Here's the problem: we have the millennial and gen z generations that cares more about social media and in turn they created the woke movement and cancel culture. These 2 generations think they're entitled, have no style, identity, or genre, most of them are weak, they don't know what sex they are, they cry/complain, and they have no work ethic with no sense of independence. They guide online market conditions in music which makes rock music almost impossible to evolve any further past 2010. It's sad but true.
@@darnfrick3354 lol oh yeah, deathcore has always favored the youth, the sound kinda calls for it if you think about it. Every deathcore band calls it quits before they either get bad or get old (generally). Deathcore has no metamorphosis, it's not like metalcore which eventually either becomes butt rock or fat dude death metal
@@darrenthetuber743 although, it has morphed in a sense in that the breakdowns get more breakdowny and the sound becomes more "true" like death metal over time, except it's still like kids doing death metal so it's not quite death metal
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having festivals of nostalgia like when we were young and etc.. honestly I would HATE to lose that… but other festivals with newer artists would be amazing too.
Good balance, of which have the big ones to draw people in for the smaller bands. I remember when Ghost played at a free festival in Luleå. Of which the Festival had bigger bands, however Ghost became the main act even though they got a tiny stage.
Finn, I have to share this experience that happened to me this morning. I'm 40, and 26 year old coworker told me he was going to Riotfest in Chicago. He then proceeded to show me the weekend lineup. It made me want to cry. The bands listed were old when I was young. Many of them were one hit wonders. The headliners are dinosaurs. Rock died with the radio. The same stuff I was listening to in the 90s is on the current FM rock station. If I was hit by a bus, went into a coma, and woke up 20 years later I wouldn't know it by listening to Octane on XM. We need the young irreverent DJ to come back that plays obscure unsigned talent when his boss tells him not to.
BTW, that's because that's what he's into. I just went to PrimaVera fest and I'm going to Substance LA next weekend. There's lots of new bands at those ones.
I haven’t been to a rock festival here in the UK for 15 years. Out of curiosity I checked to see what some line ups are next year and it’s all the same bands
As a touring musician, I have seen that the audience IS there. Tons of people will get on board with new shit if they have the chance to hear/see it. But there’s very little infrastructure in place for new bands to build momentum. You really have to DIY EVERYTHING and rely on both frugality and the hospitality of others just to get by. It’s hard to survive like that long enough to break through. And when I say break through I don’t mean “get famous” - I mean make enough money for all your band members to stay alive. And like, I get it. Tons of venues are barely scraping by, so they can’t pay smaller bands much or take many risks with who they book. But the audience is there and, in my experience, very accepting of new talent! At the same time, I also feel like part of the blame DOES lie with artists. A group of guys standing still and looking bored isn’t gonna compete with rappers and pop singers who actually do some fucking crowd work. People still like rock, imo they’re just sick of bands who act like they don’t give a shit
Labels and media (both social engineers in some way or another) have had a racialist view of rock for a long time. There's a sentiment that liking rock is like being a racist, hence the term 'rockism.' Everything white people do is racist. And this is all shown in articles that say 'rock is dead, here's why that's a Good Thing.' Of course hip hop and EDM are both objectively trash compared to all other forms of music, so I don't see how it's a Good Thing that some people have been Stockholm Syndrome'd into liking these styles.
@@guyincognito320 lmao what are you talking about?? I have no idea how this is relevant to my original comment, but hip hop and EDM are incredible genres just as worthy of respect as any other. The history of rock music is littered with racism that we need to address, not sweep under the rug. Many innovative people of color have been ignored and abused by white rockers, fans, and yes, people on the business side. I love playing rock music, but rock culture DOES have an issue with bigotry, and the only way we're gonna fix that is by admitting it and making it clear that shit is not gonna fly. Anyways, I'm not gonna get into some weird protracted youtube argument. I just wanted to make it clear I think your take sucks.
There's only so much awkward musicians can hide behind in front of a crowd, so having some level communication or connection with the crowd is important, I honestly it comes down presentation and representation, you can either be hushed and intimate or be loud and charismatic, you can't be a middle ground in performing
I say this as a singer in a current rock band. The scene is incredibly difficult to break into. Venue owners and festivals want legacy acts instead of building up a new act.
I heard an interview with Rat Scabies, the drummer from The Damned, and he said one other problem new (small) bands face now is tribute acts, with many places prefering to book a fake Guns 'n' Roses band, who they know will bring in a certain crowd, over an actual new band, who's appeal is less guaranteed.
@@RevStickleback Definitely. It’s very easy to get money and gigs as a cover/tribute act. Pubs have flat out rejected us once I told them we don’t play covers and only care about our original music. I get that bars want an easy return on investment but it really screws with my morale. Everyone starts their music career feeling invincible but industry BS turns them into an anxious wreck.
I see it this way, for a venue, low risk equals high reward with popular bands. It wouldnt make much sense from a business standpoint to take the high risk and a potential high reward. Although I will give a lot of credit to small venues for having smaller bands play. Although that makes much more sense from their perspective.
The simple truth is you can't force things to be relevant to young people, and the youth are the hearth of cultural relevance. Rock stopped talking and resonating with the average teenager, intentionally at times. Now they say the youth is dumber, less cultured. Adultification is the ultimate killer of a genre's relevance, but it also seems like a natural thing to happen after the genre reaches its peak. Let rock die the ironic death it chose to have.
This hits hard as a fan of progressive rock. Imagine defining your genre with a word meaning “in favor of introducing new ideas” and then only propping up new bands if they sound like they could’ve come out half a century earlier.
The issue with statements like this is that most people would like to see trap or pop elements added to rock and metal as the new face of prog…as though that’s a new idea. There’s only so far you can go without doing the same shit over and over again.
Same, it’s frustrating when bands use “progressive” as an adjective label despite making music that’s derivative. Prog is more of a mindset than a genre in my opinion, it’s about pushing the boundaries through experimentation.
My 16 year old is a fan of bands like The Occees and King Gizzard. While I grew up on skate- and pop-punk, I can at least respect these new bands who are out there. I'll be taking him to see King Gizzard in Detroit and we're all pretty excited about it. It's unfortunate that the new crop of rock acts doesn't get any attention.
We need a LOT more fans having the mindset of Rob Zombie when he toured with Baby Metal. He was just constantly hyping up how new their sound was, and supporting them on tour himself, and even telling those same old guard Metal fans to fuck off when they'd talk shit about Baby Metal. And they genuinely had a new sound, combining the upbeat, happy vocals of J-Pop with the heavy guitars and growling vocals of Metal. I think they were the last brand new band that got a lot of radio play from the start with their careers due to having an innovative sound.
In high school I remember seeing Eddie Van Halen on the cover of Guitar World magazine. 20 years later he’s still on the cover. Nothing wrong with celebrating these artists but excessive nostalgia is killing the genre.
Maybe it’s because there’s not much in rock that is relevant enough as far as newer players. When is the last time that a new guitarist came along and blew everyone away?
@@kdogg7882 I remember reading articles in Guitar World about Randy Rhoads in 2004… over 20 years after he died. This has been an ongoing problem for a long time unfortunately.
Another issue I've noticed is that a lot of the local scenes that made the huge artists we know and love today don't exist anymore, and underground scenes aren't as appreciated as they used to be. I live on the far west end of Metro Atlanta (basically where it starts turning rural) and we used to have several local venues that were great for local rock/metal bands. However, about 10 years ago they all shut down. Now, bands pretty much have to rely on getting gigs at Atlanta venues like The Masquerade or The Tabernacle, which isn't very easy. Plus, it's not the same as having local scenes with your own local people, since Atlanta is a big city. It seems like a lot of kids are starting to get back into rock these days though, so hopefully there's a resurgence in the music and culture. We definitely need innovation.
I think the largest contributor to the drought of local scenes is the way music is written nowadays. When I was a teenager in the inland empire in California, there were tons of almost signed "local bands" from San Diego, Riverside, and Anaheim. In the last ten years, I've seen most musicians go to their computers to write instead of other people within the scene. People that I would have written with seven years ago are longer findable in person.
Same in europe. Tho i think this has less to do with the genre itself and is more about the death of doing shit outside. My generation (31yo) pretty much stopped the whole "going out to drink in a bar thing" which was the place people met and did stuff together at. Like starting a band and playing in your local bar. Nowadays this happens all online. Which isn´t better or worse per se just different.
@@markypoo-u2 same, NorCal was huge too. ASD and DGD were bigger bands that were locally viral, but it allowed local bands to do their thing so much. Kids nowadays aren’t starting bands or hanging out with friends, they’re doing stuff like activism on twitter and being weirdos.
With ya bro I played that metro ATL scene back in the 90’s and it was the shit. Always a show or something going on at the reptile or the point, wreck room, dottie’s, wherever. The scene was up Edit: snd you’re right no one is ‘starting out’ at the Tabernacle.
Same thing happened in my home town too, the smaller scene died back a lot like 7-10 years ago. I suspected it was because most audience members moved away as they hit their 20s, and show organizers would have various random life emergencies and there was just nobody left with the ability to pick up the pieces. What used to be shows all the time held at at least 5 different venues turned into one show every few months at one bar.
Obviously this was a long time ago, but I feel like the last wave of young bands to break through the rock/metal scene, was in 2007/2008 and then the early 2010s era.
I think it's okay to keep supporting the same bands through their whole career. You connect with an artist and it becomes part of your life, a part of you. Worse than that is an industry where lots of artists blow up and they're quickly forgotten, it must be very hard for them, they don't mean much to the fans. That said, we need a middle ground where older bands are still worshipped but we give big hype and respect to new artists
You’re right about rock fans being part of the problem: how can we expect a genre to move forward when a majority of the fanbase wants bands who are older/past their prime or sound like bands who are? It’s frustrating and frankly depressing, especially considering how many genuinely innovative artists get completely ignored due to gatekeeping and/or closed mindedness
If the biggest platform for new music is Tiktok, I'm going to miss out on most if it because I don't, and never will, use Tiktok. So seems like an aging fan base is being left behind by social media trends that they have no interest in and are for a younger audience. I'm not gonna blame anyone for not keeping up with the ever evolving social media universe. The shit is garbage, and objectively unhealthy for many users. Finn's solution seemed to be that rock artists need to capitulate and become involved in these platforms because those platforms now define the popularity of music. I say fuck that, you can't guilt trip bands into doing shit they don't want to do because you feel entitled to new popular rock music. Rock is a dying genre, it is what it is. There are still bands doing cool, new stuff, but it's gonna be local/underground probably from now on. Again, we aren't entitled to easy access to fresh rock music or huge rock festivals. You'll have to live with deep diving on Spotify and checking out local venues
Yeah the problem with it the industry and the fans are the problem dude Devin Townsend orbit culture killer beast killed can headline any tour in the world but they're always overseas headlining nose here in America Disturbed there's nothing wrong with it but you need to utilize these young kids and these young bands to get more young kids and more younger fans and more new ears how I used to go to old rock concerts but I would see metal bands I would see new things cuz that's what you do you give them something extra
@@alicspellman6938 rock isn't dying, it's just settling into its category of "niche music". Jazz was once the world's most popular music but today its very much a niche thing, and its audience doesn't really care too much if it isn't leading pop culture. Same with reggae. It will survive. People will still buy guitars and drums. But it will likely thrive in an underground setting. I'm okay with that.
To be fair, I think some of the artistes are part of the problem as well. Sounding like a less interesting version of a band that was popular 20 years ago isn't exactly going to energize the scene either. Honestly, the way music works now, you can't expect people to give you a chance. Attention spans are low. People are overwhelmed with musical options. You have a very limited window of time to leave an impression on a listener before they switch you off to listen to something else. If you can't do that then you're probably not going to thrive in this industry. Also, I think rock artistes should look beyond appealing to traditional rock audiences. I'm pretty sure that MGK's pop punk albums were more marketed towards normies than harcore rock fans, and they still did pretty well.
Ni one is part of the problem. And there is no problem. Older generation likes older generation music. It always been and will be like that. Remember your dad complaining that the music in his younger age was much better? Those older generation fans will go away and new music will be more popular. Yiu people are too e titles if you call a group of people "part of the problem".
This video has basically hit the nail on the head of a feeling I have been having for years. When lil peep first came on to the scene was like "woah this is sick punk is evolving for a younger generation" then I immediately got shit on by all my friends for thinking it was cool and unique.. finally someone speaking facts out here. Rock needs to evolve so it can grow and continue and not die off
Everything you said about the state of the industry is true. As an artist myself it is hard to get new fans and listeners…and we promote and are on all platforms…still slow growth. It’s always been a struggle as an independent artist but with the advent of streaming it’s become a lot more competitive
I've been a lifelong music fan and collector...and these days I have a hard time sh*t talking any local touring band. I'm from the last generation where a band could burn a bunch of CDs and make 1000 bucks at their show. Those days are sadly long gone. Making music is extremely financially draining....
@@markw110 tell you what sucks even more. Trying to get these people to come to a fuckin’ show. Simply because everyone and their sister is “in a band”, it’s over saturated and too competitive. There’s more bands than fans today.
There is a lot of newer rock that I found to be great and not "stuck in the past". A lot of rock I listen to come from Japan and it is still as lively as ever. They seem to mix jazz, electronic, funk, and pop elements into their rock, which is something I notice more western rock fans kind of sneer at. They also aren't afraid to be involved in social media and more modern ways of promoting. I hope these kinds of videos can shed light on music scenes outside America. Also, not all forms of change and keeping up with trends hits for everyone. There is a thing of homogenizing music with everyone conforming to the same trends. Preserving certain sounds isn't necessarily bad. Shouldn't there be different kinds of sounds for everyone to enjoy? I've been really into Ichika Nito on TH-cam. He is a guitarist for the Japanese band Dios and has such an interesting style that seems fresh.
@@Drstrange3000 except it’s really not, J-Rock for the most part is just as if not more derivative than most western/rock of the last 30 years whilst adding nothing new besides Japanese vocals, if those bands were American/British no one would give a fuck
@@peter6914 I can see how you say that. I know Taka wanted to break into the western rock because he said the rock music was limiting in Japan. With that said, I think for people not already exposed to J-Rock, I think there is enough novelty there to where it won't be the same thing they are used to. It uses more jazz and funk in it's music than in the west. Not saying there are no rock bands that don't have those elements, but it is one of the differences I've noticed. I listen to indie/Alt rock too so I listen to both. As someone trying to explore more western rock, I find it a lot harder to find a variety of rock sounds than when I listen to J-Rock. I think a lot of my view is rock is marketed in the west vs the east. It also seems more youth led in Japan than in the west. I'm probably not explaining myself well.
