In 2015, the age of rhythm-over-melody, complexity-over-memorability, blackened-post-progressive-psychedelic-doomcore, derivative 80s/90s revivalism and boundary pushing for the sake of boundary pushing (none of these things are explicitly good or bad), it seems as though just about everything within metal has been tried already. But what about the future?

How will the genre continue after the probable breakup/passing of many of metal's founding fathers? Which familiar bands will go the way of Dream Theater, Meshuggah and Alcest, inspire countless new bands and accidentally give birth to a new style of metal? Will the '10s' most hated new upstarts feature prominently in nostalgia trips? Will we finally see a new Tool album?

fully expecting a flood of posts telling me dream theater didn't invent prog

Ozzy, Lemmy, Ac/Dc guys will be dead , Powerwolf, Blind Guardian dudes be warry old

1 There are going to be a lot of innovative bands and a lot of new genres, although none of them are going to be really known, unless among the most obscure metal circles
2 People will still blabber about how good the bands were on the 80s
3 The most "mainstream" metal bands are going to be just copies of the most mainstream bands of today
4 People will lament that there are no innovation in metal and metal is dead, even though 1 is happening
5 There is not going to be a new wave of metal per se, except for some small renovations on particular scenes/ subgenres here and there

So basically a deja vu

^ Besides the metal genre is too big and varied to become dead, I think. Some genres are not very varied. Pick hip hop for instance. Most bands follow the same guideline: a main beat, some instruments for the background music and the often spoken lyrics above all. Very few hip hop acts will get out of that. With that little variation its a genre that's bound to become extinct within a few years. (Perhaps not too, who knows?)
On the other hand, what is the guideline for metal? Each existing and emerging subgenre has its own, I guess. It could be that some of the subgenres become dead or stagnated (some already are), but not the metal genre as a whole

Written by deadone on 06.07.2015 at 02:38

Humanity moves along.


Music is linked to cultural and social factors.
Then there's demographic changes.
Finally technology has been a game changer.

Yeah, sure all these things make sense, still I don't think it's something that will change with just 15 years though... At least I want to believe it won't =P

But then again 15 years earlier we could make casual jokes about gays and laugh at fat people and it wouldn't be considered crime, so some things can change fast yeah... As you said, could be. Could not. Who knows?

Metal will keep metalling on like it always have. I predict some metal musicians will finally get some respect from art music circles. Many of the musicians metalheads hate now are going to be considered classics, others will be forgotten.

Since no one has said it yet...
Jari Whateverhislastnameis will release a statement saying why Time 2 still isn't finished.

Written by M C Vice on 06.07.2015 at 10:12

Since no one has said it yet...
Jari Whateverhislastnameis will release a statement saying why Time 2 still isn't finished.

Damn, you beat me to it!

Deadone mentioned the major threshold: WWII. In many respects in the popular mainstream, it marks the rise of the modern. I don't think any genres have really died out since WII. And especially in the internet age, where people can release music without record label support, genres are even less likely to disappear.

No doubt stuff will go from mainstream to the marginal and back again, though. "Metal" is a pretty wide category, and I am certain that some kind of aggressive and heavy music will remain in the mainstream, and traditional genres will have their devoted retro artists and possible innovators.

No doubt metal will become irrelevant at some point (with a few devotees), but certainly not by 2030. 2050? Possibly.

Written by Karlabos on 06.07.2015 at 02:23

^ Besides the metal genre is too big and varied to become dead, I think. Some genres are not very varied. Pick hip hop for instance. Most bands follow the same guideline: a main beat, some instruments for the background music and the often spoken lyrics above all. Very few hip hop acts will get out of that. With that little variation its a genre that's bound to become extinct within a few years. (Perhaps not too, who knows?)

Specifically talking about hip-hop though, I feel a lot of people have already started to notice the rather unvaried nature of the genre - especially in the 2010s - and are trying to change that. A lot more varied names have started popping up in the underground, and even more mainstream names like Kendrick and Kanye are slightly altering from the usual formula.

