Rock Whiplash – Where Have All the Good Bands Gone?
It’s a question that I’ve heard before when listening to podcasts of the Classic Metal Show, but the interview that I listened to today with singer Glenn Hughes struck a chord. Are there any current bands that will stand the test of time, that will reach legendary status like their predecessors Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath? Hughes’ answer was simple: No. According to Hughes, “Metal is a dead animal in America.”
Why? Because there’s nothing really timeless or impressive about today’s rock bands. No one is breaking any boundaries or blowing us away. It’s heartbreaking and sad to watch this genre waste away to become corporate generated, money making, cookie cutter bullshit. As I’ve said a million times over, there is no soul in today’s music. There’s not one current band that has the balls to fill the shoes of its forefathers.
I’m not sure when the decline of rock started, but for me it started in the 90’s with the birth of bands like Limp Bizkit and Puddle of Mud. The 80’s still produced legends like Metallica and Motley Crue, but after grunge came and went, it felt like the driving force of rock left right along with it.
Did Limp Bizkit sound different than any other rock band I’d heard before? Yes. Did I like it? No. Was there any part of me that thought for one second that this band was creating some of the greatest music ever? Not a chance in hell. There weren’t any bands from then or now who I believe are creating one lick of music that will carry on the rock torch.
Chris Akin from the Classic Metal Show brought up a very good point during his interview with http://www.heavymetal.about.com, “When you think about when we grew up, how many bands did you discover simply by seeing them open for a big band? For me, the list is long, and encompasses almost every band that is part of my day to day listening. But now, there’s nothing on the horizon.” I guess I never stopped to think about how many great opening acts I used to see at shows compared to today. I went to see Motley Crue a couple of months ago and wasn’t impressed by any of the opening acts. But when I was in 9th grade, I went to see Skid Row and this kick ass band called Pantera opened. And Pantera may be one of the only bands from the 90’s who I would even consider an exception to the rule; they are legendary.
So what do we do? Where do we go? How do we save rock? I’m not so sure there’s an answer. My suggestion is to open your mind and ears to bands you’ve never heard before, underground bands, local bands and give them a chance and support them. I’m trying to expose myself to as much music as I can and trying to find new channels to find that music. Take a few minutes and listen to that band that’s trying to add you as a friend on myspace. Take a friend’s suggestion and listen to the band he saw the other night at some bar. If they’re worthy, pass the info on.
There’s got to be a band or two out there who has it in them to create some kick ass music that 50 years from now can at least rock at the same level as AC/DC or Aerosmith. I’d hate for future generations to look back on the 1990’s and 2000’s and think that Nookie was one of our greatest contributions to rock.
Am I totally deaf and stupid? Do you know of any bands who you think can carry the rock torch?
And since we’re sharing the wealth, I found a great new band via iTunes that you should listen to called Band of Skulls. Check out my review on my blog.
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I think I have found your band. A band that has the artistic visual approach of KISS. The vocal ability of Sammy Hagar meets Hetfield. The guitar tones and chord progressions of Megadeth and Alice n Chains and Mettalica. The thumping straight forward approach of Bass and drums to keep he music listenable. This band is very well rounded. They are up and coming very,very fast. Opening shows for bands such as Twisted Sister Jackyl,RATT,Dio,Yngvie Malmsteen,Night Ranger and Anthrax. They are the leaders of the next wave of metal in my opinion. Please welcome my new favorite band ELECTRO_NOMICON
What about bands like Isis and Mastodon and the whole post-metal thing? There are some bands out there doing stuff that no one thought to do in a heavy way and beneath the surface, there a growing movement of this stuff, much of it so amazing than anyone who’s serious about music can at least appreciate what they’re doing. There will always be bands pushing the limits and possibilities. They may not get huge, but they will stand the test of time in the same way that artists like the Velvet Underground and Nick Drake have. They never sold a lot of records, but their influence is all over the place almost 40 years later.
This is just my opinion, but I think American Idol has dumbed down people’s vision of music.
I wish there was a rock band equivalent of this show. It has become such a media phenomenon, It may take something new like this to open people’s eyes to a new/old style of rock music.
