Do You Still Care About Kerrang?

Motley Crue

OK, so Kerrang turned 30 this week, and I got the Anniversary Issue yesterday. I've been a reader for many years (admittedly my last few years had been on and off) but the idea of an Anniversary issue made me think there might be some good content and some nice tunes on the CD. Turns out I was wrong.

I wrote Kerrang this letter, and it probably won't get published, but it got me thinking what Rock and Metal fans actually think of a magazine like Kerrang in this day and age. At one time it provided the only insight to Musicians and their tours and gigs before they hit your town. Now, in a more Digital age, has this format run it's course - can it truly be an influential magazine and stay in the pockets and houses of music fans.

What do you think, has Kerrang run it's course?

Also, any long time readers of Kerrang, maybe their experiences could be shared?

DrumSteve

I lost interest in Kerrang after it became the "Smash Hits" of the rock world. completely dumbed down crap. PLus they write about crap bands... at least metal hammer kind of going in depth about the heavier stuff so if I have to read summit I'd read that.

They also did that thing where they put the artists first name and used the band name as the surname... Grinds my gears that.

mike65

Its been 20 years since I bought Kerrang and apparently it doesn't feature much Ritchie Blackmore, Ozzy Osbourne or Manowar anymore.

Its still going therefore its "relevant". Any music magazine that makes it to 30 is clearly doing something right even if the original constituency has long since moved on.

GrizzlyMan

When i was a kid i liked it!

That and metal hammer now is aload of cr4p and will put any muck in it to sell more copies, I used to get Terrorizer because it had so many interesting bands that I listen to but now a days I couldnt be arsed with any over priced mag with one thing in mind money!!

frag420

not since about 1999. When they featured eminem I knew there was no return for them.............

nyarlothothep

They just play the same old crap on rotation, so no. Metal TUUNE on propeller somtimes plays the odd good tune, but they play too much shouty stuff for my tastes and most of the songs are still generic metal riffage with screaming ie e e f f e e f f, g g! e e f f coupled with rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaarrhh rrrrrrrraaaaaaaawwwwwr rawwwwr rraaahhhhhhhhhh, then the obligatory shred solo, wow the lead guitarist is amazing! I think thats equally as bad as any emo stuff. I wouldn't buy the magazine, I don't buy any music mags anymore because they don't cover any of the bands I'm interested in. If there were a 120 page special on say Queen, as there was in 2005 with Q magazine then I would buy it.

RayCon

not since about 1987

Malice

There are two questions being asked between the thread title and the poll question and neither makes a distinction between Kerrang the magazine and Kerrang the music channel so a bit of clarity is in order I think.

Having said that, I don't care about either the magazine or the tv channel. I stopped reading the magazine around 1997. Certain big-name bands seemed to be above criticism regardless of what kind of rubbish they released, there never seemed to be any insightful articles and more and more space started to be devoted to ads.

The tv channel was interesting the first few times I saw it but then it quickly became apparent that there were very few shows and the same videos seemed to be on heavy rotation. As I have an attention span slightly better than a goldfish I soon gave up on the channel. Occasionally when I'm at my parents house I'll throw on the channel to see what's happening and these days it seems to be interchangable pop bands. I don't even know the band names because I never manage to watch more than about 30 seconds. I really hope today's up and coming rock & metal fans can realise there's more to their favourite genres than what gets served up on Sky channel 368, especially when Emin bloody em is featured.

As for whether the magazine is a viable format, there are always going to be people who either don't know or don't care to know any better. I can't understand why people buy tabloid newspapers but it happens. As mike65 wrote, they must be doing something right if they are still going.

InigoMontoya

No.

It's becoming kinda difficult to see the point of music magazines at this stage, it's so easy to find music from even obscure bands online, as well as reviews, interviews etc.

As for Kerrang in particular, perhaps this will adequately explain my negative response (not the headline, the list in full):

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/metallica-named-most-influential-band_1222385

Motley Crue

Malice wrote: »

There are two questions being asked between the thread title and the poll question and neither makes a distinction between Kerrang the magazine and Kerrang the music channel so a bit of clarity is in order I think.

I'm really not sure any clarity is needed. I'm unsure as to how you might think people would be confused over what I said....

Kerrang turned 30 this week, and I got the Anniversary Issue yesterday

Anyone who doesn't know Kerrang is a Music Magazine (I could forgive not having Sky and not realising both the channel and UK radio station existed) has to be living under a rock. It is clear that when I said Kerrang had turned 30 I was talking about the magazine.