@@Drstrange3000 yeah dude i agree. j-rock is way more interesting to me than american rock. i’m def biased though because i’m japanese but i think there’s a lot of interesting bands in japan. tricot immediately comes to mind
The problem that has plagued new rock artist from being able to branch out definitely has a lot to do with warped tour not being a thing anymore. Warped tour was a way for those newer bands to do headliners while still playing the rock festivals with the metallicas and Judas Priest dudes. Now that warped tour is gone we are left with the festivals
I think an additional factor is that rock/metal went through what seemed like a very bland phase from about 2012-2020, and myself and most of my friends that were fans on that genre just stopped checking for new music and found that spark in other genres. It's only been the past couple of years that there's been a new spark in rock/metal that are drawing more fans back in, so I think it's possible that we see the newer artists become more dominant with just a little more time (and deeper catalogue). Based on current trends, it's not unthinkable that Spiritbox, Falling in Reverse, Lorna Shore are headlining alongside ADTR, BMTH and A7X as legacy acts in the next 5 years. I think it's just gonna take a little more time to attract people back into the genre and checking for new music more consistently.
Idk, Polyphia happened during those years and now we have new guitar gods. Djent came and went. The great thrash metal revival also happened during those years (Havok, Power Trip, Lich King, Vektor, etc). I suppose it was only stale if you weren't looking for anything new. But the recent stuff I've been listening to has been great. Electric Callboy is pure fun, and Paledusk makes sick fucking videos.
Yeah the new rock/metal bands either suck or just sound like the old bands rehashed. Avenged Sevenfold is like putting Maiden, Metallica and the old bands into a blender. And their stuff really isn't as good as those bands at their best (like the black album) though decent. Most of the ideas have already been done. Unless they got a new band that did a lot of cover songs. That was always a cool thing about guns n roses they did cover song at all their shows and had a lot of them on their albums and the covers were better than the original, plus original hits.
Geniuenely, I think bring me the horizons Sempiternal album is to blame for alot of that dry spell. That shit came out and EVERYONE wanted to be on the radio the way Bring me was, at a time where Radio was phasing out
Generic hard rock did and that was pretty evident for the most part, I think that was more 2010-2015. There was some cool stuff being done but it wasn’t being pushed by anyone really. Radio was playing the same generic stuff and streaming was just getting off the ground.
We need to bring back Warped Tour or something like it. I feel it was one of the very few music festivals that introduced new rock/metal bands and brought them some mainstream attention ( like A Day To Remember, Paramore, Falling In Reverse, etc). Now all that's left are these "Boomer" festivals filled with toxic rock/metal elitists.
Absolutely no one would want to stand in the sun for that shit. There were no cellphones and there was excitement in the journey of Warped Tour. If you are going to spend $100’s of dollars for a festival experience you are going to buy some drugs and enjoy the incredible production at a dance or hip-hop festival. The real party animal rockers are taking care of themselves and the new artists are absolute pussies. They aren’t fun or dangerous. I respect a lot of their talent and drive but in regards to fashion or excitement what the vast majority of them stand for is a absolute snooze fest and way too well produced.
this could definitely help in some regard. Warped was the hub for all the alternative sounds. They'd just have to do it right and not mess it up. Wonder how the age of 24/7 social media would affect it if it were to have a second life
Hell yeah I would love to see warped tour come back I just have a feeling they would eff it up somehow, like put a bunch of shitty bands and not rock related artists on the lineup , idk I just don't think it would be the same as it was
Festivals lost something when Warped Tour finished cuz it was probably one of the few festivals with rotating band slots and bringing local bands on to play when passing through an area which seemed a lot more innovative and constructive to helping expose new bands
@@user-hn8eo7sh4m Same. Warped was a big deal in finding out about new and different artists. Plus, it mixed in many bands and artists from many different genres in the alternative and scene areas of music. One of those festivals that should’ve either stayed or turned into something else.
I never got to go to warped tour, but I remember looking up the lineup for various cities and finding the bands MySpace. I discovered so many bands that way.
Bruh facts. I never got the chance to go to Warped Tour back at its peak in the 2000s because my parents wouldn't let me so I never got the chance to experience it. but You're right. the fresh lineups really did bring out new talent and sounds. we really need a Warped Tour revival or an equivalent.
Warped Tour was probably the closest you were going to get with a way for newer rock bands to have a chance. They built up a lot of the mid tier bands on the Rock Fest tours. Sadly to many scum bags in the bands killed that. Another thing I noticed was a lot of people “at least when I was in high school” had that kind of hipster mentality. As soon as a band “got big” they would stop listening to them and kill al the momentum. Or lord help you if you went Butt Rock.
In the age of streaming, record sales are down so labels don't seem it being viable to promote dozens of start-up bands by sending them on tour to play on a small side stage. The Warped Tour kept ticket prices low by paying ~75 bands next to nothing. Not to mention the pool of young up and coming bands is a shrinking pool.
@@JasonTzzz I disagree. I think in the post Covid world people are hungry for ”experiences” (not sure if that's the right word for what I mean, but my head hurts ATM 😂) again. So I think if you get some nostalgia headliners with some up and coming openers again in a Warped Tour sorta setting again - make it 30+ and younger crowd friendly. I honestly think people might be into it. Esp with TikTok bands.
I think rock will just become the new "alternative" genre. Also, I think the main reason most rock fans don't like emo rap or trap metal is because that stuff still mostly sounds like hip-hop.
That's very true! I do like that trap metal is trying to do something to fresh to rock while being a sub-genre of trap, i do believe that more bands need to have a new fresh sound and not being stuck in the past like past 2003 or so. People complain that trap metal is not ''real metal'' but do they know some sub-genres have some non-rock elements like symphonic metal, nu-metal, glam metal, industrial metal and the list goes on and on, if these artists can get huge respect why not new 2020's rock and metal bands?
Trap Metal and emo rap is fundamentally hip-hop. It uses hip-hop instrumentation, cadence and feel. Just because it has harsh vocals and a darker aesthetic found in rock/metal doesn’t make it so. That’s why rock/Metal fans don’t like it
I agree. If "Rock's future" is to sound like hip-hop with a touch of rock to it, it's not really rock any more than a cheeseburger with jalapenos could be called Mexican food.
It's ironic when you watch Finn's video about the fall of nu metal where he concedes that people got really sick of Limp Bizkit-style rap metal in the early 2000's. Yet he for some reason thinks trap metal is the future of metal. When rap metal was big, no one thought it was the future of hip hop. It was a rock movement that borrowed elements from rap and hip hop. Trap metal simply isn't an evolution of rock music. It's a subgenre of hip hop that borrows some aesthetics from metal(If anything, trap metal borrows more from industrial music). Finn simply can't expect a "traditional" metal fan who wants to hear distorted guitars and double bass drumming to be blown away by trap metal. If they disliked Limp Bizkit and P.O.D. back then, why would they be into Ghostmane or City Morgue today?
@@RevStickleback Rock is gonna have the same fate as Jazz; a genre that's made by, and consumed by socially awkward autists who can't get laid to save their life.
It's interesting that we have gone full circle on how we listen to music. In the 1950's it was all about putting out singles for radio play. The late 1960's into the 1990's (even into thr 2000's) was about the full length and now we are back to singles and less about the full album.
This video is a good take on the rock scene today. For awhile I felt I had no real place to find new music. In 2020 I've been finding new music on youtube and spotify. My wallet came out of retirement when I found "Band-Maid". Japanese rock bands are insane. Motörhead will always be #1 but new found love is not bad
I really like Måneskin and they are one of the most successful rock bands of this generation but it seems like some rock fans don’t think they are “rock enough” or just listen to one of their more popular songs like Beggin’ and decide that they are just a terrible pop/cover band. They have a lot of great songs in Italian like ZITTI E BUONI, Coraline, VENT'ANNI, basically every song off of their album Teatro d'ira - Vol. I is pretty solid. Their latest cover from the Elvis soundtrack If I Can Dream is great, too. I know they are not the heaviest bands out there but they are definitely a great rock band.
Rock music's biggest problem is the gatekeeping. Had been for decades, it was going on 30 years ago, but without social media it was just that miserable c**t in the rock club moaning. Now the miserable c**t has a multitude of mates on SM to be miserable with and harangue those they don't like.
The fact that ACDC is still getting nominated for awards is baffling to me, the scene needs to expand but I wish some of the newer artists had music I liked. Personally was into emo punk and metal core and the start I’ve gone back and heard everything after that now I’m want to kick some new shit for sure!
@@wumbol0gy871 idk if you’re confused I’m not saying that their ability to make good music isn’t there just that they aren’t a band that released music in 2022
@@camjam6112 You aren't the one deleting my replies? I was suggesting places to find new rock music that's getting some attention and it kept getting deleted.
American rock is stuck in the past but I’m hearing all kinds of good new music from Australia. Amyl and the Sniffers, The Chats, mini skirt, the Bobby Lees are all worth checking out. Also fat records is doing some amazing shit with Get Dead and Days n daze. There’s so much amazing new music but people are too busy talking about Korn and Motley Crue
Europe also still develops good bands from time to time. Milky Chance, Two Door Cinema Club, Viola Beach, Royal Blood, Of Monsters and Men etc. all emerged in the 2010s and sound fresh and are successful.
mick Gordon is from Australia he did an amazing job with the new doom soundtracks, got me back into metal too it was something different then the og's like slipknot lamb of God, etc..
Totally agree. I know Fin has expressed that he isn't so interested in the Japanese music scene, but this is one of the reasons why I love it here. So many young bands / artists in the rock, metal, punk, and emo rap scene who are actually big deals and attract fans of all ages. And the older bands are doing their best to promote these younger bands as well.
I really enjoy how Japanese musicians are being promoted. Popular youtube channels like The First Take, the anime industry itself, huge festivals of various genres, and the Vocaloid space full of musicians that also work in the professional music industry (and who promote each other and are being promoted by big streamers with huge fan bases) - Japan's music scene is HUGE, and it's easy to find new amazing rock + metal bands (and solo musicians). Compared to what Japan is doing it's hard to find new western bands. I follow a few new(-ish) western metal bands, but even with youtube and spotify it's nowhere as easy to find new western artists compared to Japanese artists.
@@tommylakindasorta3068 yes. And if a western band could've assimilated that energy, that style, that weirdness into a wave of indifference, i feel we'd see a healthy branching out of the genre. Nobody wants to bathe in their own weirdness anymore and if they do then they are usually just goth or taking an already paved safe route.
Man bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Royal blood, Black keys, Arctic monkeys, shit even the strokes. All those bands are still active and still making great rock records.
Just saw Arctic Monkeys at PrimaVera festival with a bunch of newer bands. His vocals sound so much like Peter Murphy's live, which was kind of amazing and I wasn't expecting them to be such a good live band. My 24 year old daughter is a fan (I didn't go with her btw). I'd take YeahYeahYeahs over any of those bands though. Glad to see them return!
To be fair, most of those bands were at their peak 10+ years ago now, they were the ones that rode the final wave of the 90s and 00s. I like all of them too, don't get me wrong, but they're really on the edge of the 'legacy' tag too
This makes me miss Warped Tour and scene culture. It may have been cringey but at least kids were into metalcore, post hardcore, and pop punk who were all comprised of younger artists breaking convention.
I don't think there is anything wrong with Nostalgia acts, tours, and festivals. I like that there's way I can relive my teen years with When we were young. Just like how my parents were buying "eagles greatest hits" and going to the KISS reunion tour. I think the issue is that like you said we need to embrace new acts too. When local new bands play in bars and clubs around me it's cover bands.
There are nostalgia festivals for the music from the 1980s, but this music isn't an entire genre like rock / punk rock / metal / emo, even if it's mostly pop and synthpop : those festivals pay tribute to the pop of the 1980s, not pop in general, which is already played in artists' tours or when they play in festivals. By the way, artists who play at those 80s nostalgia festivals only sing their hits at the time, unlike the acts in many nostalgia rock festivals, where they may be playing their news songs as if they played in their own tours; a strange and pessimistic feeling about the rock (etc 🖤🤘) genre
As a public high school teacher it is interesting to see the ebbs and flows of culture each year. It is like a pendulum and, to be honest, it looks like rock/metal culture is becoming more popular than it has been in awhile. Kids wear Korn, Slipknot, Gojira, Nirvana, BMTH shirts, start progressive metal bands, listen to Opeth, etc. Some could pass as punks straight from the 90s. Counter that to 4-5 years ago when everything was way more oriented around newer hip hop artists
Trevor's death (from TBDM) really puts into perspective how short lived bands can be. I would always tell my self "bands from the 80's and 90's are probably getting too old to tour soon, but atleast I have bands from the 2000's like TBDM." In 10 years, there might not be many legacy bands left.
This is tough to hear and I really hope the future holds a place for great rock music to still exist. I'm in a band that has been playing regularly for almost 6 years now. We've been trying to do some interesting things but it's hard to gain traction on a bigger scale than local. Our last album was a 36 minute, non-repeating single track. It goes through a lot of colors of rock music and we get great response when we play it live. We get great feedback on a local scale live but breaking out into the mainstream eye seems near impossible for many of the reasons you have outlined. We have several albums before that of regular, non 36 minute songs and an EP coming out this October as well. It's rough but we love what we do so we will do it while we can. The band is called Cruel Curses if anyone wants to give us a try. We get called prog by many fans but that's almost a dirty word and point of contention in itself among rock fans now in my experience. The long track I mentioned is called Fables, Folklore & Other Assorted Fever Dreams. Lets hope rock music has a new era sooner than later!
There's definitely unique Rock artists out there who are just not given the time of day or attention, there IS new stuff out there that's really fresh mixed eith the old and it sounds amazing. Miscellen is a prime example of this
as a zoomer I love rock with all my heart but most of what I'm listening to are almost always a decade older which makes me concerned for the future when those bands are gone and younger generations are even less exposed to rock. only modern band I'd listen to rn is bmth and even they are getting old but regardless they're doing an awesome job with their music especially strangers
It's really telling what's happening in the scene when you call BMTH a "modern band" like... I was there 10 or so years ago watching them getting booed offstage for not being "real metal" lol and now people are "discovering them" and making them a staple of the genre
@Jj But in the other hand if you see someone (probably young) who's calling a bmth (or other older band) new it's a good thing. New generations are discovering this genre and maybe they will go deeper. BMTH is doing a good job rn, beacuse they focus on singles and collabs with pop artist and they're making metal/rock more accesable to new generations.
My thing is that rock has always had a whole bunch of different sounding players out there and a ton of choices and then starting in the very late 90s and especially into the 00s everyone just started sounding the same and it just killed it for me. The fact that Metallica of all people could come back FORTY YEARS LATER and have better songs than most of the new players says more about the quality of the new bands and really what the goon factory music labels FORCE bands to be. Looking back at the 60s and 70s and then see just how SPOILED we got with some of the greatest rock bands ever in the 80s and 90s makes it so hard for new people to reach that status although I still mostly blame the record labels. I don't spend a lot of time on the radio since the local rock station is going the way of MTV and is more talk than music but once I am off disability and have extra spending money I will definitely be looking around for some newer groups since it has been at least a decade since I have bothered to buy anything.
I‘m a musician and my primal instrument is the guitar. I love Rock’n’roll in all of its forms and 50% of what I‘m listening to is 60s psychedelic rock and whoever is influenced by that. But when I write my own songs I don’t recreate that. I just don’t. I combine the guitar with electronic beats, synthesizers and digital effects, and create my own blend of things. I believe in keeping the SPIRIT of blues and psych rock alive, but not recreating them. Guitarists in general should be much more open minded.