This is really an interesting discussion. to expound on the point that was already made about radio, even if radio wasn’t completely dominated by conglomerates, the extreme fragmentation of radio formats that began in the late 80s killed the notion of “Rock music.” rock is now divided into so many rigid sub genres that there isn’t much room for anyone to step outside the box and create something truly different or ground breaking. go back and listen to airchecks of early progressive FM stations from the 60s and 70s. they would play everything from Simon and Garfunkel to Led Zepeelin to Gregorian chants. Radio listeners were exposed to new and different sounds back then which meant that bands who were doing something different could still be heard by the general radio listener. That doesn’t happen today. If a band’s sound can’t be immediately placed into a genre, that band will have no shot at being heard by the masses — there by stifling creativity.
I do think that the Internet, (social networking in particular), could have the potential to spawn this type of genre-defying creativity again, but the difference is that the word about a new band has to be spread virally from one person to another. It’s not as simple as millions of people flipping on a radio and hearing a new sound all at the same time.
Taking this a step further, another difference between the way music is consumed today versus even 25 years ago is that music is far more disposable now. for most young people today, the concept of the album is gone. They either digitally purchase, or download individual tracks from each artist then throw each of those tracks into a big random mish mosh on their IPods. when they get tired of a song, they simply delete it and it’s gone. To me, this diminishes the significance of each band’s music because it’s too random, too easy to get, and too easy to throw away. the band doesn’t even have a chance to leave a lasting impression on the listener. NO lasting impression leads to no staying power.
I love Black Stone Cherry, but I don’t believe they will reach legendary status. Think about it, what drives popularity? Radio. Like it or not, it’s the truth. And with Clear Channel owning 90% of the radio stations in the country, bands like Black Stone Cherry and Airbourne don’t stand much of a chance unless they ramp up their promotions teams. Being on Roadrunner Records hurts these guys immensely. But on the other side of the coin, if they were on Universal, they may be forced to make different records than what we’ve already heard. It’s a Catch 22.
I think that there is a need to listen to more rock/metal music with an open mind and not compare them to the groups of yesterday. There will NEVER be another Guns N Roses, but to say that there are NO bands that will carry the hard rock/heavy metal torch is just blasphemy.
Immediately I think of Airborne and Black Stone Cherry just as Rob pointed out. I also think of Papa Roach, Buckcherry, and Shinedown. You may not like these bands, but they are innovators in unique ways.
Papa Roach may not be a pioneer in terms of lyrics or music, but in live performance, they are blazing a path. They bring the energy that a lot of older bands just don’t have. Papa Roach was the best band on last year’s CrueFest in terms of performance, and yes, that includes Motley. Papa Roach blew everyone away!
BuckCherry was billed as the saviors of rock when they came out in 1999. I think they will carry the torch onward and upward and influence a lot of future bands.
And Shinedown is onto something lyrically and musically. They are just different in a great way. I can’t stop listening to their latest disc.
So I say the good bands are out there, we just need to listen to them objectively and with an open mind.
I think we lose a lot when bands say they are influenced by Zep or Sabbath or some other 60’s and 70’s band a generation before their time–that’s cool, but how about digging deeper and finding out what influenced those people? Pop culture, instant gratification, short attention spans and political correctness are the under-current of youth today…Maybe some of these new tough times will inspire someone to write something of note–and I don’t mean Disturbed or SOAD. In the 80’s EVERYBODY was on coke (in one form or another) “Don’t Need Nothin but a Good Time…” The First Lady had to beg people to stop and Al Gore’s wife tried to put a clamp on lyrical content. Us against them-That’s what made things fun.
The two bands that come to mind for me immediately are Airbourne and Black Stone Cherry. Both of these bands put on an excellent high energy set every time they play live. They may fall more towards the hard rock side of the fence though.
As far as metal goes, I can’t think any young bands that are carrying the torch right now. There are too many cookie monster bands out there, and not enough acts with good singers in my opinion. There are some talented musicians out there who are hiding behind bad vocalists. It is a shame.
I agree. Though I think there are a few chances out there. Black Stone Cherry for one. They’re onto something amazing.