Which of today's bands will our kids think of as 'Classic Metal Acts'

r3nu4l

I recently got to thinking that for me today, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer still hold a special place in my heart (along with Maiden).

Then I started to think...of today's modern big name metal bands, who will be considered the most outstanding in 25 years time and why would they be considered 'classic acts'?

I'll be honest and say that I'm pretty much stuck in the 70s and 80s when it comes to metal, with a couple of memorable acts from the 90s but after that I'm lost to the metal world and most stuff I've listened to I just don't get or is too obviously a blatant copy of/homage to earlier bands.

So educate me...of today's post-millenial top metal acts, who will be considered the 'Big 4', the 'Maiden' etc of their time?

Degag

I think Metallica definitely will and probably nearly already are really.

Wrongway1985

r3nu4l wrote: »

I recently got to thinking that for me today, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer still hold a special place in my heart (along with Maiden).

Then I started to think...of today's modern big name metal bands, who will be considered the most outstanding in 25 years time and why would they be considered 'classic acts'?

I'll be honest and say that I'm pretty much stuck in the 70s and 80s when it comes to metal, with a couple of memorable acts from the 90s but after that I'm lost to the metal world and most stuff I've listened to I just don't get or is too obviously a blatant copy of/homage to earlier bands.

So educate me...of today's post-millenial top metal acts, who will be considered the 'Big 4', the 'Maiden' etc of their time?

(some of these bands formed/released albums mid-late 90's but will mostly be regarded as a 00's act)

System Of A Down, Slipknot, Disturbed, Lamb Of God, Alter Bridge, Ghost, Rammstein, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon, Nightwish,Trivium & Opeth

The Sabbaths,Maidens,Metallicas etc. are phenomenons as regards legions they can tow in and almost celebration they create.

There is only one band that I can think that is within the time frame really of achieving similar status to those guys 25 years down the line and that's Avenged Sevenfold. The band members are in their early thirties and are now starting to Headline festivals, from passing people at festivals specifically of a younger age in the metal scene a lot are wearing Avenged t-shirts too.

Schwiiing

Wrongway1985 wrote: »

(some of these bands formed/released albums mid-late 90's but will mostly be regarded as a 00's act)

System Of A Down, Slipknot, Disturbed, Lamb Of God, Alter Bridge, Ghost, Rammstein, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon, Nightwish,Trivium & Opeth

The Sabbaths,Maidens,Metallicas etc. are phenomenons as regards legions they can tow in and almost celebration they create.

There is only one band that I can think that is within the time frame really of achieving similar status to those guys 25 years down the line and that's Avenged Sevenfold. The band members are in their early thirties and are now starting to Headline festivals, from passing people at festivals specifically of a younger age in the metal scene a lot are wearing Avenged t-shirts too.

For shame.

Wrongway1985

Schwiiing wrote: »

For shame.

I don't quite get your post you seem to be suggesting that I am comparing Avenged Sevenfold with Maiden etc and you don't like it?

I'm not comparing, nor do I hold them in the same regard as those bands of course. I'm saying the children of tomorrow might view them the way we view Maiden etc. It may be possible to go see them at a show too then the band will pretty much the same age Metallica are at now.

As I say not even the biggest fan but was being realistic with them I thought.

rock whore

Wrongway1985 wrote: »

System Of A Down, Slipknot, Disturbed, Lamb Of God, Alter Bridge, Ghost, Rammstein, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon, Nightwish,Trivium & Opeth

Good list. I'd probably throw in Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Chase & Status too (if they continue their current trajectory).

Whatever we older rockers might think of them (or A7X) they are heavy & successful. They may not sound like proper metal to our ears but I bet Slayer/ Pantera/ whoever else didn't sound like proper metal to those around at the time either.

Good question OP

0byme75341jo28

Wrongway1985 wrote: »

There is only one band that I can think that is within the time frame really of achieving similar status to those guys 25 years down the line and that's Avenged Sevenfold. The band members are in their early thirties and are now starting to Headline festivals, from passing people at festivals specifically of a younger age in the metal scene a lot are wearing Avenged t-shirts too.

I've noticed a very sharp decline in A7X fans recently, don't think they'll be remembered in 30 years time.

To answer the question, I honestly believe there won't be any half as popular as the ones you mentioned OP.

Sephiroth_dude

pantera,deftones

Schism

Mastodon and Machine Head immediately jump to mind.

SilverScreen

Definitely Mastodon and Opeth. Maybe even bands like Enslaved, Agalloch, Electric Wizard, ISIS and Neurosis depending on how generous time is to them.

Bands like Avenged Sevenfold always struck me as all style no substance. They'll more than likely be remembered like the way hair metal bands from the 80's are.

Sephiroth_dude

I know there not really metal but alice in chains? and tool

Wrongway1985

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

pantera,deftones

Surely these are 90s bands Pantera certainly are can be no dispute there.