Heck, even the outright experimental scene in hip-hop is hitting a large stride (especially online) in movement. So hopefully we'll keep seeing more and more new variations of hip-hop popping up soon. Hopefully...

Thrash metal has died out or is near a point of death due to failure to adapt. Possibly death metal as well, but I think that with death metal the newer bands we see today that are kind of re-interpreting the genre (Tribulation, Obliteration, Morbus Chron, etc.) will have spawned their own separate underground movements by then that will carry the movement on. Black metal will probably have gone way the fuck out of its initial boundaries by then... think all this experimentation that you see in BM today x 10. The "blackgaze" movement will have gone mainstream (or already will have by then), leading to a ton of clone bands, and a good number of bands as well that say "fuck that" and just focus on doing their own thing.

Basically I think it'll be like it's always been: the more mainstream styles of metal that we see today will have run their course due to a failure to innovate and stop relying on trite cliches, leading a NEW "mainstream sound" to emerge in their place. And in the meantime, the underground will keep doing weird shit and being the main spot to look for new ideas, as usual.

Written by Auntie Sahar on 09.07.2015 at 15:08

Thrash metal has died out or is near a point of death due to failure to adapt. Possibly death metal as well, but I think that with death metal the newer bands we see today that are kind of re-interpreting the genre (Tribulation, Obliteration, Morbus Chron, etc.) will have spawned their own separate underground movements by then that will carry the movement on. Black metal will probably have gone way the fuck out of its initial boundaries by then... think all this experimentation that you see in BM today x 10. The "blackgaze" movement will have gone mainstream (or already will have by then), leading to a ton of clone bands, and a good number of bands as well that say "fuck that" and just focus on doing their own thing.

Basically I think it'll be like it's always been: the more mainstream styles of metal that we see today will have run their course due to a failure to innovate and stop relying on trite cliches, leading a NEW "mainstream sound" to emerge in their place. And in the meantime, the underground will keep doing weird shit and being the main spot to look for new ideas, as usual.

Interesting analysis
Disagree with the death metal part though. I predict that death metal will become more experimental and perhaps on the next 15 years will become as weird as black metal is today.

Written by Karlabos on 09.07.2015 at 17:42

Disagree with the death metal part though. I predict that death metal will become more experimental and perhaps on the next 15 years will become as weird as black metal is today.

Well that's what I kinda meant when I referenced the bolder bands who are kinda re-interpreting the genre now. In coming decades, I think that'll reach a point where the more obscure fringes of death metal's underground will indeed get weirder and weirder, as you said

Written by deadone on 09.07.2015 at 02:30


Mind you I do think demographic, economic, social and technological changes in the last 20 years have actually weakened the future prospects of metal.

Much like decaying Western industrialism and start of decline of middle classes spurned the growth of metal, an ageing population with youth mainly from traditional non-metal cultures, all buoyed by lots of cheap and freely available debt and with emphasis on technology means less appeal for metal IMO.

Worst thing is the world has become very unpredictable since 2008, not just economically but socially as well. This will have an impact on metal in terms of appeal (and even legality in some jursdictions).

However what these changes mean is far beyond any insight I have.

I don't agree with this. Metal might have been birthed from the situation you describe, but it doesn't means its popularity is chained to that. In fact it was at its most popular in the 80s; a time of excess, wealth and over-indulgence in Western culture.

Also what do you mean by today's youth being from "traditional non-metal cultures"? Or that the world has become socially "unpredictable" since 2008? I also don't understand why you think technology or debt would have an impact on metal's future prospects.

Written by deadone on 11.07.2015 at 02:17

A long post by deadone that I have tried my best to reply to in as concise and structured a way as possible

1. Metal still has the most extreme sounds of any genre. If someone today really was developing a taste for finding the heaviest stuff possible they'd be more drawn to something like grindcore or death metal than an extreme rap or dance album. In terms of angry music appealing to people, yes rap provides much more competition to metal now than in the 80s. I think it's also a matter of cultural relevance. A lot of people can relate to the lyrics in rap (coming from a bad economic situation etc.), especially in modern day America.

