The following list was written by Jeris Johnson on the heels of his new metal record Dragonborn.
Embrace technology, but never lose humanity
The fact that we have the power to make an entirely self-produced metal project from our bedrooms is absolutely a blessing and not a curse. The barrier to make great metal music is the lowest that it's ever been. I want to encourage the kids picking up a laptop and making beats for the first time to make metal, instead of trap beats (or maybe do both).
On top of that, some of the greatest movements in metal (IMHO) have been birthed by use of new technology. We now live in a world where AI can churn out riffs at lightning speed, and while controversial, I think it's important to figure out how we can use all these new tools in a human way. That "human" feeling is literally what connects us to metal. Its lifeblood is raw emotion and energy, not a soulless algorithm. All this new shit has the power to inspire us to take metal to the next level, we just have to make sure we don't sterilize it in the process.
Make weird shit again
Metal has always been the home for the weird, the wild, and the wonderfully insane. Somewhere along the way in the past 10-15 years it feels like bands started getting afraid to be weird; when being on the fringes was literally what defined metal's existence from the very beginning. I want to hear vocals pushing their voices to new extremes, and I don't just mean the deathcore vocal olympics. I mean I want to hear people push what it means to give a great, authentic, crazy, vocal performance. And that usually means being a little weird. The opposite of being metal would be staying safe, and the genre has done a lot of staying safe in the past decade. So my plea is, let's bring some oddity and creativity back to metal, in the production, writing, AND performance.
Ditch the gatekeeping
It's no secret that metalheads love a good argument about what is and isn't "real metal". The future of metal isn't about drawing lines in the sand; it's about embracing the chaos that comes when you let everyone in.
Metal's roots are in rebellion and breaking norms—so why not apply that to who gets to play and enjoy it? We should be welcoming new influences, diverse voices, and fresh ideas into the genre. Think of it as throwing a wild party where everyone's invited, and no one's telling you what to wear. Want to throw some hip-hop beats into your black metal? Go for it. Feel like mixing traditional folk with some death growls? Hell yes. The more, the merrier, and the future of metal will be all the more epic for it.
Put on a SHOW
The future of metal rests on the shoulders of real artists being willing to create ART. I want to see a live show that blows my mind, not just a few dudes having a who can be the most normal and relatable competition on stage. I want people willing to put the effort in to make something that feels special, that entertains, provokes, makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you shove the guy next to you. Metal needs a visual and spiritual upgrade for the future. It can always be bigger, louder, and more thought provoking than ever before, all you have to do is put on a show.
Be your authentic self
It sounds basic and cliche but it's actually the most important part of this whole thing. Metal that is made to sell because you think "people will like it" is anti to the spirit of the genre itself. That doesn't mean that every song has to be a 12 min long prog metal masterpiece. It simply means that we as artists have to create music simply because WE love it and it is authentic to US. There are so many metal songs I hear right now and I can instantly tell they just wrote because they are trying to make something that will pay the bills.
The ironic thing is the biggest, most successful bands/artists of all time were not doing that. That is because when you make something truly authentic to you it resonates with people. It doesn't matter where that authenticity comes from. It just has to be real to YOU. Do that, and metal will have a greater future than any of us are currently thinking is possible.
Check out the album in full below and make sure to get it here. You can also catch Johnson at one of his below headlining dates.
10/10 Sacramento, CA Aftershock Festival
10/11 Fresno, CA Strummers
10/13 Eugene, OR WOW Hall
10/14 Seattle, WA Madame Lou's
10/17 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
10/19 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
10/21 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck
10/22 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
10/23 Chicago, IL Subterranean
10/25 Ferndale, MI Loving Touch
10/26 Columbus, OH Woodlands Tavern
10/29 Buffalo, NY Rec Room
10/30 Pittsburgh, PA Thunderbird Cafe
11/1 Cambridge, MA Sonias
11/2 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
11/5 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
11/7 Austin, TX Ballroom @ Spiderhouse
11/8 Dallas, TX RBC
11/12 Mesa, AZ Nile Theatre
11/13 Los Angeles, CA Moroccan Lounge
