for iron maiden fans only!

[Axeminister]

I need a place where I can store some of my music and keep it private for just a few people. Can anyone suggest a site?

[DrummaDude]

I know the thread title is Iron Maiden Fans only, but i may as well chip in...

Personally i find Iron Maiden to be a bit overrated. Now you'll have to forgive me here, because first of all i wasn't around in their 'era' so-to-speak, but no doubt they were probably a great band for their time. Now however i think musically things have moved on, and there is much more to be offered in other bands. Not neccesarily just one, but collectively i think modern bands can in some cases put on better shows with better music than the old school.

The one thing that annoys me with bands like this is when someone such as myself chips in and says he doesn't like the music itself, and then a LOT of older people than me say something like "this is one of the bands that shaped your music today" and "you kids know nothing about rock/metal". The only thing i have to say to these people is 'grow up you old fart '. Music is about what you want it to be, doesn't matter what production value or how much money was thrown at Iron Maiden back in the day, if i don't like the music i don't like it. Tough luck. Thats the reason this thread originally annoyed me, it just seemed like someone was a fan for almost no reason, i.e. a sheep. A lot of fans are, and follow the trend because 'its cool' or whatever reason. (Take a modern band 'Enter Shikari', personally i couldnt stand it, but everyone followed them after their first album, the band got drunk on it, and now i havent heard anything about them since last year!).

People need to start listening to bands for the music itself, not just because 'they were the greatest band ever'. Bands are about music, the actual vibrations on youre ear drums. And thats where it ends.

But i'm one of those people who doesn't see as much beauty in old things as much as i do modern stuff. Applying it to games, some of my friends are obsessed with 'Doom', and say its the 'best game ever'. I'm more interested in where things are now, the ridiculous (1,600!) amount of caluculations performed per-pixel... the code for modern graphics engines, collision detection. High polygon models. Granted a lot more money goes into the game industry now but some of the stuff just fascinates me.

Iron Maidens tracks are quite 'Epic' sounding, which no doubt helps their live performance and increase their fans. i did listen to them for a while, but got distracted by modern metal, and now im a much bigger fan of that. It probably has something to do with me playing drums as well. Modern drumming is a LOT more technical that anything Nicko Mcbrain put together, but i guess his band wasn't after that.

I like the modern music i guess, where things are right now. I like the crisp sound, the amount of production put into everything. I also LOVE how writers put their heart and soul into music, because now we've got digital music, its so easy to get it all for free. This leaves the artists in a bit of a state, and they really have to put their heart and soul into the music they are writing so people WILL actually buy it.

Sometime's i've gone out and bought CD's even after downloading them or burning them off from a friend, just because i think the band/artists deserves it

Sheesh... long post for the morning...

As a musician who's played in total about 5-6 instruments and is completely serious about music as a whole, I disagree.

Listening for a trend is definitely a factor, but there are a lot of people out there that actually like their music. Me included. Music isn't like technology the way you explain it. As much as people may claim it is, it's not a race or a challenge. You don't try to one-up the competition, or to keep pushing the bar until it's refined and it's refined. That, in my eyes, isn't music. Music is an art.

There are numerous styles, ranging from photo-realism to much something much more simple. They can both have their equal amounts of glory, regardless of level of complication.

More technical drummers? What makes a good drummer to me, is not technicality, but inspiration and creativity. Like I said, music isn't a race, it's an art. What's the point of playing super staccato rhythms extremely fast, if everyone else is out doing the same? What's so special about super fast double bass? Everyone out there is doing it, maybe better than the other, but what is so special about it?

Don't tell me to grow up. I've already grown out of new-age metal.

If you have any knowledge about music, you can be able to respect all kinds of music (respect is the key word), from classical, to jazz, to blues, to iron maiden. What makes Nicko the "Iron Maiden" drummer? His style. Not his chops and speed.

How is it that a blues guitarist, such as BB King, can have so many true fans, and can conjure immense emotion from the crowd? You said "Bands are about music, the actual vibrations on youre ear drums. And thats where it ends." No, it doesn't end there. The brain processes that information, and like my favorite quote says: "Music is what feelings sound like."

