Metallica frontman James Hetfield has declared the metal industry to be overcrowded with lack luster bands that don’t deserve their acclaim.
Speaking with Artisan News, Hetfield agreed that the internet is part of the reason for the influx of average metal bands in recent times, but added that there is a natural order, which separates the good metal bands from the bad: “There are too many bands out there and some have to die off so the strong survive,” he stated.
When asked if he thought rock music is dead, Hetfield replied: “It dying and popularity are two different things. If it’s not popular fine, I kind of like it that way.”
He elaborated: “I love being the underdog. I love being the things that’s not liked. I love to build it up again, that’s part of the mission for me.”
Former Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash and renowned shock rocker Marilyn Manson also spoke about the current state of rock. Check it out in the video below.
These F**kheads crying about the internet as if its the enemy, maybe they should stop and consider how many more people come to their concerts, buy t-shirts, GO ONLINE TO THEIR STORE AND BUY THINGS, and spread the word about the band.
Seems like old people whinging about new bands that are absolutely smashing them in creativity and raising the bar.
seriously, if I was him I wouldn’t draw attention to that; metallica have been average at best for a long time. The only reason most people pay to see them is for there old stuff!
I think most of what is being said is true. In the last 20 years the telecom explosion has connected 6 billion people together. Shared ideas & shared information has a downside. Back in the day it was hard to find out information. You couldn’t just learn guitar from youtube.. what I’m saying is that all the secrets are out (about everything)… Now anyone can be anything… so consequently everybody and his brother can pick up a guitar and start a band. There are literally 5 million bands in the US alone that all want to be signed and they are all as good as the musicians were in the 80s (give and take a few)… but is the music good (that’s a different story). what I mean is that a lot of people can play pretty proficiently but what is missing is the soul. Too many bands/songs sound the same and most new bands get lost in the mix. Basically what happened to me happened to 5 million musicians. I used to worship metal bands, buy every record and thought musicians were gods. When I learned to play guitar I found out it is not so hard to play rock or metal then the charm wore off cause I could write decent songs. The guitar is such an instrument that almost anyone can make music and start a band within say 6 months to a year of playing.
Bottom line is that since everyone can do it.. now no one cares… that is, no one gives a shit about music anymore. Unless you are really exceptional you won’t turn heads. Also the secret is out about getting signed to big labels… that is, it is practically worthless.. the label takes it all..
research the music industry on youtube!
Basically, unless you are like metallica… that 1 in a million band, you cannot make a living; that is, you need a day job. So bands just shrivel up and die but clutter it up for those one or two bands that are really good and deserve a shot.