Conference napalm::heavy_metal

    
        I like the synth guitars that Judas Priest uses now ... I
        think it's a step in the right direction for starters.
    
        But now that they've used 'em for 3 albums, they've gotta
        think of something else ... maybe synth bass?
    
                                                       GTI

I'm not sure I agree with the assessment in .0. I think HM has grown more
in the past couple of years than at any other time in it's history. For
the longest time, HM was plodding, blues-based riffs with loud distorted
guitars, and wailing vocalists (you know what I mean, so don't get on my
case). 

Suddenly, the in the early- and mid-eighties, all sorts of newer types of
metal started appearing. After being stagnant for 15 years, metal started
to branch out. Now we have the classical influence (Malmsteen, et al),
jazz influence (Satriani), punk/hardcore influence (speed metal), 
pop/Top 40 influence (Bon Jovi, Dokken, etc) and still the blues-based
influence (Whitesnake, etc.).

It seems to me that metal is in more mass marketing, gets more airplay,
sells more records, and is healthier than at any time than in its past!

cat

    re: .2
    
    Shame they don't do music either .............................
    
    
    
    				Mr Scary II

    I agree with Alan. There are loads of new guitar sounds around now,
    particularily on tracks like Wild Side by Motley Crue and the new
    Scorpions album. You cannot compare that many bands these days,
    there is too much variation. It all depends on what your preference
    is. Metal is becoming more melodic in my opinion.
    
    I certainly dont think that heavy metal is becoming repeatative,
    the words i would use are Structured/Complex eg Queensryche, Metallica.
                                                     
    Bands are not just laying down 10 tracks and then releasing an album
    every year, they seem to be taking more time over mixing and so
    on, releasing when they are ready not just to please the fans on
    a regular basis. They seem to be thinking about the contents these
    days, am i making sense, am i saying what i mean???? who knows..!!
    
    Prince Of The Dawn.

    
    re .4 & .6
    
    now boize

    
    		I like the Idea of H.M. being more commerialized.
    It means I don't have to Go out of my way to find an album, or
    books on a group, or even sheet music for that matter. 
    
    	I remember a time when the local store wouldn't even stock 
    metal tapes. Now I can go there and find any of them, even the old
    ones and sometimes boots. 
    
    		Bands have a wider choice of the types of music they
    want to put out to. When before just recently have alot of metal
    bands put ballads on their albums. I haven't heard many since
    Love hurts, and that one by Kiss......
    
    	We are growing, GETTING STONGER, and no one can stop it!!!
    
    
    		Spreading the Disease if you will P.C.
    
    				Us Ludwig players got to stick together
    						you know!!8^)
    
    		Pea on the P.M.R.C!!	
    					
    				You guys got me started!!		
    					
    					The_Frank_Monster!

          
    
    Yo Scary 'n Cookster rap it PLEASE !!!! :-)  ( <--- note )        
          
    What about the rip off bands (eg, White Lion etc..) that seem to
    be springing up left right and centre - THEY are the majority who
    are getting the airplay.  All the deserving stuff seems to be riding
    back seat to all this clone other stuff.
          
    Thoughts, comments, tomatoes etc..
          
    -Tony 

>                              All the deserving stuff seems to be riding
>    back seat to all this clone other stuff.

True, but I accept that White Lion will sell a million copies, if it means
that guys like Satriani and Anthrax get major label deals and are available
to people everywhere. Let's face it - it's a business! But if pop/metal
success means that more record companies will take a chance on other
types of metal, so be it!

cat

    
    I've been listening to heavy rock/metal/speed/thrash since the early
    seventies and it still keeps me interested.Sure there have been
    clones all along the way but the great thing is that every now and
    then something new does come along and everyone heads off in another
    direction for a while.
    I basically like guitar based music and metal is one of the best
    forms of this art without becoming too self indulgent(I'm referring
    to jazz) .
    There have been some great trends in the music though,the hendrix
    years,zep,purple,southern boogie,speed,thrash,guitar heroes,aerosmith,
    glam,prog rock etc.............
    stay with the music something new will soon come along.
    
    steve.
     

    
    
    re -1 �  stay with the music something new will soon come along.
             
    Believe U me, my music tastes are going NOWHERE !!!!!!!!!

    
    
    
    	I think it's the conference not the music!   
    
    
    

    Surely there's got to be something metal-related to talk about !!!
    Even though right now I'm drawing a blank ....
    
