In a strange, unprecedented music year, Code Orange have proven to be leaders of the pack. Musically, they continued to push their post-metalcore experimentation to new heights with Underneath, and they also managed to roll with the punches by launching a massively successful livestream. If anyone has earned the right to criticize the state of the metal genre, it's them.
In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the band's Reba Meyers and Jami Morgan suggested that metal is perhaps falling stagnant due to a lack of boundary-pushing.
"I love metal, but there needs to be more forward-thinking," Meyers said. "It's expected to be the most forward-thinking genre, but right now, I think it's falling behind some other genres."
She continued: "You look at a metal festival lineup and the headliners are all just bands from the '90s. If you look at festivals like Coachella, the headliners are modern acts. The festival runners who maybe say, 'Oh they don't have a following enough,' it's not just up to them – it's up to the entire industry. Whenever you push these bands as 'small' they're going to be looked at as 'small.' A lot of that is up to perception."
Morgan added that metal fans need to embrace new artists in order for the genre to progress. "Metal has this amazing, loyal fan base and amazing bands that have paved the way or are still groundbreaking. But, are any of the new bands some of the biggest bands? No. In rap, or any other kinds of music, are the newest people the biggest? 100 percent. That's the problem."
Read Exclaim!'s review of Code Orange's Underneath album.
In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the band's Reba Meyers and Jami Morgan suggested that metal is perhaps falling stagnant due to a lack of boundary-pushing.
"I love metal, but there needs to be more forward-thinking," Meyers said. "It's expected to be the most forward-thinking genre, but right now, I think it's falling behind some other genres."
She continued: "You look at a metal festival lineup and the headliners are all just bands from the '90s. If you look at festivals like Coachella, the headliners are modern acts. The festival runners who maybe say, 'Oh they don't have a following enough,' it's not just up to them – it's up to the entire industry. Whenever you push these bands as 'small' they're going to be looked at as 'small.' A lot of that is up to perception."
Morgan added that metal fans need to embrace new artists in order for the genre to progress. "Metal has this amazing, loyal fan base and amazing bands that have paved the way or are still groundbreaking. But, are any of the new bands some of the biggest bands? No. In rap, or any other kinds of music, are the newest people the biggest? 100 percent. That's the problem."
Read Exclaim!'s review of Code Orange's Underneath album.
