This post is a complete dump of my frustration gathered across some time regarding 'core' subgenre of metal, after reading a post with the following words "This is real music, not some true metal shit" linking a metalcore band below it.
Opinions presented below are entirely my own(However I'm sure that many would share those), and if you do not like it, there is an X button on the top right corner of your browser, click it.
Metal is not a music for the masses, people listening to it are very specific who like their whisky raw, their women good looking and intelligent and their music - heavy. A genre of music that you will not hear in your shopping mall, not even any common radio station would risk putting it on, not many movies decide to use it either, anyway - It is damn good.
Many people would say that this music is dead - It had its awesome years back in 80's and 90's, no wonder this kind of talk comes from people who tend to choose primitive music - Exactly the one that you can hear in the places you wouldn't have a chance of hearing anything heavy - Gaga, anyone?
Let's get to the point however. Metal, even though considered as a rather old genre of music, has got its new wave of refreshment approaching all the time for some time already, it is commonly called "metalcore", a mix between hardcore and metal, sounds great? Fuck yeah it does, for people who listened to Terror or Hatebreed, a though of mixing it with some Bolt Thrower or Cannibal Corpse sounds even better, right? Well, this is what you're thinking right before actually listening to it. My journey with metalcore has began perhaphs 2 years ago, with a friend sending me a link to YT video of Heaven Shall Burn - Counterweight, as I listened I thought "Fuck man, this is awesome shit" pretty damn heavy, I considered it good. Then I found out about Parkway Drive - Those guys are awesome as well, very technical in their writing, accompanied by a good vocalist it sounds great - Definitely something you'd have to check out and it can be righteously be called a refreshment in the genre.
However, this is where all the good words would come to an end, I really cannot name any more bands with such a fresh and great sounding approach to metalcore, most of the bands who are ATTEMPTING to play something reasonably good fail at a very early stage - Those bands all sound the same, with terrible vocals and repetitive riffs stolen from Amon Amarth and such, just a little sped up, accompanied by terrible attempt of fast and quality drumming like in any black metal band. Take a few as an example As Blood Runs Black, Caliban, I Declare War, Carnifex and a list can keep going endlessly, it is not as bad however, a note to metalcore guys ; If you want to sound heavy, get rid of the fucking clean vocals, they ruin everything, literally.
Anyone can clearly imagine a stereotypical metal fan, having long hair, beard, leather jacket, combat trousers and heavy boots, with optional old school tattoos, often black and grey yet not always. Now take a look at core fans, thin trousers, light shoes, an metalcore shirt, with their hair covering one of their eyes, replacing normal piercings with silly holes in their ears making you want to get a padlock, those are ok - For people in Africa, leave their culture to them. Those guys usually tend to like a different approach to tattooing as well, they get full sleeves and chest tattooed and when you look at it you can't make out what the fuck it is - It perhaps is not as bad on a bit built person, but those guys tend to be underweight and just emo looking.
A subject of dance, I like this one very much!
If you're a metal fan you've clearly seen or been in a pit during a good gig, you can get hurt in it but who gives a fuck, you're a metalhead, nothing can hurt you, right? Well, I liked it, I almost always took a part for a good bit of time. It has changed at an Eight Plague Tour featuring Machine Head, Devildriver, Darkest Hour and.. Bring me the Horizon, fair enough, flame me here - I realise BMTH is not the heaviest, but those guys share fans across other core bands. I've noted that during BMTH most of metalheads were just drinking beer outside having fun and making jokes about core kids coming over and attempting to mosh. However, during Devildriver and Machine Head set we had even more fun - Ever seen how core fans mosh? Yeah, with those arms flying around them and their head being low? It was a pleasure to watch those guys getting owned to the ground, it is beyond fucking annoying, most of BMTH fans were left bleeding after such attempts, is proper moshing really fucking hard? I mean, there is no damn philosophy in it, is there?
Basically, I do not understand people who are great fans of metalcore music, refusing to accept the fact that true metal is where it all has begun in the first place.
A conclusion? Man the fuck up, core fans. A where to start guide:
Bolt Thrower
Naglfar
Cannibal Corpse
Amon Amarth
Slayer
Motorhead
Kreator
Sodom
Immolation
And a list keeps on going..
