Is Death Metal...dead?

No, Death Metal is alive! Tom Araya, Glen Benton are still growling and King Diamond is screaming for vengeance!

Ian I'd hardly call Slayer and King Diamond Death Metal...
 
Not sure it's dead and not sure there are more players than listeners. But I'm completely convinced that each band gets its own sub-genre.

War metal? Porncore? Brutal death? Slam death? Someone's pulling the piss now. The running gag has spread and now everyone's on board. As much as I get a giggle out of it, it does border on the absurd.

FWIW, I think "warcore" has a far better ring to it.......I'm off to start a new genre.

All the silly sub-genres really reinforce the goofiness of metal. It is the goofiest genre of music out there, moreso than childrens' TV music, because the harder core the metal fan, the more seriously they take it. Spinal Tap made a statement on the goofiness of metal that still cannot be improved upon.

About the only sub-genre of metal that doesn't take itself seriously is Butt Rock. Unless there's Vikingcore Black Doom Foul Odor Butt Rock. You can tell someone take metal too seriously when they start excluding Butt Rock and other established genres from the metal family tree.
 
All the silly sub-genres really reinforce the goofiness of metal. It is the goofiest genre of music out there, moreso than childrens' TV music, because the harder core the metal fan, the more seriously they take it. Spinal Tap made a statement on the goofiness of metal that still cannot be improved upon.

About the only sub-genre of metal that doesn't take itself seriously is Butt Rock. Unless there's Vikingcore Black Doom Foul Odor Butt Rock. You can tell someone take metal too seriously when they start excluding Butt Rock and other established genres from the metal family tree.

I've never heard of butt rock D:
Sounds entertaining to say the least.

I know of Viking and Pirate metal. Pirate metal is particularly funny vocal wise :p

I think its funniest when bands try and name things as disgusting as possible.
Things like "Aesthetic Upholstery of Molested Flesh" or "Uterovaginal Insertion of Extirpated Anomalies"
 
It's certainly not dead ... but the genre itself has painted itself into a corner. If it evolves, in any way, shape, or form ... then it becomes another sub-genre.​
Once, it was simple ... we had rock. Then came hard rock. Then came heavy metal. And now .... yowza .... death, gloom, speed, etc.​
I worked in CD shops, for over 15 years .... and out of this list ....​
1. Led Zeppelin: 88 Million
2. AC/DC: 62 Million
3. Metallica: 54 Million
4. Van Halen: 50 Million
5=. Aerosmith: 39 Million
5=. Guns N' Roses: 39 Million
7. Bon Jovi: 29 Million
8. Def Leppard: 28 Million
9. Ozzy Osbourne: 21 Million
10. Motley Crue: 19 Million​
Only "Metallica" would get classified as a metal band .... the rest ... in the rock section.​
No, Death Metal isn't dead, but it's not as huge as the Beatles, the Stones, Pink Floyd ... and it never will be. Heck, Yanni has sold over 20 million records .... I don't think any Death Metal band has done that.​
 
There are more people who want to play metal, than listen to it. It's the single-most discussed genre on this board, but has the least popularity. What's up with that?

Metal isn't dead; it's just being classified out of existence. I swear, the next time I fart, four sub-genres are going to come out.

With respect, DMC, you repeat this point of view almost word-for-word every single time the genre is discussed. It seems to me both illogical and rather ignorant. How can there be more people who want to play metal than listen to it, given that all those people will themselves listen to metal? The fact that people might play metal for their own entertainment doesn't render them statistically invalid as listeners. For your favourite argument to make sense, you have to have people who play metal who don't listen to it. Do such people exist? Can you provide any evidence of this?

I must also take issue with this whole 'classified out of existence' business. To take an example, just because what we call 'classical music' could be quickly divided up into medieval/early music, renaissance music, baroque music, classical music, romantic music, modern classical music, and contemporary classical music, and further subdivided to infinity, we would not regard it as having ceased to exist, but rather having become broader and more diverse. Metal is divided up because of its diversity. The subgenres are testament to its evolution, not to its having reached some sort of creative singularity where no further development can happen.

If it was all just referred to as 'metal', the definition of 'metal' would be so vague as to be completely useless. I challenge you to think of an adequate description for modern metal while remaining concise!