2. I'm not really sure what you mean by more fragmented. Less defined social cliques? I think they still exist today. Perhaps it's because you're not immersed in youth culture like you were when you were a teen?

3. I agree that metal connects more to masculine energy. How has today's culture become more immasculated? Again I think you're looking to the time you grew up in with rose-tinted glasses.

4. I think there is still an element of rebellion in listening to a genre that a lot of people find sonically offensive. But I do agree that the shock factor of satan/gore/substance abuse/fuck religion has worn off and become a tired cliché.


You missed my point on 80s indulgence. I'm saying the glam bands that became huge in the 80s took everything metal was 'supposed' to stand for and made it about superficial things like girls and money, and yet were a huge hit. I suppose it can be argued how many of those bands qualified as metal per se.

I agree metal is a European invention. However, didn't big bands always still manage to appeal to countries where metal isn't as big? Iron Maiden were able to sell out shows all over the world, even in countries like India. I think the main thing that has stopped metal from becoming more globally popular is that so many non-Western countries hold very conservative views that metal flies in the face of. I think in certain eastern countries you can't even buy metal and would probably have never really been exposed to it. So yes it is a cultural factor but the economic and political situations play a role too.

I think metal will only jump that cultural divide when artists from non-Western countries become big - just like how Eminem dispelled ideas that white people don't belong in rap.

You have hit the nail on the head when you say that the music has to represent cultural, social, and political change. I think metal would become much bigger if bands began talking about things that are relevant today. Where are the bands getting angry about racism, income inequality, corrupt banking systems, global warming, gay rights? Bands like Cattle Decapitation and Gojira are breaths of fresh air in this regard. It would even be great to see black metal bands taking a pop at religious groups that are currently much more violent than Christianity, like Islamic fundamentalists.

With regards to technology's influence.. I see where you're coming from with all your points. However trends like downloading and the decline of CD sales is affecting every genre, not just metal. In fact I remember reading that metalheads buy more physical music and merch than any other music fanbase. So if anything metal has been hurt least by technological developments. Espescially when you consider that most bands in the genre had slim chances of making money anyway. Streaming services like Spotify or Youtube have taken the power away from radio and record labels. People are now free to listen to the music they want and to explore.There is a tradeoff though. It means less money for artists and probably the end of the supergroups like Maiden and Metallica.. but it also opens the door for people to be exposed to a lot of music they never would have heard before. The people that love music and value it will still go to gigs and buy merch.

Maybe things have changed today, but all of my friends who are into metal are middle class and tend to people who are very open minded about new types of music. I think genres you mentioned before like rap and dance have become the new anthems of the working class.

The genre will progress just fine. I think we are waiting for a band to break big like Pantera or Metallica did and unfortunately I'm not sure how feasible that is nowadays when people don't buy records and have so many more options when it comes to who to listen to. There were plenty of bands of supergroup-caliber quality over the past 10 years that should have been huge were it not for shifting trends in music consumption.

Written by Zombie94 on 17.07.2015 at 21:20

Written by deadone on 11.07.2015 at 02:17

A long post by deadone that I have tried my best to reply to in as concise and structured a way as possible

1. Metal still has the most extreme sounds of any genre. If someone today really was developing a taste for finding the heaviest stuff possible they'd be more drawn to something like grindcore or death metal than an extreme rap or dance album. In terms of angry music appealing to people, yes rap provides much more competition to metal now than in the 80s. I think it's also a matter of cultural relevance. A lot of people can relate to the lyrics in rap (coming from a bad economic situation etc.), especially in modern day America.

2. I'm not really sure what you mean by more fragmented. Less defined social cliques? I think they still exist today. Perhaps it's because you're not immersed in youth culture like you were when you were a teen?

3. I agree that metal connects more to masculine energy. How has today's culture become more immasculated? Again I think you're looking to the time you grew up in with rose-tinted glasses.

