OPINION: Metal Music Is NOT Getting Worse (or better)

📸 Credit: Sara (left), Andreas Lawen, Fotandi (right)

How many times have you heard THIS in the metal community:

“MUSIC THESE DAYS IS TERRIBLE!”

“IT’S ALL AUTO-TUNED CRAP!”

“THEY DON’T EVEN SOLO ANYMORE”

Yeah, same here. I’ve even seen videos online about the subject, with music analysts and some musicians using their expertise to explain why modern music is getting worse. This is happening not just in metal, but with all music.

And honestly… I think it makes no goddamn sense!

I know this is hard to take from someone who’s borderline Gen-Z/Millenial, but if you stick with me on this one, I can explain why the “music is getting worse argument” is stupid.

One word: subjectivity

The music today is just the next evolutionary steps of music and where it’s going. I’d talked previously about metalcore’s evolution in a previous podcast episode, going from bands like Killswitch Engage all the way to bands like Spiritbox. Both are different bands, but both fall within the metalcore umbrella in some form. Now, metalcore fans will have their opinions on which band is their favourites, but can they absolutely- definitevily- positively-howdily-doodily tell you that one is objectively better? I mean, I’m sure they’ll try - but that doesn’t mean they’ll succeed without using subjective reasoning (style, production, songwriting, etc.)

Not a metalcore fan? Okay, how about an old vs new of the heavy metal style? That’s evolved over time. How does Judas Priest stack up against Burning Witches? Both play similar styles, but one has been around a lot longer than the other. Is either better or worse than the other? Again, opinions can be made, but in the end there’s no way to objectively tell which one takes the heavy metal cake (and die from mercury poisoning cause the chef is a dick).

“Well, what about auto-tune? You don’t need talent to be a singer anymore!”

Well, that’s actually not true…

While yes, pitch correction software has made it easier for singers to sing closer to the notes, listeners can tell when something is pitch corrected beyond a singers abilities. “Autotune” doesn’t make you a better singer. Just cause you’re hitting the notes, doesn’t mean you don’t sound like you’re fist-fucking a donkey in the pale moonlight. Pitch correction can only do so much, so you still need to have a good singing voice, ESPECIALLY in metal where we seem to be more aware of what it sounds like. If you can’t sing, but use tuning to hit the notes, you’re going to get called out on it real quick so it’s usually discouraged.

Plus, sometimes bands will use it as an effect (first thing that comes to mind is the chorus to “Lost” by Avenged Sevenfold. M. Shadows can sing really well, but they were having fun with the auto-tuner at the time for that song).

“What about the death of solos?“

Again, that’s just not true. Sure, bands tend to opt out of playing a solo every song, and some just won’t bother, but solos are not dead. I hear a LOT of metal bands still playing solos, but what I think is slowly dying out is the trend of “wanking solos”, where the guitarist will just play random notes as fast as possible to show off how cool they are and how good at guitar they are.

Listeners caught on real quick that: “sure they can play fast, but they can’t write for shit.”

So okay, maybe music isn’t getting worse. But in fairness to detractors of the new, it all goes both ways.

The argument I’ve heard the most is that “new music is crap”, but my young pasty white-ass has been around long enough to hear the counter argument “new music is better, it’s improving on what the old couldn’t get right!” … and that’s not true either.

Again, it’s all just evolution. Just cause you’ve got new fancy tools, and you’re learning from the mistakes of some of your predecessors, doesn’t mean music is getting better. Just look at the huge variety of shit music still getting put out for proof of that.

My point is, that you can’t compare and contrast the quality using pure subjective reasoning and taste in music, which is what a lot of fans and theorists tend to do without realizing it.

Shit, even I’VE done that in my reviews! Comparing and contrasting old vs new to talk about what works and what doesn’t. So I know I’m not a saint in this regard. Even this article is an opinion (that’s why it’s called a pit RANT). But I think what makes it different here is that I never claim to be an expert in music theory and analysis and I do try to make it clear that I’m speaking from my personal opinion of what I believe sounds good to my ears. Does that mean that others will agree with me? Hell no, and you shouldn’t just because I said so!

And you can enjoy new metal music more than the old, just as you can also enjoy the old guard of metal more than what’s coming out now. But you should remember that your opinions - no matter how much music theory analysis you throw at it - do NOT equal fact…

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