All That Remains is releasing a new record The Order of Things on February 24 and we've already heard the first, surprisingly heavy single, which was met with pretty mixed reviews. In a recent interview with Revolver discussing the new record, frontman Phil Labonte said that he feels like there's nothing edgy about metal anymore. Granted that's the short version of his feelings about the genre, so go ahead an check out his full statement.
"'I just get a kick out of being an antagonist. When it comes to rubbing people the wrong way, I don't care who I offend.
Okay, before we go any further, I just want to point out that Labonte prefaces this whole thing by saying he likes to make inflammatory comments. So take the rest for what it's worth.
'There are no more bad guys in rock and roll and metal. It has become so competitive and so hard to actually be in a band that can make a living, there are no more people that are bad guys. Everybody's got the right opinion and they say the right things or they don't say anything at all.
'There's nothing edgy about metal anymore.
'You're not edgy because you listen to music that sounds abrasive. That doesn't make you a forward thinker, that doesn't make you controversial and it doesn't make you edgy just because you're in a band that plays that stuff. Especially when you're dealing with bands that aren't trying to play the heaviest music in the world, the music that you play is not really edgy. Ideas are edgy. So if the metal world is looking for a bad guy, I'll be that guy.'"
I agree with the fact that metal might've lost it edge a little bit over the years and that maybe there really aren't any crazy outstanding figured beyond "flash in the pan" kind of guys, but personalities never mattered to me personally as much as the music has. On the flip side of that argument, maybe people who are making heavy music aren't trying to be "edgy" in the first place? Maybe it's just an enjoyment thing and Labonte is taking art and making it into a competition here.
What are your thoughts? I'm curious to see how fans are taking these comments.
