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As the lead guitarist and primary songwriter in my band, I've hit a wall. I'm not an incredibly fast or technical player, certainly not a "shredder" by most standards, but once I have a song idea in mind, my playing is sufficient to make the song sound right. I play what the song requires, knowing that someone else could play it faster or adding more impressive techniques if they tried. However, the wall I'm talking about has nothing to do with comparing my skill to that of other players. It has everything to do with what constitutes a good listening experience.
It seems that as "everything has been done in metal" is proven time and time again, bands turn up the speed and complexity, trying to amaze audiences with technical proficiency. Personally, I find myself thinking that all regard for songwriting has been abandoned by such bands. I appreciate a good solo and some fast riffing, but an Olympic event it is not. Many of my favorite albums came out of the Gothenburg "wave", and despite containing some amazing guitar work, it was the overall arrangements and song structures that made them memorable. I can't think of many albums that raised the bar much farther than Rust in Peace in terms of blending good writing with killer musicianship. Death accomplished it with Individual Thought Patterns, and Carcass did the same with Heartwork, but most of the more recent "extreme" releases seem to push the technical envelope at the expense of memorable songs.
Is there a point at which the technical aspects of music go ignored by most listeners, with the exception of other musicians? I've had people come up to me after playing a set, telling me "you make it look so easy" or remarking on the speed of a particular song. The thing is, they aren't songs that I consider especially complicated, and my playing definitely is not up to the level of Chuck Schuldiner, Mike Amott, Dave Mustaine or whoever may have influenced me. I know that even if I strain to play a few beats per minute faster or nail some elusive solo, it won't have any bearing on the typical listeners perception of what is or isn't good.
When you listen to music purely for enjoyment, do you want something to blow your mind with impressive technique, or do you appreciate a song as the sum of its parts?
It seems that as "everything has been done in metal" is proven time and time again, bands turn up the speed and complexity, trying to amaze audiences with technical proficiency. Personally, I find myself thinking that all regard for songwriting has been abandoned by such bands. I appreciate a good solo and some fast riffing, but an Olympic event it is not. Many of my favorite albums came out of the Gothenburg "wave", and despite containing some amazing guitar work, it was the overall arrangements and song structures that made them memorable. I can't think of many albums that raised the bar much farther than Rust in Peace in terms of blending good writing with killer musicianship. Death accomplished it with Individual Thought Patterns, and Carcass did the same with Heartwork, but most of the more recent "extreme" releases seem to push the technical envelope at the expense of memorable songs.
Is there a point at which the technical aspects of music go ignored by most listeners, with the exception of other musicians? I've had people come up to me after playing a set, telling me "you make it look so easy" or remarking on the speed of a particular song. The thing is, they aren't songs that I consider especially complicated, and my playing definitely is not up to the level of Chuck Schuldiner, Mike Amott, Dave Mustaine or whoever may have influenced me. I know that even if I strain to play a few beats per minute faster or nail some elusive solo, it won't have any bearing on the typical listeners perception of what is or isn't good.
When you listen to music purely for enjoyment, do you want something to blow your mind with impressive technique, or do you appreciate a song as the sum of its parts?
that was great.
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