4. I think there is still an element of rebellion in listening to a genre that a lot of people find sonically offensive. But I do agree that the shock factor of satan/gore/substance abuse/fuck religion has worn off and become a tired cliché.


You missed my point on 80s indulgence. I'm saying the glam bands that became huge in the 80s took everything metal was 'supposed' to stand for and made it about superficial things like girls and money, and yet were a huge hit. I suppose it can be argued how many of those bands qualified as metal per se.

I agree metal is a European invention. However, didn't big bands always still manage to appeal to countries where metal isn't as big? Iron Maiden were able to sell out shows all over the world, even in countries like India. I think the main thing that has stopped metal from becoming more globally popular is that so many non-Western countries hold very conservative views that metal flies in the face of. I think in certain eastern countries you can't even buy metal and would probably have never really been exposed to it. So yes it is a cultural factor but the economic and political situations play a role too.

I think metal will only jump that cultural divide when artists from non-Western countries become big - just like how Eminem dispelled ideas that white people don't belong in rap.

You have hit the nail on the head when you say that the music has to represent cultural, social, and political change. I think metal would become much bigger if bands began talking about things that are relevant today. Where are the bands getting angry about racism, income inequality, corrupt banking systems, global warming, gay rights? Bands like Cattle Decapitation and Gojira are breaths of fresh air in this regard. It would even be great to see black metal bands taking a pop at religious groups that are currently much more violent than Christianity, like Islamic fundamentalists.

With regards to technology's influence.. I see where you're coming from with all your points. However trends like downloading and the decline of CD sales is affecting every genre, not just metal. In fact I remember reading that metalheads buy more physical music and merch than any other music fanbase. So if anything metal has been hurt least by technological developments. Espescially when you consider that most bands in the genre had slim chances of making money anyway. Streaming services like Spotify or Youtube have taken the power away from radio and record labels. People are now free to listen to the music they want and to explore.There is a tradeoff though. It means less money for artists and probably the end of the supergroups like Maiden and Metallica.. but it also opens the door for people to be exposed to a lot of music they never would have heard before. The people that love music and value it will still go to gigs and buy merch.

Maybe things have changed today, but all of my friends who are into metal are middle class and tend to people who are very open minded about new types of music. I think genres you mentioned before like rap and dance have become the new anthems of the working class.

The genre will progress just fine. I think we are waiting for a band to break big like Pantera or Metallica did and unfortunately I'm not sure how feasible that is nowadays when people don't buy records and have so many more options when it comes to who to listen to. There were plenty of bands of supergroup-caliber quality over the past 10 years that should have been huge were it not for shifting trends in music consumption.

I'm only going to comment on one. Metal does NOT have the most extreme sounds of any genre. Experimental electronic music is often much more extreme, particularly stuff like industrial, hardcore techno, IDM, harsh noise, and now even dubstep. Even before metal there were avant-garde musicians doing much more extreme stuff, it's just no one listened to them because they had no mass appeal like metal does. Maybe you can call it the "heaviest" music, but that's kinda what makes metal metal, and that's completely different from being extreme. IMO metal is just the most extreme music that is still listenable. Anyway, I'd say rap is more akin to punk than it is to metal, they are both simple, ugly, angry music made in rebellion against an oppressive system, while still having enough musicality that people would actually listen to them, though the big difference is punk still drew from traditional rock forms while rap was something new entirely, the brainchild of DJs. Culturally speaking, rap is the black community's answer to punk, and the two scenes were closely knit when rap was first forming. Metal meanwhile has some similarities to punk, but it's always been more ambitious, trying to instill the sense of grandeur classic had while coming from a working class background. They didn't just want to have a rocking good time, they wanted to be the greatest rockstars to have ever lived. While there is some overlap, rap and metal generally appeal to very different groups of people, and there is studies supporting this. So rap isn't any threat to metal.

I'm also going to say that I've lived around the world, and metal is very popular outside of Europe. I saw tons of metal fans in Indonesia (the current president is even a metalhead), and while I didn't see them much on the streets, I know there is ton of metal fans in Brazil. Really the music industry in general is just centered around Europe and North America, and North America and Europe have very different philosophies when it comes to metal. This is more just ignorance to how globalization works than anything else.