    
    				Mr Scary II

    	I have to agree with .0, metal is sickening, excuse me, hard rock.
    Metal is metal, and most metal bands are different.  It's all of the
    new hard rock bands that are really the culprits for su*king!  Look at
    some of the new bands to come out lately, and keep in mind that now,
    it's not only sound but looks!
    	Warrant, Dangerous Toys, White Lion, etc... The list goes on and
    on.  Most of the bands on MTV's Top 20 or Top 15 are these copy cat
    rock bands.  They have the same sound and the same look as previous
    '80s hard rock bands.  However, most of these bands are not good at
    all.  They're just poor rip-offs.
    	I think it's great that metal/hard rock is getting so much
    attention now, but all the attention is aimed in the wrong places. 
    Let's get the dignity and skill back into metal/rock!  Stop the bad
    look-alikes!
    
    				Steve - "I'm a Sun King Baby!"

    Let's face it.......who really cares anyway ?
    
    Everyone's got different tastes.
    If someone "sounds" like somebody elase, does it matter ? If they
    rip-off a theme/lyrics, then I'm sure the bands/record Companies
    will be down on them like a ton of bricks.
    
    Live and let live ?
    
    De Bono's Thinking Course 

     re.16
    
      Who cares - I do!

    
    Only thing that I really get irritated by is the "Formula Rock"!  No 
    one really seems to want to expand their music but "stick to what sells!"
    Robert Plant's new album is drastically different than Zen and Zen was
    extremely popular!  Extreme respect for this guy!  Is it like throwing
    in a different beat on a dance music?  People get confused when rockers
    throw in different formula?  Why not stick the old record on again
    instead of spending money on the "new album"?
    
    And alot of this AND the rip-off is the record company's fault, IMHO.
    "Wow, GNR sold millions for our competitor, we need to sign someone 
    who sounds just like them and tap into these people's taste!"  Look
    what happened when Motley Crue first got big!  Every record company 
    rushed out to L.A. to sign CR sound alikes!  It's sad but true but
    we're all just guinnea pigs for the record producers and the name of
    the game is "MARKETTING".  I just call it SICKENING.
    
    Of course, this is all speculation and IMHO.
    
    J.

          
    There are only a few bands who are trying to be different, like Guns
    N' Roses (they *were* different, they're just being copied left right
    and centre now), Faith No More, Mordred and Salty Dog to name a
    few.              
          
    I find there is so much metal about now that I have to be real picky
    about what I listen to - sort of like what food you choose to eat
    to suit you diet.
                     
    -Tone 

    >I find there is so much metal about now that I have to be real picky
    >about what I listen to - sort of like what food you choose to eat
    >to suit you diet.
    
    I agree, Tony.  It's so hard to tell what you're going to enjoy and
    what's going to put you off.  And with the price of recorded music
    being so high...what can you do?
    
    Greg (who doesn't buy much new music these days)

    I was browsing thru the conference and stumbled upon this note.  It's
    funny but I've been feeling a lot of the same feelings that Tony wrote
    about in here months ago.
    
    Is there anything left to do under Heavy Metal?  Who out there (i.e.,
    bands) is breathing some fresh air into HM?  
    
    Mike

    
    	I think the "combination of styles" bands like Scatterbrain
    	and Faith No More [notice I left out RHCP?  8^)] that will
    	be the stand-outs, IMO.
    
    	Combining metal with rap/funk, classical, etc., is the only
    	newish idea that I've seen for a long time.
    
    							GTI
    

    re.22
    yeah, but this RHCP sampling will get tired this year, everyone's
    doing it.

    
    POISON - WARRANT - TUFF
    
    (sounds repetitve to me :)
    
    
    
    Chris

    
    
    	And every death metal album!

    
    And all the Jamaican bongo , super coconut slap dancin' music.
    
    
    

    Ahh, but dat is good music mon!  smoke some gangee and feel de beat...
    
    *8^)

    
    'pril, we GOTTA get together some time 8*)

    
    gangee huh?   :')  I don't think DECspell would have the proper
    spelling of that one though .....
    
    

    Heavy Metal GETTING repetitive?  

    
    I see your point but the topic was started at the point where a million
    Posuer ande thrash metal bands joined the scene...
    
    
    
    Chris/HMBP-RF-TOSA

    Actually, I still have the same opinion about metal.
    
    For the most part, its all the same.

    >>Actually, I still have the same opinion about metal.
    
    Yea, you like it cuz without it we wouldn't have cars.

    erf,erf!

    
    DOn't get me wrong, I love metal, but it *is* repetative.

    .0
    
    Well, four years on and I'm still here, can't be *that* bad!!

    Tony, 
    
    Did you note the discussion in 877.* more recently?  Interestingly
    enough, it's very similar to the discussion here (but a little more
    specific).  I'd forgotten about this note...
    
    Gh