Top Ten Things That Should Happen to Metal Music and Community in the Future

Couldn't agree more metal is metal, no great band is really better than any other great band and just because a person only likes a couple of your favorite metal bands song doesn't mean their not real fans. Also why attack a fan just because they do not know what band belongs into what metal sub-genre( Note obviously if they call Metallica a power metal band they should be politely corrected but they shouldn't be bombarded with a bunch of comments about how stupid they are for not calling them thrash) or rather choose to call them metal instead of the sub-genre their classified under especially if it is a more obscure sub-genre, the exception if they put said band into a list of that sub-genre when they aren't that.

I think it's funny that currently the words "elitism" and "elitist" don't have any meaning or the meaning is too vague, too broad - everybody uses them as synonyms of "I disagree with you". Ten people, ten different meanings. I've read many comments ending with "you're a pop/metal/jazz elitist" just to indicate a disagreement. I personally avoid using these words because of their vague meaning. I may mean one thing but the other guy may understand something completely different.

PLEASE make this entry a reality! I'm getting sick of the elitists that that act like there is right and wrong in opinions, when the truth is that there's no such thing. These are the kinds of people that have been making the metal community look bad for quite some time now. And the fact that "poser" is now used as some unnecessary insult is ridiculous. Seriously... getting butthurt over one music taste... that's extremely stupid.

As much as I hate the word "elitist" (I do get why some metalheads dismiss core, glam, and alt/nu as metal), the metalhead community should really learn to be respectful towards others

This just will not happen you have to remember that some metal fans like just a couple metal bands and hard rock and to them it is hard to tell the difference, most definitely metal fans shouldn't be calling non-metal bands metal
Remember at the end of the day music lists are only there to introduce new people to a band they haven't listened to before not to be accurate, though accuracy would be nice

Some bands, such as Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed, are like borderline between hard rock and heavy metal (although the latter is more alt metal), while other bands, such as AC/DC and Linkin Park, are barely even metal at all.

AMEN! I'm praying for this to happen in the nearest future. I wanna talk about metal with other metalheads and not to get attacked on a daily basis by the fanboys of Linkin Park, Korn, ACDC, Rammstein, Disturbed, etc.

This is sadly how our music culture works we award those that make the some sound as everyone else and punish those that try to stray from the path unless they are God-like with their skills, this is going to limit the amount of originality that comes out and thus how we get musical trends, since every time an original band finds success a bunch of bands will come in droves to copy it in hopes that those that haven't caught on will think they were the ones that thought it up, until people get tired of it, leaving hopefully only the originators and the actually good bands that did this type of music as what is remembered of that trend.

Or as Metal_Treasure said you want original you have to search for it because their only going to have a small group of loyal followers

I agree with this in general, it's always good to have more original bands, in every genre. But I want to add that currently there are many original metal bands that need to be discovered - I'm doing my best to mention some of these less known bands in my comments and lists.

Their is nothing wrong with a genre wanting to have a more cooler sound sub-genre, it would just be nice if people could acknowledge that a cool sounding name doesn't automatically mean it is metal and the word metal doesn't automatically mean it is metal either or if non-metal fans just wouldn't vote on metal lists

AMEN! AGAIN. Good to start with these because they even have the word "metal" in the name: nu metal, glam metal, metalcore, rap metal.

I consider metalcore metal, just look at Trivium. And Avenged Sevenfold. And Atreyu. But really look at Trivium.

There are plenty of bands with clean vocals. There is a loyal community in metal for both clean and non-clean vocals, we can't ignore one of those fan-bases just to appease another that is why we have sub-genres for. If you want clean you go symphonic or power metal you want unclean you go with death metal. if you enjoy both you go with thrash and progressive which will have a split of clean vocal bands and unclean vocal bands and even bands that mix them both

That would be great. Although currently there are many metal bands with clean vocals that need to be discovered and we should start with discovering them while waiting for new bands.
Subgenres with clean vocals - Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, (part of) Folk Metal, Progressive Power Metal, to name a few.

Though one thing I dislike is clean metal bands that randomly throw unclean vocals out of the blue or just can't mix the 2 well

It would also be nice if some bands used both clean singing and growling / screaming.

I understand the idea of this item and I agree in general. But I'll try to analyse both sides of it.

1) I think we shouldn't put limitations on experimentation in music, esp. in metal. Every fan can choose the level of heaviness s/he enjoys. Becoming a metalhead is a learning process and a journey with many stops. We shouldn't impose our own limitations on a genre. At this point even the heaviest songs sound normal to me, haha.

