Another thread just got me thinking.

We all, myself included, tend to be hugely judgemental. I'm not saying that is bad - our taste is as defined by what we don't like as what we like.

However, we often tend to immediately try to classify or assume what the band is trying to come across as. It makes me wonder if there's less original music out there because of the music, or because of the listeners (us).

The reason this has been making me think is that I've now gotten a chance to be on the other end. When Unique Leader announced the signing and release of the new Pillory album, there was a few lengthy threads about it on various messageboards. One one, a huge amount of people immediately classified it as "death metal with mall-core vocals". The irony is that any of you who know me know that my singing is influenced mostly by old metal like sepultura, and old school boston and NY hardcore like slapshot and murphy's law.

As far as the other half, the death-metal label, I started thinking of my own first impressions when I heard Pillory. I did indeed hear death metal, but I also thought of bands like Dillinger, Candiria, Into the Moat.

In other words, or in summation (for those of you who actually have the attention span to read all this), I think that when we listen to music we need to relate it to our OWN influences. Then when we do this we assume that that's where the band must have derived thier music from as well. I think it's important that we all keep in mind that it's entirely possible that the influences and ideas a band has in not even remotely what we think.


My prediction: 0-2 replies, 10 views

you sound like a liberal honky.

"pedro, just listen to your heart. that's what I do" - napoleon dynamite

some stuff sucks.
some stuff is cool.
stuff is always happening tho.

Liberals are whiny and unhappy people with no agression or taste for blood. If we allowed liberals to rule, we'd suddenly find lots of great ideas and not a single person willing to fight for them.

I'm not a liberal. I'm a misanthrope.

My rant is mostly just annoyance at the dismissive behavior of music lovers. I guess it's the false hope that people will put as much effort into listening to it as I put into making it.

haha, 2 minutes after you called me a liberal, my friend just called me a fascist.

I guess that makes me a Democrat.

I think I'm a centralist with liberal leanings.
there's some test you can take and it give you a chart.

anyhow, I think that people will always bitch about shit. I personally find it odd that unique leader signed you guys. Right there shows me that people will bitch more than the normal amount.
just be happy at what you are doing, eos.
hell, have you heard the music tracks that I made?
it sucks, but it's fun to listen to and was fun to make.

http://www.returntothepit.com/audio/EscapeAnalogHell/

there are a couple tracks.
I should put up all 4 CDs of crappy crap

My friend was right, I'm pretty much a fascist. I'm just reallly picky about my dictators.

I don't really find it too odd that UL signed us. We're giving them a finished product out of pocket, and regardless of genre the music is sick. With such a small and easy investment, I find it odd that a lot of labels DIDN'T want to sign it.

I haven't heard your tracks, but I'd like to. I record a lot myself, I play drums, guitar, keys, bass, and can actually sing too. I honestly believe that anyone who enjoys music should be able to create, record, and release thier own. That's why I love how far computers have come with music and sequencing software.

That to me is the best part of playing music: being able to share it with people. That, and drunken groupie sluts.

ArrowHead nli said:

oh you poor, underappreciated genius
forever stuck with an audience that doesn't desreve you

i found almost everything you posted on this thread completely obnoxious

your first post reads like it was written by someone struggling to rationalize a bad review that they can't accept

you're surprized that so many labels DIDN'T want to deal with you? hmmm

and if i'm supposed to 'put effort' into listening to your music, then thanks, I'll pass, as it's probably obnoxious, too

Actually it's stoned ramblings because I was bummed I couldn't get my friend to give a band I liked a chance, because he had heard it described as metalcore.

Bad reviews don't really bother me. Good reviews make me happy, but if I don't get them, that doesn't bother me. I don't care if we're signed or unsigned. I got a mortgage, I'm not rocketing off to rock stardom anytime soon.

The whole point was that it was weird seeing completely unfamilair strangers react to and label it differently than I would. It's pretty interesting, seeing some of the comparisons and classifications that different people use.

th3rdknuckle said:


That's why I said "false". When we play in bands and put out music, we all hope that people will hear it and get INTO it, enjoy it. It's always a little dissapointing if people don't, but it's so much more dissapointing when people just dismiss it like you just did.

I agree 100% especially in this day and age of metal.
We should all know to never judge a book by its cover.

unless that's a peta book, eh?

i also agree. people judge bands based on what they think the band is trying to do rather than just taking the band for what they are. in my opinion most metal/hardcore kids are way overly critical (myself included) but there are so many bands out there now that all you need is an excuse not to like someone, and you probably wont. i also think its funny when people tell you that your band sound like a band that youve never heard before. and ya once a band gets signed everyone hates you for it...mostly jealousy in my opinion seeing that most kids that listen to this shit also play in bands. and fuck the term mallcore...whats that? hardcore about hanging out at the mall.

I heard the deftones refered to as mallcore. Funny, they've been a band longer than most of the kids at the mall have been alive.

powerkok said:

Unless it is WA.....Sorry I had to

I charged WA with being cheesy based on the cover. I then gave them a fair trial, listened to them and saw them play, and found them guilty.

Does that count?

ArrowHead nli said:



Absolutely