You can find such open minded guitarists here on TH-cam who can blend metal with lo-fi hip-hop like Ichika Nito, for example Or Seiji Igusa, who can make crazy stuffs with an incomplete guitar. They take it to another level And also Melanie Faye, who pays tribute to both Jimi Hendrix and Mariah Carey in one song 🤩. In her other tunes, she makes her guitar sing R&B and soul, really !
@@goldflo91 Ichika Nito is not a metal artist at all, the closest to metal he has ever released was a djent song but yet djent is not real metal, not trying to be rude here i don't wanna be a metal elitist, but i do respect the talent and skills Ichika Nito is trying to do to rock, trying to change the sound same as Polyphia.Ichika Nito is just a math rock artist just saying.
Turnstile was named as Spin's 2021 artist of the year and the big Baltimore rock station STILL didn't start playing them until halfway through 2022 after their morning show DJ's finally wore down their program director.
Is 98 Rock still an active rock station (with some pop punk) like it was 15 years ago when I lived in Baltimore? Or did it change formats like newer alternative stations (no metal, more indie)?
@@SF2036Alt 92.3fm in NYC unfortunately is a "new alternative" station. We miss K-Rock. But we are blessed in NYC to have WSOU 89.5fm is a metal station!! If you go out to the exurbs you'll have an active rock station out there (Central NJ, Long Island, Connecticut)
@@JasonTzzz Yeah they're still hanging on with that format. Their morning show does well combined with the broadcast rights to the Ravens and Orioles. They're doing as well as any major rock station can, I guess. They were more into the metal side of the genre in the mid-2010's when they played 2 singles off Sempiternal, In This Moment's singles, Nothing More when they came out. Things of that ilk, but now they're firmly entrenched in the image of the same names in big letters at the top of rock festival lineups. I can't really blame them though because you gotta do what the market dictates in 2022 with radio. Here are the last 10 tops they played to give you an idea: Bring Me The Horizon - Strangers, Halestorm - Apocalyptic, Guns N Roses - Paradise City, Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tippa My Tongue, Stone Temple Pilots - Plush, Sublime - What I Got, Ozzy Osbourne Fe: Jeff Beck - Patient Number 9, Pink Floyd - Young Lust, Nirvana - Lake Of Fire, Giovannie And The Hired Guns - Ramon Ayala, Aerosmith - The Other Side.
I think one of the biggest problems is that people aren’t getting out much anymore and going to open mic nights to support what’s new. People aren’t making REAL LIFE connections as much anymore and stay stuck in their phones as well as staying inside during their downtime. If you get out and go to these bars that are having open mic nights you’ll be surprised at what you find and who you’ll meet
For example, BMTH recently has started their way as a headliner band at festivals, and they’re almost 20 years as a band! That is insane. Imagine the years that a new band needs to wait to reach a big slot at a festival, honestly that’s sad.
@@sebastianpacheco9846 Honestly it makes sense that bands have to wait maybe not 20 but 10 years to headline. It takes time to build up a fanbase and get attention, and it takes time getting comfortable even playing such big stages. Headliners being old doesn't matter that much to me as long as there's still new bands on the other stages, and relatively new bands one the headline stage earlier in the day.
I think a lot of legacy artists have a lot of really young fans. My son told me just a few nights ago, his girlfriend’s favorite band is Deftones. They are 14 years old.
I feel a lot of this has to do with the fact there’s more festivals around these days. Watching this has me thinking Seven Nation Army is the most recent universally huge rock song that most people are familiar with and that song is twenty years old.
This is the way forward. Like only a few years ago I would have gone all huh? at the thought of combining jazz and emo, but it turns out there's a pretty robust underground scene of bands doing exactly that and apparently it slaps
I played guitar in punk rock, death metal and classic rock bands in the '90s. Now I have a laptop, a DAW and midi controllers. Now I'm the whole band. I always hated the concept because it's not "real instruments" but it was harder to learn than the guitar. There's also much more creative potential.
Great take on the current state! From my experience most people dont want to search for new bands and unfortunately get stuck in the past. Since you have a huge platform what if you made a series of videos called "if you like this band listen to these bands" or maybe a series featuring a new artist profile of the month. Would be interesting to see the views on a series like this.
There's a world of difference when you listen to Ozzy's Boneyard or Hair Nation vs SXM Octane & Liquid Metal, rock music has changed quite a bit over the years. If you look at pop music the artists only seem to last for a few months and just fizzle out, the rotation or turnover is too fast! Also I think the record labels and managers are the ones pushing the bands to have a certain sound...
Agree with 100% all the things he said. I've myself noticed all those things also. Being a teenager in the 90's there was so many new upcoming artists, so much music to chose from. It didn't matter what genre's pop, rap, rock, metal, nu metal alternative etc. There was so much new music/artists for everyone to enjoy.
I just think the best music has moved back to the deep underground, where it all began. And honestly, i don't mind. If you dig far enough you're gonna find so much amazing stuff that you'll barely have the time to check it all out.
And we live in a time where the "underground" is more accessible than ever. You don't have to trade demo tapes at backyard venues when nowadays those same bands can distribute their music for free on the internet.
There are a handful of newer bands I’ve been getting into who give me hope that a rock revival might not be far off. Royal Blood, Highly Suspect, Arrested Youth, Badflower, Radio Moscow to name a few. Recently saw Spiritbox and Hollow Front- two up and comers in the metal scene, amazing live!
@nabrute I totally forgot about Radio Moscow (I remember hearing about them a lot in the Iowa scene a while back). I didn't even realize they were still around.
Throughout most of the video, I was thinking of bands that I thought were super innovative. Then I remembered they were both ten years old. I'd throw Spiritbox a bone. They've been crushing it recently, and Eternal Blue was a banger from start to finish. Caskets are also very good, and I think they both aren't past five years old yet. The pop scene is in a similar rut where they seem to be rediscovering the '80s.
I agree with everything you had said. We cannot let this genre die. We need to be proactive with scoping out lesser known acts out there on a global scale. Let's make it our mission. It will be a good time. The nice thing about Spotify is you can search user made playlists and easily discover music like never before.
A key component to good rock music is skilled instrumentalists. This seems to be lacking in some newer music or it's simply not being showcased. Sumerian Records just had that music competition “No Cover" that featured a few groups that stood out to me: The Native Howl, Mirror Lake and Slay Squad.
@Juke Branwen Watching Tosin on the show, you could tell that he knew and recognized things the other judges didn't, which makes sense given that most of them aren't really "trained" musicians like his Berklee ass is. I thought Bishop Briggs as a judge was an odd choice. I like her song, River, but she's kind of, so far, a one-hit wonder.
35 here and I came of age with many of the bands you mentioned (ToaD, Evanescence, Linkin Park et al). I think one of the smartest things is "legacy" bands doing collaborations with newer artists. That's exactly how I went from listening to Where I Belong by Simple Plan to going "Who are these State Champs guys? Oh snap, they list all my high school favorites as inspiration". Turns out to my ears they absolutely rock! Yes, they're 13 years old so not "new", but I'm getting there slowly. I'd like to see more bands collaborate across eras and maybe fans will follow!
I think that potential new rock and metal fans who are out there are legit intimidated and maybe even downright afraid of the old guard fans and whatever hate or judgment that they may receive for being “posers”. HOWEVER, I also think that the mainstream music industry is 100% to blame for not even trying to put any faith into new bands or sounds. Hype is a real thing so if there was any strong encouragement from the powers that be pushing a brand new band then the fans will come.
Spot on. In my area it's death or thrash metal. Anything else is laughed off the stage. That really sucks for guys like me that want to play power metal or NWOTHM.
Micky Dee was hated for being a F***** poser when he left Dokken to join Motörhead. This was back in 91-92. So it's noting new to be hated until you get up there with the greatest.
Agreed, rock/metal pretty much has become a traditionalist style, much like classical, jazz, blues, country and punk before it. Styles such as hiphop (and others I'm not familiar with 'cuz I'm an old fart) are far more adaptable to today's entertainment climate. But hiphop, etc. kind of have a reverse problem - few legacy artists - what was cool yesterday, sucks today.
I had the same thought about rap/hip hop. Unless you're one of the OGs or pioneer or caused a stir like MGK, you're a flavor of the week. I hope they have good people managing their money because the flame that burns bright, burns fast
With Hip Hop, its definitely a reverse problem. If you got hot like yesterday (lol.), unless you're a mega star and stay consistent, you will be forgotten instantly. If you were hot in say the 90s or 2000s, its even worse. Take a festival like Rolling Loud, Three 6 Mafia were one of the feature acts, if you look at the crowd during their set, they got little to no reaction, despite being an influential act for what a lot of these kids like today (A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Denzel Curry, any of these trap-metal acts, etc.)
I've been saying this for years. People read too much into the "rock is dying!" thing. I look at it as an entirely normal cultural shift. And the problem with people demanding stuff that's new and fresh is that so many different grounds have been covered in rock: Angry heavy stuff. Dirty raw stuff. Tripped out prog and/or psychedelic stuff. And so on. It doesn't mean new bands cannot form and create great music, it's just that there's only so much innovation you can do. The same is true with blues, jazz or reggae. And I completely agree with hip hop and rap too. I like a lot of hip hop, but a lot of it does not have much staying power. Unlike rappers, a relatively has-been rock band can return from obscurity with a kickass comeback album and become relevant again. An aged rock band can have their music showcased in a modern movie or show like Guardians of the Galaxy or Stranger Things, and their music inspires new young generations. So many rappers are here today, gone tomorrow...and you don't hear from them ever again. Additionally, rock fans often like all kinds of music from different eras while a lot of rap and hip hop audiences only enjoy what's current.
@@madstaticmke414 this is one aspect that I think rock fans have over rap fans: A respect and love for legacy. There are rock and metal fans who love everything from the 2010s to the 80's to the 60's. With so many hip hop fans, they want whatever is hot, whatever is current. Even though I grew up liking hip hop, I always found that kind of frustrating.
The amount of underground bands or bands that are not heavily pushed I’ve found from watching your channel alone is astounding. Whether they are new or old for that i thank you🤘🏻
It's a sad reality, only real hope is the occasional band that breaks through the mid-stream, not quite top 200 but not 10 people audience shows but other than that we are spinning the same wheel until the rubber burns up entirely.
I have a lot of thoughts on this but ultimately believe your mostly right about this. However, I have always been of the opinion that it is possible to have your cake and eat it too so to speak. I remember the 2000s (my high school years) as a time when it wasn’t weird to see a teen wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt one day and something current the next. I think a healthy situation for the industry is one where the fans to some extent embrace old AND new artists. I know this is possible because that’s how I came up listening to this stuff. It’s doable if people just open their minds a little bit and at the very least, if you don’t like it, leave it alone and let the kids have their fun.
I think we can chalk this up to the rise of streaming. Finding metal in particular that is new or groundbreaking is just far more difficult on the major streaming platforms. They do feeble numbers compared to their forefathers and since streaming runs the modern music world, you're only chance to hear something fresh is at your local bar Edit: I left this comment as I was watching the video and before he started talking about streaming lol
For me, I love these old bands headlining because I never got to see them when I was younger because I didn’t have the money. On the flip side, if they were opening for younger bands I would still go see them just because I love the music. I think Riot Fest is a perfect example of older bands always headlining.
Too bad tho, if you go look Guns N Roses you wont see Axl Rose in his prime, you will hear Mickey Mouse trying to breathe. (if you dont like GnR fine, I just used them as one of the recent examples of old legendary bands whose performances are absolute dogshit today and still keep getting headline gigs...)
Felt this comment but I didn’t have the money either and I grew up Christian so I wasn’t allowed. Now I’m having the time of my life seeing all those bands I grew up with!!
Very true Finn. As someone who is a huge fan of 80's and 90's rock, it is hard to branch out from bands that remain awesome. However, your channel and TH-cam in general are doing great things with bringing exposure to newer talent. I recently discovered Ghost and A Day to Remember. The key is to add to your tastes, not replace the old ones. Thanks for showing us new bands to enjoy through all your videos ✌️
This is SO accurate! As a guitarist in a rock band, it's incredibly hard to break through the legacy bands. I have been enjoying the rock that has been coming out of Euro countries. Bands like Siamese, Chaosbay, Breathe Atlantic, and Ashen.
Finn!! Go check out Cleopatrick and Grandson, if you haven’t already. I think both of these artists are 100% going to define the future of rock. Family Van is my #1 Cleopatrick song and Stigmata is my #1 Grandson song. I love boomer rock/metal, but these 2 artists have really captured my heart because of the amount of energy they put into their music. Honestly, even modern country music is more up to date with the times compared to most mainstream rock acts.
“dead” as in the mainstream. which is fine. it doesn’t need to be #1 to be considered fine. this isn’t the 90s and early 2000s where the radio is dictating what we have to listen to. the internet is around and we have so many amazing underground or non mainstream bands doing amazing and innovative things.
I’ve been following your channel for around 3-4 years, and would love to see more coverage on new stuff. I actually found some fresh new music through these videos.
I couldn't agree more. I actually get excited when I discover new music. I actually avoided mainstream rock artists back then. I've opened up to them more now, but I don't spend all my time listening to them. I like hearing creativity and innovation. Once great example would be electric callboy. Yes, their odd and their style isn't what people are used to, but I love it! Another is spiritbox! Amazing vocals. It's nice that spiritbox is touring with killswitch and lamb of God. Hoping that will help grow them.
Hey Finn, great vid as always! Just wanna say that if you still wanna focus more on the newer alt stuff (emo rap/trap metal) your audience will follow you. You don't need to kowtow to the haters, make the content you wanna make and we'll be there for ya! Obviously not telling ya how to run your channel but I guess just a friendly reminder that you don't need to please anyone, make the shit you wanna make
Eh, depends on your goal; money, or integrity? Only Finn can answer that for himself, and either option is valid. Like I said, I ain't tryna run his channel, just reassure him that the loyalest of fans will follow him whatever direction he goes...Also feels weird talkin in third person about a dude who could theoretically read all this 🤣. Do you, bud! We're here for it.
I grew up with older artists, but there are so many talented newer artists out there as well, but I feel like they don’t get the exposure, fans aren't open-minded, a lot of people don't give new music a chance, the mainstream don’t help whatsoever, etc. You got bands like Beartooth, From Ashes To New, Highly Suspect, I Prevail, Jinjer, Radkey, Red Sun Rising, Starset, etc.
What always shocked me is that the early to mid 2010s pop punk and fourth wave of emo never went anywhere further than the scenes they originated in. bands like joyce manor, mom jeans, title fight, tigers jaw, and marietta had serious pop appeal at least in my eyes, and certainly should have been bigger but in my eyes have gotten smaller than they used to be.
@Violent Melody that's really what should've happened, but instead when Adam left Tigers Jaw to start Wicca Phase Springs Eternal everyone made fun of him lol. Now all they have is "I miss title fight" posts and hating on MGK as cope for missing the boat on emo rap when it was still underground. Sad state for tr00 pop punkers and twinkledorks. There was at least the Front Bottoms who took the Fueled By Ramen pipeline to the mainstream alt/pop/rock scene so there's that.
