There’s one thing metalheads don’t get sick off arguing about and that is, is Band X metal? And are they more metal than Band Y? And what about Band Z? They sure lost steam after their first Demo, right?
Read some more babbling after the jump.
One of the key arguments in such debates is that Band Z ‘sold out’. What is selling out? Changing up your style to appeal to a certain audience and make more money. At least, that’s my definition.
Let’s say you’re flipping burgers at Burger King and you really love your job because once in a while, when nobody’s looking, you just put your head into the deep fryer and let that fat chick, the owner’s daughter who basically grew up with Double Whoopers, lick it all off. But what if someone told you, you could make more money by doing less complicated stuff (because flipping burgers ain’t the easiest job, dawg), and finally get a huge wedding ring for that fat finger of your girl?
Would you say no? Of course you wouldn’t but as soon as Winterfrost from Norway (not a real band… I hope) hire a producer for their mayor label debut album, after recording 20 demos of nothing but static, you label them sell outs. Makes sense, right? Because musicians only make music for the music itself or their fans, right? Wrong. Being a musician is a job.
Lots of musicians contract debts to record an album and produce merchandise themselves and once they finally sign a record deal, which doesn’t make them any money but gives them the chance to get their music out to more people and then just maybe they might make a couple of bucks, their fans let them down, call them sell outs and after a couple of months Band Z gets dropped off the label. Is that fair?
Of course it is because they should have stayed true and let their children starve to death. Could make good lyrics for a song. Who needs money when you have metal?
Anyhow, I’m not saying I’m not intolerant myself at times but god, this argument got old. I don’t give a crap if you bitch about Metallica not being metal anymore, because I do so myself, but they’re fucking millionaires. Support up-and-coming bands! That’s what I’m saying. If you prefered their vltra grim and trve kvlt demos from the early days but don’t like their new stuff, go to their concerts anyhow. They just might play a couple of old songs. And if you don’t want to spend money on that, at least don’t badmouth them and let other heads enjoy them.
They gave you some good times because of the music they played, so don’t be selfish. Let them have a good time now, too. Just think of the children.
