ShredmasterD
Calls it like it is.
Add me to the list of people who hadn't heard of "boomer bends" before now
I hesitant to believe it's a real criticism because its a core technique of guitar playing that new players will want to incorporate into their style at some point as well. It doesn't mean it's the right fit for every song, but I find it difficult to believe anyone who plays guitar will look at bends as being exhausted of their creative potential.
An important part of the evolution of rock and metal since the 80s has been the incorporation of harmonic and rhythmic complexity from other styles of music. Petrucci is an obvious example of someone who pushed his music to have greater underlying variation for him to exploit as a soloist.
I assume everyone has seen Paul Gilbert's take on bending. The title is clickbaity...his point is basically that rock and metal had to evolve in the direction of blues and jazz to remain fresh. But suffice it to say that bending and vibrato are as essential to guitar playing in 2022 as they ever were.
first heard it as a youtube thing. look up 'boomer bends'