It's disheartening to think of how many of my friends automatically flipped from actively seeking out new bands to pulling up their pants, donning a polo shirt and going all "back in MY day we had good bands, all modern music is shit" the moment they turned 30
Thats how we know we getting old my dude XD. I kinda went into that mindset over the past 2 years as ive been living my Late 90s Early 2000s again and realizing a lot of my childhood was just really awesome and I kinda just let it all go so quickly. Im a weird in between of BACK IN MY DAYS! while also actively liking a lot of new music. Both those that sound like the good ole days and new sounds that is definately new and innovative. im 30 turning 31 BTW
As someone that turned 30 earlier this year, I still actively try to seek out new music, but I also have my "modern music is sh*t" moments. I will admit that I do find myself gravitating more towards older metal and rock over a lot of newer stuff, but that doesn't mean there isn't good, newer bands out there. Unfortunately, you do kind of have to dig through a lot of sh*t sometimes. I think there is a problem with being able to listen to anything on the internet now, there's an oversaturation of newer bands that all sound very similar to each other and don't really stand out. And there are a lot of newer bands playing a throwback style. Like why do so many younger bands try and recreate '80s thrash or death metal without bringing anything new to the genre?
@@theCrownofSympathy well put this is most definitely how I feel, you really have to dig to find that nugget of a band unlike the days of past. The over saturation of the industry make it difficult to find worth wile music.
I must admit I ended up calling myself out a few years back because I stopped actively seeking out new music... I try to do a little better now, though nostalgia is a difficult addiction to shift
@@MercenaryPen To be fair I think the problem is not that people stop seeking out new bands (after all, that takes a lot of time and energy, and as you get older you need to prioritize - there might simply be more satisfying things for you to spend your scarce energy and time on). The problem is acting like you know better and like today's music is shit and kids today have no idea about anything, instead of simply admitting that you haven't kept up. I dunno, it's just sad to have that little self-awareness and to embrace that kind of old man energy
One thing I’ve noticed personally is that there’s a lot of younger people wearing Nirvana shirts, and listening to classic rock. I was talking to a group of young kids in their 20s, and they really liked Steely Dan. I’ve heard alot of people say that the 70s and the 90s were the best decades for Rock music. Maybe Rock will go the way of Jazz and Blues music. It’ll always be around, and there will always be people listening to it or discovering it for the first time, but it’ll be more of a niche thing. Me personally, I just listen to what I like. I don’t care for emo rap or trap metal. If other folks like it good on them. It just does nothing for me, and it’s probably not supposed to either cause I’m an old dude
I would say that if a band (old or new) is making great music, then who cares who is headlining music festivals? As long as a band is still making great tracks and isn't just selling out and pumping out garbage for a paycheck they will continue to gain NEW fans even if they have been around since the 90's. No need to hate on the greats or think their time has come and passed. But that's just my two cents
I think there are 2 things Finn is trying to bring up in his critique of old bands still headlining. 1) When these old bands are too old to perform, it is less likely that there will be successors with the performance chops and the fanbase to replace then effectively. 2) Maintaining these old bands at what is effectively "the top" of rock and metal, the style and aesthetics of rock and metal end up stagnating
Personally, I think how most rock/ metal people perceive the genre is through the actual Instruments. Drums and guitars are the cornerstone of how most identify with the music and it’s what makes the distinct sound. It’s how you use the instruments that defines your uniqueness. I think artist like Post Malone (which I love) helps support the interest of people that maybe never gave rock or metal a chance to maybe one day drive a group of people to be that next band. Love the channel!!!
Love the honesty. No disagreements here. I think rap already went through this, but they are like turning a speed boat, and rock is like turning a cruise ship!
Went to the Suicideboys and Knocked Loose show last weekend and it was awesome. Some of the biggest pits I’ve seen and the crowd for KL went so much harder than everyone else. Was crazy seeing KL in a stadium
i kind of feel like this isnt true like, dont get me wrong a lot of the current rock and metal scene is more underground, like the grindcore scene is thriving, so is the uk/irish post punk scene and australian punk are all getting more publicity atm, its so easy to write off global rock rn because its not on the same level of popularity as it used to be
I love your videos. I learn a lot. I think it's interesting that you call out attention to the fact that people have less interest in innovation and newer sounds in rock music while also still making a concerted effort to dial your content into your audience interests, which I think with everyone's attention along with your credibility could influence people to stay open minded to music as they were in days gone by. I grew up in the grunge era and watched the alt. Metal/mall goth stuff come out in late highschool and college. I've always tried to stay open minded to new music, and appreciate your videos.
This reminds me about a story I heard on my local NPR affiliate about the tribute band scene. One of the guys they'd interviewed was in a metal band that had recorded with respected European producers in the genre and had a decent following for the scene, but what actually paid his bills was playing in a tribute band in San Antonio (it was either a KISS or a Tool one, I think).
My only problem with Finn is he seems to think modern popular music hasn't been the same for a decade. Country, pop, hip hop, it all sounds the same nowadays.
Hip hop has changed quite a bit over the past decade, and a LOT over the past two decades. Why? Because thriving genres evolve, and hip hop is thriving. Rock is not evolving, because rock is not thriving.
Excellent content! Here in Brazil we kinda have the same problem, lots of great new rock bands but the big festivals with the same headliners for several years now
Many of these hip hop/pop artists are one hitters though, the fans only focus on what's trendy at the moment so their careers don't last long unlike some rock/metal bands that have a fan base for decades
Exactly same with Pop fans who are as flavor of the week as possible. Rock fans continuing to support people they like for literally like 50 years is pretty damn sick. Meanwhile how many of those pop fans still rock Chrstinia Aguliara and Britnay Spears. LOL that music has no substance and doesn't/won't hold up. And I don't care how you spell those names I can see how fucked up the spelling is.
I am and always will be a rocker but I went through an extreme pop phase in 2015. This is before I had access to an aux cord so I was at the mercy of the radio. One thing I noticed is exactly what you just said. Sure, rock radio would overplay the shit out of new songs by Five Finger Death Punch, Ghost and Three Days Grace. But one thing that stood out to me, was those same new songs would still be played years later. In rock, once its a hit its always a hit (generally). Almost every pop song I loved in 2015 was thrown out and forgotten in favor of what came in 2016, and then 2017, 2018, etc etc. I don't listen to the radio anymore but I guarantee you Jealous by Nick Jonas or Latch by Disclosure won't be played on pop radio again. Shame because that style of pop is what drew me to that genre to the first place
These legacy headliners need to bring young openers on tour with them. Badflower became one of my favorite bands after seeing them open for Shinedown. Code Orange & Fever 333 stole the show as openers for Slipknot!
The sad truth is that most people don't actively look for new music. They hear what's presented to them, and that's almost never new rock bands. Sometimes it can be a little more progressive. The Rebellion Festival in England, the biggest punk/alternative festival in the world, has a stage just for newer bands, and I know of one band who arrived virtually unknown this year, who stormed it to the degree that they've been invited back next year, to play on the main stage. Of course, no mainstream media outlet will give the festival any coverage, because the music doesn't fit in with what focus groups have told them that 16-24 year olds listen to.
In my personal opinions, we should be loyal to these old bands, because they really are great bands but we also really need a lot more new artists to push the genre forward
I think it would be interesting to find where a middle ground could be reached between the rock world's obsession with legacy and the pop world's fresh qualities. Rock can be far to stagnant and pop can have far too much turnover for most people to have a sustained career. I personally don't think that the 10 year come-up of Turnstile et al. is that much of a problem, but it might be interesting to see what would happen if we had newer artists being put into headliner positions.
Let me tell you a little story. In 1994, I started listening to my local AOR station, after a KNAC/Z-Rock clone in a nearby city drifted into another format. So after six months of not really listening to the radio at all, I tuned into "The Beach." And they were heavily, heavily classic-rock based. They played a handful of new songs after sunset by Soundgarden, STP, etc. But for the most part, that station, and many others like it across the country, were stuck in about 1982, which was the heyday of AOR music. A few years later, those stations were basically forced to choose between going full-on classic rock, or adopting a hip name like "The Edge" or "The Buzz," or that very '90's-understated "The Rock Station." And that moment is where those stations are still stuck today. So I feel like a kid in 2022 who tunes into "The Beach" would feel the same way I did in 1994, thinking, "Jesus, Christ, enough with the Steve Miller Band already!" I think we're just in a low spot in the cycle. It's been an especially long period, and I wonder how we're going to get out of it, but if we do, the next flavor of rock is going to be something the people who still cling to Three Days Grace or whoever are not going to recognize.
You know Finn the more I think about it and I hear you talk about it and the more I think that rock and metal have the same problem as professional wrestling especially WWE. The industry prefers to build on their achievements rather than create something new (as if they were lazy). Wrestlers are like artists; they serve only to beautify and preserve those glories of the past that have nothing more to prove and take all the spotlight. And the day these legends die or stop performing what will happen? I think you already know it. And as for the fans, unfortunately the majority do not want to accept it and even worse they support this. Alone a minority of them do the right thing and go foward like you say BMTH and Falling In Reverse. And it's also the same thing for movies and video game look at all the remakes from the past decade. We don't CREATE memories anymore we REVISIT them. Always as pleasant and rewarding to watch your videos. 👍🏻
Agree with you And the saddest thing is that new acts do exist like The Hu (Mongolian metal band), Nova Twins (British metal band with hip-hop and R&B influences), but only a few know of them and support them while many (so-called) fans ignore them or even display racism towards them; as the Afro Punk scene that's been existing for at least 20 years, and never got the exposure and the recognition they deserve
Some of the bands that are thriving and holding guitar based alternative music are the ones who have embraced the singles model. Music streaming has made albums much less important when most people are listening to playlists.
Rock and metal in the United States is stuck in the past and publishers don't bet on new bands, but in Europe, Japan and Canada there are many many many recent rock and metal bands with innovative sounds and with more classic sounds, bands for all tastes. Rock and Metal is not dead, it is necessary to not get stuck in the past and look for other markets.
You should do a video on the music label/collective Profane Existence and how it spear headed the (2nd?) Wave of underground American punk and bridging the crust punk genre from the UK and USA.
That’s why I stay in the underground. There’s tons of hungry young bands that aren’t headlining these festivals but still play them and I love watching them grow to play bigger sets. The old bands can headline these and bring me different joy than the small bands I pay attention to. Like I wouldn’t be mad at all going to a festival to see kublai khan before waiting for Metallica. At least they know these big bands have longevity and will draw a crowd, and I think that’s the difference between that and the hip hop genre.
Hey Finn. I'm really sorry you feel you can't talk about modern artists and other genres on this channel and have decided to become a nostalgia channel which you had said you were reluctant to do. Obviously I enjoy when you talk about 90s/00s bands but I also appreciated you trying to broaden our horizons by discussing newer artists. You introduced me to several artists I would have never heard of or otherwise dismissed so thank you for that! I hope this channel still brings you joy and fulfillment.
Come hang out on Twitch! www.twitch.tv/finnmckenty
hey am gen z and let me tell you its not true more young people like older music today am one of them
Finn check out tallah and tetrarch...those bands are bringing back the heavier style of rock
Tallah is pretty new, and great
Here's the problem: we have the millennial and gen z generations that cares more about social media and in turn they created the woke movement and cancel culture. These 2 generations think they're entitled, have no style, identity, or genre, most of them are weak, they don't know what sex they are, they cry/complain, and they have no work ethic with no sense of independence. They guide online market conditions in music which makes rock music almost impossible to evolve any further past 2010. It's sad but true.
@@beatnik111 that's because most of your generation has no identity, style or genre. It's all social media and technology and nothing else.
Rock is suffering the same decline as jazz - virtuosity, gatekeeping, “rules” & nostalgia can really only go so far. Innovation over everything.
Yeah, that's what another youtuber, David Bennett, was saying a few months ago. When i realised that is exactly the same downslope it stung my heart.
Hence why Deathcore had been the superior genre since it's inception. The bands stay younger and newer
now theres fusion and stuff
@@darnfrick3354 lol oh yeah, deathcore has always favored the youth, the sound kinda calls for it if you think about it. Every deathcore band calls it quits before they either get bad or get old (generally). Deathcore has no metamorphosis, it's not like metalcore which eventually either becomes butt rock or fat dude death metal
@@darrenthetuber743 although, it has morphed in a sense in that the breakdowns get more breakdowny and the sound becomes more "true" like death metal over time, except it's still like kids doing death metal so it's not quite death metal
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having festivals of nostalgia like when we were young and etc.. honestly I would HATE to lose that… but other festivals with newer artists would be amazing too.
Louder than life has both new and old acts
@@carlosmartinez6227 that's always the ideal, see bands you like, find something new you like.
That’s why we need a good middle ground between the two
Agreed. This all proves too much nostalgia is toxic, no matter what the nostalgia is for.
Good balance, of which have the big ones to draw people in for the smaller bands.
I remember when Ghost played at a free festival in Luleå. Of which the Festival had bigger bands, however Ghost became the main act even though they got a tiny stage.
Finn, I have to share this experience that happened to me this morning. I'm 40, and 26 year old coworker told me he was going to Riotfest in Chicago. He then proceeded to show me the weekend lineup. It made me want to cry. The bands listed were old when I was young. Many of them were one hit wonders. The headliners are dinosaurs. Rock died with the radio. The same stuff I was listening to in the 90s is on the current FM rock station. If I was hit by a bus, went into a coma, and woke up 20 years later I wouldn't know it by listening to Octane on XM. We need the young irreverent DJ to come back that plays obscure unsigned talent when his boss tells him not to.
Exactly
I think metal still generally favors the young more than rock,
Blame Clear Channel
BTW, that's because that's what he's into. I just went to PrimaVera fest and I'm going to Substance LA next weekend. There's lots of new bands at those ones.
I haven’t been to a rock festival here in the UK for 15 years. Out of curiosity I checked to see what some line ups are next year and it’s all the same bands
As a touring musician, I have seen that the audience IS there. Tons of people will get on board with new shit if they have the chance to hear/see it. But there’s very little infrastructure in place for new bands to build momentum. You really have to DIY EVERYTHING and rely on both frugality and the hospitality of others just to get by.
It’s hard to survive like that long enough to break through. And when I say break through I don’t mean “get famous” - I mean make enough money for all your band members to stay alive.
And like, I get it. Tons of venues are barely scraping by, so they can’t pay smaller bands much or take many risks with who they book. But the audience is there and, in my experience, very accepting of new talent!
At the same time, I also feel like part of the blame DOES lie with artists. A group of guys standing still and looking bored isn’t gonna compete with rappers and pop singers who actually do some fucking crowd work. People still like rock, imo they’re just sick of bands who act like they don’t give a shit
Well said, my man
Labels and media (both social engineers in some way or another) have had a racialist view of rock for a long time. There's a sentiment that liking rock is like being a racist, hence the term 'rockism.' Everything white people do is racist. And this is all shown in articles that say 'rock is dead, here's why that's a Good Thing.' Of course hip hop and EDM are both objectively trash compared to all other forms of music, so I don't see how it's a Good Thing that some people have been Stockholm Syndrome'd into liking these styles.
