So… Avenged Sevenfold singer M Shadows recently took to his Twitter to share what he feels is to blame for the “downfall” of metal and rock music: “Pop” production. *Takes a deep breath. Exhales.* We might have another Gene Simmons in the works folks (pertaining to Simmons’ sentiment of “rock being dead“). Per the Avenged Sevenfold frontman, he shared the following on Twitter:
“Hot take: Sampled drums and the ‘loudness war’ have been the largest contributors to the downfall of rock and metal. The listener does not need to know exactly what that is to subconciously feel it. Rock should not have ‘pop’ production.”
Hot take: Sampled drums and the “loudness war” have been the largest contributors to the downfall of rock and metal. The listener does not need to know exactly what that is to subconciously feel it. Rock should not have “pop” production.
— M. Shadows (@shadows_eth) July 13, 2022
He then went on to add:
“BTW… a perfect example of a ‘pop’ record being produce and mastered brilliantly is Daft Punk Random Access Memories. Just all around production perfection IMO.”
BTW… a perfect example of a “pop” record being produce and mastered brilliantly is Daft Punk Random Access Memories. Just all around production perfection IMO.
— M. Shadows (@shadows_eth) July 13, 2022
What M Shadows is referring to is the use of copy and pasted drum tracks that are electronically added to a song, as well as how sound can be manipulated to give the impression of “loudness.” Do these things exist in metal and rock? Yes they do. Are they a problem? That is really for each individual to decide on their own.
What is weird about this sentiment is the “downfall of rock and metal” – it rings as weirdly as Simmons’ “rock is dead” sentiment. Like, you guys should really invest more time in checking out the underground; there’s an incredible range of talented artists and bands who are offering fascinating creative and technical quality. (Hell, there’s a lot of incredible stuff happening in mainstream metal and rock as well). We have written a couple features pertaining to such talent (you can find links below). But dear reader… Do you really think metal and rock are in a “downfall” or are “dead”?
The New Age Of Metal: 20 Bands + Artists Redefining Heavy Music
Opinion: Gene Simmons Says “Rock Is Dead” And We Think That Is Bull
‘Irregardless of our personal feelings…’: A7X Singer Chimes In On Pantera Reunion News