Dictionary of reviewer terms
I used to read a lot of metal magazines and sometimes the writing was straight forward, but other times is was pure crap. One of the things that bothered me the most was when writers would use phrases that didn't quite give the real meaning. So I will list a few here then I will show the context in which they are normally used and finally I will tell what I think the term really means.
Groundbreaking- used in sentences like "Their new album is groundbreaking."
Real meaning: It sound like albums from half a dozen trendy bands so we hope that it can cash in.
Legendary-used in sentences like "This legendary band is set to release their reunion album."
Real meaning: Prior to about 1999 this normally was used to refer to bands who had done a lot of albums and made a real impact on the scene. Then in the late 90's reunions started happening so now oftentimes legendary means - these guys did two albums back in the 80's and they didn't really sell much, but being old gives them the right to be called legendary. This term is used far too often today.
Melodic Turn- used in sentences like "The band takes a melodic turn on their new album".
Real meaning:Not used as much today as it was in the late 80's and early 90's. What it really means is we want to sell albums so we are wussing out and hope we get played on the radio.
Mature effort or mature work-used in sentences like "Their new album is a more mature effort (work or album) than their previous material."
Real meaning: What this really means is they are not as creative or energetic as they used to be so they have slowed down a bit.
Musical differences-used in sentences like "Their singer left the band over musical differences."
Real meaning:This one can mean different things, it could mean one of the following.
A) he was kicked out because of addictions
B)he was kicked out because we found someone better
C)he was fooling around with the wife or girlfriend of another band member (this happened with Poison).
D)We really did have musical differences.
Radio friendly-used in a sentence like "Their new album is more radio friendly than their previous efforts".
Real meaning:What it means is the band tried real hard to put some sappy and weak songs on this album with the hopes of getting played on the radio and selling more albums.
I know that I am being silly about some of these, but some reviewers and writers do use these terms rather than saying what is really going on. Press releases from the band or record labels are far worse though.
Groundbreaking- used in sentences like "Their new album is groundbreaking."
Real meaning: It sound like albums from half a dozen trendy bands so we hope that it can cash in.
Legendary-used in sentences like "This legendary band is set to release their reunion album."
Real meaning: Prior to about 1999 this normally was used to refer to bands who had done a lot of albums and made a real impact on the scene. Then in the late 90's reunions started happening so now oftentimes legendary means - these guys did two albums back in the 80's and they didn't really sell much, but being old gives them the right to be called legendary. This term is used far too often today.
Melodic Turn- used in sentences like "The band takes a melodic turn on their new album".
Real meaning:Not used as much today as it was in the late 80's and early 90's. What it really means is we want to sell albums so we are wussing out and hope we get played on the radio.
Mature effort or mature work-used in sentences like "Their new album is a more mature effort (work or album) than their previous material."
Real meaning: What this really means is they are not as creative or energetic as they used to be so they have slowed down a bit.
Musical differences-used in sentences like "Their singer left the band over musical differences."
Real meaning:This one can mean different things, it could mean one of the following.
A) he was kicked out because of addictions
B)he was kicked out because we found someone better
C)he was fooling around with the wife or girlfriend of another band member (this happened with Poison).
D)We really did have musical differences.
Radio friendly-used in a sentence like "Their new album is more radio friendly than their previous efforts".
Real meaning:What it means is the band tried real hard to put some sappy and weak songs on this album with the hopes of getting played on the radio and selling more albums.
I know that I am being silly about some of these, but some reviewers and writers do use these terms rather than saying what is really going on. Press releases from the band or record labels are far worse though.
posted by Metal Mark at
9:23 AM
7 Comments:
Now here was me thinking that "Radio friendly" meant the lack of a swear word ever other second, thus omitting the need to have gaps in the song ;)
Or, in the musical differences case, the lead singer and guitarist were about to kill each other(see Dokken).
You are right in saying that legendary is used far too often.
Pixie-I think radio friendly was used more in the late 80's-early 90's.
Ben-Thanks. I wrote entries about melodic turn and musical differences a while back, but this allowed me to be a little more direct. Mature effort has been used for what Dream Theater has done in recent years and that definition certainly applies to them even though I used to be a huge fan.
Bruce-Dokken had all kinds of problems almost like a bad soap opera. Drummer Mick Brown had sex with bass player Jeff Pilson's wife on Dokken's tour bus around the same time that Don and George were having constant arguments.
Fuzzbox- I have a friend who writes for some metal mags and I read something he wrote refering to a band as legendary. I let him know that just because a band has been around for 20 years doesn't always mean they are legendary.
One more recent term I forget to include is "all-star line-up" this is being used in hair metal circles a lot today. It normally means something like we have a guy in our band who played drums for one tour with LA Guns or a bass player who played a few shows with Stephen Pearcy.
Excellent post!
"Legendary:"
1. Too often used for bands like LA Guns or Kix.
2. Not used often enough for bands like Zebra and Alcatrazz. (Yes, sarcasm intended.)
-- david
David-Thanks. Kix are legendary if you live in the mid-atlantic area (as I do). The big thing about Alcatrazz was just that Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai each did one album a piece in this band before going on to greener pastures.
interesting list.
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