@@guyincognito320 lmao what are you talking about?? I have no idea how this is relevant to my original comment, but hip hop and EDM are incredible genres just as worthy of respect as any other.
The history of rock music is littered with racism that we need to address, not sweep under the rug. Many innovative people of color have been ignored and abused by white rockers, fans, and yes, people on the business side. I love playing rock music, but rock culture DOES have an issue with bigotry, and the only way we're gonna fix that is by admitting it and making it clear that shit is not gonna fly.
Anyways, I'm not gonna get into some weird protracted youtube argument. I just wanted to make it clear I think your take sucks.
There's only so much awkward musicians can hide behind in front of a crowd, so having some level communication or connection with the crowd is important, I honestly it comes down presentation and representation, you can either be hushed and intimate or be loud and charismatic, you can't be a middle ground in performing
I say this as a singer in a current rock band. The scene is incredibly difficult to break into.
Venue owners and festivals want legacy acts instead of building up a new act.
I heard an interview with Rat Scabies, the drummer from The Damned, and he said one other problem new (small) bands face now is tribute acts, with many places prefering to book a fake Guns 'n' Roses band, who they know will bring in a certain crowd, over an actual new band, who's appeal is less guaranteed.
@@RevStickleback Definitely. It’s very easy to get money and gigs as a cover/tribute act. Pubs have flat out rejected us once I told them we don’t play covers and only care about our original music.
I get that bars want an easy return on investment but it really screws with my morale. Everyone starts their music career feeling invincible but industry BS turns them into an anxious wreck.
I see it this way, for a venue, low risk equals high reward with popular bands. It wouldnt make much sense from a business standpoint to take the high risk and a potential high reward. Although I will give a lot of credit to small venues for having smaller bands play. Although that makes much more sense from their perspective.
you mean every body sold out and nobody cares about quality. yeah pretty much describes our world for the past 5 years
@@skippypeanutbutter9136 you can't blame the venues. It's the public. They only want what they already know and are comfortable with.
The simple truth is you can't force things to be relevant to young people, and the youth are the hearth of cultural relevance. Rock stopped talking and resonating with the average teenager, intentionally at times. Now they say the youth is dumber, less cultured. Adultification is the ultimate killer of a genre's relevance, but it also seems like a natural thing to happen after the genre reaches its peak. Let rock die the ironic death it chose to have.
Well said
pretty based ngfl
What do you mean by Adultification?
@@LuisCarruthersTo not resonate with tennagers
@@LuisCarruthers growing up from "scene" kids to Metal NERDS on reddit. Rock/metal stopped being fun.
This hits hard as a fan of progressive rock. Imagine defining your genre with a word meaning “in favor of introducing new ideas” and then only propping up new bands if they sound like they could’ve come out half a century earlier.
Progressive has now essentially become synonymous with technical.
The issue with statements like this is that most people would like to see trap or pop elements added to rock and metal as the new face of prog…as though that’s a new idea. There’s only so far you can go without doing the same shit over and over again.
Same, it’s frustrating when bands use “progressive” as an adjective label despite making music that’s derivative. Prog is more of a mindset than a genre in my opinion, it’s about pushing the boundaries through experimentation.
@@IOxyrinchus Most “progressive” bands are just Dream Theatwr clones which is really sad
'08 Attack Attack is the most recent prog thing I can think of 😂
My 16 year old is a fan of bands like The Occees and King Gizzard. While I grew up on skate- and pop-punk, I can at least respect these new bands who are out there. I'll be taking him to see King Gizzard in Detroit and we're all pretty excited about it. It's unfortunate that the new crop of rock acts doesn't get any attention.
Seen them live five times now. Been a fan since the Nonagon Infinity release in 2016. They are fantastic live.
King Gizz is to NOT be missed. Have fun mate!
Love King Gizzard. Have fun!!
Seeing them in Toronto this October and the Osees next month, can’t wait!
Every king gizzard song sounds identical to me, boring band
We need a LOT more fans having the mindset of Rob Zombie when he toured with Baby Metal. He was just constantly hyping up how new their sound was, and supporting them on tour himself, and even telling those same old guard Metal fans to fuck off when they'd talk shit about Baby Metal. And they genuinely had a new sound, combining the upbeat, happy vocals of J-Pop with the heavy guitars and growling vocals of Metal. I think they were the last brand new band that got a lot of radio play from the start with their careers due to having an innovative sound.
In high school I remember seeing Eddie Van Halen on the cover of Guitar World magazine. 20 years later he’s still on the cover. Nothing wrong with celebrating these artists but excessive nostalgia is killing the genre.
Same here. And even when I was in high school I thought EVH was old and yet he and Steve Vai and Metallica are still on the cover 20 years later.
Maybe it’s because there’s not much in rock that is relevant enough as far as newer players. When is the last time that a new guitarist came along and blew everyone away?
Right when all the main cover stars are old dead guitarists you’ve got a problem
@@kdogg7882 I remember reading articles in Guitar World about Randy Rhoads in 2004… over 20 years after he died. This has been an ongoing problem for a long time unfortunately.
@@bakerbrown6 Yvette Young, Tosin Abasi, Tim Henson, Nita Strauss, Eric Gales...
Another issue I've noticed is that a lot of the local scenes that made the huge artists we know and love today don't exist anymore, and underground scenes aren't as appreciated as they used to be. I live on the far west end of Metro Atlanta (basically where it starts turning rural) and we used to have several local venues that were great for local rock/metal bands. However, about 10 years ago they all shut down. Now, bands pretty much have to rely on getting gigs at Atlanta venues like The Masquerade or The Tabernacle, which isn't very easy. Plus, it's not the same as having local scenes with your own local people, since Atlanta is a big city. It seems like a lot of kids are starting to get back into rock these days though, so hopefully there's a resurgence in the music and culture. We definitely need innovation.
I think the largest contributor to the drought of local scenes is the way music is written nowadays. When I was a teenager in the inland empire in California, there were tons of almost signed "local bands" from San Diego, Riverside, and Anaheim. In the last ten years, I've seen most musicians go to their computers to write instead of other people within the scene. People that I would have written with seven years ago are longer findable in person.
Same in europe.
Tho i think this has less to do with the genre itself and is more about the death of doing shit outside. My generation (31yo) pretty much stopped the whole "going out to drink in a bar thing" which was the place people met and did stuff together at. Like starting a band and playing in your local bar.
Nowadays this happens all online. Which isn´t better or worse per se just different.
@@markypoo-u2 same, NorCal was huge too. ASD and DGD were bigger bands that were locally viral, but it allowed local bands to do their thing so much.
Kids nowadays aren’t starting bands or hanging out with friends, they’re doing stuff like activism on twitter and being weirdos.
With ya bro I played that metro ATL scene back in the 90’s and it was the shit. Always a show or something going on at the reptile or the point, wreck room, dottie’s, wherever. The scene was up
Edit: snd you’re right no one is ‘starting out’ at the Tabernacle.
Same thing happened in my home town too, the smaller scene died back a lot like 7-10 years ago. I suspected it was because most audience members moved away as they hit their 20s, and show organizers would have various random life emergencies and there was just nobody left with the ability to pick up the pieces. What used to be shows all the time held at at least 5 different venues turned into one show every few months at one bar.
Obviously this was a long time ago, but I feel like the last wave of young bands to break through the rock/metal scene, was in 2007/2008 and then the early 2010s era.
Agreed
For sure. The last wave of “bands” to hit before social media ruled the world.
I think it's okay to keep supporting the same bands through their whole career. You connect with an artist and it becomes part of your life, a part of you. Worse than that is an industry where lots of artists blow up and they're quickly forgotten, it must be very hard for them, they don't mean much to the fans.
That said, we need a middle ground where older bands are still worshipped but we give big hype and respect to new artists
You’re right about rock fans being part of the problem: how can we expect a genre to move forward when a majority of the fanbase wants bands who are older/past their prime or sound like bands who are? It’s frustrating and frankly depressing, especially considering how many genuinely innovative artists get completely ignored due to gatekeeping and/or closed mindedness
If the biggest platform for new music is Tiktok, I'm going to miss out on most if it because I don't, and never will, use Tiktok.
So seems like an aging fan base is being left behind by social media trends that they have no interest in and are for a younger audience.
I'm not gonna blame anyone for not keeping up with the ever evolving social media universe. The shit is garbage, and objectively unhealthy for many users. Finn's solution seemed to be that rock artists need to capitulate and become involved in these platforms because those platforms now define the popularity of music.
I say fuck that, you can't guilt trip bands into doing shit they don't want to do because you feel entitled to new popular rock music. Rock is a dying genre, it is what it is. There are still bands doing cool, new stuff, but it's gonna be local/underground probably from now on.
Again, we aren't entitled to easy access to fresh rock music or huge rock festivals. You'll have to live with deep diving on Spotify and checking out local venues
Yeah the problem with it the industry and the fans are the problem dude Devin Townsend orbit culture killer beast killed can headline any tour in the world but they're always overseas headlining nose here in America Disturbed there's nothing wrong with it but you need to utilize these young kids and these young bands to get more young kids and more younger fans and more new ears how I used to go to old rock concerts but I would see metal bands I would see new things cuz that's what you do you give them something extra
@@alicspellman6938 rock isn't dying, it's just settling into its category of "niche music". Jazz was once the world's most popular music but today its very much a niche thing, and its audience doesn't really care too much if it isn't leading pop culture. Same with reggae. It will survive. People will still buy guitars and drums. But it will likely thrive in an underground setting. I'm okay with that.
To be fair, I think some of the artistes are part of the problem as well. Sounding like a less interesting version of a band that was popular 20 years ago isn't exactly going to energize the scene either.
Honestly, the way music works now, you can't expect people to give you a chance. Attention spans are low. People are overwhelmed with musical options. You have a very limited window of time to leave an impression on a listener before they switch you off to listen to something else. If you can't do that then you're probably not going to thrive in this industry.
Also, I think rock artistes should look beyond appealing to traditional rock audiences. I'm pretty sure that MGK's pop punk albums were more marketed towards normies than harcore rock fans, and they still did pretty well.
Ni one is part of the problem. And there is no problem. Older generation likes older generation music. It always been and will be like that. Remember your dad complaining that the music in his younger age was much better? Those older generation fans will go away and new music will be more popular. Yiu people are too e titles if you call a group of people "part of the problem".
This video has basically hit the nail on the head of a feeling I have been having for years. When lil peep first came on to the scene was like "woah this is sick punk is evolving for a younger generation" then I immediately got shit on by all my friends for thinking it was cool and unique.. finally someone speaking facts out here. Rock needs to evolve so it can grow and continue and not die off
Lil peep isnt really punk music tho, just sad rap with a punk style. But I understand what you mean.
That's just because Lil Peep sucked
As much as I love listening to “older” music I love finding new artists and new music also!
Everything you said about the state of the industry is true. As an artist myself it is hard to get new fans and listeners…and we promote and are on all platforms…still slow growth. It’s always been a struggle as an independent artist but with the advent of streaming it’s become a lot more competitive
I've been a lifelong music fan and collector...and these days I have a hard time sh*t talking any local touring band. I'm from the last generation where a band could burn a bunch of CDs and make 1000 bucks at their show. Those days are sadly long gone. Making music is extremely financially draining....
@@markw110 tell you what sucks even more. Trying to get these people to come to a fuckin’ show. Simply because everyone and their sister is “in a band”, it’s over saturated and too competitive. There’s more bands than fans today.
What's your band?
There is a lot of newer rock that I found to be great and not "stuck in the past". A lot of rock I listen to come from Japan and it is still as lively as ever. They seem to mix jazz, electronic, funk, and pop elements into their rock, which is something I notice more western rock fans kind of sneer at. They also aren't afraid to be involved in social media and more modern ways of promoting.
I hope these kinds of videos can shed light on music scenes outside America.
Also, not all forms of change and keeping up with trends hits for everyone. There is a thing of homogenizing music with everyone conforming to the same trends.
Preserving certain sounds isn't necessarily bad. Shouldn't there be different kinds of sounds for everyone to enjoy?
I've been really into Ichika Nito on TH-cam. He is a guitarist for the Japanese band Dios and has such an interesting style that seems fresh.
I dont think he likes bands from japan....
@@cius2112 I kind of figured. I remember hearing he didn't. It is just odd since J-Rock is doing a lot of the things he seems to want in the west.
@@Drstrange3000 except it’s really not, J-Rock for the most part is just as if not more derivative than most western/rock of the last 30 years whilst adding nothing new besides Japanese vocals, if those bands were American/British no one would give a fuck
@@peter6914 I can see how you say that. I know Taka wanted to break into the western rock because he said the rock music was limiting in Japan.
With that said, I think for people not already exposed to J-Rock, I think there is enough novelty there to where it won't be the same thing they are used to. It uses more jazz and funk in it's music than in the west. Not saying there are no rock bands that don't have those elements, but it is one of the differences I've noticed. I listen to indie/Alt rock too so I listen to both.
As someone trying to explore more western rock, I find it a lot harder to find a variety of rock sounds than when I listen to J-Rock. I think a lot of my view is rock is marketed in the west vs the east. It also seems more youth led in Japan than in the west. I'm probably not explaining myself well.
@@Drstrange3000 yeah dude i agree. j-rock is way more interesting to me than american rock. i’m def biased though because i’m japanese but i think there’s a lot of interesting bands in japan. tricot immediately comes to mind
The problem that has plagued new rock artist from being able to branch out definitely has a lot to do with warped tour not being a thing anymore. Warped tour was a way for those newer bands to do headliners while still playing the rock festivals with the metallicas and Judas Priest dudes. Now that warped tour is gone we are left with the festivals
I think an additional factor is that rock/metal went through what seemed like a very bland phase from about 2012-2020, and myself and most of my friends that were fans on that genre just stopped checking for new music and found that spark in other genres. It's only been the past couple of years that there's been a new spark in rock/metal that are drawing more fans back in, so I think it's possible that we see the newer artists become more dominant with just a little more time (and deeper catalogue). Based on current trends, it's not unthinkable that Spiritbox, Falling in Reverse, Lorna Shore are headlining alongside ADTR, BMTH and A7X as legacy acts in the next 5 years. I think it's just gonna take a little more time to attract people back into the genre and checking for new music more consistently.
Idk, Polyphia happened during those years and now we have new guitar gods. Djent came and went. The great thrash metal revival also happened during those years (Havok, Power Trip, Lich King, Vektor, etc). I suppose it was only stale if you weren't looking for anything new. But the recent stuff I've been listening to has been great. Electric Callboy is pure fun, and Paledusk makes sick fucking videos.
Yeah the new rock/metal bands either suck or just sound like the old bands rehashed. Avenged Sevenfold is like putting Maiden, Metallica and the old bands into a blender. And their stuff really isn't as good as those bands at their best (like the black album) though decent. Most of the ideas have already been done. Unless they got a new band that did a lot of cover songs. That was always a cool thing about guns n roses they did cover song at all their shows and had a lot of them on their albums and the covers were better than the original, plus original hits.
