The Metallica of this Generation.

[88keys]

Metallica turned gay after the black album.

qft

Metal isn't really a thing anymore. It's a niche sound these days, or for old people.

/slightly-trolling-but-you-know-it's-kinda-true

Haters gonna hate, but there are very few bands to ever reach the level of popularity that Metallica did. I know some obscure critic thinks that so and so is way better because of this and that, but it doesn't matter because I forgot who you were talking about before I could finish reading.

Metallica wrote their best material in the 80's but they didn't gain mainstream success until the Black Album at which point they clearly dominated the 90's. Historically speaking, there aren't many other bands who are comparable to them in terms of success and influence. The most obvious that comes to mind would be Led Zeppelin.

Argue against it all you want, but they've more than earned their place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


As far as who carries the torch? I really don't know. The last decade has been horrible for rock and metal fans. I like some of Disturbed's material, but they are too repetitious and predictable and most of all way to processed. I have mixed views on Avenged Sevenfold. On one hand I think they're extremely talented and probably best musicians in this current generation. But I just can't get into the cookie monster vocals, and that just ruins it for me. I like Hail to the King, but I'm not sure if I like the singer.

System of a Down had promise, but they just can't get their shit together .

To be honest, I'm starting to think that Rock music and it's various incarnations has had it's day and there's nothing left to do that hasn't been done before. Everything today is commercialized processed garbage, and that's exactly what Rock music is not supposed to be IMO.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Linkin Park or Avenged Sevenfold would be the closest, I think. They still pale in comparison to the impact of early Metallica, but they're the closest.
Foo Fighters.....I dunno. You can't swing a cat without hitting Dave Grohl. They rock, but it feels like he's just the poster child for rock more than actual earth shaking impact.

Rock just isn't the main thing going these days. Rock On The Range is a pretty good sized festival. The main stage headliners for each of the three days are GnR, Avenged Sevenfold, and Kid Rock.
Compare that to the '91 Monsters Of Rock Tour....AC/DC, Metallica, Motley Crue, Pantera, Queensryche, and The Black Crowes.

Bingo.

Linkin Park.

Not my favorite, but it's mmmkay.

 

[SP33Demon]

I would agree with Machinehead being up there if you ignore everything before Through the Ashes of Empires, but yea, they aren't THAT popular...

but then...Metallica wasn't exactly popular either until the Black album. At that point they retroactively got popular.

Not a big fan of Avenged but I actually really like the Hail to the King (song) due to it's 80's vibe. The rest of the album is very meh.

I'm a big Killswitch Engage fan, but I think they fall in the same category as many others listed where many can take or leave them.

Machine Head has had hits on every album up to The Blackening, but yeah agree that despite the hits, the albums as a whole sucked, especially where they were forced by the label to switch to rap rock/nu metal (The Burning Red, Supercharger). It's impressive that MH survived through the shitty eras like rap rock and nu metal and still had hits.

Hits from earlier albums that are canon (and played at most MH concerts even today). With my rating after them.

1994 debut album Burn My Eyes, "Davidian", 10/10:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mWPPBW4DU8
1997 The More Things Change, "Ten Ton Hammer", 10 Tons/10:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjl5AKpsDoU
1999 The Burning Red "The Blood The Sweat The Tears", 8/10:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXwB9cY9Zo
2001 Supercharger, "Bulldozer", 10/10:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijPWBALdFcY
2003 Through the Ashes of Empires, "Imperium", 9/10:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys1rRnG6vzM

\m/

 

[OVerLoRDI]

In Flames up until around 2003.

Dark Tranquillity also had a significant impact on modern metal as well.

 

[88keys]

Ghost of War is pretty good.

http://www.reverbnation.com/ghostofwararmy/song/14384163-heavens-burning

 

[Carson Dyle]

Apparently you aren't paying attention to how many people attend their concerts.

