Metal Reviews

Well? Considering the likes of the vast number of replies that used to come to reviews, the wide range of discussions going on across the boards, the recent trend of rather dull postings here indicates to me exactly what happened at Blastwave: a few old-timers retreating to a single section of the board (in this case, Helheim) and the odd newbie here and there. Is Metal Reviews the forum dying whilst the main site goes from strength to strength?

I blame the lack of opinionated assholes. Every forum needs some to get a proper discussion going.

If I had a nickel for every time this forum "died," I'd be a rich, rich man.

The forum dies when it gets physically shut down.

I think it's kind of a busy time right now, with classes starting and such.

pretty much

Coupled with the fact we know each other too well to have proper flamewars. It's like an online coffee morning these days, haha.

I'M TRYUING

Hm, maybe it was better in the old days, or maybe I just think that because then I was forever learning new bands and new types of metal from the forums. I'm not really anymore, but that is probably more to do with my state of mind nowadays compared to back then.

Also, some key posters have gone.... I am glad to see the back of Ken, but I am not glad to see the back of Stefan, Misha, Radagast, Valefor, deathkvlt, lizardtail, eisenfaust. (I know some of them still post occasionally, but not a lot)

Personally I have never contributed too much to the forum... it's not like I am especially knowledgeable about metal in comparison to a lot of people here, so mainly I was here to learn about metal and have fun conversations/arguments, rather than introduce people to loads of bands. But, like I said, I think the reason I don't post so much nowadays is more because my mind is occupied with other things. Before there was nothing really in my life except METAL \m/ Things were simpler then... now I have all sorts of things to think about.


Eesh, wrote more than I was intending to given that I frown on topics such as this normally... Must have caught me in a reflective mood.

I get physically angry when I read your posts.

Since I was not here in the old days, I don't really know. But I like it here.

You are not the only one.

I was kind of thinking this the other day...I dunno if it's dying, but it's not as active as it used to be.

I wouldn't know since I've been around for awhile, but a lot of forums I've frequented for a long time just seem to be a shell of what they used to be.

i dunno. in my case i kind of started skipping reviews and the extreme metal forum because frankly lately there hasn't been any metal that really grabbed me by the balls, outside new releases from bands that i'm already a fan of.

as you said in content the site is growing much stronger (strange when "back in the day" it was the forum that was bursting with activity, imo), whereas the forum is becoming less active, at least in musical discussion.

i'll try to keep up with reviews and musical discussions more often, after all that's where the forum as we grew to like it started out.

Pretty much the way I feel about this forum. When I first joined I only had a very basic knowledge of metal, and only in Heavy or Power Metal bands. So I posted more since I discovered new bands or genres that I started to listen to and enjoy. However, since school is taking more time(now even more since I finally am going to learn things that really interest me) and since my liking of metal has taken a big fall, I've turned my back to this site for a few months and even now I only visit the reviews and Hellheim.

This forum used to have a good mix of 'old' experienced members, that came here to discuss music and have a few laughs, and newbie welps like me that wanted to discover new bands and hop along with other members, and not to forget, we had the members almost everybody hated, so there was never a shortage of music discussions, funny threads and flamewars.

Most albums reviewed these days are from bands I don't listen to or have never heard of. I'm too busy with the bands I already listen to to actively go out and find new ones. I can't say why I feel that way, it's just the way I work I guess. But If an album gets a high score and is in a metal sub-genre I like I'll definitely check it out..

I've never been a big forum contributor though. I've been on this site since long before they got these forums but I don't have much of a post count to show for it.

As for the forum dying, I don't know. It's discouraging to see no replies to an album review, it has happened alot lately. Still I think MR review much more obscure albums these days and that is a consequence of that. High profile albums still get a fair share of comments.

All I know is whenever I need to check into some band the first thing I do is to check Metal Reviews to see what they're all about, what albums are the best and what the reviews say. I've been doing that for years and years and I will continue to do so as long as the site keeps going. I don't know what I could say that would be a bigger compliment to a site dedicated to reviewing metal albums.

I've been here for some time and the only thing I've noticed is my contribution is a lot less. I get in a hurry when I am on the Internet these days, probably due to my insane life... I also think that for everybody lost we have somebody new. I look at some of the people whom I consider noob regulars now as people who have been here since the beginning. I miss a lot of the old posters, but I've noticed as one leaves another emerges.

So yeah, the forum is not dead. I think I'll try and post more. That'll liven things up. I blame this thread on me. I'm sorry. I will do more to make up for it... you'll see... you'll see...

No way the forum's dead. Its only natural, in any forum, that posters gradually move away from what the forum is supposed to be discussing (metal, books, whatever it is) and discuss more and more general topics. Sure, it would be nice to have a bit more review discussion, and sure, we've lost some great folk along the way, but we have lots of newer great posters and the forum still gets its monthly drama period, so whats to lament?

And Billy: Post more.