Comments on: “Shhhh-it!”: Idolator’s Super-Secret Music Interview Series Oscillates My Metallic Sonatas

By: revmatty

revmatty — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:50:09 +0000

This was a kick ass interview. I was a metalhead all through jr high and high school and I still appreciate a lot of 80’s metal (pre-hair band crap, which is largely what made me lose all interest in metal). But the lack of mainstream respect for metal is not a new thing. And every point he made about the general culture of metal fans was true 20 years ago as well. Fiercely loyal, not interested in their favorite bands making wild stylistic changes but open to absorbing influences from all genres, and metal was HUGE in the latino community. Some of my latino friends called themselves “Hispandex”

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:07:33 +0000

I think the guys emphasis of the technical element of metal is only really characteristic of the death/power/thrash side of things, and he states himself he doesn't listen to much black metal, which tends to be more deliberately primitive. Of course that's a huge generalisation and many of the early death metal bands (Immolation, Asphyx, etc) were more focused on songwriting and atmosphere than technical proficiency. Likewise there are a lot of experimental bands that are a million miles from the Mastodon/Meshuggah molds, like the Ruins of Beverest or Ihsahn.

But it highlights what I think is the main reason for tokenism among indie mags, which is that metal's extreme subdivision is alien to reviewers used to indie's more amorphous classifications. So they don't put the albums in their necessary context.

To expand on what janine said, most of the harsher genres of metal have their own distinct sort of, well unpleasantness to be honest: muddy production or squeeled vocals or trebly guitars. That stuff is an aquired taste which dominates your impression of the music if you aren't used to it (making it sound samey) and it isn't fully compatible between subgenres. I find most death metal unpleasant and samey, and hardcore actually uncomfortable, but black metal is perfectly listenable. And I haven't seen many Pitchfork reviews that take that sort of thing into account.

By: spankyjoe

spankyjoe — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:16:30 +0000

@Mike Conklin:

"TheThingThatShouldNotBe: if you've been sporting long hair and black t-shirts since junior high, by your mid-20s you have no one to impress anymore"

This is definitely my favorite quote of the whole piece. Ridiculously true. Even though I'm long out of junior high and work in the finance industry, at the end of the day, my uniform of choice isn't exactly clothes people would wear to church. Accordingly, I don't think "dirtbag" is quite the word you want to use when insulting a metalhead. I mean, as the man said, I don't think I'm allowed to get too mad when someone calls me a hesher for wearing a t-shirt with skulls on it and having a beard/long hair. Buy the ticket, take the ride and all that...

By: Captain Wrong

Captain Wrong — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:44:17 +0000

Well, this edition introduced me to Arsis, which based on the samples I’m hearing is right up my alley. So, thanks anonodude for that!

By: janine

janine — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:05:40 +0000

I think people assume too much when they say that metal is static and its fans unchallenged. Familiarity with a genre helps you to hear it better and detect differences. on the flipside, a lack of familiarity makes it all sound the same. For example, there's a certain plangent guitar sound associated with 90s indie rock which makes me tune out completely. I'm fearsome in a game of pop culture trivial pursuit, but most GBV songs, for example, sound exactly the same to me. That's not universally true, that's my ear and GBV.

Not to be a dick (and it's not as if I'm this huge metal head) charges that metal is samey are insane and evidence of an ear that can't hear the differences. There's no crime in that, our ears carry our history with music family, friends, that year you decided to lose weight and secretly became a Crystal Waters fan... but when you don't acknowledge that fact, it's super lame.

I'll tell you what, metal could have never produced the Vivian Girls.

"I understand it, obviously, and I think it's good for people to be policed and held accountable when they don't do what they said they would." --Another reason to shun indie rock.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:57:49 +0000

@Lucas Jensen: But I bet a lot of people feel that way about their preferred genre, perhaps.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:57:02 +0000

@Mike Conklin: No, sorry, I was speaking more about the perception of indie fans, not actual indie fans themselves. I said it was how they present themselves. I agree with your statement on indie rock, too. It's become this punching bag (it's the new "boomers") when I find it remarkably broad.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:56:04 +0000

I seem to recall there was a time when metalers considered themselves to be ground breaking pioneers as well as keepers of some sacred flame. Is metal the new rock-a-billy now? Put on a costume, thrash through some genre exercises, and tell the crown how authentic they are?
I say:yes. Almost.

By: the rich girls are weeping

the rich girls are weeping — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:45:01 +0000

@Mike Conklin: It would be nice, though, if someone had the guts to suggest, without fear of being called an elitist, that it would be good all people to challenge themselves a bit more.

Seriously.

By: the rich girls are weeping

the rich girls are weeping — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:43:54 +0000

@Ned Raggett: Word.