Sometimes, the guy playing one note for a long period of time, can top the guy playing 30 notes in that same period. It's not about technicality.

[TheJamsh]

Of course its not ALL about technicality. Thats why i said Nicko's band wasn't after that, but he managed to make something unique to that band anyway. The 'Run To The Hills' intro, easy as pie, but memorable. I think you misjudged me about the technicality. Technicality is a factor in some forms of music, depending on what you want to achieve, and technicality does impress, but creativity and inspiration are the perfect words to describe what else is needed. Technicality on its own is boring as hell... I'm at a stage now where i can play virtually anything i listen to if i listen long enough, no matter how technical. But creativity is what gives me the rush that i play for, when im playing something totally new and different and trying to master that. One other thing that impressed me is avoiding over-playing, but contributing to the 'song', not just your track. Over-playing is WAY to common, and technicality often walks hand-in-hand with it.

Listening for a trend isn't just 'a factor', its a monumental factor. If i had a penny for everytime i've asked someone why they listen to what they do and they say "well thats whats cool" i'd be minted. As much as i appreciate and DO believe that artists create music because they love it, you have to remember that they are doing it to survive, i.e. make money. So of course there is a level of competition in some forms of music.

I didn't tell you to grow up either. What pisses me off is the listeners who have been stuck in there ways for so long, and then something new comes out, and the fans of the new music get the whole 'my band created the inspiration for youre band' bollocks. You can see these comments all over YouTube. Any video will have two or more people argueing over where the inspiration of the music came from. THAT is what annoys me. I'm not saying anybody here is guilty of it, but you can see a typical fan comment such as 'Lamb Of God are the best band ever'! and some fart will come on and say 'well they got their inspiration from Black Sabbath' and 'So-and-so paved the way for them, so this band is nothing compared to them'. That my dear friends, is bullhoot.

You contradicted yourself a little by saying you 'grew out of new-age metal'. Im not into 'new-age metal' so to speak, but how can i grow out of a form of music? maybe i don't understand what you mean by that...

Music isn't all about feelings either. Any schmuck can pick a guitar up and express his anger but it will sound horrible. There is competition in music, where do we get the 'that person is a good guitarist/whatever' and 'that person sucks at guitar'. Mucisians have 'skill', which is a fundamental requirement to express youre feelings via a musical instrument.

I totally agree that music is about feelings, its all that emotional chemistry and whatnot in you're head that makes you think of a musical melody, harmony or whatever. For me its excitement and adrenaline usually. Music is TOTALLY about feelings, but you can't say thats the ONLY thing its about. Money DOES come into play, because everyone has to survive and unfortunately only money can permit that. Bums of course can say they play music without gaining anything from it . I guess saying that 'bands are there to make music etc.' was the wrong way to say it.

Also, creativity means creating something new or different in the bounds of this conversation, and yet you say music ISN'T about raising the bar? Creativity IS a competition, especially among modern musicians. How many pieces are there to youre kit, how many ways are there to hit each one to make a different sound, and truly how many different 'orders' can each one be played in. Creativity is a dying factor of music because more and more is being done, so people turn to technicality. However i never once said thats what its all about. Dont mistake me for an im-mature fanboy wanna-be joey jordison drummer. I have the intellectual ability and knowledge to know that his speed and quite frankly lack of overall technicality isn't everything. He can be creative however, thinking about it... But thats something totally different.

Oh and the thing about technology and the games industry was virtually un-related, that was just a comparison to something else in life.

[DrummaDude]

Sorry, I got the impression that your measurement of music was in technicality.

Growing out of metal, I meant that I used to only listen to it, and I stopped, and started listening to other genres. "Maturing" and changing tastes, is one way I can describe it (but not in an offensive way, to say anything negative about any genre).



And I still stand by my point on music being about feelings. What I intended to prove with that statement is that in the end, music is an portray to give a message without words. True, you use the vocabulary and language to compose that message, but not with the intention of creating the most complicated piece for the sake of complication. Aside from the learning curve of developing those skills, music to me is still all about the feelings. Creativity is another part of that, not competition. Rarely do you find a musician who seeks to raise the bar for the sake of it; it's a response for trying to portray their message. Take the famous bassist, Victor Wooten, for example. He's famous for his double-thump technique, because he wanted to get the sound of a pick, but didn't actually want to use a pick. His creativity is a result of trying to find another means to say what's on his mind, not to out-do the next musician.

