Sea of Tranquility

The Continued Popularity of the Heavy Metal Genre!

10 August 2013

Scott Jessup

Metal is a hardened kind of music as is its ability to endure through the years not having to change to fit in, something you can't say about many commercial styles. Metal has evolved spawning different sub genres but you still have bands recording the kind of songs that could have easily been released so many years ago without sounding out of place today. There is so much variety on offer with what seems to be an endless supply of talented musicians and both new and established bands releasing exciting material.

During the 90's you could say that Metal music wasn't as prominent, but it was still very much present and there were those bands who experimented with different styles some of course having better results than others. Since that time there has been a resurgence as Metal's popularity has been on the rise despite the lack of exposure compared to those other genres. With numerous bands enjoying a successful comeback after being quite for some time. It hasn't been easy for some though as I know from my experience where I have seen retailers who solely offer Metal music and merchandise come and go, and much larger stores turn their backs so to speak decreasing their stock holdings. And these major chains did so at their loss as devoted Metal fans have other options they don't change their musical preferences instead they find an alternate source to acquire their favorite music.

We are still regularly seeing new groups emerge performing various styles only problem is it's so hard to experience them all, but really isn't that a great predicament to have and shows what a healthy state Metal is in. Also the popularity of those more intense acts seems to be continually soaring so metal music has not got softer that's for sure.

In 2013 there has been a wealth of top releases, like one of the 80's biggest names Queensryche who have returned to form with their best album in years. Black Sabbath released 13 which was a wonderful effort from a group that has already given so much to the genre. And with others still going strong and winning over new generations it speaks volumes about the longevity many metal groups have experienced.

So for a genre that found its origins thirty plus years ago Metal music is still as relevant and viable as ever.

Scott Jessup