The State of Heavy Music Today: Prog is the Key

3/2/09


The state of popular music, especially Heavy Metal since 1990 is an interesting topic. Popular rock music shifted from metal to grunge to alternative, to nu-metal to emo/hardcore to indie rock. Heavy metal never went away, except from the mainstream. In fact, incredible bands have come out since the early 90’s. The thing that makes this topic interesting is that it has become much more difficult to find good bands that are worth your listening time. The 1980’s saw some of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Guns N’ Roses, and countless others. However, heavy metal fell out of mainstream popularity in the early 1990’s. Pantera was probably the most popular metal band of the 90’s, other than Metallica. Guns N’ Roses’ classic lineup officially ended in the mid-90’s, and Iron Maiden and Judas Priest both went through various lineup changes throughout the 90’s. So, the 1990’s were a very strange time for most heavy bands.

I got into heavy music in the ninth grade. Most of the bands I listened to then were from the classic era of the eighties, such as: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Megadeth. The next year I got into Iron Maiden and Nevermore. This was also around the time when I started looking at heavy bands since 1990. At first I was pretty reluctant to look at new bands, because I had a mentality that bands that weren’t from the 80’s weren’t as good. However I finally got past that and found some good bands. I didn’t end up listening to all of these bands for long though. At the time I looked for bands that had a similar style as Metallica. Some of the bands I found were considered part of the “New Wave of American Metal”. Among these bands were Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, and Killswitch Engage. I found all these bands in the same year; however I only listen to Lamb of God now. Shadows Fall and Killswitch were pretty good then, but they didn’t continue with a consistent output of good records. Another thing with these bands is that they aren’t that innovative.

Lamb of God on the other hand, has gotten better, and is an innovative band. They’re a band that is heavily influenced by the thrash metal genre, which is why I took to them in the first place. However, they aren’t an 80’s thrash copy. All the members of the band are incredibly gifted musicians, and some of the best in the genre. All the albums in their catalogue are extremely important and significant to the scene, especially As the Palaces Burn. They just released their new album Wrath last week, which I argue is their best record to date. They refined their sound, while adding new textures and influences to the mix. It’s a furious record, pounding the listener with its speed and crushing heavy metal. Lamb of God proves to be the best band of the “New Wave of American Metal” due to the fact that they have stayed consistent, even improving, not to mention their new take on a classic heavy metal sound.

Nevermore is one of the most unique metal bands I’ve ever heard. They combine a number of influences, as well as an operatic vocal style. Hardly any singers sound like Warrel Dane, which is one of the reasons I like them so much. Like the members of Lamb of God, Nevermore showcases virtuoso musicians. Jeff Loomis is an extremely underrated guitarist, and in my opinion, one of the best in the business. He is a shredder in every sense; however he sets himself apart by remarkable songwriting skills. He can solo with the best of them, as well as writing some of the most complicated and heavy riffs you’ll ever hear. All of their records are very good, with a special spotlight on Dead Heart in a Dead World and This Godless Endeavor.

Mastodon is a band I’ve only recently really gotten into. I’ve heard their stuff going back to tenth grade or so, but due to their progressive nature, didn’t catch on until a few months ago. I got Blood Mountain when it came out and liked it, but started really liking it a few months ago. They have an extremely interesting sound, mixing Sludge Metal with Thrash. This mix in influences, as well and their progressive songs, make them an extremely significant band in the scene. Their new album, Crack the Skye is set to be released at the end of this month, which puts them in a position to become an even bigger band.

Like Mastodon, Sweden’s Opeth is another band that took me a while to get into. Opeth is even more progressive than Mastodon. They are, in some ways, Heavy Metal’s Pink Floyd. There are a massive amount of influences in this band, among Latin music, jazz, Scandinavian music, and various heavy metal influences. Michael Akerfeldt, the front man of the band, is a virtuoso in his own right, as a songwriter, guitarist, and as a vocalist. I first listened to their landmark album, Blackwater Park, which was my favorite of theirs for years. However as my friend Matt always told me, they’re an interesting band because fans’ favorite album switches every so often. This ended up being true for me, because Ghost Reveries is now my favorite Opeth Record. It’s the perfect blend of great songs, and great production. Overall, Opeth is an absolutely amazing band with a great catalogue. Their records are very varied from each other, and I’ve yet to hear a bad record by them. One of the best things about them is the way they blend heavy and soft sections, going from a brutal riff to a beautiful mellow section. Akerfeldt is a great example of this, mixing heavy and soft vocals at a whim, and being masterful at both styles. Opeth continues to be one of the best metal bands around.

Lamb of God, Nevermore, Mastodon, and Opeth are only some of the big metal bands since the 1990’s. However, they are some of the absolute best, as well as my favorites. I recently realized why they have gained success, and why I like all four of these bands. This is because of the progressive nature of all four bands. All of these bands have done something new with their music, and didn’t just put out records that sound like the classic bands. They all write their music with progressive riffs, song structures, drumming and baselines. There is nothing standard about all their records. They all play extremely difficult music musicianship-wise, and are constantly pushing the envelope with their music, like progressive bands before them. There are bands around today that are pretty big, but I would argue that they won’t be around long, due to the fact that they’re not doing anything particularly new or unique. The above bands are also great due to the fact that they are all great live. Being a good live band, to me, is the true test of a good band. If you can’t play your music live, there isn’t much of a point. This is an interesting time for the heavy metal genre. Metallica and Guns N’ Roses have recently released albums which are both very good, and Judas Priest and Iron Maiden have reformed their classic lineups. These rebirths, in combination with the new generation of great metal bands, make this current era very interesting. You can see these bands, old and new tour together, making for amazing concert experiences. It isn’t the eighties, but it’s a great time for heavy metal.