As 2007 nears its halfway point, questions about the popularity, legitimacy and future of what might be the best secret in the local music—the strength of metal—remain. We tossed a few to scene mainstays Tony Nichols, editor and publisher of local 'zine Metal Storm Monthly, and Andres Wade, former drummer of Vegas grindcore bands Sutured Esophagus and Grimbus.
What was the Vegas metal scene's high-water mark?
Nichols: Right now. Although it's kind of leveled out so far. I mean, it's at a good point, but it's not going anywhere. From what I've seen, it's hit a plateau because the scene is saturated by hardcore. The diversity of the music isn't really there. But I'm not going to say that '04 was the pinnacle of local metal.
Wade: As far as what I've seen, I don't think there really was a high-water mark. I mean, you'd get a couple of good shows, but then, like, only 50 people would come. I mean, there was a lot of B.S. in the media [that there was a big underground scene here], but the peak was a fabrication by the local press.
What's the scene like now?
Nichols: Well, [the scene] is at a positive end right now, and a lot of bands have brought it there. Everybody worked really hard at what they do. But it just kind of is lying at idle. There isn't really anything exploding or new coming out of town right now.
Wade: Right now is the strongest the scene has been because there's a lot of metal bands. Two or three years ago there were only a few groups out there. But now all the high school kids are doing pig-squealing vocals and hitting blast beats on their drums, and it's the largest the scene has been to a degree."
During the down period, were there people who kept the faith?
Nichols: It's really the underage kids who are supportive of the scene. But nobody is really catering to their point of view. It's terrible, because the venues we have are 21-and-over, and they aren't bad, but the young crowd are the ones who pass the music around and buy the shirts and the stickers—they're the ones who move the music, and they're the reason the scene has potential.
Wade: There's always people who go to shows, who have their heart in the right place. I still see guys who are running around at shows in their vintage metal shirts at the Cooler [Lounge]. So yeah, there's always people who keep the faith in the scene.
Are there signs that the Vegas metal scene is coming back?
Nichols: More and more bands are being booked here for metal shows, but we don't even have really big metal shows here that often. I mean, we'll get Dimmu Borgir here, but that sucks. There's a problem with poor booking here and a lack of venues. A lot of bands want to play all-ages shows, but small bands like Merciless Death can't because it'll cost them an arm and a leg to do so ... But something's bound to happen, and it's going to take off here.
Wade: It seems people are more receptive [to the Vegas metal scene] than they were when we were performing. A lot of our stuff seemed to go over people's heads back then. But people seem to like it now. Bands like Misericordiam and Molotov Solution are doing pretty well. But it's all about the kids for the scene to grow. To quote Whiney Houston, "I believe the children are our future."