It's certainly not dead ... but the genre itself has painted itself into a corner. If it evolves, in any way, shape, or form ... then it becomes another sub-genre.​
Once, it was simple ... we had rock. Then came hard rock. Then came heavy metal. And now .... yowza .... death, gloom, speed, etc.​
I worked in CD shops, for over 15 years .... and out of this list ....​
1. Led Zeppelin: 88 Million
2. AC/DC: 62 Million
3. Metallica: 54 Million
4. Van Halen: 50 Million
5=. Aerosmith: 39 Million
5=. Guns N' Roses: 39 Million
7. Bon Jovi: 29 Million
8. Def Leppard: 28 Million
9. Ozzy Osbourne: 21 Million
10. Motley Crue: 19 Million​
Only "Metallica" would get classified as a metal band .... the rest ... in the rock section.​
No, Death Metal isn't dead, but it's not as huge as the Beatles, the Stones, Pink Floyd ... and it never will be. Heck, Yanni has sold over 20 million records .... I don't think any Death Metal band has done that.​

It's a small point, but AC/DC themselves said they weren't a metal band. And I think Van Halen, Def Leppard and Ozzy Osbourne would still be comfortably described as metal in the broadest sense of the word (Ozzy certainly, I don't think there's any argument about that).
 
Harry: What about Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest? Are they part of that list?

It's certainly not dead ... but the genre itself has painted itself into a corner. If it evolves, in any way, shape, or form ... then it becomes another sub-genre.​
Once, it was simple ... we had rock. Then came hard rock. Then came heavy metal. And now .... yowza .... death, gloom, speed, etc.​
I worked in CD shops, for over 15 years .... and out of this list ....​
1. Led Zeppelin: 88 Million
2. AC/DC: 62 Million
3. Metallica: 54 Million
4. Van Halen: 50 Million
5=. Aerosmith: 39 Million
5=. Guns N' Roses: 39 Million
7. Bon Jovi: 29 Million
8. Def Leppard: 28 Million
9. Ozzy Osbourne: 21 Million
10. Motley Crue: 19 Million​
Only "Metallica" would get classified as a metal band .... the rest ... in the rock section.​
No, Death Metal isn't dead, but it's not as huge as the Beatles, the Stones, Pink Floyd ... and it never will be. Heck, Yanni has sold over 20 million records .... I don't think any Death Metal band has done that.​
 
Yes Death Metal is dead, but it has risen from the grave and is now called "Zombie Metal".

Of course Zombie Metal might be a category of "Undead Metal" which also includes "Vampire Metal" and "Mummie Metal", and then you get into the whole "Egyptian Mummie Metal" vs. "South American Mummie Metal". I can see how you might get confused.
 
All the silly sub-genres really reinforce the goofiness of metal. It is the goofiest genre of music out there, moreso than childrens' TV music, because the harder core the metal fan, the more seriously they take it. Spinal Tap made a statement on the goofiness of metal that still cannot be improved upon.

About the only sub-genre of metal that doesn't take itself seriously is Butt Rock. Unless there's Vikingcore Black Doom Foul Odor Butt Rock. You can tell someone take metal too seriously when they start excluding Butt Rock and other established genres from the metal family tree.

So in other words, rather than look at the facts and realize you mis-spoke, you would rather make a post with the sheer intention of getting a rise out people. Not very mature.

Further:
, because the harder core the metal fan, the more seriously they take it.

You could say the exact same thing about fans of jazz, country, hip-hop, classical, and really any genre of music. Hard core fans of any genre take their music seriously.



[ I worked in CD shops, for over 15 years .... and out of this list .... Only "Metallica" would get classified as a metal band .... the rest ... in the rock section. [/INDENT]

Which is why I labeled it as Hard rock/metal.

But come on, Ozzy? The Prince of Darkness is largely considered the godfather of Heavy Metal.

Harry: What about Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest? Are they part of that list?
Click on the link provided and you can see the entire list. I didn't think it was necessary to cut and paste the entire document.​
 
Oh dear, now we're discussing what falls into heavy metal and what doesn't... I say heavy metal is everything with distorted (if transistor generated) or overdriven (if tube generated) guitars, minus country. Good definition, isn't it? ;-)

For all those jazz lovers: Now where does jazz start, where does it end? My impression is that while nobody even bothers to think about THAT question some love to dedicate their time on classifying metal (interestingly, NOT being metal fans theirselves). Makes sense? No. But that's how some fellows are it seems.
 
Yes Death Metal is dead, but it has risen from the grave and is now called "Zombie Metal".

Of course Zombie Metal might be a category of "Undead Metal" which also includes "Vampire Metal" and "Mummie Metal", and then you get into the whole "Egyptian Mummie Metal" vs. "South American Mummie Metal". I can see how you might get confused.

