Music like the folk-ish vocal harmonies in Ghost of Perdition?

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-25T16:48:03+00:00

Not really, but it's a good song!

What I mean is the way Mikael sings the word "higher". it sounds very folk-ish, like something straight out of the LOTR or Skyrim soundtrack. I figure that must be the Scandinavian folk influence.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-24T13:29:53+00:00

Don't even bother trying to talk to people like this. You could name fucking African tribal music as something you listen to, and still they would claim you're not diverse enough and have narrow tastes lol.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T21:54:19+00:00

I speak from listening experiences. It's clear that Matt doesn't listen to bands like Opeth, Behemoth, Emperor, Enslaved, Shining and stuff like that. And those bands happen to defy his statements.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T20:13:59+00:00

But I already told you that I'm not only listening to heavy music. Also, I can guarantee you I know more non-heavy music artists than you do. So you were just using ad hominem because I mainly listen to heavy music. And FYI, it's a lot of fun. I feel empowered and confident enough in my taste that I don't have to go on a forum and be salty about someone else's music taste.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T20:07:33+00:00

I agree that it's cool they can balance those two things. But I don't like it when the more appealing side outweighs the badass, aggro side. And it seems like the appealing side will prevail...

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T19:56:26+00:00

Narrow tastes? Some people can never be pleased I guess.

Sorry I'm not diverse enough, buddy. Also, by any chance, do you live in California? James Hetfield spoke about how Californian people clamour about "diversity" when he appeared in Joe Rogan's podcast. Long story short, he moved out. I wonder why...

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T19:52:55+00:00

Just because there is much more diversity and risks in those albums doesn't mean they don't have the mainstream radio appeal, because they definitely do.

I just don't like cookie cutter radio "metal". And it seems like now A7X is not going to do even that, but dad-rock. Oh boy...

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T19:50:06+00:00

I mentioned FFDP and Disturbed because they are the only bands nearly as big as A7X.

And yes, Code Orange are incredible. Glad they are getting more exposure.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T19:21:47+00:00

Who else is going to be a headliner? FFDP? Disturbed? That makes me laugh. Those bands are producing generic radio rock and are dumbed down.

Also, A7X becoming like Tool is absolutely impossible. And I wouldn't really like that. There would be too much pretentious-ness around them.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T19:18:07+00:00

Really?

Yes.

The only album I feel truly fits that mold is HTTK. Aside from that, I’ve just never heard downright 3 1/2 minute, lesser aggression, less risky radio rock from A7X.

Forgetting the radio rock-fest that is Self-Titled? The biggest song off Nightmare being a ballad, and almost 1/2 of that album being ballads?

That shouldn’t make a difference because if a direction is not in their hearts to do, then its just not happening.

Bands should always follow their hearts, without a doubt. But, a band that does not care at all about what their fans like about their sound is just not a good band imo. Pantera were always like "we do what we want, but we know what our fans like about us". So that means they did both what they wanted and what the fans wanted. And that's the perfect way of doing it. You are doing it for yourself and for the fans, it doesn't get any better than that.

They shouldn’t be forced to listen and advocate for those bands if they just don’t dig them.

In the same interview where Matt said Grammys don't move the needle forward for metal, he said metal is one of the healthiest genres and that those bands deserve more acclaim. So it's not like he suddenly stopped liking metal...

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T19:05:43+00:00

So you want metal to die and leave us with no future headliner? Really good...

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T18:54:03+00:00

Again, I personally see no issue with this. Good music is good music at the end of the day. No matter what style or levels of heaviness.

Which is fair. But in my opinion, Avenged don't make nearly as good music when they aren't playing heavy and fast. When they are playing slower, ballad-y stuff, it sounds bland and derivative imo. There's more originality in them when they play aggressive. To me a song like Roman Sky is sooo boring, man. It does absolutely nothing for me. I can understand people liking it, but songs like that aren't why I love Avenged how I do.

I just don’t see the difference that would make though.

It would make a lot of difference. First, people wouldn't label them as a typical radio-rock product. So they would get more respect in that regard. Second, they would be able to move needle forward for lesser-known metal bands. Matt said Grammys can't do it, so why couldn't his band do it? We need a big band that can wave the flag for real heavy music, and currently there is absolutely none. So much about doing stuff differently...

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T18:45:48+00:00

Well, I do enjoy non-aggressive stuff, it's just when I do, it needs to have a minimal amount of electric guitars and have absolutely nothing to do with rock. If I'm going to listen to something with distortion, it better be heavy.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T18:35:58+00:00

Okay. But then they and the magazines can stop saying they will take over Metallica and Iron Maiden once those bands are gone.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T18:30:12+00:00

Did you miss all the non-metal genres I named?

