The band really is. All the artists talking about real interesting themes which were treated by the bands like Iron Maiden or Sabaton can be described as intellectual. Because reading books, watching old movies and thinking about what happens to this world is intellectual.
Don´t forget the Ava Maxes and Tate McRae´s of this era. Horrible bland pulp, throwaway music with zero identity.
And Nicki Minaj, and Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga, and David Guetta, and Avicii and Martin Solveig, etc...
Who gets to arbitrarily decide what is and isn't music? Is Empire Of The Clouds not music because it features fake orchestral instruments? What about some of the modern bands like Polyphia or Animals As Leaders, who on a technical level are immaculate (and Tosin Abasi is arguably one of the best guitarists alive), yet they use a ton of programmed synths for their music and computers for their songwriting? Like, where is the arbitrary boundary where too much use of computers suddenly makes it "not music"? This reminds me of metal heads in the 90's who despised Black and Death Metal for being just noise; for being shreaking and screaming and unmusical. No one is saying that you have to like the genres you are criticising, but to deny their musicality goes a bit far, don't you think?
Not a fact. There is rap music that is intellectually oriented. It's just that their focus isn't on the instrumentals; it's on the lyricism. In a sense it is closer to poetry than music, but there is a certain intersection. There are Rap and Hip Hop artists out there who write much more interesting and compelling lyrics than many Rock and Metal artists. Your observation about educational levels is a perfect example that correlation doesn't imply causation. Something like educational levels is an incredibly complex topic with a myriad of different variables. Trying to pin that down on a single reason is unrealistic. Why is the music the kids listen to the issue? Why not Covid, where we know for a fact that it has impacted education negatively? Why not other media like books (or not reading books), movies, shows or video games? Why specifically music?
These topics are the bread and butter of basically every genre out there. Particularly metal. The Charlotte songs are about sex, Killers about violence; Invaders is about sex and violence. Rebellion is one of the core tenets of punk and metal music and has been since the very beginning
That's valid and okay. But they are still music. Just music that you don't enjoy.
Again, correlation and causation. Also, anecdotes. I know people who are very academically gifted who dislike rock and metal, but listen to hip hop and trap. I know people who are obsessed with metal but barely graduated high school. The thing with anecdotes is that you can always find any example that you can think of, to illustrate a specific view. It also works under the massive assumption that people can only listen to the genres you list as good, or the ones you list as bad. There is crossover. Nu metal has shown us that there are people who like hip hop, rap and metal, to the point of combining them. Let me guess, Nu Metal isn't music either, right?
Yes, of course you have the right to write whatever you want. We are not the policeSo, I have the right to write what I've written in my previous posts, because I know what I'm talking about.
Who gets to arbitrarily decide what is and isn't music? Is Empire Of The Clouds not music because it features fake orchestral instruments? What about some of the modern bands like Polyphia or Animals As Leaders, who on a technical level are immaculate (and Tosin Abasi is arguably one of the best guitarists alive), yet they use a ton of programmed synths for their music and computers for their songwriting? Like, where is the arbitrary boundary where too much use of computers suddenly makes it "not music"? This reminds me of metal heads in the 90's who despised Black and Death Metal for being just noise; for being shreaking and screaming and unmusical. No one is saying that you have to like the genres you are criticising, but to deny their musicality goes a bit far, don't you think?
As for computers specifically, they are just tools. I write all my music with the help of computers. Many of my riffs come from playing guitar; others form in my head and I rush to the computer to arrange the ideas. My music is fairly traditional Heavy Metal mixed with Folk and Prog. Is it not music because I wrote it on a computer? Some songs feature synths that I've programmed; digital instruments that I can't play. Is that music?