HA! I know you meant this is jest, but someone, somewhere, has probably added that to a unique sub-sub-sub-sub genre: Goof Metal. Then there's Foul Odor Goof Metal, Satanic Thrash Apocalyptic Goof Metal, Mummy Goof Metal, and so on. There are more genres of metal, than there are listeners of metal. The ersatz Satanism, the obsession with bad smells and ugliness, the wanking, the classifications and the seriousness of its fans all make it the Rodney Dangerfield of genres. I loved metal, and I still do, but I haven't taken it seriously since I was 20. At least Butt Rock/Hair Metal never took itself seriously and knew it was a joke.

The entire genre is so goofy that it demands that someone not take it seriously. There, I said it.
 
I think you'd be surprised just how many contemporary metal bands take that attitude, especially in europe. There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek stuff out there but in many cases it's not done too overtly so as to protect what makes it amusing in the first place. I'm in two bands that play on these attitudes to various degrees myself.
 
Oh dear, now we're discussing what falls into heavy metal and what doesn't... I say heavy metal is everything with distorted (if transistor generated) or overdriven (if tube generated) guitars, minus country. Good definition, isn't it? ;-)

For all those jazz lovers: Now where does jazz start, where does it end? My impression is that while nobody even bothers to think about THAT question some love to dedicate their time on classifying metal (interestingly, NOT being metal fans theirselves). Makes sense? No. But that's how some fellows are it seems.

Wow, you must have missed the Kenny G thread.
 
I don't loveDeath Metal or even really listen to it. I can appreciate it for what it it. I prefer the classical influence in black metal, or the rawness in some black metal.

Metal heads do love labels that set them apart.

DMC so many genres can be silly if integrity isn't in the players mindset.

Death Metal is great for what it is.

I personally abhor Godsmack, but some love it, that doesn't mean rock or hard rock/metal is dead or they are all stupid for liking Godsmack, just not my cup of tea.

I do loveWayne Shorter, Primus, Minor Threat and Bjork. That has nothing to do with Death Metal.

If it makes someone respond, the band enjoys it, so what.
 
Thanks for tip!

18=. Black Sabbath: 10 Million
18=. Linkin Park: 10 Million
18=. Nine Inch Nails: 10 Million

37=. Alice Cooper: 6 Million
37=. Megadeth: 6 Million
39=. Judas Priest: 5 Million
39=. Pantera: 5 Million
39=. Queensryche: 5 Million

Click on the link provided and you can see the entire list. I didn't think it was necessary to cut and paste the entire document.
 
Death metal is not dead, it just smells funny ... someone had to say it :)

For those wondering about jazz sub genres and where jazz starts and ends, here's the famous Kenny G thread in all of its 12-page glory. A DW classic ... http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60345


All the silly sub-genres really reinforce the goofiness of metal. It is the goofiest genre of music out there, moreso than childrens' TV music, because the harder core the metal fan, the more seriously they take it. Spinal Tap made a statement on the goofiness of metal that still cannot be improved upon.

About the only sub-genre of metal that doesn't take itself seriously is Butt Rock. Unless there's Vikingcore Black Doom Foul Odor Butt Rock. You can tell someone take metal too seriously when they start excluding Butt Rock and other established genres from the metal family tree.

DMC, you've been hard on metal for a while, I suspect because there's so many metal-related posts on this board that are of no interest to you.

Like you, as a rule I can't stand modern metal (I have one doom metal song in my YouTube Favourites) . However, I remember being a metalhead when I was young (back then Deep Purple and Black Sabs were considered to be metal bands).

I remember how, if music didn't have a certain level of ferocity then it didn't hit the spot. There HAD to be those aggressive distorted guitar chords and/or riffs, screaming lead solos and ferocious, fast drumming - the faster and more ferocious, the better.

What opened up my tastes were the bands' own eclecticism, where the fierce stuff was interspersed with more lyrical moments. That created an attraction for music that reminded me of those lyrical moments and I soon discovered blues, prog, fusion, jazz, etc ... until in middle age I rediscovered my love of good melodic pop that I'd loved before Slade turned me towards the Dark Side when I was about 13 :)

It all happens in stages. Many of these hardcore metal players will diversify in time just as I did, though they might be less inclined to if you give them something to rebel against ... that's how it worked for me when I was young :)
 
Slade. Now there is a band I have not heard in a while. My older brother used to play them. I think I might still have the album with some big guy with his fists out, and Slade written on his fingers. I need to listen to some right away before I forget! :)

Don't do it, Glen lol

I thought the same way a while ago and came away wondering how on earth I could have liked them!
 
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