The Geezer Rock phenomenon. People in their 50s and older with lots of disposable income and an insatiable appetite for nostalgia and the recapturing of their long-lost youth. It's more than a little comical to attend a rock concert and see couples in their 70s nodding off in their seats.

 

[mikeymikec]

Apparently you aren't paying attention to how many people attend their concerts.

If this is your metric for how good they are, apparently you're giving a ringing endorsement for Justin Bieber.

 

[Triumph]

To be honest, I'm starting to think that Rock music and it's various incarnations has had it's day and there's nothing left to do that hasn't been done before. Everything today is commercialized processed garbage, and that's exactly what Rock music is not supposed to be IMO.

I tend to agree, I don't see young people gravitating to "rock and roll" the way my parent's generations did. Aside from the metal discussion in this thread, who is the biggest "rock and roll" band of the 2000's? I have no idea. Today, is there a Nirvana or Pearl Jam of the 90's equivalent? A Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin of the 70's? A Beatles of the 60's? Nope, not seeing it. Not saying there aren't popular bands today, but they're not on that level, or they're not considered rock and roll.

 

[BoberFett]

My opinion, the two best metal bands out there today are Alter Bridge and Volbeat. If you don't know them you definitely should check them out.

Volbeat is awesome, I love their clean sound, and their nods to Elvis, Johnny Cash, rockabilly, and country. They've fused a lot into a great sound.

Also Avenged Sevenfold is probably the closest we have today to another Metallica.

 

[mikeymikec]

To be honest, I'm starting to think that Rock music and it's various incarnations has had it's day and there's nothing left to do that hasn't been done before. Everything today is commercialized processed garbage, and that's exactly what Rock music is not supposed to be IMO.

I was starting to think that as well. I hadn't bought any actual new music (ie. newly written) in something like ten years. My brother introduced me to The Black Keys... four album purchases later... . I'm dipping my toe in the water that is Volbeat right now.

I think the record labels and associations have done a pretty good job of stifling creativity, with over-produced bullshit, over-emphasis on image, as well as other factors like shutting down guitar tab sites.

 

[KlokWyze]

The Geezer Rock phenomenon. People in their 50s and older with lots of disposable income and an insatiable appetite for nostalgia and the recapturing of their long-lost youth. It's more than a little comical to attend a rock concert and see couples in their 70s nodding off in their seats.

One day you will be old, but hopefully you'v offed yourself before that happens. I never got the hate for older folks enjoying themselves.

Too much variety nowadays. So many micro-niche genres.

The most recent bigger rock/metal groups that I actually like are Tool, System of a Down & Slipknot. There really isn't anything new. I don't really like metal at all anymore. Was (still am a little) a huge fan popular stuff in the early-mid 90's: Metallica, Pantera, RATM, Slayer, Ministry, NIN, White Zombie (not Rob's solo stuff),etc., etc.

You know who really sounds like a new, younger version of Metallica? Mastodon

They will never get as popular or big, but they are hugely talented and have some pretty badass tunes.

 

[88keys]

The geezer people with good tastes in music phenomenon. People in their 50s and older with lots of disposable income of all ages with an insatiable appetite for nostalgia real music and the recapturing of their long-lost fulfillment of something they were missing in their youth. It's more than a little comical awesome to attend a rock concert and see couples in their 70s nodding off in their seats. rockin it out with everybody else who knows what real music is

FIFY

And FWIW. You obviously have never been to a rock concert.

 

[ImpulsE69]

You all are also missing a key point. In the old days people's access to music was much more limited. I was late to the metal era simply because where I lived there was no cable so no MTV etc. There was no internet either. I only had the radio. Sure you could wander into a CD shop and randomly purchase one based solely on the album art (which is what many people did) but it was really hit or miss. Back then they didn't even have a way for you to sample them.