"Where are the bands getting angry about racism, income inequality, corrupt banking systems, global warming, gay rights? " Again, this is a more a rap vs. punk thing than a metal thing, political rap is thriving.

Black/Thrash/Blackened Death genres or sub genres wherever u wanna call it Like Goatwhore or Immortal

Just a few quick thoughts:

Today's major references (those who make us go to festivals and all) will be dead or reformed.
New references won't be as consensual due to variety of offer.
Professional music will be pretty much over.
Music will be divided between few marketable artists and amateurs.
Labels will be over.
Direct relation between musicians and public.
Less fans per band.
Due to enormous offer, the attention time span will be reduced to almost nothing (kids today listen to music while browsing faceshit, for example).
The industry will pretty much be reduced to minorities who support bands via online channels (social media and band site) and gigs will be hard to get due to costs.
Gigs will probably be supported by the fans themselves, since there will be little money to be done with gigs. Without gigs, musicians will have a hard making money of their music.
It's hard to predict which genres will be popular in 2030: metal is getting extremely technical, aesthetically "pretty" (female fronted metal bands) or overproduced studio-wise.
Cycles are a thing. Probably 90' death metal will be a thing again. Maybe 00's power metal will return. Who knows?
As for new stuff, i think it's getting overwhelming hard to find new refreshing music . Everything sounds the same. That excess is an overall sign of iminent rupture.
The excess of subgenres is incredible, It's like the coffee industry, there are infinte names and variety of coffee! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_coffee_drinks
Metal is just like that these days. Too much pointless eye candy without content.

Written by Guest on 20.07.2015 at 19:30

Just a few quick thoughts:

Today's major references (those who make us go to festivals and all) will be dead or reformed.
New references won't be as consensual due to variety of offer.
Professional music will be pretty much over.
Music will be divided between few marketable artists and amateurs.
Labels will be over.
Direct relation between musicians and public.
Less fans per band.
Due to enormous offer, the attention time span will be reduced to almost nothing (kids today listen to music while browsing faceshit, for example).
The industry will pretty much be reduced to minorities who support bands via online channels (social media and band site) and gigs will be hard to get due to costs.
Gigs will probably be supported by the fans themselves, since there will be little money to be done with gigs. Without gigs, musicians will have a hard making money of their music.
It's hard to predict which genres will be popular in 2030: metal is getting extremely technical, aesthetically "pretty" (female fronted metal bands) or overproduced studio-wise.
Cycles are a thing. Probably 90' death metal will be a thing again. Maybe 00's power metal will return. Who knows?
As for new stuff, i think it's getting overwhelming hard to find new refreshing music . Everything sounds the same. That excess is an overall sign of iminent rupture.
The excess of subgenres is incredible, It's like the coffee industry, there are infinte names and variety of coffee! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_coffee_drinks
Metal is just like that these days. Too much pointless eye candy without content.

Agree with most of them, but not all.
For instance I don't think labels will be over. In fact more and more underground labels are rising here and there and I think the tendency is to increase. Small labels though...
Also not hard to find new music. The underground scene is full of bands playing music out of the traditional. There's even tags like avant-garde and experimental which describe bands which are doing something that wasn;t done before. And I think it's gonna stay like that. The bands won't be very well-known though, as they're not nowadays.

Yeah, metal will probably become even more further away from the mainstream. radio, televeision and such stuff. But will still be famous among the fans, I think.

Written by DARKKUBAN on 20.07.2015 at 06:28

Black/Thrash/Blackened Death genres or sub genres wherever u wanna call it Like Goatwhore or Immortal

I predict there is going to be entirely new forms of extreme metal canonized that we haven't even imagined right now. Beyond sludge metal, deathcore, and djent.

Written by M C Vice on 06.07.2015 at 10:12

Since no one has said it yet...
Jari Whateverhislastnameis will release a statement saying why Time 2 still isn't finished.

I legit Lol'd.