Angron

rock whore wrote: »

Good list. I'd probably throw in Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Chase & Status too (if they continue their current trajectory).

Whatever we older rockers might think of them (or A7X) they are heavy & successful. They may not sound like proper metal to our ears but I bet Slayer/ Pantera/ whoever else didn't sound like proper metal to those around at the time either.

Good question OP

Except My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Chase & Status aren't metal. It's not that they don't sound heavy, it's that their music, quite literally, isn't metal.

nyarlothothep

I would like to think Reverend Bizarre and Warning, they're classic doom metal bands imo but they'll never get wider recognition beyond doom metal circles. Ghost BC, Mastodon, maybe Animals as Leaders but again I don't think he'll get the recognition he deserves.

SilverScreen

Wrongway1985 wrote: »

Surely these are 90s bands Pantera certainly are can be no dispute there.

Deftones released two albums in the 90's and have released five since. Wouldn't exactly box them in as purely a 90's band...

Bang_Bang

r3nu4l wrote: »

I recently got to thinking that for me today, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer still hold a special place in my heart (along with Maiden).

Then I started to think...of today's modern big name metal bands, who will be considered the most outstanding in 25 years time and why would they be considered 'classic acts'?

I'll be honest and say that I'm pretty much stuck in the 70s and 80s when it comes to metal, with a couple of memorable acts from the 90s but after that I'm lost to the metal world and most stuff I've listened to I just don't get or is too obviously a blatant copy of/homage to earlier bands.

So educate me...of today's post-millenial top metal acts, who will be considered the 'Big 4', the 'Maiden' etc of their time?

I'm the same, I haven't a clue post the black album and never really enjoyed it as much, you forgot to mention Sepultura, more specifically beneath the remains and Arise, two of the best albums they produced, never liked their stuff after that. Then when Load and Reload came out I lost all faith in Metal.

I don't know but metal seemed to disappear in the mid 90's and it was all grunge and punky bands and kind of rap metal. I never got into some the other bands mentioned above, they just didn't do it for me.

rock whore

Angron wrote: »

Except My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Chase & Status aren't metal. It's not that they don't sound heavy, it's that their music, quite literally, isn't metal.

Thanks Angron, you couldn't have illustrated my point any more clearly than that

Angron

rock whore wrote: »

Thanks Angron, you couldn't have illustrated my point any more clearly than that

How exactly did I illustrate your point?

lord lucan

I'm a bit of a dinosaur who's rooted in the past. The only new music I listen to is from old bands. I've tried listening to new music,often recommended on here or catching popular bands at festivals,but I'm usually left feeling cold.

I can't think of anyone lately that would qualify for classic status in the future. To me,the 80s and 90s(including grunge) will be the golden age of metal/rock.

Sephiroth_dude

lord lucan wrote: »

I can't think of anyone lately that would qualify for classic status in the future. To me,the 80s and 90s(including grunge) will be the golden age of metal/rock.

I was only a kid growing up in the 90's but I totally agree with ya, late 80's all the through the 90's and early 2000's was the best era for music.

spiritcrusher

Mastodon are really the only band I can think of that a large cross-section of metal and rock fans tend to agree are pretty good, at the very least. They're also pretty successful, play large gigs and on a major label. Leviathan in particular seems to have had a huge cross-scene appeal, from casual rock fans to underground metalheads, as did Crack The Skye. I think that's what will stand to those albums (and the band) in time. There may be classics within smaller sub-genres (I'm sure Avenged Sevenfold and all those emo and metalcore type bands will have fans in years to come) but they'll be more "cult" classics than ones met with the widespread acclaim Mastodon have tended to receive. And I'm not a diehard Mastodon fan by any means, I've just noticed how broad their appeal is.
I struggle to think of any other band that has got anywhere near that same level.

SilverScreen

If you look back at the 80's, some of the really popular and commercially successful metal bands like Poison, Motley Crue and Twisted Sister are generally seen as a joke these days. Meanwhile bands that would have had a large cult following in the 80's, but without the chart success of the bands mentioned, are the ones seen as classic metal acts. Bands like Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth.

I think it's still too soon to say which metal acts prominent in the past decade or so will be seen as classic, apart from a few obvious ones like Mastodon.

Passenger

Aye, I think I have to echo spiritcrusher's sentiments re: Mastodon. They have a distinctive sound, they're heavy, they're critically lauded and they're mainstream. You'll hear them on national radio just as likely as you would on your average Metalhead's turntable and in my opinion they're the only mainstream Metal band creating consistently interesting and relevant music.

As an addendum I think the days of Metal bands selling out stadiums (á la Metallica, Maiden etc.) are long gone as Metal currently doesn't possess that counter-culture appeal that captured the zeitgeist in the way it did in the 80's. And while most modern Metal bands, such as Mastodon, probably don't carry the same weight of influence on the youth and on upcoming bands, again in the same way Metallica did (who made huge, lasting impact) their music will still stand the test of time imo.