Metal Reviews

Drowning Pool - I was going to name them, but I'm off to the pub until monday, so feel free to discuss the worthy of this band...

Yeah and so does all of Misha's randomcore - it doesn't mean its Metal.

I agree. Andrew WK is so over-the-top you just can't take him seriously. His shit gets old pretty fast, but put those CDs on at a party and it's perfect.

And Kid Rock? Come on! He's rap-rock, always has been.

Isnt he country now? I havent heard much of his last 3 cds, but from what I did hear each album moved closer to country-rock.

He's actually moving closer to his early style. His early stuff incorporated a lot of country. Either way, he's definitely way more country than before, but it's more southern rock than country.

So he's a little bit country and a little bit rock n' roll.

I wonder if Kid Rock realizes he's Donnie and Marie all wrapped up into one

Kid Rock's a Spacktard all right!

For me this Thread has run it's course. There are many smaller, less famous bands that I could name, but looking over my entries, I guess it was the mainstream I was attacking. I will finish on naming several bands who I avoided calling out for one reason or another. I'll give a reason why I didn't slag them off, then slag them off!!

KORN - The pioneers of Nu-Metal escaped because they came up with the genre!! Seriously though, after grunge's demise, the mainstream attention searched the Metal range and KORN was the band that was in the right place at the right time. I didn't mind early KORN and reckon that Life Is Peachy, despite it's basic structure, is one of the angriest albums I've ever heard, and also it has a subtle blend of humour that made it (for me) one of the releases of the 1990s. Since then, they've just cashed in their cheques and have produced lacklustre efforts to go with lacklustre gigs (Jonathan couldn't be bothered to turn up to Download this year and so all the guest singers like Dez Farara, Matt Heafy and the Avenged Sevenfold twat made one of the worst 'special one-off' performances ever seen. KORN since Peachy have gone from shit to shit and I hate to admit that I own 6 of their albums.

Deftones - Like the above, they were in the right place at the right time, but I reckon they are much better band than KORN and from the start. Adrenaline and Around the Fur were good records that were easy to get into despite the more mainstream feel of the latter. White Pony, though, divides their fans to this day. A real love or hate album, that I for one hate. I found it dull, pretentious and too ambitious for a band that could have gone on to become legends. Followed up by a 'mini' album, Back to School (Mini Maggit), that just rubs salt into the wounds and added to the radio-friendly sell out feel that the band has hanging around it's neck (although it was likely that release was the record company's doing). They've tried to continue the progressive approach to their music and are probably closer to Tool than KORN these days, but I reckon they're the music equivalent to Mike Tyson-good once, absolute shit now!

Slipknot - I almost named them as I remember that when they first came out I thought, 'hey, that's GWAR's gimmick, the bastards.' They are a comic book joke. They did release a Coal Chamber of a first album. But, for me, what stops them from being too cancerous to metal is that they can actually play and have got a few decent tunes like Heretic Song, Duality and Pulse of The Maggots. Simply put, they got better! I almost want to hate them, but can't. I guess they're my sin in metal!!!

And Finally...

Trivium/Bullet For My Valentine/36 Crazyfists and various other Metalcore bandwagoners - Of course it's far too early to tell if the new trend in metal will spawn cancerous candidates like the Nu-metal phase did, but chances are that there will be a few. You could say that there are similarities between the genres, that Killswitch Engage are Korn, Shadows Fall are Deftones. Does that make Trivium = Limp Bizkit and BFMV = Linkin Park? Of course this is a ridiculous statement to make as even the cheesiest of Metalcore pisses all over the most talented of Nu-metal (IN MY OPINION!!)!!! I know plenty of people who slag off the likes of Trivium and this will always be the way of metal and it's mainstream. Who knows, I might do the Matt Heafy Appreciation Society in two years time!

Right now, I reckon Metal is stronger than it's ever been and that's despite the latest Metalcore fashion. Guys are picking up guitars and playing Solos (as they've always done, but fashions and trends eh?), yet it's back in the charts without the pomp of air Metal. I went to a Slayer gig recently with my Dragonforce shirt on and I was amazed how many people were like 'Yeah! Dragonforce!!!' whereas 12 months ago, noone barely acknowledged it. It's all about whatever floats your metal boat, if it's any of the bands I've slagged off (and I apologise if I've offended), or Black/Death/Thrash/Hardcore/Progressive/POP!! Metal, remember that it's your taste = your metal and don't let dickheads like me tell you otherwise or anyone say to you that you're wrong to like what you like.

I've needed to exorcise these demons I've had for a long while and finally have. Hell I feel better all ready!!!

P.s Ken, I know I've pissed you off with this thread many a time, but I want to say that you are one knowledgable and passionate motherfucker and deserve the utmost respect.

[quote="
P.s Ken, I know I've pissed you off with this thread many a time, but I want to say that you are one knowledgable and passionate motherfucker and deserve the utmost respect. [/quote]

Its nice when love spawns of anger and hatred. Lets all go listen to some H.I.M.

Word.

Oh, you forgot Lostprophets. Their debut was great! Now...

Yeah, I really liked their song "Last Train Home"--at least back when I listened to the radio all the time. I heard some of their new stuff and it sucked the big one, though.

I don't get what the big deal about guitar solos is...

Thats a really respectable thing to say. Even though I disagree with some of the bands you posted on here, You earned my respect .

Their second album was decent, but at that point too many bands had that sound and they no longer were unique. The debut had that uniqueness. The latest appears to be complete ass. I admit I've only heard the singles, but each one has been total modern emo poo! Let's do a comparison, shall we?

The Beginning: SHINOBI VS. DRAGON NINJA
Mid-Period: BURN BURN
The End (literally): CAN'T CATCH TOMORROW (GOOD SHOES WON'T SAVE YOU THIS TIME)

You'll notice that even on "Burn Burn," while they became more streamlined and melodic, they were still not very "modern," and it was a clear progression in sound. They still rocked. But then you look at their latest video and it puts things in perspective a bit. Who are they now—The fucking Hives? I mean, goddamn! The guitarists are even doing that herky-jerky guitar playing here. I don't get it. Totally ridiculous. And is that drummer from Wolfmother?

Some will argue they were emo from the beginning, but clearly that isn't true. It's likely not "true" now and they're more than likely just another group selling out to the current trend. Sad, nonetheless. The Fake Sound of Progress, the name of their debut, should have been the name of their latest album.

Nah they weren't emo in the beginning, just shitty trendy boy MTV rock. To anyone else in the world I'd have called it nu metal, of course.

Nah, more rap-rock I'd say, not nu-metal. Either way, did you watch that new video?

Is it the one with them dressed up as kids TV presenters? The funny thing is I've seen it by accident like 6 times and I couldn't even guess what the song sounds like. I guess my shit filter is getting stronger.

I liked Bullet For My Valentine...

and it's ironic how a thread devoted to bashing bands quickly grew seven pages.