Why Is European Metal Better Than American?

[Ar-Pharazon]

Throwing Finland, Sweden, Norway in there as well.

Those are the best places of all for metal for me.

In the U.S., metal was definitely an underground thing in the 80's and 90's. The only place to hear real metal in the Chicago was Rebel Radio, which moved up and down the dial on various AM and FM stations. Might still be the only terrestrial station in this area.

European metal is almost always influenced by classical music, even if it doesn't come through in the music. A lot of the musicians probably learned to play classical guitar or piano when they were kids, which leads to the better musicianship I love in the bands I listen to.

 

[Magic]

I'm partial to Metal from across the pond. However, there are a bunch of bands from the good ole USA that would easily make it into my top-notch metal list.

Kamelot
Manowar
Iced Earth
Savatage
Virgin Steele
Hourglass & Dream Theater (for the more prog metal)


It all depends on which decade you begin looking for metal bands and what kind of metal you want to hear. Metal fans are the first to be so EXTREMELY picky with genre classification........and to be totally honest, the USA just hasn't caught up with all the different styles and genres of metal as you would find in Europe.

In the 80's, I was all for the California glam scene......woohoo!

 

[Riff Raff]

Metal fans are notoriously obnoxious with overclassification of metal subsections.

 

[Sharp Dressed Man]

Metal fans are notoriously obnoxious with overclassification of metal subsections.

Quoted for truth!

 

[Magic]

@Riff Raff. Yes metal fans are very picky. In fact, a lot of fans (atleast those that I have encountered on forums) are anal about classifications. I have seen quite a few forum fights over whether a band is extreme this or that or just plain metal. Death is death, how can it be extreme?....

Oh and one that makes me chuckle is unblack metal....wouldn't it be smarter to say Christian metal. Another is dark metal....which basically has no defining characteristics. How about blackened death metal? The list goes on and on........


IMO, all these classifications came about outside of the USA. As more and more metal bands in Europe, Sweden, Finland, Norway, etc were forming, they all wanted something to make them unique, whether it be a tempo change, growls, or whatever. Along with those slight changes in song structure there had to be a new name for the style........something the bands could promote to make them appeal to fans. As time has gone by, (metal wave I II etc) the genre classifications have gotten out of hand.

 

[Riff Raff]

The only time I don't have issue with the labels is when reviewing music and it needs to be described or possibly compared in sound but otherwise its obnoxious.

Labels like blackened death metal are just one of many I find to be absolutely obnoxious.

 

[MMM]

I will also add that mainstream European musical taste is different than the US...they have kept hard rock and metal alive and well and in the forefront. In the US hip-hop and pop seem to be the most popular music with the youth of today.

When it comes to "Alternative or Indie" bands the US has the lead in that category...but I don't like the nomenclature they are rock bands plain and simple.

The 90s were a 'dark ages' for the metal, nevertheless Slayer album 'Divine Intervention' (1994) entered US Top 10. I can't imagine British thrash band entering UK Top 10. Even in Germany ( leader of the European thrash scene ) the most important thrash band Kreator never achieved high chart position in the 90s.

 

[MMM]

I think the European metal bands had a head start over the American metal bands. The American bands didn't really begin surfacing until the late 1980's to early 1990's

This is 1977.That's even before the NWOBHM emerged.

 

[Soot and Stars]

I'm surprised by the ignorance and distortion of facts by the members of this forum. If someone knows nothing about American metal scene except few bands or just don't like the USA, it's better to abstain from posting.

Perhaps they were just waiting to be enlightened! The Gods told of us of this day!

 

[Riff Raff]

90s were far from a dark age for metal. Extreme metal was actually in its prime back then.