POST GRUNGE METAL KEEPING THE HEADBANGERS FLAME ALIVE

https://youtu.be/3YxaaGgTQYM?si=Bwbpz4nB0idYB31s

In the league of post grunge alternative/ metal, the late 90`s threw up worldbeaters like Creed, Nickelback and the less successful 3 Doors Down. 

The sort of music which these bands play is based on a very simple formula of mixing grunge infused melodies with the dynamic variations of speed metal, and what you end up with is the sound which these bands popularised. 

Nickelback`s musical influences are a little less kocha than most of their contemporaries, lead singer Chad Kroeger sights country music as also having a big impact on the sound which the band has developed, songs like `Photograph`, a big hit single for the band from 2005, proves the country music connection. 

3 Doors Down never matched the enthusiasm and raw power of their debut, an album that threw up the hard rock classic `Kryptonite`, a song tailor made for a Superman soundtrack obviously. 

3 Doors Down have gone soft of late and have resorted to ballads where Nickelback have preferred to just go acoustic on occasions, but not losing any of their lyrical impact. 

Regardless of Chad Kroeger`s perceived 
childishness and sexist attitude, he really is one hell of a good lyricist, he knows how to push all the boundaries and write songs about bonking girls on the back seat of a car ect. but the girls still love the guy, go to any Nickelback concert and you will see a lot of girls there.

For the few women out there who think Kroeger is a sexist pig, he has millions of others who are lapping up his lyrical sexual imagery and loving him. 

I got to say that Kroeger is also one mean and often talented rhythm guitar player, he learnt a lot off Pantera`s slain former guitarist Dimebag Darrell and fellas like James Hetfield and Sammy Hagar.

One band which I haven`t mentioned yet is another post grunge metal band from the south of the US like Creed and 3 Doors Down
called EVANESCENCE. 

The band might not be a lost treasure just yet but it is heading that way. Their highly successful album `Fallen` from 2003, which met with mixed critical reviews, is a very innovative post grunge metal affair for the most part, and it threw up the classical piano heart tugger `My Immortal`, which featured a mesmerizing and emotional performance on piano by the normally guitar shredding Ben Moody. 

Lead singer Amy Lee, famous for her swampy gothic looks and pierced tongue, put in a spine tingling display on vocals for this quirky diversion from the band's recognised style. 

The song has now been covered by numerous crooners and opera singers the world over, the problem for EVANESCENCE is that the song stereotyped them to such an extent that no one really cares too much about their other output. 

A bit like Eagle Rock syndrome for Ross Wilson, the same principle. After the com-
mercial success of `Fallen`, the band basically disintegrated when the drug addictions of guitarist and chief songwriter Ben Moody caught up with him and the rest of the band.

They have released a follow up album, maybe two but I would have to check, but the momentum was totally lost and the band is now marginalised as being the post grunge heavy metal band who wrote that classical piece called `My Immortal`. 

Lovely song, different, Amy Lee is even a bit out of tune in a few places but it has an amazing atmosphere.

Equally creepy and inspiring. Perhaps it would've been a better idea if EVANESCENCE would have recorded the song on album number 3 or 4, it was a gamble putting such an experimental song on album no. 1, but maybe the band members knew the writing was on the wall and thought they might not be around that long to record it. 

In the same spirit of Nickelback and Creed, the album as a whole, and not just the wonderful `My Immortal` is up there in the top 10 albums of all time in the post- grunge metal genre. One band which proves debuts are often the best.