When I said I had bought the anniversary issue I had purchased a physical item of some description, and that was Kerrang's 30th Anniversary magazine. I felt this had been made abundantly clear??

I wrote Kerrang this letter, and it probably won't get published, but it got me thinking what Rock and Metal fans actually think of a magazine like Kerrang in this day and age.

I didn't write the TV or radio station a letter and I did ask clearly what people felt about Kerrang magazine on this thread. I'm really finding it hard to see where I confused anyone?

The poll was given, as attached to the thread, and the question was asked to correspond with what I had written

What do you think, has Kerrang run it's course?

Also, any long time readers of Kerrang, maybe their experiences could be shared?

Motley Crue

Oh, just in case it appears next week (although I doubt it will to be honest), here is my letter in unedited form. I wonder if Kerrang do publish what they might remove.

Dear Kerrang

Please allow me to extend my condolences now that you've turned 30. I'm almost there myself, and having been a reader of your magazine since the mid 90s, was extremely disappointed by your Anniversary Issue. To give some perspective, Kerrang is the only UK weekly publication that most music fans truly care about. Kerrang reviews the latest albums and gigs and keeps us up to date in an age when Internet technology is making it increasingly hard to [insert spoiler here] and also manages, somehow, to remain on top of the artists that are still breaking records and making waves.

Sadly, your 30th Anniversary issue was not (in my humble opinion) respectful and dignified enough. The two main issues I have with this are your "30 Bands Who've Made The Last Three Decades Rock" article and your free CD. Now, in this age of crushing and competitive consumerism, the financial cost of actually giving away a CD with an issue is phenomenal and credit where credit is due. You would have certainly made more money not giving the album away. But having made this decision, and having created some incredible compilation CDs in the past (your outstanding tribute to Master of Puppets stands out in my mind) I was surprised that your CD featured a rather lacklustre collection of tracks from some formidable bands.

Surely, with Kerrang's excellent contacts in the Industry and judging by how well Metallica's Lars Ulrich respects you, it wouldn't have been outside Lars remit to offer you a track from their forthcoming (and well hidden) project. Perhaps some cover tunes, perhaps some demo songs, or indeed something to make the album feel a little less like a promotional CD for the Roadrunner Record label.

My second upset, I'm afraid, has to do with your 30th Anniversary article - which, mind you, I read from start to finish - and couldn't understand how Green Day were supposed to have been better/rocked harder/louder/more influential to your readers then Iron Maiden? You can argue that this was not your purpose, or that tastes have changed a lot, but how Paramore were rated higher then Slayer and Pantera and how Bullet For My Valentine were 4th and yet Guns N' Roses were 11th is just astonishing (if not a little insulting).

Biffy Clyro being rated higher then Machine Head was appalling and the absence of Alice In Chains, Sepultura and even Def Leppard from the entire countdown is not just personal taste and reflection, it's actually criminal. And I know Sepultura (Issue 583) and Alice In Chains (Issue 478) were cover stars because I have the issues! And, surprise suprise, your cover stars just happened to be No 1. I love Metallica, but the rest of the countdown is so unnaturally weird, it's hard to celebrate their genius at this point in time.

Perhaps, in hindsight, a promotional issue with a little more weight (both in terms of articles and CD content) as well as a bigger feeling of Anniversary and less a feeling of sell out would be a little more appropriate. Kerrang, keep writing good articles, remain at the forefront of good music and keep filling our lives with music news every Wednesday but, for your own sake, accept that your Anniversary issue just sucked.

Best
Kerrang Loyal Fan Since 1996

the_syco

Kerrang music TV was great, then started to suck, Scuzz came along, then started to suck. Now both suck. Usually listen to Planet Rock on 0110 on Sky now.

Kerrang magazine was great, but started covering a lot of emo/soft rock sh|te, and I stopped getting it - most of the articles were about sh|te bands, with very little info about upcoming gigs in Ireland, no info on upcoming albums aside from the emo tards.

Malice

Motley Crue wrote: »

I'm really not sure any clarity is needed. I'm unsure as to how you might think people would be confused over what I said....

Your thread title reads "Do You Still Care About Kerrang?" and your poll question reads "Is Kerrang still a viable format for Rock/Metal news in today's Digital age?". You've asked two different questions and the answer to both could be different depending on the context. Isn't is possible to care about the magazine and not the tv channel for example?