These days, you don't need the radio...at all. Also, peoples opinions on genres is much more differentiated these days. There are many venues to find new music that simply weren't available before. While I still have a love for the old bands I grew up with, I notice that unlike many people in my age bracket, I've moved beyond that and still explore new music while they are stuck on only listening to 80's-90's music. There is still great music being made out there, you just can't sit and listen to the radio expecting to hear it. THOSE bands are the only ones that will be the "new metallica" because Metallica was made by radio - regardless of anything they did before the black album.

 

[88keys]

You all are also missing a key point. In the old days people's access to music was much more limited. I was late to the metal era simply because where I lived there was no cable so no MTV etc. There was no internet either. I only had the radio. Sure you could wander into a CD shop and randomly purchase one based solely on the album art (which is what many people did) but it was really hit or miss. Back then they didn't even have a way for you to sample them.

These days, you don't need the radio...at all. Also, peoples opinions on genres is much more differentiated these days. There are many venues to find new music that simply weren't available before. While I still have a love for the old bands I grew up with, I notice that unlike many people in my age bracket, I've moved beyond that and still explore new music while they are stuck on only listening to 80's-90's music. There is still great music being made out there, you just can't sit and listen to the radio expecting to hear it. THOSE bands are the only ones that will be the "new metallica" because Metallica was made by radio - regardless of anything they did before the black album.

The Black Album was a compromise. They appealed to the mainstream without losing their raw sound. And in that sense, it was a good compromise, but unfortunately the sound and style of the Black Album was something they did only once and they never went any further with it. Instead they went on to do their version of grunge which was okay. They had some good songs like "King Nothing", "Hero of the Day", and Until it Sleeps, but not much outside of that really. Garage Inc was pretty good, but they were just covers. If Metallica hadn't sold out, then there is very good chance that their greatest works would still be obscure to this day, and if they were only known for their post Black Album material, they would only be considered a footnote in Rock history.


Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Master of Puppets went gold within a year of release and AJFA platinum prior to the Black Album, IIRC. They might not have been among the best known bands of the last few decades, but they definitely wouldn't be "obscure".

 

[Thebobo]

Alternative metal
Funk metal
Nu metal
Rap metal
Black metal
Viking metal
War metal
Cello metal
Christian metal
Unblack metal
Crust Metal
Dark metal
Death metal
Melodic death metal
Technical death metal
Doom metal
Drone metal
Sludge metal
Experimental metal
Extreme metal
Folk metal
Celtic metal
Medieval metal
Pagan metal
Glam metal
Gothic metal
Grindcore
Deathgrind
Goregrind
Pornogrind - hmm
Industrial metal
Latin metal
Metalcore
Melodic metalcore
Deathcore
Mathcore
Nintendocore
Neo-classical metal
Post-metal
Power metal
Progressive metal
Djent
Speed metal
Stoner metal - dude!
Symphonic metal
Thrash metal
Crossover thrash
Groove metal
Teutonic thrash metal
Traditional heavy metal

 

[Ruptga]

^^ That's a great illustration. Metal has fragmented over the last couple decades, and it's basically the internet's fault. It's the same reason there are no Monroe-level porn stars, everyone has a ton of constant access and the product can't be controlled and groomed like it used to.

And as a few have said, good metal is still being made, but the majority of it is Canadian, Australian, European, and basically everything else that isn't American. It's also constantly fragmenting and hybridizing with other sounds, that's how we got industrial metal, gothic metal, etc.

But if you want to hear some "real metal," there's new power metal out there that's not too different from what you might have heard in the 80s. It's European, but it's still the same kind of sound.

 

[ViperXX]

Metallica is dead and the crown is lost.

They're going to start on a new album, they still tour, they sell out ever where they play. Their music is played on modern heavy rock stations like Sirius channel 37 Octane. How are they dead?

 

[Carson Dyle]

One day you will be old, but hopefully you'v offed yourself before that happens. I never got the hate for older folks enjoying themselves.

I'm probably older than you. I just don't like wallowing in nostalgia. Sometimes it's fun to reminisce, but paying idiotic ticket prices to see a 70 year old rocker trying to act 25 is not my idea of either a good time or a good value.

