Arch Enemy Singer Worries About The State Of Metal When “The masters are no longer there”

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In a new interview with San Antonio Current, Arch Enemy singer Alissa White-Gluz shared that she is worried about the future state of metal and live shows.

The Arch Enemy singer addresses her concerns over the future state of metal when she is asked: “Metal festivals are oftentimes headlined by bands who are getting up there in age: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth. Slayer has already retired. How is metal going to sustain itself without some of those literal titans?

White-Gluz shares how she has spoken about her concerns with that of Nergal from Behemoth and fellow Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott. She goes into her worries, saying, “I’m a little concerned about maybe not having really excellent music in — let’s say — 50 years.”

Per the Arch Enemy singer, she said the following:

“I was just talking about that yesterday, because I was with Nergal and Michael at the Bay Strikes Back Tour, which is Testament, Exodus and Death Angel. We were talking about it, and there’s a little bit of concern, actually, for what is going to step in as fantastic music. Even if you go a little bit beyond metal, Aerosmith let’s say. Once these bands have to stop for whatever reason, Arch Enemy is right there waiting to step in. (Laughs.)”

White-Gluz goes on to add:

“But there is a little bit of concern on my end. Not to say that modern music isn’t fantastic, because it is. It’s more that the consumption of music is less focused on the quality of the songwriting and the musicianship and the lyrics, and it’s a little bit more focused on the virality of the song and made for a very short attention span. And that’s not the fault of musicians. That’s just the way world is. So, I’m a little concerned about maybe not having really excellent music in — let’s say — 50 years. I’m a little worried that the era of bands might actually come to a close, because even the era of touring bands is not very old. If you read the Keith Richards biography, he talks about the Rolling Stones being one of the first touring bands, and I would hate to see that go away. I hope that there will be a renewed enthusiasm for live metal music. When I was watching the audience in that sold out House of Blues Anaheim show with the Bay Strikes Back, I was seeing everyone in the audience just loving it and having this spiritual moment in the crowd while Exodus was playing. I don’t want to go to a dance club, I don’t want to go to a bar, I want to go to a show. There’s a good chunk of really established metal bands that have been going for 20 or 25 years, and we’ve built up a really great performance and a really great set. I understand if Slayer can’t do it anymore, but there’s definitely some concern that we’re going to have a moment where the masters are no longer there.”

Hearing thoughts along these lines is sort of bizarre; clearly how we absorb and experience music today has changed, but there’s still so much incredible music being created and inspiring people today. From mainstream metal bands to more underground acts, live metal concerts continue to be thrilling experiences.

It seems that many folks appear to focus on the “mainstream” attitude of the world, where art forms like pop are much more common in the pop culture lens and tend to have greater influence on media consumption than say metal. Art like pop has changed how we digest and hear music for sure, but there are still an extreme amount of metal bands from the ’90s, early 2000s, and even that have started up recently, that are honoring and further expanding the genre of metal.

White-Gluz’s comments have some similarities with that of Gene Simmons of Kiss saying “rock is dead”; we aren’t saying that White-Gluz is saying that, not at all – but to be that concerned about the future of heavy music… that doesn’t seem like it is a thing to worry about.

As we wrote yesterday in an op-ed regarding Simmons’ stance of “rock being dead”:

From Ghost to Code Orange, Gatecreeper to Primitive Man, Full of Hell, Body Void, 200 Stab Wounds, Lingua Ignota, Khemmis, and many more – the future of heavy music is in very good hands. These acts, and the bands that came before them, are inspiring younger artists today to create fascinating and heavy music.

What are your thoughts on White-Gluz’s concerns for the future of metal and live shows?

Opinion: Gene Simmons Says “Rock Is Dead” And We Think That Is Bull

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Words by: Michael Pementel