Anyway, it's only a small point and the answers will probably largely be the same regardless .

blastman

I started buying Kerrang! regularly from issue 13 onwards (you know, the one with Gary Barden on the cover!) and it was an essential purchase for any self-respecting metal fan in the those pre-webnet and YouFace days. Somewhere along the way, though I lost interest, and I haven't bought Kerrang! in years.

Classic Rock is the magazine Kerrang! was, back in the day.

Angron

Saying "I don't care any more" would imply I liked it in the first place. I was never around to see Kerrang in any way I'd consider good really.

r3nu4l

Is Kerrang relevant to me? No. Not any more. I stopped reading it in the early 90's because I saw more and more soft or crossover bands featuring, bands that could make it onto 'Top of the pops' ffs!

Now I realise that bands such as Iron Maiden and AC/DC etc have all had chart successes but Kerrang started to cover bands that were so crossover and unmetal-like that it really did become the 'Smash Hits' of Metal. Bland and uninspiring stuff.

Metal Hammer eventually went down the same route.

It's a real pity but then again, they are a print magazine with high costs and to survive these days they must appeal to a much broader audience than ever before. I laud the marketing sense that has helped them survive this long but I lament the passing of a magazine that a true metal-head would be proud to be seen reading.

Malice

That's a well-written letter Motley. I can't argue with any of it. This is the kind of thing that ruins the magazine's credibility:

Paramore were rated higher then Slayer and Pantera

I'm not that much of a Slayer fan but there is no denying their influence and to rate a band who's only redeeming feature is a singer who is easy on the eyes is beyond pathetic.

Nailz

Well that poll is pretty fucking conclusive.

scudzilla

Used to get Kerrang every week up until maybe 2000 then i just stopped, it got real bad, and was constantly guilty of what i call 'Lazy Journalism', things like Top 100 bands of all time, Top 50 guitarists of all time etc.
They did do me a HUGE favour though, think it was 98 or 99, they had a competition for 8 Metallica fans to come to London and interview the band for the Magazine for the release of Garage Inc.
I didn't win but i sent a letter to then editor Phil Alexander, with a photocopy of all my Metallica collection (Which was pretty big at the time)
2 day later he rang and said if i could get to London i could interview them

Went down to London and headed for Kerrang Offices, hung out there for an hour then we went to a swanky London Hotel, Europe had Lars & Kirk, Elsewhere had James & Jason :mad:
Kirk got fcukin appendicitis the night before so we had only Lars, it was really cool, i managed to get out of him that they were headlining Dynamo, also they were strongly rumoured to be playing Glastonbury that year, i asked him and he didn't deny it, i got a bit pissed and said that Glastonbury is crap as they will not sell single day tickets under any circumstances so that any Metallica fans would have to sit through 3 days of garbage to see them, he was pretty shocked about the day tickets and said he'd look into it, they never played in the end :D

Also won anopther big comp wit them in '98 i think it was, to meet up with Misery Loves Co in Milton Keynes and travel with them to the Dynamo Festival, was fcukin awesome, but not much was printed in the mag as we were stoned from the moment we got on the tour bus till the second we got off

Asphyxia

I remember when I used to collect Kerrang :rolleyes: I haven't bought one in about 6 years!

Malice

Nailz wrote: »

Well that poll is pretty fucking conclusive.

I forgot to vote but I don't think I have affected the outcome too much .

lord lucan

Used to buy it many moons ago but gave up around the mid-90's. Switched to Metal Hammer which has gradually descended the same route. Still have many old ones from the early 90's but a look at the cover of it these days tells me all i need to know about its target audience.

Knifey Spoony

Just to throw out something else that I had noticed about Kerrang when I used to buy it was how they swung from one extreme opinion to another. Like before Limp Bizkit got back together, they seemed to be the butt of every joke in the magazine. Then when they reform, the magazine has nothing but praise to give them.

That, and the fact that it covers nothing but fluff these days and really doesn't reflect what I listen to now, so haven't bought a copy of it in a while.




WHOOOOOOOOOOO, 666th post!!!
I may have wasted this opertunity

Motley Crue

Knifey Spoony wrote: »

Like before Limp Bizkit got back together, they seemed to be the butt of every joke in the magazine. Then when they reform, the magazine has nothing but praise to give them.

True enough, I think it was Kerrang who tried to spread a rumour about the reason Fred Durst was discharged for the Navy - he left of his own accord by the way - but Kerrang made out it was because he'd been caught masturbating in his bunk one night by the petty officer.