Not a fact. There is rap music that is intellectually oriented. It's just that their focus isn't on the instrumentals; it's on the lyricism. In a sense it is closer to poetry than music, but there is a certain intersection. There are Rap and Hip Hop artists out there who write much more interesting and compelling lyrics than many Rock and Metal artists. Your observation about educational levels is a perfect example that correlation doesn't imply causation. Something like educational levels is an incredibly complex topic with a myriad of different variables. Trying to pin that down on a single reason is unrealistic. Why is the music the kids listen to the issue? Why not Covid, where we know for a fact that it has impacted education negatively? Why not other media like books (or not reading books), movies, shows or video games? Why specifically music?
Personally I think that neither music, nor video games or tv are to blame. I think the predatory nature of social media and unrestricted access to the internet, with all its dark sides, are far more of an influence on developing brains, than music or art in general. There's nothing inherently high brow about rock and metal. If you think so just go to a Sabaton, Slayer concert, ACDC or Scorpions concert and you'll see that most folks are just there to get drunk and have fun. If you think that the majority of people in the audience of a classical concert are in any way sophisticated I have to inform you that this isn't the case. I've sat in the audience of classical concerts; I've been on stage with choir and orchestra and could see who the audience was. The majority of people are usually there because of the status of the music played ("Beethoven's 9th is legendary, I have to see it!"), not because of an analytical understanding of music.
These are cases where the audiences of various genres have more in common than you think.
These topics are the bread and butter of basically every genre out there. Particularly metal. The Charlotte songs are about sex, Killers about violence; Invaders is about sex and violence. Rebellion is one of the core tenets of punk and metal music and has been since the very beginning
That's valid and okay. But they are still music. Just music that you don't enjoy.
Again, correlation and causation. Also, anecdotes. I know people who are very academically gifted who dislike rock and metal, but listen to hip hop and trap. I know people who are obsessed with metal but barely graduated high school. The thing with anecdotes is that you can always find any example that you can think of, to illustrate a specific view. It also works under the massive assumption that people can only listen to the genres you list as good, or the ones you list as bad. There is crossover. Nu metal has shown us that there are people who like hip hop, rap and metal, to the point of combining them. Let me guess, Nu Metal isn't music either, right?
I also have to disagree with your last sentece there, because it makes very broad generalizations for entire genres. Folk or Blues can be interesting, they can also be purely mindless. Just like the over use of the four chord sequence in pop, rock and Steve Harris songs, Blues has its equivalent in the twelve-bar blues. Folk often isn't musically intersting in any way, having very basic accompaniments, because the focus is on the lyrics and the performing of them. Hmm, reminds me of Hip Hop in a sense
Jazz can become very pretentious veeery fast and some arrangements are bordering on adacemic wankery losing the musicality for the sake of technical finesse. Impressive musicianship for sure. Good music though? Not sure about that.
Metal can have interesting songs and topics. Some Maiden tracks have fascinating philosophical leanings; others are Prowler. Manowar is the personification of "sex, violence, rebellion and bling bling things". A ton of other Metal bands have songs about metal itself and how great it is to be a metal head. Utterly embarrassing stuff in my opinion, but it is still music.
Classical is far too broad as well. It's not all string quartets in the ballroom. There are deeply atonal and experimental pieces out there. There are very simple canons out there. Hell, there's a piece by Mozart called "Leck mich im Arsch" (Lick me in the arse); so sophisticated, sooo intellectual.
Yes, of course you have the right to write whatever you want. We are not the police
And you are obviously free to like or dislike whatever you want. Say that Rap and Techno are dogshit genres; I have no issue with that. My problem as a musician is when you designate something as not being music because you don't like it. It's the gatekeeping, something that metalheads have been doing since the 80's, that annoys me. Articulating specific issues is far more interesting than just saying something isn't music. Music doesn't have to meet certain quality standards. Music just is. It can be good, it can be bad, but even bad music is good. When you write "Rap isn't music" (for example), what you're really saying is that "Rap isn't good music in my opinion", which is a valid, if rather broad, opinion to have. I believe stating subjective opinions in such a way is better than inflammatory remarks that are stated as objective claims.
