So the AV Club decided to get all wise on us about metal: And then Examiner's Brett Stevens fires back a salvo in the opposite direction: It's about the music: metal is not compatible with twee indie rock pretending to be metal. We're not saying not to listen to it, or to ban it or burn it, just that it's not real metal in the same way Christians or Nazis pretending to be metal so they can preach at us aren't real metal. Are we all clear on that?
I get the feeling it's about influence. If you make music that sounds kinda pop-ish, but coming from a Venom / Celtic Frost / Mercyful Fate kinda direction (for example), it's more metal than something that's fucken brutal coming from a popular influence. A lot of it is knowledge of where the music you write comes from. You listen to metal but make pop-ish music, the metal might still shine through, but if you don't have that foundation it will seem kinda non-metal. not that it matters but whatevs hipsterchat~. Chat About Hipsters. Give Me Hipster Metal so i can dance all night and not be like "those weird people". I don't know what AV Club is. seems pretty naff, just yet more whining about inconsequential shit
the problem with this debate is that people are far too eager to accuse others of only being interested for the 'irony'. in fact such an assertion is difficult to prove without the cooperation of the accused. i think cult of luna, mastodon, saviours et al are all very serious about what they do. i had no idea saviours was considered hipster metal before i decided they sucked, for what it's worth.
Hipster metal sounds as vague as a genre like indie rock to me. Who cares if a band is on the edge of real metal or not when you enjoy the music. And who cares when you don't enjoy it. Who cares if a hardcore nazi punk band or a NSBM band is real metal or not? In this case it isn't about the music.
In other words, Type O Negative's version of Oops, I Did it Again by Britney spears is more metal than if Britney Spears covered "christian woman"? I guess i would agree. but situations would vary