Knifey Spoony wrote: »

WHOOOOOOOOOOO, 666th post!!!
I may have wasted this opertunity

No, I noticed, congratulations!

lord lucan wrote: »

Used to buy it many moons ago but gave up around the mid-90's. Switched to Metal Hammer which has gradually descended the same route.

I wonder if they do a collection of Kerrang covers anywhere, in chronological order, because I'm willing to bet (at one point around 07/08) that Fall Out Boy were either pictured or mentioned on the cover of Kerrang for 15 issues running or something....I remember I kept seeing their name on the cover in the newsagent.

slavetothegrind

i think it was around 89/90 when they were latching on to stuff that was just not metal and started becoming an all encompassing rock mag, and lost me as a reader.
also a lot of the "journalism" was facile, puerile tripe.

i get classic rock magazine now when i think of it and find it good value as you often get a cd with it and other extras and it is written by adults for adults.

jaysus i sound like a right aul one:(

oh and kerrang channel on sky is utter bollix. at least scuzz has good music on it regularly. ( the channel, not Mr. Zilla);)

Zombienosh

Kerrang went to **** about the turn of the millenium.. It's all about money now, playing/promoting anything that sells or whoever the labels tell them to. I've more chance of seeing Nirvana and Pantera tour together than I have of seeing a decent band on kerrang.

Otis Driftwood

Jaysus,this makes me feel frackin old.

I was about 11 when I first bought it (anyone remember it being side by side with "Raw" in the newsagents :pac:) and I have to say for a few years it was a weekly staple for me.It was cheap,like £1.70/£1.80,featured some awesome bands and occasionally a free tape!(one of which I have somewhere that features Machine Head doing a absolutely brilliant live cover of the Cro-Mags track Hard Times)

As I got older and discovered Metal Hammer I found myself drifting away from Kerrang altogether but occasionally I picked up a copy.Id say the last time I bought it was around the first time the OP bought it.

I rarely buy metal magazines anymore,occasionally Terrorizer for the main reason that they cover some stupidly heavy/extreme bands,have monthly sampler CD's featuring well known and little known artists and dont go down the route of sucking rock star cock like most other publications do.

Kerrang,RIP.

jack presley

I was a regular Kerrang buyer in the mid 90's but it went slowly downhill and hit the bottom when the likes of Eminem and Insane Clown Posse became regulars.

I did buy it for the Master of Puppets and Iron Maiden tributes a few years back but only had a quick flick through the actual magazine as it seemed to be all pop-punk bands I'd never heard of.

And don't get me started on the bloody Kerrang TV channel........

Motley Crue

Otis Driftwood wrote: »

(one of which I have somewhere that features Machine Head doing a absolutely brilliant live cover of the Cro-Mags track Hard Times)

If you still want that song it was on the second disc of the special version of the Blackening (the 3 disc version as opposed to the standard special edition or the special cover edition...I know....I know), and here it is below

I miss MH like this...even if their wardrobe choice was questionable....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVzcNTNF__U

Deplasterer

Would have bought it mid 80's, I seem to remember Geoff barton was usually quite insightful. Stopped buying it with the advent of the internet, as anything I wanted to know about music could be garnered in seconds, plus it strarted to suck big time monkey bollocks, I seem to remember John Parr being the front cover!:eek:

Sephiroth_dude

Is the tv channel still going?

CoolGirl101

I liked it when I was a kid, and it got me into most of the music I'm into now, but if you put it on these days, it's just crap poppy bands I haven't even heard of so no, it isn't for me anymore, same goes for the mag.

Motley Crue

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Is the tv channel still going?

Yes, but it's no longer phone in requests, they just play a random playlist

They also do the odd interesting show (Green Day live was on the other night) but these are few and far between

In the UK there's a radio station for Kerrang (you can also find it on Sky TV) and, because of the fact they can't just keep playing Fall Out Boy again and again, they do actually play some good tunes - but probably one every four hours

I was looking at the line-up for Leeds this year, promised a friend I'd go with her, so she wasn't on her own. I like maybe a handful of the bands performing but it was funny that the day the Deftone's are performing, by Kerrang's standards, they would call that a Metal day. And this is from bands like Taking Back Sunday, Bring Me The Horizon and While She Sleeps

FFS:rolleyes:

jack presley

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Is the tv channel still going?

Yes, and it's awful.

Good Charlotte, Fall out Boy and other pop punk bands all day long. No music I'd call metal anyway.

The magazine is basically Smash Hits with Guitars these days.

Nolanger

jack presley wrote: »

The magazine is basically Smash Hits with Guitars these days.