2) I don't like bands trying to be heavy/brutal for the sake of it, forgetting that metal is mostly about excellent playing, technicality and virtuosity. The bands I don't like usually have too much hardcore punk - core puts more effort into heaviness than into excellent playing. Compare death metal and deathcore, and you'll get my idea (watch Jared Dines' video Deathcore VS Death Metal). With heavy distortion/ high gain, down tuning, etc, you'll instantly sound heavy, even if you play crap. Metal also uses these effects but doesn't rely only on ...more

I think a distinction should be made a band trying to be more heavy isn't really a problem, it is if the band is trying to make their band sound more heavy to replace actual skill then they should stop. If a band has the vision to make a more heavier sound while to keeping the technical skills they had in their past album it is completely fine

Than for these bands, YouTube comments like "thanks Goozenkampferinthus for making me able to grow my beard" keep arriving. Listening to machine noise does not make you manlier.

I have mixed opinions about this - I agree that excessive things aren't good but I've seen metal fans refusing to accept anything that's a bit more complex and technical. Typical examples are Black Sabbath / Ozzy fans whose #1 metal song is either Sweet Leaf or Paranoid. Now, if you find complexity and technicalities repulsive, probably metal isn't for you. Because since the very beginning metal has always been about musicianship and virtuosity of playing. I'll try to make a balanced suggestion: metal is an experimental genre and we should't put limits on its development. All art forms need freedom. But every metal fan can decide to what level of complexity and technicality s/he is able to go. If you feel it's too much for you, just don't listen to that band. However, some other fans may like what you don't like. This way we all have a choice - fans and musicians.

There is nothing wrong with being technical though, if you being technical to just make noise, then stop but if you being technical to make a cool sounding unique song cool.
The thing you have to ask yourself is do you want a bunch of bands that sound the same or bands that try to make something new that differentiate them from the rest of the pack as long as their not just butting random sounds together and hoping for the best and saying the lack of people liking it is because it is just too intelligent for them to understand is bs.

I don't mind pointless sub-genres what I dislike is that metal fan that has to say you mean death pirate technical metal when you say metal like their doing the God's work.
the only use of a sub-genre is making it easier to categorize you music list it becomes less helpful for a casual metal fan because they don't have enough metal bands in their music collection to warrant the differentiation. For me me when it comes to metal I only need these sub-genres to organize my collection: death, thrash, power, symphonic, and prog others may need more and that is cool

And please, for the sake of the universe, do not try to make butt metal a real thing (Steel Panther reference)

Viking metal is just folk metal based on Nordic traditions

Allow all genres of music to be played if you like or dislike. From all decades, even now.

To quote Manowar:

"They can't stop us
Let 'em try
For heavy metal
We will die! "

Lol the metal haters found the list!

Pop should be banned.

Don't get this there is nothing wrong with trends in music, if it creates a new unique sound cool. There is going to be terrible bands that try to get big by playing popular sounding music, it is the listener job to shift through the bad and find the good, sure it is work but that is what you have to do if you want to find new bands to listen and to research

Well, there are ridiculous trends but I honestly don't see what's so ridiculous in djent. Djent is a guitar sound and guitar playing technique used mostly in prog rock and prog metal. If interested, I made a list about djent with details - Top 10 Facts About Djent Music

It annoys me how Cannibal Corpse fans call everyone "gay" and a "wussy" who does not like their music. Than there are rap fans who call metalheads gay. You are gay, no matter you like metal or not.

Also next time you use gay as an insult, remember the legendary Rob Halford

And those "posers" that they like to call as well

Nu Metal influenced metal acts are getting A lot of praise. Nu Deathcore is said to be the next 'big' thing in metal, with bands like Attila and Emmure paving the way. Nu Metalcore's evolution is already in progress, with bands like Motionless in White and Issues in the lead. This new trend will make metal more accessible to the masses and open people's minds to a new generation of uniqueness

I've heard this trend has been on the rise for a while, and so far, I actually like it. Can't wait to see what else gets created in this industry.

Cliches are the foundation of everything though, every classic movie was built upon cliches just like every classic song is built upon cliches it is how the band plays with that cliche that makes the song or how genuine the artist is while playing on that cliche that make it or breaks it. If the band is obviously phoning it in to just get more music out then screw them