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Promote Your Music On An Independent Budget

September 4, 2024

But the truth is, many successful artists have faced the same hurdles and found creative solutions to reach their audience without relying on big budgets or full-scale...

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Keep Your Rap Lyrics & Flow Fresh

September 4, 2024

Whether it’s bragging about your strength, future fame, or taking on rivals, it can feel repetitive and uninspiring after a while. So, what do you do when you’re tired of writing the same thing...

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How to Start a Band and Get Your First Gig: Lessons from Music Legends

September 3, 2024

Starting a band and getting your first gig can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’re juggling a full-time job and a passion for music. But don’t worry—many famous musicians have been in...

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Find Music Creators Who Share Your Genre Interests: Navigating Online Music Communities

September 3, 2024

If you’ve been searching for musicians who share your passion for breakcore, drum and bass, jungle, or other less mainstream genres on platforms like BandLab, it can be frustrating to feel like...

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Find the Right Manager for Your Music Career—Even If You're Just Starting Out

September 3, 2024

The idea of hiring a traditional manager might seem premature, but finding someone who can handle your online presence and help you network could be exactly what you need to take your career...

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How to Be a Successful Songwriter When You Can’t Play an Instrument

August 26, 2024

If you’re a songwriter who can sing but can’t play an instrument, you may feel like you’ve hit a roadblock in your creative journey. You have the ideas in your head, but you’re unsure how to turn...

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What Is the Point of Mastering If the Mix Is Good? A Guide to Understanding Mastering's Role

August 26, 2024

For many newer producers, it can be confusing to understand the importance of mastering, especially when your mix feels polished and balanced. However, mastering is an essential step in the...

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Write a Vocal Melody That Stands Out: Tips for Phrasing and Dynamics

August 25, 2024

If you’ve been writing music for a decade but are just starting to dive into vocal melodies, you’re not alone in facing challenges with phrasing and creating vocal dynamics that don’t feel repetitive.

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Add FX and Ear Candy to Your Tracks: Tips for Taking Your Sketch to the Next Level

August 23, 2024

Adding FX and ear candy can feel like a daunting task, especially when you start to overthink the process. However, these little details are often what bring a track to life, adding depth, excitement.

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Recreate a Vocal Stutter Effect Like Skrillex: A Step-by-Step Guide

August 21, 2024

If you’ve just stepped into the world of music production, vocal stutters can be a fun and impactful technique to add excitement and energy to your tracks. You’ve heard that fast vocal stutter at...

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Get a Great Sounding Synth: The Deadmau5 Approach

August 21, 2024

If you’ve been experimenting with synthesizers, you know the quest for a perfect synth sound can be a challenging but rewarding process. Whether you’re looking for something clean yet huge, or...

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Make Music Again: Overcoming Creative Burnout Like Pharrell Williams

August 21, 2024

Hey there, fellow music creators! Whether you’re balancing a day job, DJ gigs, and music production, or just feeling creatively stuck, you’re not alone. Many of us hit a wall at some point, where...

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Thrash Metal - An Aging Genre

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Photo Source: Amy Harris

This article will discuss the rise and fall of an iconic style of music: thrash metal. 

The thrash metal genre emerged in the early 1980s. Characterized by intricate guitar use, lightning-fast tempos, and its overall bold, aggressive themes, thrash was groundbreaking and quickly became popular among young people. Aside from the music itself,  thrash resonated with many teenagers due to its anti-mainstream undertones. Thrash metal was often used as a way to rebel against one's parents and was used by many to establish an identity distinct from their mothers and fathers. 

As the years went by, thrash metal continued to increase in popularity, and more thrash bands were formed. Driven primarily by the efforts of Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth, which are collectively known as the ‘big 4 of thrash metal’, thrash had reached mainstream levels of exposure by the mid 1990s. 

However, similar to what occurs with many other genres of music, the peak of thrash metal did not last. This was due in part to the appearance of new genres of music in the 1990s like alternative rock and grunge, and the creation of a number of new sub-genres of metal which removed the focus from thrash metal itself. 

Although it is no longer at its former level of glory, thrash metal is far from extinct. I personally have had the privilege of seeing some of the greatest thrash metal bands perform live over the past couple of years, including Megadeth, Metallica, Exodus, Testament, and Kreator. Watching these talented musicians play somehow made me feel a deep sense of nostalgia for a time when I wasn’t even born yet, and although these performers are now in their 60s, and the majority of their fan base has aged with them, their music has a sense of timelessness. While the artists themselves and their original supporters won’t be around forever, and the majority of today’s youth are interested in newer forms of music, there are still some young people who listen to thrash and are keeping the unique genre alive. Because of this, I still have hope that thrash metal can experience a resurgence in popularity and will exist for many future generations to enjoy. 

Thrash Metal - An Aging Genrethrash-metal-an-aging-genreAdam HolsteinNov 16, 2023The thrash metal genre emerged in the early 1980s. Characterized by intricate guitar use, lightning-fast tempos, and its overall bold, aggressive themes, thrash was groundbreaking and quickly became..