Chris C's blog

For all the talk of the evolution of heavy metal over the years, we often get caught up in a misconception. Not all evolution is good, and sometimes we don't want things to change. There was never anything wrong with four people walking into a studio, playing a few big riffs, and putting out a record that was never supposed to be anything more than a bit of fun. Metal loses its charm when it becomes too serious, which is why the continued renaissance of vintage-inspired bands are so welcome.

We've all heard the old saying, “you can't go home again.” While we all may be aware of it, bands seem not to have taken the message to heart. There seems to be a never-ending stream of bands from the 80's and 90's taking up their instruments once again, trying to capture their glory days one more time before it's too late. Some of these outings are successful in rekindling a legacy, like Hell was able to achieve, while others fall apart because of the time spent away from music, and some beg the question of whether enough people would still care to even attempt such a feat.

When last we heard from My Dying Bride, just last year, they were continuing to build their legacy with the very good “ A Map Of All Our Failures”. That record was all things My Dying Bride; heavy, doomy, progressive, and singularly theirs. They are one of those rare bands that have carved out a sound entirely their own, and when you hear it, you know exactly who it is. Not content to let that tome of death/doom gather dust, the band is back already with an EP of songs recorded around the same time, reinforcing everything “A Map Of All Our Failures” brought to the table.

Recent times have been quiet for the burgeoning djent scene. After a rush of releases thrust the fledgling music upon the masses, the stream of releases capturing the zeitgeist of the times has slowed to a trickle. I can't say whether it's a coincidence, or if the recent albums from genre leaders Periphery and grandfathers of all that is djent Meshuggah, may have made many of their followers go back to the drawing board.

As fans of horror movies, we all know one of the things that can elevate a film is the soundtrack. Early horror movies, like “Nosferatu”, relied solely on music to capture the mood of pure terror, and from then on music has been an integral part of building the suspense we feed off. “Psycho” wouldn't be the same without the legendary string arrangement, nor would countless other horror classics. Music and horror are a perfect marriage, and we're happy to help announce a new project that melds these two arts.

As music continues to move further and further toward the outer limits of extremity, and bands struggle to one-up the musical and lyrical brutality Cannibal Corpse spawned, there's a neat little twist in the strain of evolution. Good old fashioned occult rock and roll is making a comeback. Largely carried on the shoulders of the massively popular (for the style) Ghost, bands are starting to rediscover that leaving more to the imagination can be the best course of action.

Rob Zombie is one of those artists who, through incidental contact, I became a modest fan of. My college years exposed me to his unique take on the rock and metal form, and I was glad for the experience. Many of the songs he conjured up were a fascinating take on what could pass for pop metal, all the while being as thoroughly addictive as anything more sugary artists were putting out. While I don't pull those tracks off the shelf and blow the dust off them very often, they still bring a smile to my face.

One of the things about the thrash renaissance that is most welcome is the remembrance of bands outside the Big Four. While the Bay Area bands, along with the New York scene, did define thrash and contribute countless classic records, the boundaries of the genre weren't compatible with America's. Thrash exploded everywhere, and nowhere more than Germany, which has solidified its legacy as the second home of thrash. In the dark years of heavy metal, when all but the biggest bands seemed forgotten, the German thrash scene was reduced to but a blip on the screen.

I don't know what to make of modern rock music. There was a time when I was in touch with the 'mainstream', and loved the sort of stuff that was aimed at radio play. I grew up on that music, and still consider many of those releases my favorites of all time, but I got lost along the way as modern rock turned into something altogether different. The music became darker, the sounds became darker, and everything I liked about the style was stripped away in the name of angst.

Avantasia has always existed in a world larger than life. Recruiting scores of heavy hitters to fill the ranks of grandiose concept albums, Avantasia has been the playground for Tobias Sammet's grandest experiments. The two part "Metal Opera" is widely regarded as a modern day classic, even if I seemingly disagree with the whole world on which half is the most vital.