To my fellow music lovers,
There’s a problem with rock these days, and after reading an article on Pigeons and Planes, and an entry on Leather Rebel Blog, I've come to the conclusion that the modern day rock band is nothing more than a pop band with props. The genre has been "pussified", says Ernest Baker. Take Pierce the Veil, for example. With females, they are a huge success. But not with me. Sure, the singer has got some pipes, but as a band, they don’t work for me. I don’t mean to say that they can’t play their instruments because they obviously can, but these are professional musicians. And I feel that these “professionals” are not performing at a professional level.
Every new band has the same basic sound: some type of drop tuning, generic and boring guitar riffs, unimpressive drums, and a singer with a decent mid range, but lacking in vocal range. Even when it comes to the equalization, the bands seem to have the same generic mix: BOOST IT ALL.
There’s a problem with rock these days, and after reading an article on Pigeons and Planes, and an entry on Leather Rebel Blog, I've come to the conclusion that the modern day rock band is nothing more than a pop band with props. The genre has been "pussified", says Ernest Baker. Take Pierce the Veil, for example. With females, they are a huge success. But not with me. Sure, the singer has got some pipes, but as a band, they don’t work for me. I don’t mean to say that they can’t play their instruments because they obviously can, but these are professional musicians. And I feel that these “professionals” are not performing at a professional level.
Every new band has the same basic sound: some type of drop tuning, generic and boring guitar riffs, unimpressive drums, and a singer with a decent mid range, but lacking in vocal range. Even when it comes to the equalization, the bands seem to have the same generic mix: BOOST IT ALL.
Before I am berated for my bold claims, allow me to explain myself. All my life, music has been a great influence. Thankfully, my parents introduced me to music at a very young age, and by the time I was in the first grade, I had my fist guitar even though I had no idea how to play it. It was about five years later that I actually got serious about playing. After seeing some progress, my parents put me in guitar lessons. I took lessons for three years, and I am eternally grateful for being forced to take them. Once I got to high school, some of my friends began picking up playing music and we formed a band. Throughout high school, we played shows, wrote songs, and did a bit of recording.
Now, I am just a musician that is frustrated with how other people are playing their instruments. I’m not saying that how I play is the right way to play, or that there even is a right way to play for that matter. I simply feel that the people getting paid to play music now are getting paid way too much for basically copying each other.
There’s not a single band innovating or doing something good for the genre. They found the sound that sells the best, and that’s the sound that’s going to stick for the foreseeable future. This may please the mainstream audience, but for those that are truly into the music? No. And it sucks because the people that actually care about the music are the ones thirsting for something new.
The bands that are playing on radios are ruining rock music for the rest of us. I’m not some hipster that only listens to Led Zeppelin’s studio outtakes, but I am willing to admit that the rock music of today doesn’t pack a punch like it did previously.
Now, I am just a musician that is frustrated with how other people are playing their instruments. I’m not saying that how I play is the right way to play, or that there even is a right way to play for that matter. I simply feel that the people getting paid to play music now are getting paid way too much for basically copying each other.
There’s not a single band innovating or doing something good for the genre. They found the sound that sells the best, and that’s the sound that’s going to stick for the foreseeable future. This may please the mainstream audience, but for those that are truly into the music? No. And it sucks because the people that actually care about the music are the ones thirsting for something new.
The bands that are playing on radios are ruining rock music for the rest of us. I’m not some hipster that only listens to Led Zeppelin’s studio outtakes, but I am willing to admit that the rock music of today doesn’t pack a punch like it did previously.
I remember the first time I heard Avenged Sevenfold’s (A7X) Bat Country. My dad picked me up from school and showed me two new CDs, My Chemical Romance’s Three Cheers for Revenge and Avenged Sevenfold’s City of Evil. He, like me, is captivated by beautiful guitar playing, and there was one song in particular that my dad wanted to show me because it had “the craziest solo” he had ever heard. So we listened.
Bam. Right out the gate, the song starts off with a very quick tempo, 214 beats per minute. Imagine driving down a desert highway at 200 miles per hour, and that’s what this song feels like. It gets my blood pumping, and I want to hear more. The verses keep the song driving, and the choruses add a groove that is unexpected in a rock song. When it came to the solo, we were left in awe. Brian Haner (Sinister Gates) showed that his training at Musician’s Institute paid off.
The craziest thing of all is that every song on the album is this good, and each song brings something different to the table. Not only is each song actually different, but A7X has a distinct sound that no band can copy, trust me I’ve tried. The mid-range is clear, low-end booms, and the high frequencies still ring clearly. Although EQ (equalization) may not seem like a big deal, it is. The difference between top-tier and average bands is the attention to detail. This attention to detail allows you to create something truly exceptional that is really one of a kind. Without bringing something unique, you have no place in this business. Your name will fade away and you will forever be forgotten. Once your fifteen minutes of fame is over, you’re history.
New bands don’t do anything to impress the audience anymore. I don’t know about non-musicians, but I am not entertained by lazy playing. Let’s compare this to sports. How would you feel if the NFL became flooded with mediocre players? I don’t even watch sports seriously and I know that I would be bored. So maybe you can see where I’m coming from.
Where are the modern day Randy Rhaods, the Tommy Lee’s, or the Slash’s? There aren’t any really. And that’s terrible because the world is full of talent. There are kids on YouTube playing better than over half the bands we see on the stage, and they’re probably never going to get a shot because of what the mainstream standard is.
The worst part about all of this is that there isn’t really anything that we can do. Change is something that needs to exist in order for music to keep adapting to the times, and change is going to happen whether we like it or not. The only thing we can do is hope that the next band on the come up is something new, and when/if we’re disappointed, we always have the old music to run back to.
Love, a desperate fan.