Continuing the History of Metal through short (trivia packed) chapters and accompanying playlists.
Thanks for all the support of Part 1 of these ongoing series! You asked me for more, here it is :)
Work in progress, will be posting irregularly (but...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The United States has had Rock in their mainstream ever since Elvis shook his hips like no one had seen ever before.
Boy we miss the King...
Anyways, throughout the decades, American Hard Rock, and eventually Heavy Metal, became a staple in the Billboard charts. At the start of the 21st century, Nu-Metal bands took the top spots, but as the new decade was dawning, a new Blockbuster Metal emerged that found its way to the masses.
This new American Mainstream Metal became very popular domestically, even if few bands made a lasting impression overseas.
The leading band of this wave were Nu-Metal veterans Disturbed. They quickly outgrew that hyped subgenre and went their own way, taking along bands like Sevendust and Godsmack. These bands mixed Groove Metal with the intensity and catchiness of Nu-Metal, but dropped the Hip-Hop influences and – at times – teenage antics that defined the once popular but now often shunned subgenre of Metal.
Although it took some time for a proper scene to emerge, by the end of the century's 1st decade, a number of bands came knocking to join the scene's elite: There were the Goth-Groove rising stars In This Moment fronted by the charismatic Maria Brink, Fozzy – the band around wrestler Chris Jericho – was beginning to be taken seriously, and then there was Five Finger Death Punch who would become a massive force to be reckoned with.
The abbreviated 5FDP almost toppled Disturbed as the kings of the scene. Their 2015 album 'Got Your Six' even denied Iron Maiden's worldwide hit album 'The Book Of Souls' the top spot on the US Billboards. The triumph of the Las Vegas Misfits would have been complete, if it wasn't for a simple cover song that Disturbed released. The Chicago titans made their version of 'The Sound of Silence' which went on to break every record and solidified Disturbed's undisputed status.
Although this playlist rocks, we understand why many Metal purists – especially outside of the US – haven't given some of these bands proper respect. A lot of the American Mainstream Metal is entertainment for the masses. It looks good, it sounds slick, it's (over)produced, it's often cheesy, but as said: damn it rocks! It's like the very popular Marvel superhero movies: it looks great and everything is meticulously produced, and everyone will agree they are exciting (even if it is just a guilty pleasure), but none are going to win an Oscar for best picture.
Nevertheless, the scene seems to be getting more popular worldwide, not in the least thanks to some exciting new bands like Bad Wolves. This music isn't going anywhere soon, and – just like with Marvel movies – we kinda love that!
Playlist:
01. Fozzy: Spider in My Mouth (2012)
02. Godsmack: Cryin' Like a Bitch!! (2010)
03. Disturbed: Another Way to Die (2010)
04. Rev Theory: Something New (2012)
05. Drowning Pool: One Finger and a Fist (2013)
06. In This Moment: Sick Like Me (2014)
07. Five Finger Death Punch: Jekyll and Hyde (2015)
08. Thrice: Black Honey (2015)
09. Halestorm: Amen (2015)
10. Fozzy: Judas (2017)
11. Invidia: Feed the Fire (2017)
12. Bad Wolves: Remember When (2018)
13. Disturbed: Are You Ready? (2018)
14. Godsmack: When Legends Rise (2018)
15. Parkway Drive: The Void (2018)*
16. Sevendust: Risen (2018)
17. Shinedown: Cut The Cord (2015)
18. Underøath: On My Teeth (2018)
19. In This Moment: Oh Lord (2017)
20. Bad Wolves: Killing Me Slowly (2019)
21. Five Finger Death Punch: Blue on Black (2019)
*Yes, we know Parkway Drive is an Australian band. However, the Metalcore veterans have embraced a more mainstream (and epic) sound in recent times. 2018's The Void is a great example of how they are bringing their twist on American Mainstream Metal. We love it! As long as they continue to balance it with their signature Metalcore anthems. Parkway is going to be very big, mark our words!
