Is metal the new indie?
Recently I came across this tidbit on Rateyourmusic, originally written by schizodanny:
“Ever since prehistoric times, there’s always something that has to be hip. Metal seems to be the hip thing to like right now and it’s simply explainable: the indie crowd has discovered non-trad metal and, since they always have complete knowledge of anything and everything, they now “must” like metal because what isn’t consensus must be good.”
I have occasionally noticed instances of the “hipster” crowd embracing metal, whether it be Pitchfork’s embrace of groups such as Wolves in the Throne Room and Sunn O))), or the growing popularity of nearly every form of doom metal (stoner and sludge especially). In the past couple of years there have been some bands to come into the murky spotlight that seem to further any “metalhead”‘s distaste for scarves and irony – The Sword have turned Black Sabbath into concentrated riff juice, while others such as Circle try to fuse those elements with their own brand of terrible, psuedo-experimental music.
It’s hard to deny metal’s growing popularity within certain cliques, but then again there are still plenty of people who vehemently attack the genre from their eight mile high podiums. This provides a sort of balance that should always be around. Bla bla bla, none of this really matters; as long as Wino isn’t choreographing treadmill dance numbers, I’m fine.
Scratch that thought. It’s a great idea.
The Sword – “Winter’s Wolves”
Sunn O))) & Boris – “Etna”
