State Of the Union

First off before all the bitching and contemplation a big thank you to all the new readers, keep re-posting and spreading the word. If you are new to my blog and have only seen my reviews, while I have more of those in the coming days this is the first in a series of editorials if you will on the state of metal today.

From the 15,000 people at last nights Iron Maiden concert, you would think metal is in a healthy place. Then today I read a Facebook post from the front man of the up and coming local band Whores that he doesn't like Iron Maiden. Now people are free to their individual tastes but I think if you are playing metal it's a very ignorant stance to take. Especially when next to Black Sabbath are the most influential metal band ever, have any doubts go ask Metallica, go ask Slayer go ask Buzz Osborne.

I personally couldn't listen to a metal band who doesn't have at least respect for Maiden, because you are telling me you have no appreciation for well played and crafted music that's stood the test of time. While I know Christian personally and can recall a word for word conversation about an Iron Maiden tribute band I was in where he said " Alot of people thought Iron Maiden was a joke and he told them well you try to play it , it's no joke. Granted he could have been saying that to placate me , it think it's more more likely it was just said to get a reaction, I know you are thinking well he certainly got a reaction out of you if you are blogging about it. this is only the lead in, I have been contemplating this as were are at the half year mark and seeing where metal is heading in 2012.

I think the big trend is going to be getting hipsters out of metal, they are going to go back to their punk rock garage jangles or other such lo fi tom foolery. I think with Christian's statement it's a shift back to the more punk rock attitude, where bands like Unsane, the Melvins and Jesus Lizard who traditionally were leaning towards the punk rock scene more so than metal , and their fan base aging hipsters searching for relevance see a resurgence in metal thanks to cross over bands like Mastodon, who made metal hip before venturing out into Thin Lizzy land. Lets face I know at least in the scene here most of the so called metal heads are punk rockers who just grew their hair out and were riding the back of the trailer on the whole white trash trucker hat scene which was basically displaced rock a billy kids. Garage rock killed punk, it was just as snotty and simplistic, you had the black lips who were giving hand jobs to Vice magazine onstage, and Vice are moving onto to your little article about black metal next order of business.

So if you say you don't like Iron Maiden yet claim to be metal in some form or fashion, you have number one proved yourself a poseur, because lets face it metal is about a primal sense of belonging to a tribe of other who metal is not the next cool thing to jump onto but lifers who live and breathe it, the false will always show themselves out sure they might try and talk to you about King Diamond one day, they may even have a Slayer sticker on their car but they are just hopping on something for now.

Next week it will be indie/math/hardcore/dubstep/whatever.

Now I don't care for bands like Blind Guardian, I know they are talented, I do like old Helloween and it feels like to me if I have the need to listen to that sort of thing I can pop in Keeper of the 7 KEYS but as a rule that sort of happy power metal isn't for me, I do like that kind of thing when it is darker and angrier, but they are watered down 3rd generation children of the NWOBHM .

Similar to the Maiden hating is taking Judas Priest's side, well if your memory has failed you about that last Priest show that rolled through well...the Verizon amphitheater didn't do them any favors and Rob's voice was close to being shot out "Victim of Changes" was painful. Not to mention the fact Rob Halford holds the up most respect for Maiden and would never say something as stupid as he didn't like them.Well because he does.

I don't like the trend of taking a side of Maiden or Priest, and for people who think they are taking the higher ground with Priest, let me remind you of the Ripper Owens albums before you bring up Blaze Bailey because I will put "No Prayer for the dying" up against "Turbo" anyway of the week.

And if we are really going to fight dirty Maiden has never been on American Idol.But it's like seeing to family members fight and you are forced to take sides. If you like classic heavy metal you like it. Is 2012 the year metal gets divisive would be interested in seeing how this plays out as the tour unfold, could it just be Atlanta is retarded when it comes to metal...well it wouldn't be breaking news there.

Vice Magazine I'm coming for you next.