What are some cliches in guitar dominated music that you can't stand?

[DLG]

how about every single band now doing lyric videos for their new single and 85 percent that come out really have terrible lyrics that are better off never read

 

[m3l-mrq3z]

how about every single band now doing lyric videos for their new single and 85 percent that come out really have terrible lyrics that are better off never read

Some of those lyric videos even have spelling mistakes in them (ill nino).

 

[TedEH]

Yeah, I think a lot of people are under the false impression that they can't hear the bass if it isn't like, separated as if it's a solo instrument and/or playing something totally different from the guitars. I'd say probably 50% of the modern-produced metal I hear has bass almost as loud as the guitars. That .00001% figure might apply to kvlt black metal/shitty death metal mixes though.

I don't think the volume of the bass track is the problem, it's a matter of not being able really hear what the bass is doing. As a bass player, I can record at home and always have a clear separation of what bass and guitar are doing, because I specifically carve out a space for the bass to be heard. But as soon as a non-bass player get involved in the mix, the low end of the guitar gets cranked, and you never hear the actual bass again.

 

[sleightest]

Big pick scrape slide into punk power chords. Its been done way too many times please stop.

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

crappy vibrato makes my ears bleed

 

[bhakan]

I don't think the volume of the bass track is the problem, it's a matter of not being able really hear what the bass is doing. As a bass player, I can record at home and always have a clear separation of what bass and guitar are doing, because I specifically carve out a space for the bass to be heard. But as soon as a non-bass player get involved in the mix, the low end of the guitar gets cranked, and you never hear the actual bass again.

I don't think that it is so much the mix as the fact that most bass parts in metal just follow the guitars exactly. If the bass was actually playing something different, you would either be able to hear it clearly, or the mix would be adjusted so you could, but as long as it is just and octave lower guitar, you're not going to hear it well.

 

[Triple-J]

The cliche I hate the most is the quiet verse/loud chorus formula cause it's been ran into the ground over the past twenty years by every genre/movement in rock, grunge, nu-metal and even pop punk all did it to death and even metalcore used it too but with a slight twist (shouty/screamy verse/loud melodic chorus) don't get me wrong I like that "oh my god here comes the big chorus riff!" feeling sometimes but it's incredibly predictable most of the time.

 

[DarkWolfXV]

-BOOOOOOM drum triggers at the beginning of riffs. I DO NOT OWN A PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SETUP IN MY CAR OR HOME. PLEASE STOP.

Its called a bass drop

 

[goherpsNderp]

By the way, who the devil screams "BREAKDOWN!" before the actual breakdown? :S

off the top of my head: unearth lol (maybe after the burial, also?)

I don't think I've ever hear this; can you provide an example?

in nearly every prog metal album i own. usually they'll play a build-up riff and then when they go all out you'll hear a really bassy boom kind of noise that coincides with the first note of the riff. also known as a "bass drop" too i guess.

here: "Sonic Boom" effect common in hardcore/metal break... - Harmony Central

Unless it's Joe from Gojira

truth. joe can say whatever he fucking wants. it will always sound awesome and mighty somehow.

 

[tedtan]

Thanks, DarkWolfXV and goherpsNderp. I know exactly what you're talking about.

 

[goherpsNderp]

yeah, sorry im not very good at describing stuff.

 

[straightshreddd]

Djent.



In djent's defense, I will say too much of ANYTHING is not good, so I'm not singling it out for what it is.

 

[blaaargh]

I don't think the volume of the bass track is the problem, it's a matter of not being able really hear what the bass is doing. As a bass player, I can record at home and always have a clear separation of what bass and guitar are doing, because I specifically carve out a space for the bass to be heard. But as soon as a non-bass player get involved in the mix, the low end of the guitar gets cranked, and you never hear the actual bass again.

This is the primary culprit. It's further magnified when the guitars are super downtuned (especially if they're 6 strings) or when the bass is distorted, which can sometimes make it blend in with the guitar sound. This is why most doom records not featuring Al Cisneros don't really have a distinct bass sound either. The guitars have so much low end there's no room for the bass. It's true that when the bassline follows the guitar it doesn't help it stand out, but this is usually the case in most rock/punk bands and the bass is more present there than in metal.

 

[Splinterhead]

Long lines of non-rhythmic soloing. (46,012 sixteenth notes). I like bopping but not really in contemporary music. I like lines that are rhythmic, lyrical and thoughtful.

Sweeping for the sake of sweeping. Tiring to listen to.

The pinch harmonic is over. Lets move on.

-curmudgeonly old man

 

[ilyti]

Sad story: I've been involved in two CD releases in the last year, and most of my family and so-called friends (if they even know I have CDs out) couldn't make it more than half a song into it before saying they can't tolerate any more.

I'm sure that's (partially) because the music scene here in Ottawa/Gatineau is DISMAL. It's so elitist and insular I can't stand it.

and + 1 on anyone saying "good playing, shitty singer".

 

[MistaSnowman]

...ignoring the fact that BB King was playing one POSITION but many notes because of all that goddamn bending.

And he rarely played any chords.

 

[BucketheadRules]

The more effort I put into improving my bends and vibrato (hopefully this doesn't sound arrogant, but I've put some serious work into it, and noticed a fairly large improvement in the last year or so), the more it bugs me hearing really uncontrolled, shaky and tuneless vibrato when I listen to other people play... I just hate it. Seriously - for me, the real test of whether I will actually enjoy listening to any particular guitarist is in their vibrato - if it's good, it automatically makes everything else sound better, honestly.

It doesn't matter if you can't shred if your slow playing sounds as good as it can possibly get. Vibrato is a deceptively huge part of that.

 

[The Reverend]

I kind of resent when someone will come out with a good idea, and then people who already have a good 'voice' on guitar will force that kind of thing into their own music. I know that it's not always intentional, but it really bothers me.

For example, the amount of electronica influence in sorta proggy, instrumental music. Yeah, it was cool when AAL and Periphery used that stuff, but I've heard it so much that it's disingenuous.

 

[JPhoenix19]

People always make stupid Hendrix comments when they see my year round tan and find out I play guitar.

I get that, and I'm white...

I don't like how much of metal nowadays is about plinking and planking single note runs with wide intervals- and not really making a great deal of melodic sense. Sure, it makes my head move at the grove, but that's more the rhythm section than your ADHD guitar riffs.

 

[rythmic_pulses]

Over Shredding, that point in the song where it sounds good, for about a minute, when it drags on for like 5+ mins I get so bored, that's if it doesn't have imagination.