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The demise of rock - What a joke!

I'm going to write about rock as if the name "rock" also includes all of it's and metal's sub-genres. The bands that fall within these sub-genres are extremely varied but, while it may seem strange to throw them all together like this, I will do so for the purpose of this article.

The overall quality of rock has not changed - it's just that it seems that the people who complain about it are not willing to look beyond what is played on the radio, the videos on MTV or featured in the major magazines. If you just look at those sources, then the genre is going to seem bland and over-populated with bands that all sound the same. Personally, I don't think this is any different to any other time in rock's history. There will always be (and there has always been) bands that mimic each other's sound and look, bands that deserve the spotlight and those that don't and there will always be bands that are amazing, but never get anywhere.

The simple fact of the matter is that to find something worth getting excited about, you need to look a little deeper and with the Internet and sites like MySpace, Reverbnation and CD Maximum finding new and interesting bands couldn't be easier. Why not go to some local gigs? They're cheap, you're supporting the local scene and you never know when you might find a real diamond in the rough!
There are also plenty of fanzines and webzines around (I should know, I run one and write for a couple of others!) that dedicate massive amounts of time and effort to let their readers know what's worth listening to... In their opinion, of course.

Rock hasn't suffered any great demise - people are just too reliant on the mainstream media.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of bands out there that are covered by the mainstream media that completely deserve the exposure - but they are not the be all and end all of rock.

There will never be another band like The Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin or Guns N' Roses - and that's a good thing! These bands all have their places cemented in rock's history and they're still amazing, but what would be the point in having another set of bands that sounded exactly the same?
I apologise for generalising, but it appears that those who complain about rock's demise are those who are looking for replacements for bands that have already existed. It's not going to happen. It shouldn't happen. Get over it.

Next time you're on the Internet why not check out one of the sites I've mentioned in this article? I'm even going to get the ball rolling by recommending a few bands...

If you're into Symphonic Black Metal check out Vesperian Sorrow and/or Agathodaimon. Both bands are astounding and I can't even describe the feelings I felt when I first listened to them. Or, if you're looking for pure Black Metal, check out Orion or Sammath. If you prefer your black metal to be mixed with Death Metal check out Devilish Impressions, Artisian, Crionics or Vesania.
I suspect that most of you won't be into extreme metal in any shape or form, so why not check out The Chris Pierson Band (check out "Debris"), Stone Carpet, Iron Giant or Thirty 2 Life (check out "Gagged and Bound")?

All of the bands mentioned can be found on MySpace and most can also be found on either Reverbnation or CD Maximum.

There is plenty of good rock music out there, and there's always going to be people out there who want to create it. All you need to do is spend a little bit of time to discover it. You'll get an awesome feeling when you find something you truly love much like buying a decent piece of vinyl.

Learn more about this author, Loucifer.
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