But with a free CD.

senordingdong

DrumSteve wrote: »

I lost interest in Kerrang after it became the "Smash Hits" of the rock world. completely dumbed down crap..

Was it ever not like that?

leave this world behind

Talk about a waste of paper.I used to buy this when it was Metal in the 80's.I am still Metal and I'm in my 40's,I can't believe it's still going,Terrorizer,Zero Tolerance,and to an extent Metal Hammer are worthy of being called Metal Magazines,not this muck.Should have changed its name years ago.Pop ****e.

Motley Crue

leave this world behind wrote: »

Zero Tolerance

Great that you mention this magazine. I actually used to present a radio show in Scotland, for a brief run, with Calum Harvie - the Editor of this publication - nice guy, he knew his stuff and his magazine always had some of the best written articles

BlaasForRafa

I stopped caring about it when they started hopping on the Grunge trend and started slating proper metal bands and anything that was underground was relentlessly slagged off. The worst example being the sensationalist ****e spread they did on black metal around 93/94

They jumped on any new ****ty mainstream trends like nu-metal and emo while denigrating classic metal and power metal, I wouldn't give a flying f*** if the mag died a death.

Nephilim Wolf

I haven't bought it since 2000. It's awful now much like Metal Hammer who are going in a similar direction. I think I may start a new thread called 'Do you still care about Metal Hammer?

Malice

I think a pertinent question would be whether anyone cared about Kerrang to begin with. Certainly when I used to read it there were few other sources of information but it still didn't bother me if I missed an issue and I reckon that would apply for others too.

Motley Crue

Malice wrote: »

I think a pertinent question would be whether anyone cared about Kerrang to begin with. Certainly when I used to read it there were few other sources of information but it still didn't bother me if I missed an issue and I reckon that would apply for others too.

True enough

Oh yes, and they never published my letter, although I didn't expect them too

The issue with that idiot from Avenged Sevenfold on the cover is out at the moment, and they're doing the whole "Download Special" thing

Sephiroth_dude

jack presley wrote: »

Yes, and it's awful.

Good Charlotte, Fall out Boy and other pop punk bands all day long. No music I'd call metal anyway.

The magazine is basically Smash Hits with Guitars these days.

Still the same then

Nephilim Wolf

blastman wrote: »

I started buying Kerrang! regularly from issue 13 onwards (you know, the one with Gary Barden on the cover!) and it was an essential purchase for any self-respecting metal fan in the those pre-webnet and YouFace days. Somewhere along the way, though I lost interest, and I haven't bought Kerrang! in years.

Classic Rock is the magazine Kerrang! was, back in the day.

Classic Rock is very good. I don't particularly like Dom Lawson though. He also writes for Metal Hammer and he's on the forum there unfortunatley.:mad:

EggsAckley

Bought it every issues from the mid to late 80s along with Metal Hammer. Picked up a copy about ten years ago and couldn't believe how bad it was. The broad hard rock/metal church approach of the 80s appears to have been abandoned at some stage to be replaced by MTV approved dross. Not sure if its continuing existence is proof that this was the correct editorial decision, it was a decision which allowed it continuing existence but there could have been other more inclusive, and possible more successful, directions.
Anyway are they still giving KKKKK to every Iron Maiden release?

Nephilim Wolf

EggsAckley wrote: »

Bought it every issues from the mid to late 80s along with Metal Hammer. Picked up a copy about ten years ago and couldn't believe how bad it was. The broad hard rock/metal church approach of the 80s appears to have been abandoned at some stage to be replaced by MTV approved dross. Not sure if its continuing existence is proof that this was the correct editorial decision, it was a decision which allowed it continuing existence but there could have been other more inclusive, and possible more successful, directions.
Anyway are they still giving KKKKK to every Iron Maiden release?

I know what you mean. I think they are still giving five Ks to all new Iron Maiden albums unfortunatley. The last new great Iron Maiden album for me was 'Brave New World' and that was 11 years ago now. The new album is just to laid back, and lacking aggression for me. I miss the days when they made outstanding albums with a great mix aggression and melody.

Fad

I read it fairly religiously for 2 or 3 years then I started to stop giving a shít about too much of the music they were covering, it's like a slightly heavier version of NME now.

I also really dont like how it's written, it's like a rock tabloid..

Motley Crue

I actually started a subscription to it yesterday, but only because I get 8 issues for £1 and then I'm going to cancel

I figure it will save me money just in case one of the next issues features something I might possibly read