KEEPING METAL FANS HAPPY

Can it be done? The answer is no. If you are in a band be prepared to constantly divide opinions of pretty much all of your fans. You talk to people into this genre about a band and you can say. "What do you think of the new Immolation album?" "Oh Immolation.They still exist? Dawn of Possession is the only thing. That band haven't interested me because they haven't progressed"

However lets say Immolation really did progress the conversation would go something along the lines off.

"What do you think of the new Immolation album?"
"Immolation? They should have stayed the same as they did on Dawn of Possession! That band haven't done anything interesting or death metal since then"

Yep that's pretty much how it goes. Progress and there is backlash. Stay similar and you become stagnant. This is pretty much the mind set of 80% of metal heads.

Granted there are some cases where progression is pretty a code word for selling out. A drastic change in sound from one album to another can be pretty obvious. (Metallica, Morbid Angel I'm talking about you) But you know that's acceptable to go from doing an album like Altars of Madness then whatever that piece of shit album is called. And then you have Metallica which doesn't even need to be mentioned. But look at me I am becoming what I am talking about in this little rant so lets continue.

One thing that really frustrates me as a musician is the views of some fans. For example fans of simple death and grind. Say a band started off like bashing death metal simplistic and doomy riffs. But then progress over time which is the right thing to do. Start having more complex riffs and structures and perhaps even melodic moments (Carcass). Suddenly half the fan base are like "HEY MAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY U NO MAKE REEK OF PUTEFACTION VOLUME 2," However going back to the previous example. If the band had stayed the same it would be more like.

"WHATS UP WITH YOU GUYS NOW THE NEW ALBUM IS JUST STALE AND DIDN'T HAVE THE IMPACT OF THE FIRST TWO!"

Personally as a musician over time you want to make things more musically interesting for yourself over the time playing. This is the sign of a true musician and band in my opinion a one that is wanting to add new things on each album. To make each album a different listening experience. However always staying true to the sound you came from. I think the one band metal fans can unite under who did this is Death.

So what can you do to try and keep fans happy? Try and stick to the sound over time however progress in a correct manner and hope to whatever is beyond this mortal coil that your fanbase are made up of people with an IQ level of over 90.


/C