Just my 2 cents on the topic
So Maiden is disqualified then. The entire Brave New World album features sample enhanced drums.Guitars, bass, acoustic drums, and non-triggered human voice. Violins, saxophones, trumpets, cellos, etc... All the tools used by humans for centuries to create sounds by themselves and not with AI or a simple computer.
All good my friend, no worries. I'm not trying to attack you or change your mind. I don't even have much of an issue with your opinion. The wording was my issue and I wanted to discuss that a bit.
Let's have a drink, now.
Like occult themes, I'm tired of sex themes in music. By force, we know all the positions and aspects of this...
For me, it will be just about music, not the lyrics or the comics, that, btw, I won't buy.You are going to love The Mandrake Project then!
OK, you're right, BUT that's still real and better music than rap, and so on...
Ok, but...But now, please, let's come back to the theme of this topic which is : BRUCE DICKINSON.
Oh, nostalgia... Take on Me and The Sun Always Shine on T.V. are brilliant
Take on Me video was devastating for me when I was much younger (in terms of story). The Sun Always Shines on T.V. radiates sense of epicness and "paradise lost".
Great pieces of music, for sure.Oh, nostalgia... Take on Me and The Sun Always Shine on T.V. are brilliant
TouchéOK, you're right, BUT that's still real and better music than rap, and so on...
Alright, back to Bruce now!
I think that there will be different tunings on Bruce's new album. Because of the concept of 'The Mandrake Project', which will play on different moods and atmospheres. So, only different tunings can allow that.
'Accident Of Birth' album is somekind of linear as 'Tyranny Of Souls', whereas 'The Chemical Wedding' is more theatrical and dramatic with a lot of moods and atmospheres like the future 'The Mandrake Project'. 
I only asked him about this song.Touché
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@matic22 mentioned Roy Z's answer about the guitar tuning on Afterglow Of Ragnarok a couple pages back. Now I'm wondering if the "just this song tho" means that this guitar was only used on AOR, or if it simply relates to "he's only talked about one song so far". Curious to see how the rest of the album will turn out. There are plenty of bands who have different tunings on their albums and then change guitars depending on the song. Hell, Maiden (specifically Adrian) do that nowadays as well.
to drop A baritone.
Again, no worries. My issue was the wording, not the content. Lord knows there's plenty of bad music out there lolJust to finish about the hip hop debate, I just wanted to launch a debate and didn't think bad about all kinds of music outside metal. I was just joking about some things and didn't believe seriously what I've written. If I did hurt some people here, I deeply want to express my sadness and want to say that I'm sorry for having trolled a lot. It was not meant to be mean. Sorry.
I'm curious about that. Accident Of Birth was mostly a collection of good but unrelated songs. The Chemical Wedding, while not being a concept album, feels like a cohesive unit and its atmosphere can be felt throughout the entire album. I feel that Tyrany Of Souls falls between AOB and TCW, as far as mood and atmosphere go. It has some of the occult mysticism of TCW, but also some unrelated songs a la AOB.I think that there will be different tunings on Bruce's new album. Because of the concept of 'The Mandrake Project', which will play on different moods and atmospheres. So, only different tunings can allow that.
Somebody call the QAnon Shaman, I’ve stumbled upon a Bruce-related conspiracy right before our very eyes!
Facts:
1. The blue vinyl edition of The Mandrake Project is being sold exclusively through Walmart in the U.S.
2. Walmart owns the big box membership club Sam’s Club.
3. Sam’s Club’s store brand label looks strikingly familiar:
4. The CEO of Walmart, Doug McMillon, was an adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump and regularly contributes to Republican candidates and causes.
5. The Mandrake Project is being released in March 2024, a mere 8 months before the U.S. Presidential election.
Conclusion: The Mandrake Project is an elaborate infomercial for Walmart and Sam’s Club, and the album’s story will be full of subliminal messages encouraging listeners in the U.S. to vote for Donald Trump in 2024!
My god, they must have recruited Bruce after hearing his views on Brexit, and we should have known he could only afford the high quality of the “Afterglow Of Ragnarok” video with loads of outside funding! The horror!
Discuss.