I’ve always loved music I grew up listening to everything from classical to heavy metal. I think I may have been weaned from my mother to the Music of Jefferson Airplane (The original name of the band). That was 1967. For forty years I have listened to music change and morph. Fads come and go. Even within their own genres: be it rock, heavy metal, pop, country, punk etc. Music has always been an industry that evolves. Without each genre evolving they would die off and be forgotten. After all, who can forget the 80’s and the heavy metal hair bands, with their hair long, teased and an entire bottle of aqua net used to hold it up.

The same is happening again, music is changing and evolving. There are bands playing old school heavy metal, where you can bang your head, and sing along. Their lyrics are easy to follow, the drum solos and guitar licks make for great fun, you can sit in your home and have a jam session going in your living room, or be in your car singing to the lyrics and banging your head around.

Bands are experimenting mixing the various styles of heavy metal rock together right now. Conversely, Neo is the classic style of heavy metal which most of us grew up on. Bands of the 70’s and 80 are pretty much stayed with the same style of heavy metal they chose and stayed with it.

In the late 70’s and early 80’s Power Metal came about with bands like Judas Priest and Iron Madian becoming the kings of metal. These two groups used their powerful and soaring vocals and their considerably talented guitarists and drummers through the years, helped keep them on top. These bands stayed consistent in style and substance wile still keeping their fans enthralled, stadiums packed and album sales up. As did other bands over several years in their own styles such as Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Shred Metal and other styles

As heavy metal evolved in the 1980’s into the mid 1990’s more and more bands flooded mainstream radio, clubs and large concert venues. Various styles grew in popularity, while others fused together to create some great bands, and some fused creating some immense sounding percussions, and awesome guitar riffs. What suffered with the fusion of styles at times where the vocals. In Nu Metal is a Genre of heavy metal where the heavy guitars and the growling, gruff vocals are supposed to be almost unrecognizable. Unfortunately, many bands that did not have that intention for their vocals ended up having vocals that had that exact effect. Vocals so gruff and raw it was almost impossible for most listeners to have any idea what the singer was singing or what the band as a whole was trying to get across.

As someone who has listened to almost all kinds of music my entire life, I have slowly watched as mainstream radio has stopped playing many new heavy metal bands, mainly because listeners could not understand the lyrics, and few bands where coming out with anything to keep heavy metal going after the mid 1990‘s. Radio Stations that where playing heavy metal to large audiences changed formats, forcing new heavy metal bands underground. Now they are being played mainly on internet radio stations and satellite radio stations, that fucking sucks. I have the equipment for my car for satellite radio, and had it for awhile, but have not renewed it, because I just do not drive enough. When I am in my car, if I do want to listen to heavy metal the closest I can get is to put on KLOS is the LA market and listen to the old classic rock and heavy metal.

I am coming across a lot of bands with great potential, where I believe they can get access to a mainstream audience. Just like Country a decade ago and pop a few years ago were both almost given a death sentence. It will just take a few great bands to revive the interest of listeners. When this happens, the musicians and fans will get their mainstream play back. New artist will be playing huge arenas in the US and abroad again, making their millions, and hopefully we will have a heavy metal revival. The one thing we must do, is make it fun again, keep it head banging while at the same time keeping the lyrics just clear enough so that listeners can join in with you sing their fucking hearts out, and revel in all the heavy metal rituals. We need to make changes, but we also need to keep it a bit old school at the same time so we can revisit the glory days of heavy metal.