Avenged Sevenfold frontman Matt Shadows recently joined the Bob Lefsetz podcast for an interview. During the conversation, Shadows argued that many bands in the metal music scene are after things that Metallica has already achieved.
In 2014, Gene Simmons made a controversial remark about the rock music genre, saying rock, blues, and soul had finally died because no current genre representatives are as successful as their predecessors.
After this statement made its way to the headlines, Simmons received a massive backlash from many rock musicians. These artists claimed that rock is still alive, and many contemporary musicians try to keep the genre alive.
On the other hand, metal music has had a steadier following over the years, although fewer bands create excitement with their new releases on the fanbase. As it seems, M. Shadows thinks that this is because the new groups aren’t innovative.
Speaking to the Bob Lefsetz podcast, Shadows claimed that the purely metal scene will always be there, but there isn’t innovation, and fans don’t have an open mind for new things. He then stated bands are working on the same stuff Metallica has already done, and the new and innovative things belong to other genres than metal music.
During the conversation, Matt Shadows said the following:
“I think the purely metal scene is always going to be there. As you said, it’s always got a pulse. I don’t think the innovation is there, and I don’t think the ability for fans to have an open mind for when something is innovative, something is different, is there.
I think the great songwriting has been lost a little bit, as well as some of these eccentric pieces of music. When Metallica came out, there was nothing like that. It seems like many bands in my generation are just treading the same waters that Metallica’s already done.
I think when you see great artists, a lot of them aren’t in the metal scene. There’s a lot of great art out there, and I would argue there are some amazing pop, some amazing hip hop, some amazing R&B, and some artists doing truly eccentric stuff.”
You can listen to the full interview below.