@@raymondkidwell7135 Listen to Polyphia -GOAT, Paledusk - SLAY, or Electric Callboy -Hypa Hypa. Tell me who they sound like.
Geniuenely, I think bring me the horizons Sempiternal album is to blame for alot of that dry spell. That shit came out and EVERYONE wanted to be on the radio the way Bring me was, at a time where Radio was phasing out
Generic hard rock did and that was pretty evident for the most part, I think that was more 2010-2015. There was some cool stuff being done but it wasn’t being pushed by anyone really. Radio was playing the same generic stuff and streaming was just getting off the ground.
We need to bring back Warped Tour or something like it. I feel it was one of the very few music festivals that introduced new rock/metal bands and brought them some mainstream attention ( like A Day To Remember, Paramore, Falling In Reverse, etc). Now all that's left are these "Boomer" festivals filled with toxic rock/metal elitists.
Absolutely no one would want to stand in the sun for that shit. There were no cellphones and there was excitement in the journey of Warped Tour. If you are going to spend $100’s of dollars for a festival experience you are going to buy some drugs and enjoy the incredible production at a dance or hip-hop festival. The real party animal rockers are taking care of themselves and the new artists are absolute pussies. They aren’t fun or dangerous. I respect a lot of their talent and drive but in regards to fashion or excitement what the vast majority of them stand for is a absolute snooze fest and way too well produced.
Preach it, brother 🙌
this could definitely help in some regard. Warped was the hub for all the alternative sounds. They'd just have to do it right and not mess it up. Wonder how the age of 24/7 social media would affect it if it were to have a second life
nope we are good to leave that crap in the past.
Hell yeah I would love to see warped tour come back I just have a feeling they would eff it up somehow, like put a bunch of shitty bands and not rock related artists on the lineup , idk I just don't think it would be the same as it was
Festivals lost something when Warped Tour finished cuz it was probably one of the few festivals with rotating band slots and bringing local bands on to play when passing through an area which seemed a lot more innovative and constructive to helping expose new bands
Facts. I was a avid fan of that tour and it introduced me to other artists.
@@user-hn8eo7sh4m Same. Warped was a big deal in finding out about new and different artists. Plus, it mixed in many bands and artists from many different genres in the alternative and scene areas of music. One of those festivals that should’ve either stayed or turned into something else.
Best comment of the video.
I never got to go to warped tour, but I remember looking up the lineup for various cities and finding the bands MySpace. I discovered so many bands that way.
Bruh facts. I never got the chance to go to Warped Tour back at its peak in the 2000s because my parents wouldn't let me so I never got the chance to experience it. but You're right. the fresh lineups really did bring out new talent and sounds. we really need a Warped Tour revival or an equivalent.
Warped Tour was probably the closest you were going to get with a way for newer rock bands to have a chance. They built up a lot of the mid tier bands on the Rock Fest tours. Sadly to many scum bags in the bands killed that. Another thing I noticed was a lot of people “at least when I was in high school” had that kind of hipster mentality. As soon as a band “got big” they would stop listening to them and kill al the momentum. Or lord help you if you went Butt Rock.
In the age of streaming, record sales are down so labels don't seem it being viable to promote dozens of start-up bands by sending them on tour to play on a small side stage. The Warped Tour kept ticket prices low by paying ~75 bands next to nothing. Not to mention the pool of young up and coming bands is a shrinking pool.
I though of this also but it would happen the same way. I'm certain they tried to follow what finn is talking about and then it became a failure
but they playame stuff on Warp tour mostly nowadays
Katy Perry performing there is where it went to shit. Change my mind.
@@JasonTzzz I disagree. I think in the post Covid world people are hungry for ”experiences” (not sure if that's the right word for what I mean, but my head hurts ATM 😂) again. So I think if you get some nostalgia headliners with some up and coming openers again in a Warped Tour sorta setting again - make it 30+ and younger crowd friendly. I honestly think people might be into it. Esp with TikTok bands.
I miss the 90s and early 2000s and the nu-metal era! Those bands are the reason I've been a musician for 23 years
I think rock will just become the new "alternative" genre. Also, I think the main reason most rock fans don't like emo rap or trap metal is because that stuff still mostly sounds like hip-hop.
That's very true! I do like that trap metal is trying to do something to fresh to rock while being a sub-genre of trap, i do believe that more bands need to have a new fresh sound and not being stuck in the past like past 2003 or so. People complain that trap metal is not ''real metal'' but do they know some sub-genres have some non-rock elements like symphonic metal, nu-metal, glam metal, industrial metal and the list goes on and on, if these artists can get huge respect why not new 2020's rock and metal bands?
Trap Metal and emo rap is fundamentally hip-hop. It uses hip-hop instrumentation, cadence and feel. Just because it has harsh vocals and a darker aesthetic found in rock/metal doesn’t make it so. That’s why rock/Metal fans don’t like it
I agree. If "Rock's future" is to sound like hip-hop with a touch of rock to it, it's not really rock any more than a cheeseburger with jalapenos could be called Mexican food.
It's ironic when you watch Finn's video about the fall of nu metal where he concedes that people got really sick of Limp Bizkit-style rap metal in the early 2000's. Yet he for some reason thinks trap metal is the future of metal.
When rap metal was big, no one thought it was the future of hip hop. It was a rock movement that borrowed elements from rap and hip hop.
Trap metal simply isn't an evolution of rock music. It's a subgenre of hip hop that borrows some aesthetics from metal(If anything, trap metal borrows more from industrial music).
Finn simply can't expect a "traditional" metal fan who wants to hear distorted guitars and double bass drumming to be blown away by trap metal. If they disliked Limp Bizkit and P.O.D. back then, why would they be into Ghostmane or City Morgue today?
@@RevStickleback Rock is gonna have the same fate as Jazz; a genre that's made by, and consumed by socially awkward autists who can't get laid to save their life.
It's interesting that we have gone full circle on how we listen to music. In the 1950's it was all about putting out singles for radio play. The late 1960's into the 1990's (even into thr 2000's) was about the full length and now we are back to singles and less about the full album.
i don't think so. Rappers, pop artists etc are still releasing albums
@@mrcnwk They are but there are a lot more artists just releasing singles out there.
This video is a good take on the rock scene today. For awhile I felt I had no real place to find new music. In 2020 I've been finding new music on youtube and spotify. My wallet came out of retirement when I found "Band-Maid". Japanese rock bands are insane. Motörhead will always be #1 but new found love is not bad
Japanese rock and metal is pretty excellent. Have you listened to Loudness at all? They're pretty awesome.
Lovebites and Galneryus make really good power metal
I really should have listened to their music before now. I've had Unleash on my watch later list for months... thank you.
I really like Måneskin and they are one of the most successful rock bands of this generation but it seems like some rock fans don’t think they are “rock enough” or just listen to one of their more popular songs like Beggin’ and decide that they are just a terrible pop/cover band. They have a lot of great songs in Italian like ZITTI E BUONI, Coraline, VENT'ANNI, basically every song off of their album Teatro d'ira - Vol. I is pretty solid. Their latest cover from the Elvis soundtrack If I Can Dream is great, too. I know they are not the heaviest bands out there but they are definitely a great rock band.
I was just thinking of them. I'm seeing them this October.
Got to see them at Coachella and they were easily top 3. Such a fun band.
Yeah, outdated 70s Glam Rock surely is the kind of innovation rock needs.
@@KasCalwein I think if you saw them live you would change your mind. They were super fun.
Rock music's biggest problem is the gatekeeping. Had been for decades, it was going on 30 years ago, but without social media it was just that miserable c**t in the rock club moaning. Now the miserable c**t has a multitude of mates on SM to be miserable with and harangue those they don't like.
The fact that ACDC is still getting nominated for awards is baffling to me, the scene needs to expand but I wish some of the newer artists had music I liked. Personally was into emo punk and metal core and the start I’ve gone back and heard everything after that now I’m want to kick some new shit for sure!
Guess not.
@@wumbol0gy871 idk if you’re confused I’m not saying that their ability to make good music isn’t there just that they aren’t a band that released music in 2022
@@camjam6112 You aren't the one deleting my replies? I was suggesting places to find new rock music that's getting some attention and it kept getting deleted.
It's cuz nobody writes good songs anymore.
My band is trying to write write catchy get edgy songs
@@wumbol0gy871 nah I’m not deleting it I might have checked them out
American rock is stuck in the past but I’m hearing all kinds of good new music from Australia. Amyl and the Sniffers, The Chats, mini skirt, the Bobby Lees are all worth checking out. Also fat records is doing some amazing shit with Get Dead and Days n daze. There’s so much amazing new music but people are too busy talking about Korn and Motley Crue
Ocean Alley kills too
Amyl and the sniffers are Dope! The lead singer has so much energy and presence on stage
Australia is killing it. Ever hear Eddy Current Suppression Ring? Fucking amazing Oz band
Europe also still develops good bands from time to time. Milky Chance, Two Door Cinema Club, Viola Beach, Royal Blood, Of Monsters and Men etc. all emerged in the 2010s and sound fresh and are successful.
mick Gordon is from Australia he did an amazing job with the new doom soundtracks, got me back into metal too it was something different then the og's like slipknot lamb of God, etc..
You've been pumping out the content like crazy lately! I appreciate the hard work. Still maintaining the quality!
Totally agree. I know Fin has expressed that he isn't so interested in the Japanese music scene, but this is one of the reasons why I love it here. So many young bands / artists in the rock, metal, punk, and emo rap scene who are actually big deals and attract fans of all ages. And the older bands are doing their best to promote these younger bands as well.
Say names plis
I really enjoy how Japanese musicians are being promoted.
Popular youtube channels like The First Take, the anime industry itself, huge festivals of various genres, and the Vocaloid space full of musicians that also work in the professional music industry (and who promote each other and are being promoted by big streamers with huge fan bases) - Japan's music scene is HUGE, and it's easy to find new amazing rock + metal bands (and solo musicians).
Compared to what Japan is doing it's hard to find new western bands. I follow a few new(-ish) western metal bands, but even with youtube and spotify it's nowhere as easy to find new western artists compared to Japanese artists.
Fantano turned me on to Otoboke Beaver, I fucking love that group.
I totally agree!
@@tommylakindasorta3068 yes. And if a western band could've assimilated that energy, that style, that weirdness into a wave of indifference, i feel we'd see a healthy branching out of the genre.
Nobody wants to bathe in their own weirdness anymore and if they do then they are usually just goth or taking an already paved safe route.
Man bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Royal blood, Black keys, Arctic monkeys, shit even the strokes. All those bands are still active and still making great rock records.
Yes to all of those bands. I'd even add Dirty Honey and Rival Sons to that.
Just saw Arctic Monkeys at PrimaVera festival with a bunch of newer bands. His vocals sound so much like Peter Murphy's live, which was kind of amazing and I wasn't expecting them to be such a good live band. My 24 year old daughter is a fan (I didn't go with her btw). I'd take YeahYeahYeahs over any of those bands though. Glad to see them return!
To be fair, most of those bands were at their peak 10+ years ago now, they were the ones that rode the final wave of the 90s and 00s. I like all of them too, don't get me wrong, but they're really on the edge of the 'legacy' tag too
This makes me miss Warped Tour and scene culture. It may have been cringey but at least kids were into metalcore, post hardcore, and pop punk who were all comprised of younger artists breaking convention.
I don't think there is anything wrong with Nostalgia acts, tours, and festivals. I like that there's way I can relive my teen years with When we were young. Just like how my parents were buying "eagles greatest hits" and going to the KISS reunion tour. I think the issue is that like you said we need to embrace new acts too. When local new bands play in bars and clubs around me it's cover bands.
Ima eat ur grass at WWWY
There are nostalgia festivals for the music from the 1980s, but this music isn't an entire genre like rock / punk rock / metal / emo, even if it's mostly pop and synthpop : those festivals pay tribute to the pop of the 1980s, not pop in general, which is already played in artists' tours or when they play in festivals. By the way, artists who play at those 80s nostalgia festivals only sing their hits at the time, unlike the acts in many nostalgia rock festivals, where they may be playing their news songs as if they played in their own tours; a strange and pessimistic feeling about the rock (etc 🖤🤘) genre
As a public high school teacher it is interesting to see the ebbs and flows of culture each year. It is like a pendulum and, to be honest, it looks like rock/metal culture is becoming more popular than it has been in awhile. Kids wear Korn, Slipknot, Gojira, Nirvana, BMTH shirts, start progressive metal bands, listen to Opeth, etc. Some could pass as punks straight from the 90s. Counter that to 4-5 years ago when everything was way more oriented around newer hip hop artists
Not a chance is it becoming more popular now
@@nemesis8626 Ghost, BMTH, and even Lorna Shore all blew up on Tik Tok lately. So yeah actually I would say its becoming more popular.
Reminds me of how my mom was talking about how she can finally buy clothing she likes again.
Trevor's death (from TBDM) really puts into perspective how short lived bands can be. I would always tell my self "bands from the 80's and 90's are probably getting too old to tour soon, but atleast I have bands from the 2000's like TBDM." In 10 years, there might not be many legacy bands left.
Trevor was an icon. Did so much for death metal. He will be remembered!
@@wheelsofmercury I agree, he would have wanted us as fans to be more open to the newer bands in the scene. May he Rest in Peace 🙏
This is tough to hear and I really hope the future holds a place for great rock music to still exist. I'm in a band that has been playing regularly for almost 6 years now. We've been trying to do some interesting things but it's hard to gain traction on a bigger scale than local. Our last album was a 36 minute, non-repeating single track. It goes through a lot of colors of rock music and we get great response when we play it live. We get great feedback on a local scale live but breaking out into the mainstream eye seems near impossible for many of the reasons you have outlined.
We have several albums before that of regular, non 36 minute songs and an EP coming out this October as well. It's rough but we love what we do so we will do it while we can. The band is called Cruel Curses if anyone wants to give us a try. We get called prog by many fans but that's almost a dirty word and point of contention in itself among rock fans now in my experience. The long track I mentioned is called Fables, Folklore & Other Assorted Fever Dreams. Lets hope rock music has a new era sooner than later!
Bro I just gave y’all a listen, got a new fan to say the least 🤟🏻
@@anonymousapotamus9656 Thanks so much for checking us out, it's seriously appreciated!
If the top selling "rock" artist today is a well known rapper, then rock is gone.
There's definitely unique Rock artists out there who are just not given the time of day or attention, there IS new stuff out there that's really fresh mixed eith the old and it sounds amazing. Miscellen is a prime example of this
as a zoomer I love rock with all my heart but most of what I'm listening to are almost always a decade older which makes me concerned for the future when those bands are gone and younger generations are even less exposed to rock. only modern band I'd listen to rn is bmth and even they are getting old but regardless they're doing an awesome job with their music especially strangers
It's really telling what's happening in the scene when you call BMTH a "modern band" like... I was there 10 or so years ago watching them getting booed offstage for not being "real metal" lol and now people are "discovering them" and making them a staple of the genre
@@MrWepx-hy6sn yeah, metal fans are strange. And that's why this genre is less and less popular.
