Thoughts on Metallica, Foo Fighters, and other bands...
Published on June 21, 2006 By da_zman20 In Music
I have been waiting patiently for the new Metallica cd since last year when I heard that Metallica would be recording it. I've been a huge fan of Metallica my entire life, and their music has helped me along many hard times. I heard the news the other day that the cd will be pushed back until fall of 2007. That's a bummer, I was hoping it to be out next spring, and they would do a concert at the LA colliseum next summer. But I don't think I'll get my wish. I don't see how they would need to push it back. The band says that they have 15 songs done, and that's more than enough for 1 cd. Especially since they are famous for songs that range from 7 minutes, to 12 minutes long. A cd only holds like 54 minutes of time I believe. I don't know but I think if they are still making more songs, maybe it will be a double disk or something. If that's the case, rock on.

I wanted to complain a bit about a band that I like, but really let me down, The Foo-Fighters. I bought their last two cd's, and boy was I dissapointed. There are the great songs that you hear on the radio, and then everything else. It's like they wrote the whole CD around just those tracks for the radio. On the "In your honor" cd the singles are tracks 1,2,3, and 4... (that's an odd coincidence) while the rest of the cd doesn't seem to adhere to the same quality as the singles, and there is a second disk, that I can't stand to listen to. Keep in mind this is just an opinion, and I'm not trying to make anyone mad with this. It's just that I think that they could have done a little better. Same for the Nine Inch Nails. All of the songs that aren't singles seem too have the music louder than the vocals, and they are more monotonic (Is that the correct way to conjegate that?) than the rest of the cd. I don't like any of the tracks other than the ones I've heard on the radio. I thought that maybe it was because I hadn't played the cd's enough, and hadn't given myself enough time to get use to them but I was wrong, since I put in other cd's and didn't have the same problem. I got the new Korn cd, "See you on the other side," and immediately I loved every song on the cd, and required no period to use to any of the songs. Same story with the new Three Day's Grace cd, I loved it from the moment I put it into the cd player. What's the deal? I just don't get it.

I also wanted to talk about Metallica, but not about the new cd, about what people have been saying about them. I have every one of their cd's and I listen to all of them all quite frequently. I just don't get it when people say that sold out, because I don't think that they ever did. Some people say that they cut their hair, and started singing more "blues style music." Thats a bunch of nonsense in my opinion. It's funny how people that jumped on the Metallica bandwagon at the black album will tell you that Metallica sold out with Load, because it was so different from everything else that ever did... but actually the black album was different from everything before it, and if you ask a true fan he will tell you that's where the line is drawn. Metallica never sold out though. I truly believe that every song they wrote was from the heart, and no one ever influenced them to write anything. They wrote what they wanted to write, and that's why it worked. Another thing that I don't get is that no one knows any of the songs off of these albums that they are complaining about. People just say bad things about Metallica because it cool to do. Like this idiot I know telling me that Linkin Park's new stuff sounded to much like their old stuff and that's why he didn't like them anymore. They only have two albums, it's not that big of a deal, and their second album was great. More songs off of that album were realeased as singles, than off of any album I know (and played on the radio at least). Why do idiots jump on bandwagons? I just don't get it.

I just want to leave with a few more tidbits of information on my opinions regarding music. I saw this new band in concert called Mower, they took the place of Hurt (another band I don't know of). They were pretty cool in concert, and their new cd has a bad ass rendition of California Dreamin'. They played with Three Days Grace who played an awesome set, and also with Staind, all 5 of staind's cds are great (although I've played them to the point that I can't stand them right now). Three Days Grace really made an impression with the song Pain, and one that goes like "it's so much better, now that your gone forever..."Disturbed's new cd ten thousand fists is worth buying, and I hope to get the new Tool cd soon, but haven't got it yet. Comments regarding my opinion are welcome, but please be kind.

Comments
on Jun 21, 2006
Z Man -
It sounds like you've got some leanings towards some great music. A lot of the bands that you've mentioned in your article used to be flagship bands for me - the ones that I held up as great rock and roll.
But as time has gone on, and I've realized how simple and redundant (as a musician and musical theorist) popular rock music can be.
Yet - it sounds like you're open to some new musical ideas. I just thought I'd name some bands that you should check out and they might open up your musical eyes a little more.

Opeth - these guys are one of the most talented metal bands out there right now. They would probably be my third favorite band. So crunchy, loud, and in-your-face, without being silly or violent. These guys just plum rock. Album to check out - Blackwater Park, IMO the greatest metal album of all time.
Porcupine Tree - my second favorite band. While they started pretty mellow, atmospheric, and . . . well . . . British, their newer releases are extremely well-written. Album - In Absentia, one of my favorite discs of all time.
dredg - these guys are a bit more mainstream than a lot of the other bands I listen to, but they're super talented. Album to check out - Catch Without Arms is their easiest-to-like, most accessible album, but their best disc is el cielo.

All of these bands are cool - in fact, better than just cool, awesome. Give some of their stuff a listen, and see if it's what you're looking for. Eager to hear what you find and think!
on Jun 21, 2006
I'll check them out and let you know... thanks for info, I'm always looking for new stuff to listen to, rock on...
on Jun 21, 2006
Just went and checked out the bands, and listened to their stuff... Opeth looks awesome, I'm going to experiment and get Blackwater Park I think, Porcupine Tree sounds good, great insturments, great vocals, but I'm not sure on them yet, and for Dredg, I think I'm gonna get some of their cd's as well, not sure yet... I hope to someday have a large collection of every cd that doesn't suck, so thanks for helping find a few more bands to add to my collection...
on Jun 21, 2006
Porcupine Tree is definitely an acquired taste, but once you get into it, you'll be amazed. I'm glad you like Opeth, though. They really are the best of the best when it comes to metal.