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Seattle-In the mid to late 80's and the beginng tip of the 90's there existed a heart pounding, nerve fraying, visceral form of music that simultaneously energized the nation.
This tremultuous sort of Rock 'n Roll was known as Heavy Metal(Metal). The advent of the genre was a charge lead by such early pioneers as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osborune, Ac/DC and, though I am loath to include them, Kiss.
Metal grew in leaps and bounds out of its hair rock and face make-up origins to bring rage and discontent to hordes of crazed fans. These fans, who call themselves Hessians, could be identified by their acid washed blue jeans and feathered hair. The alternate title for the fans tended to be 'Riff Raff.' As a genre, Metal represented rebellion and voiced the discontent of a genreation weary of being ignored by corporate fat cats. Also, they liked to smoke a lot of pot and ditch school.
Eventually, however, there rose a secret cadre or so called musicians who had other plans for this volitile strain of rock. This underground society who called themselves 'the Order,' had a long standing cabal, a plan to undermine and undo Metal at it very foundations. Many an hour was spent developing their secret weapon...The weapon: Grunge Rock.
This new and vile form of sonic exploitation took undercurrents found in metal and transformed them into pussy-whipped whinning and nonesense largely about subjects like "Teen Spirit" and declaring "I'm Still alive!" Well of course you are or you wouldn't be singing. Forgive the author a slight editorial digression. Singing itself degenerated from dark and somber growls and primal screams about important issues such as acient demons and 'fucking the man' to the unintelligible screaming, not unlike a whinning baby, about stupid no-brainer issues such as 'Feeling Minnesota" and some crap about being dissatisfied with the system. Sure Metal touched on these issues in many of their songs, but they were at least worshipping the devil and encouraging murder and/or suicide. Where was that scincerity in Grunge? And all of this was just lyrically.
Musically the order of the day was feedback and lots of it. What Hendrix built, Cobain tore down. The order and beauty in chaos that the Metal had strove so hard to maintain, Grunge crumbled and shattered with its counter-intutive hooks and migraine inducing axe whines. And it worked.
Grunge had killed Metal inside a year and gave birth to its new form which became known as 'Alternative Rock.' The plaid flannel wearing grunge junkies took to this new style of music, which allows a good deal of rap and hip hop in its doors, and the sounds of Heavy Metal's last gasps could not be heard in the reverb of hollow uninspired crap.
The ring leaders of this merciless order who put a bullet in Metal were those detestable bands that ushed the weapon in. Nirvanna, lead by Kurt Cobain who would later be known as " the Rock 'n Roll Assasin," fired upon Metal from the proverbial book repository, while Chris Cornell and his Soundgarden henchmen took their place on the grassy knoll while Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam rode shot gun, pretending to be Metal's friend all the while waiting to turn around and shoot it. Yes Jeremy truely has spoken today.
There are some attempting to bring back Rock 'n Roll,and Heavy Metal in particular, but are up against bleak odds at best. What remaining bands from the era are considered freakshow relics to see for two bucks at the local tavern and teh new breed, such as Limp Wristit or Dik Sukit or whatever they call themselves, are worse then the grunge mongers they think they are rising above. Then there are the Kiss wanna-be glam rock boys from Marilyn Manson who sold their Heavy Metal souls to the almighty dollar instead of satan like they were supposed to.
Here in this wasteland of hip hop and gansta rap, all the comfort we are afforded is that there are but a few bands that exude coolness despite being Alternative bands. Bands like Stabbing Westward, Korn and Incubus are lighting the throught the bleak musical battleground in search of other survivors and truely intelligent and unique acts waiting to be shot in the head by Matchbox 20.
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