@Jj But in the other hand if you see someone (probably young) who's calling a bmth (or other older band) new it's a good thing. New generations are discovering this genre and maybe they will go deeper. BMTH is doing a good job rn, beacuse they focus on singles and collabs with pop artist and they're making metal/rock more accesable to new generations.
My thing is that rock has always had a whole bunch of different sounding players out there and a ton of choices and then starting in the very late 90s and especially into the 00s everyone just started sounding the same and it just killed it for me. The fact that Metallica of all people could come back FORTY YEARS LATER and have better songs than most of the new players says more about the quality of the new bands and really what the goon factory music labels FORCE bands to be. Looking back at the 60s and 70s and then see just how SPOILED we got with some of the greatest rock bands ever in the 80s and 90s makes it so hard for new people to reach that status although I still mostly blame the record labels. I don't spend a lot of time on the radio since the local rock station is going the way of MTV and is more talk than music but once I am off disability and have extra spending money I will definitely be looking around for some newer groups since it has been at least a decade since I have bothered to buy anything.
I‘m a musician and my primal instrument is the guitar. I love Rock’n’roll in all of its forms and 50% of what I‘m listening to is 60s psychedelic rock and whoever is influenced by that. But when I write my own songs I don’t recreate that. I just don’t. I combine the guitar with electronic beats, synthesizers and digital effects, and create my own blend of things. I believe in keeping the SPIRIT of blues and psych rock alive, but not recreating them. Guitarists in general should be much more open minded.
Sadly your the 1% most guitarists have no issue shamelessly ripping off what influences them which tends to be just generic blues based riffing
You can find such open minded guitarists here on TH-cam who can blend metal with lo-fi hip-hop like Ichika Nito, for example
Or Seiji Igusa, who can make crazy stuffs with an incomplete guitar. They take it to another level
And also Melanie Faye, who pays tribute to both Jimi Hendrix and Mariah Carey in one song 🤩. In her other tunes, she makes her guitar sing R&B and soul, really !
Exactly! Well said, it's not about recreating, it's about being inspired and doing your own thing.
@@goldflo91 Ichika Nito is not a metal artist at all, the closest to metal he has ever released was a djent song but yet djent is not real metal, not trying to be rude here i don't wanna be a metal elitist, but i do respect the talent and skills Ichika Nito is trying to do to rock, trying to change the sound same as Polyphia.Ichika Nito is just a math rock artist just saying.
Turnstile was named as Spin's 2021 artist of the year and the big Baltimore rock station STILL didn't start playing them until halfway through 2022 after their morning show DJ's finally wore down their program director.
That’s pathetic. I can’t stand radio PD’s
Is 98 Rock still an active rock station (with some pop punk) like it was 15 years ago when I lived in Baltimore? Or did it change formats like newer alternative stations (no metal, more indie)?
@@JasonTzzz That’s exactly what happened in Philly
@@SF2036Alt 92.3fm in NYC unfortunately is a "new alternative" station. We miss K-Rock.
But we are blessed in NYC to have WSOU 89.5fm is a metal station!!
If you go out to the exurbs you'll have an active rock station out there (Central NJ, Long Island, Connecticut)
@@JasonTzzz Yeah they're still hanging on with that format. Their morning show does well combined with the broadcast rights to the Ravens and Orioles. They're doing as well as any major rock station can, I guess. They were more into the metal side of the genre in the mid-2010's when they played 2 singles off Sempiternal, In This Moment's singles, Nothing More when they came out. Things of that ilk, but now they're firmly entrenched in the image of the same names in big letters at the top of rock festival lineups. I can't really blame them though because you gotta do what the market dictates in 2022 with radio.
Here are the last 10 tops they played to give you an idea: Bring Me The Horizon - Strangers, Halestorm - Apocalyptic, Guns N Roses - Paradise City, Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tippa My Tongue, Stone Temple Pilots - Plush, Sublime - What I Got, Ozzy Osbourne Fe: Jeff Beck - Patient Number 9, Pink Floyd - Young Lust, Nirvana - Lake Of Fire, Giovannie And The Hired Guns - Ramon Ayala, Aerosmith - The Other Side.
I think one of the biggest problems is that people aren’t getting out much anymore and going to open mic nights to support what’s new. People aren’t making REAL LIFE connections as much anymore and stay stuck in their phones as well as staying inside during their downtime.
If you get out and go to these bars that are having open mic nights you’ll be surprised at what you find and who you’ll meet
When you define "rEel mUSic" as anything that's at least 10 years old, you shoot yourself in the foot. Heck BMTH is coming up on 20 years as a band
For example, BMTH recently has started their way as a headliner band at festivals, and they’re almost 20 years as a band! That is insane. Imagine the years that a new band needs to wait to reach a big slot at a festival, honestly that’s sad.
@@sebastianpacheco9846 100% and yet there will STILL be dudes who bag on them as headliners because they're young just lol.
@@sebastianpacheco9846 Honestly it makes sense that bands have to wait maybe not 20 but 10 years to headline. It takes time to build up a fanbase and get attention, and it takes time getting comfortable even playing such big stages.
Headliners being old doesn't matter that much to me as long as there's still new bands on the other stages, and relatively new bands one the headline stage earlier in the day.
Double like
@@sebastianpacheco9846 BMTH being 20 years old soon is just like 🤯
I think a lot of legacy artists have a lot of really young fans. My son told me just a few nights ago, his girlfriend’s favorite band is Deftones. They are 14 years old.
They're much older than that. They formed in 88. Adrenaline came out in 94 or 95 I believe
@@shawnr8438 he means his son and girlfriend are 14, not deftones
@@xwlfx315x haha shit, I'm dumb. Thanks for the correction. 14 makes me wonder where she first heard deftones. Dad I'm guessing? Anyways pretty cool
@@shawnr8438 they're an internet meme band at this point. Tons of zoomers have gotten into old artists this way, like (gag) Americ Anfootball
I feel a lot of this has to do with the fact there’s more festivals around these days.
Watching this has me thinking Seven Nation Army is the most recent universally huge rock song that most people are familiar with and that song is twenty years old.
Rock needs to start blending genres to have anything new to listen to. Like Ska and Black metal. 2 of Finn's absolute must listens.
The thought of Black Ska makes my stomach hurt. I need to hear it now.
I listened to a song out of curiosity and it's actually pretty interesting. Got a cool texture
Freezing Moonstomp
This is the way forward. Like only a few years ago I would have gone all huh? at the thought of combining jazz and emo, but it turns out there's a pretty robust underground scene of bands doing exactly that and apparently it slaps
Wasn't Catch-22 occasionally doing thrashy/blackish ska or am I way off the mark here?
I played guitar in punk rock, death metal and classic rock bands in the '90s. Now I have a laptop, a DAW and midi controllers. Now I'm the whole band. I always hated the concept because it's not "real instruments" but it was harder to learn than the guitar. There's also much more creative potential.
Great take on the current state! From my experience most people dont want to search for new bands and unfortunately get stuck in the past. Since you have a huge platform what if you made a series of videos called "if you like this band listen to these bands" or maybe a series featuring a new artist profile of the month. Would be interesting to see the views on a series like this.
There's a world of difference when you listen to Ozzy's Boneyard or Hair Nation vs SXM Octane & Liquid Metal, rock music has changed quite a bit over the years. If you look at pop music the artists only seem to last for a few months and just fizzle out, the rotation or turnover is too fast! Also I think the record labels and managers are the ones pushing the bands to have a certain sound...
I definitely agree with pop singers fading out quick. Yes, there are some that are still at the top, but even those you dont hear much about.
Agree with 100% all the things he said. I've myself noticed all those things also. Being a teenager in the 90's there was so many new upcoming artists, so much music to chose from. It didn't matter what genre's pop, rap, rock, metal, nu metal alternative etc. There was so much new music/artists for everyone to enjoy.
I just think the best music has moved back to the deep underground, where it all began. And honestly, i don't mind. If you dig far enough you're gonna find so much amazing stuff that you'll barely have the time to check it all out.
And we live in a time where the "underground" is more accessible than ever. You don't have to trade demo tapes at backyard venues when nowadays those same bands can distribute their music for free on the internet.
Problem is, most people don't dig far enough. It's too easy to just let some pay-for-Playlist q big label runs hand you stuff they want you to like.
100%
There are a handful of newer bands I’ve been getting into who give me hope that a rock revival might not be far off. Royal Blood, Highly Suspect, Arrested Youth, Badflower, Radio Moscow to name a few. Recently saw Spiritbox and Hollow Front- two up and comers in the metal scene, amazing live!
@nabrute I totally forgot about Radio Moscow (I remember hearing about them a lot in the Iowa scene a while back). I didn't even realize they were still around.
Royal Blood's songs literally all sound the same. if you've heard one, you've heard them all.
Throughout most of the video, I was thinking of bands that I thought were super innovative. Then I remembered they were both ten years old.
I'd throw Spiritbox a bone. They've been crushing it recently, and Eternal Blue was a banger from start to finish. Caskets are also very good, and I think they both aren't past five years old yet.
The pop scene is in a similar rut where they seem to be rediscovering the '80s.
I agree with everything you had said. We cannot let this genre die. We need to be proactive with scoping out lesser known acts out there on a global scale. Let's make it our mission. It will be a good time. The nice thing about Spotify is you can search user made playlists and easily discover music like never before.
A key component to good rock music is skilled instrumentalists. This seems to be lacking in some newer music or it's simply not being showcased. Sumerian Records just had that music competition “No Cover" that featured a few groups that stood out to me: The Native Howl, Mirror Lake and Slay Squad.
Native Howl stood atop the pile, IMHO. Those barefoot bohemians leave it all out on the stage and have a ton of fun doin' it too!
No Cover was really good. There were some very boring and generic bands on there but, as you mentioned, some pretty cool bands as well.
@Juke Branwen Watching Tosin on the show, you could tell that he knew and recognized things the other judges didn't, which makes sense given that most of them aren't really "trained" musicians like his Berklee ass is. I thought Bishop Briggs as a judge was an odd choice. I like her song, River, but she's kind of, so far, a one-hit wonder.
skill wont attract new fanbase
The problem is instrumental skill just doesn't wow mainstream audiences like it used to. It's sad, but true.
The sad reality is out of new blood rock/metal bands only deathcore the most extreme side seems to accept new bands
35 here and I came of age with many of the bands you mentioned (ToaD, Evanescence, Linkin Park et al). I think one of the smartest things is "legacy" bands doing collaborations with newer artists. That's exactly how I went from listening to Where I Belong by Simple Plan to going "Who are these State Champs guys? Oh snap, they list all my high school favorites as inspiration". Turns out to my ears they absolutely rock! Yes, they're 13 years old so not "new", but I'm getting there slowly. I'd like to see more bands collaborate across eras and maybe fans will follow!
I think that potential new rock and metal fans who are out there are legit intimidated and maybe even downright afraid of the old guard fans and whatever hate or judgment that they may receive for being “posers”.
HOWEVER, I also think that the mainstream music industry is 100% to blame for not even trying to put any faith into new bands or sounds. Hype is a real thing so if there was any strong encouragement from the powers that be pushing a brand new band then the fans will come.
100%
1) Why isn't the music I like more popular
2) draw the smallest possible circle around who/what is considered "in"
Choose one
Spot on. In my area it's death or thrash metal. Anything else is laughed off the stage. That really sucks for guys like me that want to play power metal or NWOTHM.
Nah they just become hardcore becase they found stuff on the Internet
Old guard fans are among the worst thing that happened to the genre
Micky Dee was hated for being a F***** poser when he left Dokken to join Motörhead. This was back in 91-92. So it's noting new to be hated until you get up there with the greatest.
Agreed, rock/metal pretty much has become a traditionalist style, much like classical, jazz, blues, country and punk before it. Styles such as hiphop (and others I'm not familiar with 'cuz I'm an old fart) are far more adaptable to today's entertainment climate. But hiphop, etc. kind of have a reverse problem - few legacy artists - what was cool yesterday, sucks today.
I had the same thought about rap/hip hop. Unless you're one of the OGs or pioneer or caused a stir like MGK, you're a flavor of the week. I hope they have good people managing their money because the flame that burns bright, burns fast
Very true. Only a handful of rap artists stick around more than a year or two.
With Hip Hop, its definitely a reverse problem. If you got hot like yesterday (lol.), unless you're a mega star and stay consistent, you will be forgotten instantly. If you were hot in say the 90s or 2000s, its even worse. Take a festival like Rolling Loud, Three 6 Mafia were one of the feature acts, if you look at the crowd during their set, they got little to no reaction, despite being an influential act for what a lot of these kids like today (A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Denzel Curry, any of these trap-metal acts, etc.)
I've been saying this for years. People read too much into the "rock is dying!" thing. I look at it as an entirely normal cultural shift. And the problem with people demanding stuff that's new and fresh is that so many different grounds have been covered in rock: Angry heavy stuff. Dirty raw stuff. Tripped out prog and/or psychedelic stuff. And so on. It doesn't mean new bands cannot form and create great music, it's just that there's only so much innovation you can do. The same is true with blues, jazz or reggae.
And I completely agree with hip hop and rap too. I like a lot of hip hop, but a lot of it does not have much staying power. Unlike rappers, a relatively has-been rock band can return from obscurity with a kickass comeback album and become relevant again. An aged rock band can have their music showcased in a modern movie or show like Guardians of the Galaxy or Stranger Things, and their music inspires new young generations. So many rappers are here today, gone tomorrow...and you don't hear from them ever again. Additionally, rock fans often like all kinds of music from different eras while a lot of rap and hip hop audiences only enjoy what's current.
@@madstaticmke414 this is one aspect that I think rock fans have over rap fans: A respect and love for legacy. There are rock and metal fans who love everything from the 2010s to the 80's to the 60's. With so many hip hop fans, they want whatever is hot, whatever is current. Even though I grew up liking hip hop, I always found that kind of frustrating.
The amount of underground bands or bands that are not heavily pushed I’ve found from watching your channel alone is astounding. Whether they are new or old for that i thank you🤘🏻
It's a sad reality, only real hope is the occasional band that breaks through the mid-stream, not quite top 200 but not 10 people audience shows but other than that we are spinning the same wheel until the rubber burns up entirely.
I have a lot of thoughts on this but ultimately believe your mostly right about this. However, I have always been of the opinion that it is possible to have your cake and eat it too so to speak. I remember the 2000s (my high school years) as a time when it wasn’t weird to see a teen wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt one day and something current the next. I think a healthy situation for the industry is one where the fans to some extent embrace old AND new artists. I know this is possible because that’s how I came up listening to this stuff. It’s doable if people just open their minds a little bit and at the very least, if you don’t like it, leave it alone and let the kids have their fun.
I think we can chalk this up to the rise of streaming. Finding metal in particular that is new or groundbreaking is just far more difficult on the major streaming platforms. They do feeble numbers compared to their forefathers and since streaming runs the modern music world, you're only chance to hear something fresh is at your local bar
Edit: I left this comment as I was watching the video and before he started talking about streaming lol
bandcamp and soundcloud
For me, I love these old bands headlining because I never got to see them when I was younger because I didn’t have the money. On the flip side, if they were opening for younger bands I would still go see them just because I love the music. I think Riot Fest is a perfect example of older bands always headlining.
