There’s a perception by many that our current decade has moved us into an avalanche of repetitive pop music. While true to some extent, but it’s also easier than ever for people to find the music they actually like, with internet and social media access. In turn, it has led to revivals for a number of popular groups from decades past. Eminem is talking about a new album, Missy Elliott is back in business, and bands like Third Eye Blind and the Goo Goo Dolls are touring again. But reaching further back into music history we’ve also seen a remarkable resurgence in some of the most popular metal bands of the ’80s and ’90s.
Leading the way is Metallica, not the first metal band to shoot for a comeback in the 2010s but possibly the most surprising. Metallica all but disappeared after 2008’s album, Death Magnetic (which incidentally got pretty decent reviews). But with a new single, “Hardwired” and a fresh album for 2016, Metallica appears to be back. As one article put it, it’s hard to be a metal band in a music world dominated by pop and rap. And yet, we’ve once again seen surprisingly good reviews for a modern Metallica album. Ironically, this one is titled “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct,” while the band seems to be doing anything but self-destructing. We may be past a time at which Metallica fans are active enough to sway what’s on popular radio—but again, it’s easier than ever for people to gravitate toward their own preferences, and this seems to have preserved a market for metal bands. Metallica is the latest major group to take advantage of this newfound resurgence, but they’re certainly not alone.
Before Metallica’s comeback materialized, it was Guns N’ Roses that was grabbing most of the headlines. With Axl Rose and Slash both on board, GNR started a reunion tour in June to the delight of countless fans around the world. However, before the tour was underway the band also became creative about finding new ways to reach out to fans. Before anything involving new music or performances began, they lent their name and some classic tunes to an online slot machine game. Described as a game packed with eye-catching, user-friendly features, it begins with a montage of memorable GNR performances from over the years, and continues with music and imagery of the band throughout. Given that most themed slot reels on gaming sites deal with things like Marvel movies and other popular characters, the GNR game was a clever bit of marketing. But the real explosion back onto the scene was at Coachella earlier this year, where the band officially reunited and played a handful of shows leading into the official tour. Now the group is back in full force.
Perhaps the most surprising news in the current metal’s revival is that we may be in the midst of a Black Sabbath comeback. The combination of Ozzfest and Knotfest earlier this year sparked conversation about a revival for the Ozzy Osbourne-helmed group, and recently there have been rumors about a more formal return to action. While nothing is confirmed, there are reports about Black Sabbath working in the studio with as many as eight new songs in the books — and a possible reunion tour on the way in 2017. Ozzy has previously suggested that modern audiences just aren’t interested in his music, but a lot has changed in 2016 thanks to some of the comebacks previously mentioned.
It’ll be interesting to see if this metal rebirth is sustainable, or if it’s a sort of last hurrah for big names in the genre. As much as pop and pop-infused rap dominate the music scene these days, there are also plenty who are worn out of these genres which could set the stage a second era of metal.
Featured photo from Wikipedia; this article is a guest contribution by David Englert. The work is his own property and reflects his own views; has been edited for brevity and content.