 

[88keys]

Master of Puppets went gold within a year of release and AJFA platinum prior to the Black Album, IIRC. They might not have been among the best known bands of the last few decades, but they definitely wouldn't be "obscure".

I'm probably older than you. I just don't like wallowing in nostalgia. Sometimes it's fun to reminisce, but paying idiotic ticket prices to see a 70 year old rocker trying to act 25 is not my idea of either a good time or a good value.

As long as it's something that you honestly feel and believe and it's not just something that you tell yourself because you want stay with the times and not be judged for liking something that is no longer cool.

The majority of what I listen to either came out before I was born or while I was still very young. Not really much that I listen to is typical of a millennial except for maybe dubstep and chiptunes.

I just like good music and I don't care how old or new it is nor how it was made. If someone can figure out how to make a good song using trashcans and sticks recorded using sticky tape and rust, I would listen to it.


People who bash music because it's old or because they used electronics like keyboards never made any sense to me. How is it that music becomes less legitimate because they produced sounds via electronics? What does the age of a song or it's artists have to do with the quality of the work itself? I'm open to new kinds of music, and I wish there were more to choose from, but the pickins are rather slim these days (which has been pointed out numerous times). People are still making good music, but you have to go out and look for it because it's not going to find you anymore.


FWIW, I would say that Metallica has aged far better than most any other band. Their sound is very atypical of a band from their time.

The oldest band that I've seen play live is Rush and it wasn't just baby boomers. The age demographic (which I found surprisingly) was a very broad mix of all ages. And the same holds true for Ozzy, Metallica and other older bands that I've seen.

 

[notposting]

They're going to start on a new album, they still tour, they sell out ever where they play. Their music is played on modern heavy rock stations like Sirius channel 37 Octane. How are they dead?

Their albums have completely sucked since St. Anger.
Granted I never listened to it or any that followed, but whatever. :whiste:

"Modern" rock stations. See? They probably play Nickelback too.

I think they are zombies trotted out for the shows.

I alternate between hoping they are still going when my boys are old enough to see them live and thinking it would just be a sad sad thing on the level of Ozzy tottering and mumbling around.

 

[akahoovy]

^^ That's a great illustration. Metal has fragmented over the last couple decades, and it's basically the internet's fault. It's the same reason there are no Monroe-level porn stars, everyone has a ton of constant access and the product can't be controlled and groomed like it used to.

And as a few have said, good metal is still being made, but the majority of it is Canadian, Australian, European, and basically everything else that isn't American. It's also constantly fragmenting and hybridizing with other sounds, that's how we got industrial metal, gothic metal, etc.

But if you want to hear some "real metal," there's new power metal out there that's not too different from what you might have heard in the 80s. It's European, but it's still the same kind of sound.

This is true. I've started exploring European bands because they have that sound. There are a bunch of songs I've heard on Pandora by Rammstein that I loved but I don't know which ones they are because I don't speak the language, lol.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Most European metal bands have English lyrics; Rammstein is just a weird exception.

 

[biostud]

This is true. I've started exploring European bands because they have that sound. There are a bunch of songs I've heard on Pandora by Rammstein that I loved but I don't know which ones they are because I don't speak the language, lol.

Just listen to what they sing in the chorus, and there's 90% chance that's the song title.

 

[railer]

Linkin Park

Linkin Park really sucks shit. If Justin Bibber fronted a rock band, that band would sound a lot like Linkin Park.

I really hope my sarcasm meter isn't on the fritz again, and if so I apologize in advance.

Linkin Park is just awful, whiney, fake-angst-filled shit. I may even rate Nickelback above Linken Park...because at least Nickelback and their fans know that Nickelback is just a crap middle of the road top 40 rock/metal band, that should not be taken seriously by anyone. I don't know if that's true for Linkin Park.
They really are shit, if I'm not clear on that. Absolute shit.