Missing The Past…

In a memorable interview, the well-known Kiss bassist Gene Simmons declared that “rock is finally dead,” remarks that caused quite a stir at the time and sparked a controversy that continues to grow to this day.
It’s impossible not to link that statement to the current trend of “tribute” concerts for a specific album, or the countless “celebration” tours for this or that album. A practice that initially seemed charming but has lately become unbearable. There are hardly any bands left that don’t simultaneously think of doing exactly what everyone else is doing in different parts of the world. That is, resorting to the custom of touring to celebrate the anniversary of a classic album.
Trying to trace where all this comes from, I came across some interesting facts. It’s debatable who were the first to put this idea of paying tribute to an album into practice—or, basically, to play an entire album chronologically as a way to celebrate the material in question. Some say the pioneers were Slayer, playing the well-known “Reign In Blood” in its entirety back in 2004. Metallica did the same with “Master Of Puppets” in 2006, and Anthrax did it several times with “Among The Living.” Dream Theater deserves a separate mention, as they once dedicated themselves to celebrating other artists’ albums, but that’s another story.
Is it wrong to do that? No, not at all. Those of us who’ve been into Metal for a while tend to enjoy it when a band plays a classic or cult album in its entirety. It’s something that doesn’t happen every day, even though it seems to have become a widespread practice lately.
It’s impossible not to link those two concepts—Gene’s famous line, “rock is finally dead”—with this idea of reminiscing about the good old days. It makes you think. Because the reality is that, seeing how things are going in the Metal scene with these anniversary tours for this or that album, the truth is that it’s hard to tell if there’s an alarming lack of ideas, or if people really just enjoy a glorious past more than what a band can offer today.
That brings us to another question, which in a way relates to this topic. When it comes to bands considered historic and legendary—who are still active today—do we enjoy their old albums from the ’80s and ’90s more than their current ones? Why? It’s a difficult question to answer, and in fact we were discussing it a while back with a friend in a band, who gave me the example of Judas Priest—we all love their old material, but perhaps we’re missing out on their latest albums, which are actually very good. I don’t know if they’re better than their classic material, but maybe on the same level.
It seems that new releases don’t grab people’s attention, or at least don’t elicit the same reaction as classic albums do. In fact, the countless reissues of this or that legendary album—whether “remastered” or “Deluxe” editions—reflect this very reality and even generate more interest than a brand-new album.
The question underlying this dilemma remains. There is no single clear answer, but it leaves us pondering the place Metal currently occupies, and above all, why we prefer the classics over the current offerings.
The music business has long since stopped viewing rock or Metal as a source of revenue, leaning instead toward other musical styles. If we add to that the fact that the music industry is no longer driven by physical album sales, the result is clear. If Heavy Metal remains alive, it is thanks to its audience and fans—loyal like no other—and to the thousands of bands, underground media outlets, producers, independent labels, etc., that keep the essence and flame of Metal alive in its various forms.
Even so, that lack of attention to the genre is evident. Not to be as definitive as the illustrious bassist from Kiss (someone accustomed to rock stardom, let’s say), but it is true that Metal—beyond what is generally considered “rock”—doesn’t capture people’s attention the way it used to. It seems that the only way to keep the scene “alive” is by looking back to the old days to try to capture the attention of the nostalgic, and in the process fill venues that might otherwise not look as full as they once did.
These days, formulas are getting repetitive; Metal is blending with other genres, and some bands are even trying hard to come up with “listenable” music for the rest of us mortals. None of that works, in my opinion. The key seems to lie in this notion that “the past was better,” and everyone, almost without exception, jumps on the bandwagon of nostalgia and celebrating the past, as if it were the only thing that exists.
I’m not saying that’s wrong; in fact, we are staunch defenders of tradition in Heavy Metal and of the good old days. In fact, we even have sections on our webzine that revisit classic and forgotten albums, and we absolutely love that the legacy of Metal is remembered and preserved, but let’s be honest; sometimes the constant “celebration” tours and even that absurd practice of posting “today marks the anniversary of such-and-such album” really test the little patience we have left. Focusing on the present—on what Metal still has to offer, both from classic and legendary bands and from the new artists and innovative projects out there—is a good way to keep the legacy of Metal alive, to plant our flag once more, and to keep fighting for the scene. There’s a lot of music to discover and bands that have emerged in recent times to defend the legacy of true metal. Let’s take stock. Some have fought a thousand battles, emerged victorious, and more than deserve their place in Metal, but others are just now stepping up to fight.
Fighting for Metal also means defending that eternal flame—the one the pioneers lit and that still burns today—and for which it’s worth continuing to fight. Every day, new albums and new projects emerge, from both veteran and up-and-coming bands. Let’s keep fighting for Metal, remembering and honoring the glorious days of the past while also looking toward the future….
A new month and here we are, still standing, growing as a media outlet and bringing you more articles, more interviews, more album reviews (which are quite hard for us to get since, as you know, we only review albums in physical and original formats), news, etc. We thank everyone who joins us in this endeavor, who follows us on social media, shares our content, etc. Without readers, we would have no reason to exist. And of course, as always, to the bands, labels, etc., who give us a hand to keep all this going.
God is greater and stands above any problem, difficulty, and even above everything bad—or good—that we may be going through. To Him go our deepest thanks, for otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to carry this out.
Let’s keep fighting—the world’s on fire, missiles are flying everywhere, we’re running out of gas and fuel, and so on. Is a Mad Max-style or Matrix-style world coming? Who knows… while everyone fights over oil, resources, ideologies, etc., us ordinary folks have to go out and battle our own battles every day. May the Almighty God be with you as you stand firm!!!!! See you next month….