Metal is Dead

This continues from my Tempo's blog a little.

From the day Tempos died, the industry changed. It became about 'big' record labels, Suicide Girls, scene zeenz, and event organisers. Only huge events like Season's Wither at Jet (first one was held at Tempos by the way) seem to keep the scene going (and that event is quickly failing as well).

The Metal-fests are failing (Thornfest was shockingly bad!! as was Lido). There are no more original gem bands. Everyone the same, and all the bands getting progressively worse & loosing crowds. The only metal venues left are The Black Dahlia (eww), Bells (who still only do the "big" shows) & FullMoon Lounge in Pretoria (who are more goth than metal). None of which had the location or vibe of Tempos. Cool Runnings Fourways is having a go at it, but it will never be the home to metal - same with Cool Runnings Victory Park

The quality of metal gigs has dived. Just look at the fliers - they are ugly. No thought has been put into any of them. They're mass-produced with no creative input or thought of design.
When you get to these gigs the sound is bad, the crowds don't rock out any more save for a few die-hards, and everyone looks, acts and sounds the same. Bands that have been playing for over 10 years still sound identical - regardless of how good they are (**cough** Pestroy **cough**)

The metal scene were the pioneers when It came to not paying bands. That is why I can't stand the metal record labels and event organisers.
Most of these bands have so called 'managers' - basically lil' boys who pretend to know the industry and are very good at telling people who they manage but barely know the songs their bands play. A real manager knows when you practice, for how long, can tell you what to practice, organises the right gigs, interviews, and sends in the demos and has the same participation as a band member. The one true metal manager was Agro's manager (also owner of Evolution Music and organiser of Heavy Metal festival MotherFudd) - Alan Pennicott - R.I.P! forever a legend!

Even long time heavy metallers Chromium are having family trouble and one or two Agro members were finding reasons to end.

Metal has stagnated. Entirely. All the big metalcore bands from tempos days sound exactly the SAME after 5 years (something thats pisses me off to no end) and the haze of ugly other bands around them has increased. In fact it stagnated as soon as Tempo's started suffering.

Metal is dead. It has been for years. Anyone still emotionally or otherwise invested in the genre get out. It is in fragments. As my favourite mathcore band say "Close one eye, step too the side" - time to move on and away. Put away your black skinnies, spikes and Bring Me The Horizon shirts. The time of metalcore & deathcore is over. Its boring. Its gone. Luckily for me I never really enjoyed the bands or the scene that much. My involvement in it was soley so I could oppose it. (Seems it still is ;))

However all is not lost for you metal fans, a new type of metalesque band are emerging namely the mathcore & prog metal bands. It seems I'm not the only muso tired of the uniformity (Finally a sub-genre of metal I love) and I think a few bands who entered the scene too early might get their chance to shine. The band who comes to mind first are Mazaru who combine Tool & Protest The Hero influences and are my favourite! Brilliant musicianship, original & interesting. They are pulling a different sort of crowd with a different sort of outlook. Props up to the Mazaru boys. Time for a reformation. Im talking about indie managed, well practiced and diverse metalesque bands who take care of their own event organisation (from flier design to sound guys to band choice) or are in touch with independant organisers who focus on quality as opposed to quantity.

Quality as opposed to Quantity. It is something metal needs to learn from the local indie/alternative scene.

Next blog (probably will write it tomorrow at this rate) is gonna focus on our faaaar healthier indie/alternative scene with maybe a mention about the latest in-scene: D & B.