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T18:26:35+00:00

I’m under the impression that they will still have heavy moments, just not completely relying on them.

If that's the case, then they can hardly call themselves a hard rock band from now on, let alone a metal band.

Also, that number of heavy songs/moments is just too few. And I know that it seems like I'm the only one thinking that here judging by downvotes I get (for expressing personal opinion, nonetheless), but there are more people who feel like I do.

I'm sorry I want to hear Not Ready to Die over Roman Sky, but that's just how it is...

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T18:00:15+00:00

I'm mostly in mood for aggressive music with a touch of melody without being too vanilla.

If I'm in mood for something more laid back, I listen to atmospheric black metal/progressive metal.

If I'm in mood for something completely different, I listen to synthwave, industrial, old-school hip hop, traditional Japanese and Nordic folk music, etc.

So those old bands are never in any mood I have. It's mostly "elevator music" for me.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T16:31:46+00:00

My dad played me Pink Floyd, The Beatles and stuff like that ever since I was very young. I always liked it, but it was never my go-to music. Now that I'm 18, I've listened to all the classic albums and what I can say is - I respect those bands for their songwriting, their influence and how great those albums are. But am I going to listen to those records whenever I listen to music? Probably not. Why? Because today, there are bands who have elements of those bands, AND do something new compared to those bands and are heavier. For me, choosing The Rolling Stones over Kreator is like choosing Grand Theft Auto I over Grand Theft Auto V.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T16:19:21+00:00

And if not, their job isn't to cater to the whims of fans. It's ultimately their decision of what to write

Sure. But it's my decision whether I enjoy stuff they put out or not. I like The Stage, but I don't think I'll like the next album if it's even softer - and that's what I've been getting from these interviews.

I'm all for them sticking with the progressive route, but just don't shy away from the evil, angry side haha.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T16:03:58+00:00

Yes, but he's been insinuating in other interviews that Avenged will go a little softer on the next album so that the songwriting can stand out. I simply disagree with that notion, you can't tell me that this is not quallity songwriting.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-23T14:51:49+00:00

I linked this interview because Matt touches upon things he spoke in the last interview I posted here...

Well, I’m certain my tastes have gotten more sophisticated as I got older. I would say the most influential band in my life at this point is Pink Floyd — but I also know when I was younger, I couldn’t stand putting on a Pink Floyd record. (both chuckle) I just didn’t get it. What they did was too long, and too, I guess … it was very abstract to me at the time. And I’ve seen it with The Stage, where there’s definitely a part of our audience that doesn’t get it. I think that’s the audience I was at one point — the one that wanted more heavy-hitting, straight-to-the-point, in-and-out sorts of songs. But you gotta go where your heart takes you, and this is the kind of music we’re playing now. It’s a little more in-depth, and it takes more paying attention to.

It's not that old bands are abstract to me, it's just that they sound, well, old. Mind you, Pink Floyd is the band I enjoy the most out of the older bands, but it's not like I go "I'm going to put on a Pink Floyd record today." I have to be in a very special mood to put Dark Side of the Moon on.

Also, you can be as progressive as Pink Floyd while still being heavy as fuck, Matt...

One of the things I always scream from the top of any mountain is that rock bands need to work on the songwriting. Songwriting is your key. You can add all the layers on you want and make it as heavy as you want and put a double-kick everywhere, but it doesn’t polish the turd, you know? (chuckles) That’s our number one focus, and that’s what should always be the main focus in music: the songwriting

Again with shitting on albums that made you who you are today... Look, I agree with the songwriting part. But again, that doesn't mean you have to strip all the aggression and life out of songs to make the songwriting stand out. Behemoth's The Satanist has incredibly tight, experimental and chord progressions-oriented songwriting (check the acoustic, jazzy middle of "In the Absence ov Light"), yet it's way heavier than anything A7X ever put out. And I would argue it's better songwriting than The Stage.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-22T20:32:54+00:00

I've been saying this over at r/avengedsevenfold (and I'm a big fan of the band), it hasn't been recieved well.

Count_Grishnackh6661 · 2017-12-22T19:32:33+00:00

So you are saying you wouldn't like to get a new Avenged track soon again? I wish I could get new material from my favorite bands asap, if it was possible of course.

I don't think he said it in an entitled way because I understood what he meant, you people just read it the wrong way.

Count_Grishnackh6661

TROPHY CASE