Too bad tho, if you go look Guns N Roses you wont see Axl Rose in his prime, you will hear Mickey Mouse trying to breathe.
(if you dont like GnR fine, I just used them as one of the recent examples of old legendary bands whose performances are absolute dogshit today and still keep getting headline gigs...)
Felt this comment but I didn’t have the money either and I grew up Christian so I wasn’t allowed. Now I’m having the time of my life seeing all those bands I grew up with!!
Very true Finn. As someone who is a huge fan of 80's and 90's rock, it is hard to branch out from bands that remain awesome. However, your channel and TH-cam in general are doing great things with bringing exposure to newer talent. I recently discovered Ghost and A Day to Remember. The key is to add to your tastes, not replace the old ones. Thanks for showing us new bands to enjoy through all your videos ✌️
This is SO accurate! As a guitarist in a rock band, it's incredibly hard to break through the legacy bands. I have been enjoying the rock that has been coming out of Euro countries. Bands like Siamese, Chaosbay, Breathe Atlantic, and Ashen.
Finn!! Go check out Cleopatrick and Grandson, if you haven’t already. I think both of these artists are 100% going to define the future of rock. Family Van is my #1 Cleopatrick song and Stigmata is my #1 Grandson song.
I love boomer rock/metal, but these 2 artists have really captured my heart because of the amount of energy they put into their music. Honestly, even modern country music is more up to date with the times compared to most mainstream rock acts.
“dead” as in the mainstream. which is fine. it doesn’t need to be #1 to be considered fine. this isn’t the 90s and early 2000s where the radio is dictating what we have to listen to. the internet is around and we have so many amazing underground or non mainstream bands doing amazing and innovative things.
I’ve been following your channel for around 3-4 years, and would love to see more coverage on new stuff. I actually found some fresh new music through these videos.
I couldn't agree more. I actually get excited when I discover new music. I actually avoided mainstream rock artists back then. I've opened up to them more now, but I don't spend all my time listening to them. I like hearing creativity and innovation. Once great example would be electric callboy. Yes, their odd and their style isn't what people are used to, but I love it! Another is spiritbox! Amazing vocals. It's nice that spiritbox is touring with killswitch and lamb of God. Hoping that will help grow them.
Hey Finn, great vid as always! Just wanna say that if you still wanna focus more on the newer alt stuff (emo rap/trap metal) your audience will follow you. You don't need to kowtow to the haters, make the content you wanna make and we'll be there for ya! Obviously not telling ya how to run your channel but I guess just a friendly reminder that you don't need to please anyone, make the shit you wanna make
At the end of the day he does need to follow the haters. Because even he realises he needs to bend the knee to keep himself making money lol.
Eh, depends on your goal; money, or integrity? Only Finn can answer that for himself, and either option is valid. Like I said, I ain't tryna run his channel, just reassure him that the loyalest of fans will follow him whatever direction he goes...Also feels weird talkin in third person about a dude who could theoretically read all this 🤣. Do you, bud! We're here for it.
I grew up with older artists, but there are so many talented newer artists out there as well, but I feel like they don’t get the exposure, fans aren't open-minded, a lot of people don't give new music a chance, the mainstream don’t help whatsoever, etc. You got bands like Beartooth, From Ashes To New, Highly Suspect, I Prevail, Jinjer, Radkey, Red Sun Rising, Starset, etc.
Are you from Ohio? Three of the bands you mentioned are.
What always shocked me is that the early to mid 2010s pop punk and fourth wave of emo never went anywhere further than the scenes they originated in. bands like joyce manor, mom jeans, title fight, tigers jaw, and marietta had serious pop appeal at least in my eyes, and certainly should have been bigger but in my eyes have gotten smaller than they used to be.
Yeah it’s weird how that completely fizzled!
@Violent Melody that's really what should've happened, but instead when Adam left Tigers Jaw to start Wicca Phase Springs Eternal everyone made fun of him lol. Now all they have is "I miss title fight" posts and hating on MGK as cope for missing the boat on emo rap when it was still underground. Sad state for tr00 pop punkers and twinkledorks. There was at least the Front Bottoms who took the Fueled By Ramen pipeline to the mainstream alt/pop/rock scene so there's that.
It's disheartening to think of how many of my friends automatically flipped from actively seeking out new bands to pulling up their pants, donning a polo shirt and going all "back in MY day we had good bands, all modern music is shit" the moment they turned 30
Thats how we know we getting old my dude XD. I kinda went into that mindset over the past 2 years as ive been living my Late 90s Early 2000s again and realizing a lot of my childhood was just really awesome and I kinda just let it all go so quickly.
Im a weird in between of BACK IN MY DAYS! while also actively liking a lot of new music. Both those that sound like the good ole days and new sounds that is definately new and innovative. im 30 turning 31 BTW
As someone that turned 30 earlier this year, I still actively try to seek out new music, but I also have my "modern music is sh*t" moments. I will admit that I do find myself gravitating more towards older metal and rock over a lot of newer stuff, but that doesn't mean there isn't good, newer bands out there. Unfortunately, you do kind of have to dig through a lot of sh*t sometimes. I think there is a problem with being able to listen to anything on the internet now, there's an oversaturation of newer bands that all sound very similar to each other and don't really stand out. And there are a lot of newer bands playing a throwback style. Like why do so many younger bands try and recreate '80s thrash or death metal without bringing anything new to the genre?
@@theCrownofSympathy well put this is most definitely how I feel, you really have to dig to find that nugget of a band unlike the days of past. The over saturation of the industry make it difficult to find worth wile music.
I must admit I ended up calling myself out a few years back because I stopped actively seeking out new music... I try to do a little better now, though nostalgia is a difficult addiction to shift
@@MercenaryPen To be fair I think the problem is not that people stop seeking out new bands (after all, that takes a lot of time and energy, and as you get older you need to prioritize - there might simply be more satisfying things for you to spend your scarce energy and time on). The problem is acting like you know better and like today's music is shit and kids today have no idea about anything, instead of simply admitting that you haven't kept up. I dunno, it's just sad to have that little self-awareness and to embrace that kind of old man energy
One thing I’ve noticed personally is that there’s a lot of younger people wearing Nirvana shirts, and listening to classic rock. I was talking to a group of young kids in their 20s, and they really liked Steely Dan. I’ve heard alot of people say that the 70s and the 90s were the best decades for Rock music. Maybe Rock will go the way of Jazz and Blues music. It’ll always be around, and there will always be people listening to it or discovering it for the first time, but it’ll be more of a niche thing. Me personally, I just listen to what I like. I don’t care for emo rap or trap metal. If other folks like it good on them. It just does nothing for me, and it’s probably not supposed to either cause I’m an old dude
I would say that if a band (old or new) is making great music, then who cares who is headlining music festivals? As long as a band is still making great tracks and isn't just selling out and pumping out garbage for a paycheck they will continue to gain NEW fans even if they have been around since the 90's. No need to hate on the greats or think their time has come and passed. But that's just my two cents
I think there are 2 things Finn is trying to bring up in his critique of old bands still headlining.
1) When these old bands are too old to perform, it is less likely that there will be successors with the performance chops and the fanbase to replace then effectively.
2) Maintaining these old bands at what is effectively "the top" of rock and metal, the style and aesthetics of rock and metal end up stagnating
Personally, I think how most rock/ metal people perceive the genre is through the actual Instruments. Drums and guitars are the cornerstone of how most identify with the music and it’s what makes the distinct sound. It’s how you use the instruments that defines your uniqueness.
I think artist like Post Malone (which I love) helps support the interest of people that maybe never gave rock or metal a chance to maybe one day drive a group of people to be that next band. Love the channel!!!
Love the honesty. No disagreements here. I think rap already went through this, but they are like turning a speed boat, and rock is like turning a cruise ship!
Went to the Suicideboys and Knocked Loose show last weekend and it was awesome. Some of the biggest pits I’ve seen and the crowd for KL went so much harder than everyone else. Was crazy seeing KL in a stadium
Jealous
i kind of feel like this isnt true like, dont get me wrong a lot of the current rock and metal scene is more underground, like the grindcore scene is thriving, so is the uk/irish post punk scene and australian punk are all getting more publicity atm, its so easy to write off global rock rn because its not on the same level of popularity as it used to be
I love your videos. I learn a lot. I think it's interesting that you call out attention to the fact that people have less interest in innovation and newer sounds in rock music while also still making a concerted effort to dial your content into your audience interests, which I think with everyone's attention along with your credibility could influence people to stay open minded to music as they were in days gone by. I grew up in the grunge era and watched the alt. Metal/mall goth stuff come out in late highschool and college. I've always tried to stay open minded to new music, and appreciate your videos.
This reminds me about a story I heard on my local NPR affiliate about the tribute band scene. One of the guys they'd interviewed was in a metal band that had recorded with respected European producers in the genre and had a decent following for the scene, but what actually paid his bills was playing in a tribute band in San Antonio (it was either a KISS or a Tool one, I think).
My only problem with Finn is he seems to think modern popular music hasn't been the same for a decade. Country, pop, hip hop, it all sounds the same nowadays.
Hip hop has changed quite a bit over the past decade, and a LOT over the past two decades. Why? Because thriving genres evolve, and hip hop is thriving. Rock is not evolving, because rock is not thriving.
Excellent content! Here in Brazil we kinda have the same problem, lots of great new rock bands but the big festivals with the same headliners for several years now
Many of these hip hop/pop artists are one hitters though, the fans only focus on what's trendy at the moment so their careers don't last long unlike some rock/metal bands that have a fan base for decades
Exactly same with Pop fans who are as flavor of the week as possible. Rock fans continuing to support people they like for literally like 50 years is pretty damn sick. Meanwhile how many of those pop fans still rock Chrstinia Aguliara and Britnay Spears. LOL that music has no substance and doesn't/won't hold up. And I don't care how you spell those names I can see how fucked up the spelling is.
I am and always will be a rocker but I went through an extreme pop phase in 2015. This is before I had access to an aux cord so I was at the mercy of the radio. One thing I noticed is exactly what you just said. Sure, rock radio would overplay the shit out of new songs by Five Finger Death Punch, Ghost and Three Days Grace. But one thing that stood out to me, was those same new songs would still be played years later. In rock, once its a hit its always a hit (generally).
Almost every pop song I loved in 2015 was thrown out and forgotten in favor of what came in 2016, and then 2017, 2018, etc etc. I don't listen to the radio anymore but I guarantee you Jealous by Nick Jonas or Latch by Disclosure won't be played on pop radio again. Shame because that style of pop is what drew me to that genre to the first place
These legacy headliners need to bring young openers on tour with them. Badflower became one of my favorite bands after seeing them open for Shinedown. Code Orange & Fever 333 stole the show as openers for Slipknot!
The sad truth is that most people don't actively look for new music. They hear what's presented to them, and that's almost never new rock bands.
Sometimes it can be a little more progressive. The Rebellion Festival in England, the biggest punk/alternative festival in the world, has a stage just for newer bands, and I know of one band who arrived virtually unknown this year, who stormed it to the degree that they've been invited back next year, to play on the main stage. Of course, no mainstream media outlet will give the festival any coverage, because the music doesn't fit in with what focus groups have told them that 16-24 year olds listen to.
In my personal opinions, we should be loyal to these old bands, because they really are great bands but we also really need a lot more new artists to push the genre forward
I think it would be interesting to find where a middle ground could be reached between the rock world's obsession with legacy and the pop world's fresh qualities. Rock can be far to stagnant and pop can have far too much turnover for most people to have a sustained career. I personally don't think that the 10 year come-up of Turnstile et al. is that much of a problem, but it might be interesting to see what would happen if we had newer artists being put into headliner positions.
Let me tell you a little story. In 1994, I started listening to my local AOR station, after a KNAC/Z-Rock clone in a nearby city drifted into another format. So after six months of not really listening to the radio at all, I tuned into "The Beach." And they were heavily, heavily classic-rock based. They played a handful of new songs after sunset by Soundgarden, STP, etc. But for the most part, that station, and many others like it across the country, were stuck in about 1982, which was the heyday of AOR music. A few years later, those stations were basically forced to choose between going full-on classic rock, or adopting a hip name like "The Edge" or "The Buzz," or that very '90's-understated "The Rock Station." And that moment is where those stations are still stuck today. So I feel like a kid in 2022 who tunes into "The Beach" would feel the same way I did in 1994, thinking, "Jesus, Christ, enough with the Steve Miller Band already!" I think we're just in a low spot in the cycle. It's been an especially long period, and I wonder how we're going to get out of it, but if we do, the next flavor of rock is going to be something the people who still cling to Three Days Grace or whoever are not going to recognize.
You know Finn the more I think about it and I hear you talk about it and the more I think that rock and metal have the same problem as professional wrestling especially WWE. The industry prefers to build on their achievements rather than create something new (as if they were lazy). Wrestlers are like artists; they serve only to beautify and preserve those glories of the past that have nothing more to prove and take all the spotlight. And the day these legends die or stop performing what will happen? I think you already know it. And as for the fans, unfortunately the majority do not want to accept it and even worse they support this. Alone a minority of them do the right thing and go foward like you say BMTH and Falling In Reverse. And it's also the same thing for movies and video game look at all the remakes from the past decade. We don't CREATE memories anymore we REVISIT them. Always as pleasant and rewarding to watch your videos. 👍🏻
Agree with you
And the saddest thing is that new acts do exist like The Hu (Mongolian metal band), Nova Twins (British metal band with hip-hop and R&B influences), but only a few know of them and support them while many (so-called) fans ignore them or even display racism towards them; as the Afro Punk scene that's been existing for at least 20 years, and never got the exposure and the recognition they deserve
Some of the bands that are thriving and holding guitar based alternative music are the ones who have embraced the singles model. Music streaming has made albums much less important when most people are listening to playlists.
Rock and metal in the United States is stuck in the past and publishers don't bet on new bands, but in Europe, Japan and Canada there are many many many recent rock and metal bands with innovative sounds and with more classic sounds, bands for all tastes.
Rock and Metal is not dead, it is necessary to not get stuck in the past and look for other markets.
You should do a video on the music label/collective Profane Existence and how it spear headed the (2nd?) Wave of underground American punk and bridging the crust punk genre from the UK and USA.
That’s why I stay in the underground. There’s tons of hungry young bands that aren’t headlining these festivals but still play them and I love watching them grow to play bigger sets. The old bands can headline these and bring me different joy than the small bands I pay attention to. Like I wouldn’t be mad at all going to a festival to see kublai khan before waiting for Metallica. At least they know these big bands have longevity and will draw a crowd, and I think that’s the difference between that and the hip hop genre.
Hey Finn. I'm really sorry you feel you can't talk about modern artists and other genres on this channel and have decided to become a nostalgia channel which you had said you were reluctant to do. Obviously I enjoy when you talk about 90s/00s bands but I also appreciated you trying to broaden our horizons by discussing newer artists. You introduced me to several artists I would have never heard of or otherwise dismissed so thank you for that! I hope this channel still brings you joy and fulfillment.