I am fucking sick of classic fucking rock!

[Lizzie Poppet]

75. The biggest difference between eras...

...is that the "good stuff" got played on the radio (and got signed to major labels) back then. Today, you have to dig deeper. Sure, there was plenty of utter crap "back in the day," too...but better music got mainstream attention that it doesn't receive much of today. That's true even among synth-oriented musicians. There's some great electronic-based stuff out there...but good luck finding it on a major label (or in the gym).

A recent favorite of mine, Bridear, are an all-female power metal band from Japan. Play their own instruments? Check (and brilliantly). No autotune? Check, even when Kimi's reach exceeds her grasp, vocally...they're honest. Their own songs? Check, and their songwriting is amazing, with compelling hooks and change-ups that still stay "metal" (that is, they're not a pop band who turn up their guitars real loud!).

And they record loud. Why does that matter? Well...a lot of stuff in this genre of late has obviously been recorded at speaking volumes, with amp modelers, one instrument at a time. Bridear are pretty obviously recording at gig volume (you can hear room resonances, etc., if you have good enough speakers or headphones). You don't get that perfect, "black background" clarity of sound that way...but you also don't get a certain sterility that afflicts a lot of modern power metal, either. Bridear's studio stuff is clean enough (largely because they play so accurately...very high musicianship level), but still sounds like it's being played in a smoky, slightly sketchy club...like metal is supposed to sound!

A hugely-refreshing change from the direction much of modern metal has gone (boring nu-metal with Cookie Monster vocals and sludgy, drop-tuned generic riffs). To wit: