QuoteEveryone I know loves Death Metal and Black Metal.
Metal itself is at its most popular time ever. I see as many Metal fans as Rap fans where I live.
True! I live in europe and the scene here is wild and bigger than ever, Deathmetal, Blackmetal, Hardcore, Metalcore, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal... this stuff is booming over here (always speaking in relative terms)
unknown Bands like Eluveitie have entered the charts in my country at #4 and even in the states they entered the charts.
As for BM: If you look at it as a form of art, it is not bad. But all the good bands that have played Black Metal in the past have now changed their sound to something better:
Behemoth (you surely know them) are now Death Metal and sound way better than during their BM - days
Cradle of Filth were so blasé during their BM - times and at least stand out of the mass now with their comercialised Gothic Metal.
Dimmu have changed from BM to somekind of Symphonic Death with Black Metal elements (In Sorte Diaboli is the biggest proof of that and also their best album)
Keep Of Kalessin used to be Black Metal and never had a big Audience. Then Kolossus stepped away from the Black Metal clichés and BAM: You have a successful band!
The only reason why Gaygoroth could stay true to their BM roots and have somekind of success was because of their controversy, but not because of their music...
So you see, the good BM Bands have realised that this music is stagnation and full of limitation, which literaly means no growth. So quite rightely they have changed to a better form of music.
I personally prefer Melodic Death Metal and even Metalcore. Simply better melodies and hooklines with much much much greater Guitarworks... and I LOVE Guitar Harmonies the oldschool way like Iron Maiden did it and modern Bands in Metalcore and Melodeath are reviving that kind of Guitar Harmonies!