven adds outside elements to metal, it is that it makes non-metal music, calls it metal, then puts on airs as if something of importance has occured. Your view is entirely superficial.

  4. Wolfie says:

    Umm that pic isn’t a hipster that’s a young Joseph Stalin,he might of been a hipster but I doubt it.

    1. shoko asahara says:

      definite hipster.

  5. Scott Murphy says:

    It’s Deafheaven; you should probably know the name of bands you’re going to criticize.

    1. Robert says:

      Incorrect spelling doesn’t change the fact that they’re hipster douchebags attempting to play metal. I think we all get the point here. Death to emo rock disguised as metal.

  6. glorious spikedfist says:

    nicely written. Shame we have to center on bands like Deafheaven to get a point across, there is nothing metal to do with them. Even playing metal is now so passe many people have given up adding to the cause and lamenting dead ideals in the face of popular abnormality. The point isn’t to ignore what rides the pop fence, but to crush it, negatively and as a whole, against all of these which call themselves underground metal.

  7. paul says:

    I have a question:

    If these ‘unmetal’ Metal bands did not call themselves Metal, were not considered by the music press as Metal, did not tour with Metal bands, and were not signed to Metal or underground labels but instead pop music labels, would there even be any reason to rail against them? Excluding perhaps a context of blanket poo-pooing of pop music in general?

    1. Richard Head says:

      No. This should be obvious. The writers are clearly taking issue with the bands’ involvement in the metal world. Do you see any bands completely dissociated with metal being ripped on here? No, you don’t.

    2. trystero says:

      There would be complaints againsts them, but there would be no need to discuss them on this metal website.

  8. Street Walker says:

    Not all posers look like posers, just because someone wears denim and leather doesn’t make them legit, and just because I listen to non metal bands doesn’t mean I think that they’re metal. Picking on bands like deafheaven for not being metal is like picking on a retard. If a hipster is trying to approach you then punch him until he leaves you alone, but if a hipster isn’t doing anything to you then don’t worry about it, we can’t kill them all.

    1. Robert says:

      “we can’t kill them all.”

      Hopefully that will change in the near future.

  9. Islander says:

    Thanks for mentioning my little post, though the comments I received on it at our site are more intelligent and enlightening than what I wrote. :)

  10. only Dead's depression and suicide is real (Deafheaven is false emo) says:

    The facts:

    Deafheaven = band that lives together in an efficiency (poverty) = honestly depressed hipsters playing “black metal” (actually screamo) for popularity = their lyrical content suggests mundane reasons for depression (“girl has a big house and I don’t, boohoo”), meaning they’re easily depressed.

    My hypothesis:

    poverty + waning popularity of “black” shoegaze = Deafheaven will lose fan base, get sad, and commit suicide. Party at my place (I’ll buy the booze and prostitutes).

  11. happy says:

    Hipster wants to be and is excepted as a norm in society. It’s a style or fashion without a statement. It’s a taco bell commercial,a hot topic, an urban outfitters. It does not know what it’s doing, it saw a picture in a girls magazine and found out where to purchase the look. Its what fashion did to grunge and has started that up again. Hipster is doing nothing all day long, maybe its nails.

    Hipster is a uniform that fits into societies fabric. Big eyeglasses hair shaved in spots, facial hair, all adds up to someone you see bagging groceries. It’s a polished look. Managment will not send hipster home for it’s boring expression. Hipster won’t lose job showing up looking the way it does. Hipster flipped its bangs, but didn’t get that the image is hollow. Hipster is the common everyday man.

  12. sad says:

    This is the first comment you see on Deafheaven’s Sunbather youtube video:

    Cody Qiu via Google+
    5 days ago (edited)

    My top 10 songs of the year:
    10. Justin Timberlake – Tunnel Vision
    9. Iceage – Ecstasy
    8. Nine Inch Nails – Various Methods of Escape
    7. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Magic That I Held You Prisoner
    6. Anamanaguchi – Bosozoku GF
    5. Flaming Lips – Sun Blows Up Today
    4. Sigur Ros – Kveikur
    3. Queens Of The Stone Age – I Appear Missing
    2. The Wonder Years – I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral
    1. Deafheaven – Sunbather

    Honorable Mentions:
    Haken – Pareidolia
    Gorguts – Forgotten Sands
    James Blake – Overgrown
    Boards of Canada – Jaquard Causeway
    Run The Jewels – Sea Legs
    Note that most of these songs are not singles. I never intended them to be.

    thatbennyguy
    3 days ago

    I like the variety in this list. You’ve managed to fit Sigur Ros, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Justin Timberlake and James Blake in one list. Congrats :)

    1. eman says:

      Anamanaguchi makes some sweet music.

  13. krautrock13 says:

    Then Noise music & Noise musicians are more REAL than all of the above. Hahaha!

  14. krautrock13 says:

    Try listening to the 50 cd set of Merzbow in one single sitting & see wjo’s more kvlt.

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