Another famous example: Miles Davis and one of the most famous albums in history, Kind of Blue. Most jazz musicians up until that album focused around chord changes, and Davis' predecessor and himself began running out of options to approach that music. As a result, Miles Davis and a few other musicians began working on a concept with a sound that revolves around scales, creating the masterpiece of Kind of Blue. It wasn't an attempt to best other musicians.

It's true, the difference between a jazz musician and a large pizza, is that the pizza can feed a family of four, but that doesn't stop the numerous people out there who are scathing away with their minimal gig payments. That's why a lot of them have a day job to pay the bills, and then play music at night. The money is only to support their live so that in return, they can make music. Money and music might be related, but in nature, are separate. Money doesn't come into play when it comes to the actual process of making music.

[TheJamsh]

well put sir...

[sabrebattletank]

First bassline I learnt was Histeria by Muse, which is supposed to be really tough. Bass isn't as bad / hard as everybody makes out.

It's really an easy bassline, but it just looks difficult.

[sabrebattletank]

Who cares about drums anyway? Just sequence them! Nobody listens to the drum parts.

Speaking of which, does anybody know of a good free DAW? I basically am looking for FL Studio but free

[TheJamsh]

Who cares about drums anyway? Just sequence them! Nobody listens to the drum parts.

...

[VSMIT]

Actually, SBT, that's not true.  People listen to drums.  They don't listen to the bass.  Ever.

[sabrebattletank]

 -_-

But seriously, just sequence drums and call it "electronic." You're set.

[iron maiden]

i listen to the bass and find it to be a very beautiful instrument. granted that it is difficult to hear but when you do it becomes addictive. listen to the oppening of the iron maiden song the clairvoyant, or killers, you'll seee what i mean.

[TheJamsh]

Bass is a great instrument. If you can listen to music properly that is. Without bass tracks sound so hollow and empty. Theres nothing to fill the gap between the lows and high-mids. At least thats my experience anyway.

Sequenced drums quite frankly are shocking... They always sound too processed, too clean and too tight. You NEED that human feeling in there, even if the hits are just a fraction of a millisecond out its what makes the track flow and feel natural. The main reason i cant stance trance/electronica music is because i can't find anything remotely natural about it... just overprocessed mush...

Each to their own though isn't it. Playing acoustic kits also allow you to do FAR more than any electronic set. What you've shown there is a very ignorant view about an instrument. ANY instrument can be processed. I suspect you are an electronic/hardcore/'dance' music fan?

[AcneVulgaris]

Iron Maiden was one of the best bands of the time, and you hear them in other bands music constantly.  There's a Papa Roach song that BLATANTLY rips off a riff from Innocent Exile and uses it for the entire song.  I get mad hearing their emo whinging over it.

Metal bands sound "better" now because you can slap down an out of time, out of tune mess and have the engineers make it perfect digitally. You lose a lot that way though.  There is an emotional component that the performers project through the music that gets lost in that process.  That wave of crackling energy you can sense surging through the crowd at a live show is what gets lost, I think.

[DrummaDude]

You can sequence drums, to a very limited extent. You get a super sterile sounding beat, without any feel at all. At most, with a fill every few measures. Try to sequence drums for a jazz piece. You'll be spending enormous amounts of time trying to get it to sound decent, or come up with the most pathetic excuse for a jazz rhythm. There's a reason why music isn't generated by computers for the most part. It's a language spoken to other musicians without words. Try talking to a computer, it's not as exciting. There are always little flaws here and there, little nuances added in that the other musicians pick up on, and build upon. Bassists and drummers are like blood brothers who can read each other's minds. When the drummer creates a groove with the bass drum, the bassist locks in. Everything is built upon that language.

Nobody listens to the bass, unless if they're seeking to listen to it. Now, take away the bass. You will hear the difference.

[TheJamsh]

Metal bands sound "better" now because you can slap down an out of time, out of tune mess and have the engineers make it perfect digitally.

as we say in the industry... you cant polish a turd