Z..
Member
Bear in mind I did not at any point mean everyone should bow down to Deafheaven or anything like that. It merely pisses me off that everytime I see them mentioned in impressions people ALWAYS (without fail) have to add an addendum saying they weren't there to see them or some such thing. Why do people care so much? I'm not saying anyone is a stupid child for disliking them (hell, I don't even like them THAT much), I'm merely saying this inherent need the average headbanger has to immediately distance him/herself from them every time they're mentioned is at least somewhat childish. This whole shared-subconscious perceived need for a rep or kudos within the community drives me crazy. Deafheaven and Liturgy are probably the funniest examples... the lengths people go to to make sure others don't think they even remotely enjoy these "hipster metal" type bands just reeks of desperation.
As for them not doing anything interesting, I highly disagree. Again, I'm not that big a fan of theirs, but I admire them (along with Alcest) tremendously as a beacon of ambition. There's no shortage of great albums coming out these days, but the vast majority of them are highly derivative and as such I will always be a huge supporter of anyone who's exploring new soundscapes and pulling it off with a defined and matured sonic identity. When I see the adoration Djent (which manages to not only be the most creatively bankrupt sub genre ever but also the most disappointing in that nothing so far has even gotten close to matching or rivaling the quality of Meshuggah's output) gets in contrast to Blackgaze, it just hurts a little as a huge lover of extreme music to see such narrow mindedness preventing the scene from growing out of this sheltered little comfort zone it's cornered itself into.
As for them not being good live, and I'm sure I'll get alot of hate for this, is anyone really? I was a very active concert goer from about '97 until late 2011 and quite honestly I've never seen anyone that really blew me away, ever. Metal just does not translate well to a live stage, imo... and do bear in mind I've seen a ton of great bands in their prime (like Death in '98, Gojira in '06, Opeth in '01, Mastodon in '05, Meshuggah in '03, Nevermore in '06, Isis in '05, etc etc etc etc) so I'm not just saying this out of spite.
I love the atmosphere and the crowd (which is why I still go to the occasional black metal or hardcore concert every now and then to trip or vent, respectivelly), but there was only 1 single time where the live show was superior to just listening to the studio stuff with a good pair of headphones (Negură Bunget, OM tour). Compared to hip hop, progressive electronic (Tangerine Dream are a highlight) or minimalist stuff like Nils Frahm which not only sound incredible but reach their true potential when doing a live performance, metal in general is something I mostly just gave up on when it comes to live shows... I no longer see the point, to be fair. It will forever be my favorite subgenre of music and it'll always hold a special place in my heart as it was the gateway drug that led me to further musical exploration, but I don't really think anyone is that good live, to be honest. Too much gets lost in the cacophony.
All that said, I apologize if I came on a bit strong... but this is gaf. I tend to hold gaf to a higher standard and then this kind of stuff happens... sorry!
Read above. Also, I do think it's a problem in the sense that there seems to be an active need to poopoo such bands just out of spite... it's a bit of a toxic environment, imo.
