Define...

[Snoogans]

Re: Define...

My take on Nu-metal was any guitar owner (not necessarily player [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img] ) who employs down-tuning and extreme amp saturation to approximate "heaviness"

[nandrewjackson]

Re: Define...

nu-metal is mass produced digital dogshit.
it is simple because it has to be. if it was too complicated, someone might actually remeber it two years later, and that would mess up the record company's plan for the release of whatever the "next big thing" is.
does that make sense?
you just have to ignore it.
go see a local band that you like, and never listen to the shitty radio stations that play the nu-metal crap. and when and if a good pro band comes your way, go see them.
distance yourself from the nu-metal, and try not to go off on a rant when someone says "I love limp bixcuit", just say to them, "thank god I'm not you!"
It's all about money, that's why the stuff is so big.
kids love the sh1t. (not all of them)
but for some reason (nirvana), its cool to be "counter-culture" even though now counter culture is pop culture, and now true counter culture is being raped for the profits.

1-3/4 cents from
nandrew [img]graemlins/band.gif[/img]

[Black Mariah]

Re: Define...

Talent to be in a cover band? Yeah, Def Leppard's really hard to play. Motley Crue is just so fucking insanely difficult I might as well quit right now... [img]graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]

Whatever, dude. Only once you get into Racer X or Nitro are you hitting "I CAN'T DO THAT!" levels of playing ability, and Nitro sucks. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

The term 'hair band' has nothing to do with hair. It has everything to do with the glam aspect of said music. That is, the guys playing spend more time playing with their hair than they do practicing. It's a joke, get it?

Mudhoney pioneering the grunge sound? My balls they did. They were simply one of a TON of bands that were responsible for grunge. But then, I wouldn't expect anyone here to know the history of grunge, or even that there are probably ten different types of music that fall under the generic-ass heading of 'grunge'.

[slayer]

Re: Define...

Slayer is deffinately not Nu Metal, God Hates Us All isn`t Nu Metal at all and they are killer live [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Jack.

[Newc]

Re: Define...

"Hair Band" is a term that is necessary to differentiate between those bands that also had long hair, but had tons more technical ability AND songwriting ability from the bands that spent more time getting primped (Poison, Warrant, Nelson, etc) and working on their pouts and poses than actually learning how to write meaningful songs.
"Every Rose Has Its Thorns" - wow what a remarkably insightful description of being dumped by a porn star [img]graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]
"More Than Words" - let's rip off the Beatles' vocal harmony style and play it on an acoustic so we appear to be all sensitive and shit
"Something To Believe In" - what, like your longevity? Don't count on it.

And yes, whether they are called beanies, toboggans, knit caps, or toques, they are about as Metal as a corn-row hairdo. It's a damn hat. If I wear one to keep my head warm, I don't want some douche asking me if I'm into some crapass grunt and screech detuned sludge.

IMO the name "Metal" by itself applies ONLY to "Heavy Metal" bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Ozzy.
Slayer, Metallica (the old good stuff), Megadeth (the old good stuff), Anthrax, and the like are "Thrash/Speed Metal".
Call them by their FIRST name (Death, Black, Satanic, Hair, Speed, Thrash, etc) but do NOT insult great bands like Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, and such by using just the term "Metal" on those that are not "Heavy Metal". Heavy Metal was first in line, so yes, that qualifies the term "Metal" to be reserved strictly for "Heavy Metal".

Newc

[Black Mariah]

Re: Define...

I highly doubt anyone in Maiden or Priest really give two shits about what is metal and what isn't.

Metal, quite simply, is loud shit that annoys your parents.

Guess what? You're almost all middle-aged white guys that are annoyed by your kid's music. Welcome to old age. I hope you brought your walking stick and rolled up paper to wave at the neighborhood kids when you tell them to get off your lawn. [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

I'm sorry, 80's-style heavy metal sucked balls then, and sucks balls now. I'm damn charitable with what I listen to, I'll give anything a shot, but Jesus H. Cartman in a monkey suit this stuff is just plain BAD. Maiden and Priest kick ass, but they were the originals. Once that style of music got over here and encountered lipstick and hairspray, it was fucked in the ear by the ghost of John Holmes. Really, the worst grunge band ever to be shat from the stankiest asshole in Seattle was still a thousand times better than fuckin' Pretty Boy Floyd could ever have hoped to be.

Good guitar does not equal good music. Nitro, anyone? I rest my case.

[Newc]

Re: Define...

Agreed on the good technical ability point, but I did not say any different. CC Deville can shred circles around Dave Murray and Steve Vai can certainly outshred anyone in a head-to-head arpeggio-fest, but Iron Maiden's songs will last longer than 'For The Love Of God'.

Zeppelin weren't the most technically advanced band, neither were the Beatles, but their SONGS as a whole will outlast anything recorded by Quiet Riot, Poison, RATT, or Metallica. Those other bands had a few hits, but let's face it, none of them will still get airtime 10 years from now. It's not just a question of "they were breaking new ground", as they did not possess all the musical genius in the history of mankind for all time, it's the simple fact that their songs are still the best examples of songwriting as a whole (not just lyrical composition or musical composition, but how both the lyrics and the music work together).

None of these new bands have what it takes to match the longevity of Priest or Maiden or Sabbath. They simply cannot write a song that will stand the test of time like 'War Pigs'.

