Well guys, I have to say this decade, metal has really improved and evolved hasn't it? I mean, yes, we can thank all of the pioneers and innovators of the past for paving way for the metal artists we are inspired by an look up to today.

The music has gotten a whole bunch heavier, a lot of the music has really changed. In some circumstances it has gotten more technical, and in other cases it has become a lot more progressive, really. In a decade where mainstream music has completely died, and has "music" which is really void of any humanity, we can all sit here and say that this decade has been a really good decade for the genre we like most. Metal. Well, that's if you're reading this and you really like metal.

Ah, but this decade has a few things that have tried tainting this genre - Firstly, metalcore. This metal subgenre is an embarrassment, really. Sure, some of the musicians of metalcore bands are really talented musicians, but why did they think it was a good idea to make money by fusing thrash metal riffs with really annoying "Why does everyone hate me?" whiny parts? This really annoyed me a lot. The subgenre itself is a massive disrespect to thrash metal, and Trivium really should just put their instruments down and stop making music.

Tainting the name of the thrash metal genre is one thing, though, but when metal got heavier and more brutal over time, some idiots thought it would be great to start the deathcore subgenre, and taint the death metal genre. This time, band's relied on breakdown-on-breakdown type riffing, and some guy with tight jeans and an emo hairstyle screaming "Why does everyone hate me?" with an extremely uncontrolled voice. Bands like Job for a Cowboy should just give up playing altogether. They may not know it, but they really suck. The Faceless are pretty technically proficient, but they're not really that deathcore.

Finally, another subgenre of metal that ruined the metal reputation for all was nu-metal. How can one band like Slipknot create such horrendous crap? Sure, they're heavy, but you'd have to be an idiot to not be able to make a heavy song on a downtuned/7 string guitar. Joey Jordison is pretty skilled, but he gets eclipsed by many metal drummers, so people on YouTube can shut their mouths. Also, they've got a million members in their band. That is just stupid. There are many other acts that I can talk about, but I feel violated already having mentioned the word "Slipknot", so I'll move along to the positives.

Although most metal listeners of this decade have been plagued with stuff like "o u lyk death metal so u lyk slipknot ryt?" and "y do u hav lng hair r u emo?" we've had the pleasure of a lot of great music in the metal genre. Death metal has really been great. Cannibal Corpse have really evolved, sure it's all about gore and stuff, but musically speaking they're really progressing. Cryptopsy's Once Was Not was a really good effort, I wish I could say that about their latest, but that was a heap of deathcore crap. Ok, I'll stop naming artists. I'll let you guys tell me your favourites. That way, we can share good metal around and stuff. I've only named more well known acts, I know there are a whole bunch of underground artists in the metal scene that sound great, but I thought I'd just mention a few.

Anyway, I felt like venting a bit. I'm really not a meathead or anything, even though this post suggests this. I'm just fed up with listeners of good metal being the underdogs. I guess in this thread you can recommend bands to others to listen to. I'm always up for listneing to something new.

Thanks for coping with me, guys. I look forward to responses.

I really like classical metal, Hair metal, Glam metal, and black metal.

I really think black metal peaked in the early 90s. Burzums early suff was great but then he made it repedetive as hell. It was still great but it was essentially 12 seconds of music looped with great vocals. As for his even newer synth stuff well it is what it is. I find it unremarkable.

Emperor was always good but never really blew me away. Same with the spiniffs solos and side projects.

Abruptum was fascinating even if it couldnt really be called music.

Mayhem could be a whole book in itself. Deathcrush had a great sound with bland lyrics. Their live work was in my opinion the very peak of the genre. De Mysteries dom Sathanas was great but kind of a departure from what fans expect.

Darkthrone i would say soulside journeys good but they were still death not yet black. Blaze in the northern sky was a step in the right direction under a funeral moon was probably their peak and Transylvanian hunger was good but super repedative like philosofem era of burzum.

Satyricons early work was great Dark medevil times was probably my favorite Shadowthrone being a close second. After that it was good but not as good.

Immortal is good if a bit silly, but far from the best of the genre of black metal.

Taking it back to the 80s Bathory is quite good but I greatly prefer his first 3 albums to his later work. After he went all nordic I kind of lost interest not that norse mythology isnt fascinating, it is. Its just that it kinda takes the edge off the black metal somehow.

Venom is great but really its kind of black metal kind of 80s metal in general you know.

Hellhammer and Celtic Frost I dont really know enough about to comment but from what i have heard its a good sound.

I also like Man-o-war they are not black at all but its just fascinating to me that an american band can be more popular in foreign lands than in america.(besides David Hasselhoff) They are cheesy as hell but funny.

Well i guess i prefer early to mid 90s metal to the modern stuff. Its not cause i hate synths or experimenting with new vocal styles or orchestral elements either. It just seams more predictable and more like regular music. They dont really get a metal sound out of the orchestra and synth even though they could.

Ah, glad to see this thread get a post that didn't feature "slpknot sux bt system r da bst". You've listed some really cool bands.

I still don't think I'll listen to Manowar, though, lol. The song Brothers of Metal and all of their album covers are a great laugh though.

Immortal cracks me up, too. Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms is so kvlt and brvtal. Well, not really, but still hilarious stuff.

I hear a lot about Bathory. I've never really listened to them myself as I've never really been a big black metal fan. I do like Negura Bunget and Shining, though. They're probably the only black metal bands that I do listen to.

Thanks for you post, man. Good work for listening to good music.

Making sweeping generalizations about whole genres immature don't you think?
I'm in a metalcore/deathcore band, I sing I don't look or act emo and neither do any of my band mates. Sighting job for a cowboy is just stupid they are like saying eminem is the be all and end all of hiphop, it's the most mainstream version of that genre.

Try The Acacia Strain, Despised Icon, As I Lay Dying and Cariflex

Originally posted by ivzm
Making sweeping generalizations about whole genres immature don't you think?
I'm in a metalcore/deathcore band, I sing I don't look or act emo and neither do any of my band mates. Sighting job for a cowboy is just stupid they are like saying eminem is the be all and end all of hiphop, it's the most mainstream version of that genre.

Try The Acacia Strain, Despised Icon, As I Lay Dying and Cariflex

Yeah, upon waking up this morning I realised that this is a meathead thread, but strange things happen when you get bored at 1am.

Ok, Despised Icon are somewhat decent, but regardless As I Lay Dying and Carnifex are subpar. Well, especially Carnifex. From what I've heard from Carnifex they really all about breakdown riff on breakdown riff. A lot of fans call them brutal, but I think they're a massive joke and appreciated by a lot of scene kids.

Well, good stuff. I just never saw the appeal in the genre, that's all. From what I've heard from the more well known acts they sound as if they're trying to dilute death metal.

I hope your band goes well, though. As long as your lyrical content isn't like the generalisation of deathcore lyrics, then you're probably good.

Then again, you strike me as a pretty smart guy, so that's cool.

Stoner metal rocques. Listen to Witch, they rule like sliced cheese that is grilled.

I agree with the OP, as well as the trends of metalcore and deathcore, there's also the annoying wave of dumbed down swedish gothenburg melodeath. I really can't stand all the Dark Tranquility clones out there. There also seems to be an increasing amount of symphonic and folk metal bands, which are mostly quite boring.

However the last 10 years have had some good things come out of it, especially in the technical death metal field. Yes, there are so many bands here which are all technical prowess, zero song writing ability, but there are some real gems. Lykathea Aflame, Mithras, and !T.O.O.H! for example. They've taken what Death and Atheist pioneered to a new level in my opinion.