"Selling Out"

floydispink wrote: I really don't think bands like DT, PT and Opeth are selling out just because they hit the charts. There are much more prog (especialy prog metal) fans than many people think.

I don't think modern prog metal is selling out. Progressive metal just ain't a curse word anymore. The metal scene is opening up for the technical metal bands and death metal bands with as a side-effect progressive metal coming into the charts. Furthermore people who listen to metal buy more cd's then people who listen to pop music.

Toaster Mantis wrote: Dean wrote: I guess that really depends on what direction those fans came from in the first place, Opeth attracted fans from Death Metal (European, Scandinavian, Swedish, Gutenberg Melodic etc), some through the labels they were signed to (Candlelight, Peaceville, Century Media, Music For Nations, Misanthropy [indirectly] and of course Roadrunner) and associated metal acts (Katatonia, In The Woods, Anathema, Misanthropy (the band)), some through bands they toured with Cradle Of Filth etc. and some through the pure "prog metal" associations. Yeah, maybe Opeth weren't that good an example because they've demonstrated themselves to appeal to both camps something very few prog metal bands do and I have to admit they're successful in that regard even though I don't really like their music. Should probably have focused on Isis instead, I feel it's a pretty sure bet fewer Isis fans are familiar with straight-up sludge metal like Eyehategod or Weedeater than Opeth fans are familiar with "ordinary" death metal.

I think you are correct with Isis - I would imagine that any Isis fans here are more aligned to the Post Metal side than the Sludge side (and possibly discovered them through the Post- route too) ... personally I simply don't like pure sludge metal and Isis & Neurosis are as close as I want to get.

With Dream Theater, their music changed quite a bit.  I used to be a die-hard DT fan but around the time of Octavarium I was seeing a change that I didn't like.  I became less of a fan and at the same time they became more popular.  Marketing can really change a band's perception and Roadrunner gave DT an image I can't stand anymore.  I saw them live this year and it wasn't the same band, wasn't the same music.  Sold out? I don't know, but certainly the popularity has taken its toll. 

ExittheLemming wrote: Ain't there loads of plain vanilla metal fans out there who like DT ? (or are they viewed with suspicion by metalheads ?)

The latter is often the case, usually accompanied by a preference for Fates Warning, Queensrÿche or Savatage over Dream Theater. For the record, that includes myself except that I'm not familiar enough with Savatage to have an opinion on them.

I'm OK with selling out as long as they do it by the pound. 

I think the increased popularity of prog has nothing to do with selling out.  I think it's due to us old farts still being around yet having a taste for the new stuff and having children that they also infect with the prog bug.  And the newest generation of prog fans naturally taking an even bigger interest in the new artists.  And maybe even people who don't fit into either of those categories becoming dissatisfied more mainstream artists and the internet being such a great tool, they can find the stuff at places like this site for example. 

Either that or we are succeeding in our plan to turn the people of the Earth into zombie prog pod people.


Edited by Slartibartfast - December 26 2009 at 12:44

Yeah a Lady Ga Ga next to a Gentle Giant CD. Doesn't that just make you want to spew. 

 i dont mind lady gaga   She writes pretty good pop melodies. Like Jacko did (obv not in the same league). I quite like pop music when it has nice melodies (unlike most of the bland stuff in the charts)

^ well it certainly falls under 'popular music', that is for being so unpopular most of its life

Interesting discussion- I'm listening to a CD just recorded by a local band I used to roadie for in the early 80s (during the Bay Area thrash/progmetal boom).. just now did they get around to producing a proper release on an independant label. The CD is - well, it's not bad considering the material is 27 years old and the remaining members are well into their late 40s - but one also sees why the group was never signed (and probably never will be): they do a mix of very heavy metal with very melodic parts, guitar&synth harmonies and catchy vocals.. it's a very tough mix to achieve well and attract fans, and most people seem to like either melodic/catchy or heavy/proggy.   Also I think a certain audience/generation has to mature a bit and catch up to the musicians of their time in order to fully appreciate what they're doing, sometimes this happens and sometimes not.

^ as soon as I've mastered the art of uphill waterskiing, learnt how to juggle soot and nailed this jelly to a plate.