Newc

[RacerX]

Re: Define...

Originally posted by Black Mariah:
neighborhood kids when you tell them to get off your lawn. [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I did exactly that the other day! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Black Mariah]

Re: Define...

You think Metallica won't get airtime 10 years from now? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Dude, Metallica are fucking LEGENDS. Not underground legends either. Mainstream, big-name, LEGENDS. They're EASILY in the same realm as Sabbath and Zeppelin. Hell, it's been over 20 years since Metallica put out their first album, and songs like Seek and Destroy still get airplay in REGULAR ROTATION. That long-lasting enough for you?

I still don't have any clue why people don't realise that classic rock radio is as full of pointless shit as regular rock radio is. How fucking many bands sound like Grand Funk, anyway? Do we really give two shits about Three Dog Night? DOES ANYONE THAT IS SANE LIKE YES (I like them, but my grip on reality is questionable [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] )?!???!

My whole point is that every genre has its fucking awesome test-of-time bands, and every genre has its one-hit woodchipper fodder.

Who's out there right now that will still be played 20 years from now? Soilwork. High on Fire. In Flames. Nightwish, maybe. The trouble is, they have to find some popularity first. They all have the talent, but finding the right place for it is tough. Then again, it's not like half the bands played on classic rock radio were even worth a shit when they were new, so you never know.

Ron: I knew you were old, but not THAT old. Damn, I'm gonna get you some Geritol for Christmas. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[RacerX]

Re: Define...

I may be ancient, but at least I don't like Yes!

[img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[ScarredDollFace]

Re: Define...

Originally posted by Sephiroth:
Nu metal: played by a bunch of hacks so incompetent they need to wear earphones for their live sets so they can listen to their own music because they lack rhythm, timing, and key; some of the most basic elements in music and learned every day by elementary school children in band class and music school. 99% of the songs will have the following structure: soft part--heavy part--soft part--heavy part--end. Lyrics will often b*tch about how evil society is and how "the man" is out to oppress the down-trodden, all the while playing a $3000 custom PRS or ESP and having visions of murdering any fan who dares to P2P their music instead of buying it.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I ditto that.

Originally posted by hippietim:
My definition of Nu-Metal is the music you get when you take really kickass gear like a $3000 PRS and $3000 Boogie rig and somehow manage to make it sound like <font size="10">ASS!</font> [img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I ditto this too.

And of course you can't forget the marketing team that is standing behind each and every nu-metal band which if removed would cause that band to immediately stop selling records because the kiddies wouldn't be being told what they should be buying. Nu-Metal is a form of Pop-Metal which like all pop music requires a marketing team to sell. (Hair Metal is also a form of Pop-Metal. Both of of which are not really metal at all.)

Of course, all of this talk about what is nu-metal creates the obvious question: What is Metal? I mean , what is REAL F@CKING metal? Exactly what has to be in the songs or whatever in order to be considered metal? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]


Nick

[RacerX]

Re: Define...

Remember how the politician defined indecency?
Something like, I don't know, but I'll know it when I see it. Similarly, we know metal when we hear it! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Define...

Lyrics:
-They should have some deeper meaning beyond getting laid/drunk - try to find some metaphor for life, love, or other primarily metaphysical/intangible aspects of life. (i.e. don't write about your trip to the store to buy milk, don't write some over-orchestrated song just to either break up with or screw your girlfriend)

Music:
-Must be heavy, but not necessarily saturated with gain to the point it sounds like bees in a bottle. Loud is good, but nothing-but-loud gets repetitious, especially with minimal or no changes/breaks.
-Riff-oriented but not cliche` or being technical for the sake of showing off technical ability - it has to have a point relating to the music itself.
-Cannot just be a background rhythm for the lyrics and a wailing solo - anyone can wail over 12-bar blues in E, or a simple 3-chord progression. Don't go overboard with signature changes or fancy/overly-technical chord/pattern changes. Also, the music and lyrics AND solo have to work together to make a good song. While very few Maiden solos follow the main lyrical melody, and a great many solo breaks/rhythm patterns do stray from the main melody/main rhythm, you can't stay "out" for too long or else it sounds like you've started a new song, leaving the listener wondering about the mismatched melody.

Newc

[Newc]

Re: Define...

Ok, here's one for everyone to try their hand at:

Define Attitude. I hear it's the foundation for heavy music (Metal, Thrash, Gnu-Metal, Punk, etc etc), but exactly how is attitude defined? It's also an aviation term, so obviously that definition doesn't count. So, define this attitude that everyone clings to - that intangible "thing" that everyone just has to have to be considered "Metal".

Newc

[Black Mariah]

Re: Define...

Metal is, quite simply, loud distorted guitars, centered around the E chord. Played with the A chord as its I, metal is called punk. Any questions? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Metal is something different to everyone. To me the only thing truly neccesary for something to be metal is the loud distorted guitars, but not everything with loud distorted guitars is metal. High on Fire is metal. Soilwork is metal. Pearl Jam is not. The Strokes are not. Skinless is metal. Maiden is metal. John Vanderslice isn't.

What I'm really getting into more and more are the bands that sit on the edge between metal and something else. Anatomy of a Ghost, for example. They're mostly indie rock, but a lot of their riffs and changes scream metaaaaaaaal.