I know a lot of the so-called ’ hair-metal’ bands are still around–Stephen Pearcy, Tom Keifer, and lots of others are still performing. But have their been any newer bands playing that kind of music? I see lots of new bands playing the harder kind of metal, along the lines of Slayer, etc., but I was curious if the ‘lighter’ kind of metal still exists? The kind of stuff you saw on the first hour or so of the MTV headbanger’s ball once upon a time. Searching for metal bands often just gets me the latter kind, but just looking at rock bands gets me a lot of way mellower stuff. Is this kind of music dead or just hiding somewhere?
If you mean AOR, there are certainly new ones around. In fact some old, some new would be here, along with the older bands touring:
https://www.hrhaor.com/line-up.html
That’s next years festival, but newish ones I remember from this years were Romeo’s Daughter, The Radio Sun and Bonafide (it’s like a band who loved Bon Scotts AC/DC so much they wrote their own songs)
Others of this ilk seen recent are Inglorious, Stonebroken, and Toseland.
Interestingly, from the period, they also do a progressive rock festival, so while not hair metal AOR there would be overlap from that sort of time, so new bands are still doing prog… Some survived over the years because Germany and Holland love a bit of Prog, which is why the likes of Pendragon still survive:
Steel Panther is somewhat satirical in their “glam rock” personas but are current and put out original material.
How about Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch, Chevelle?
Otherwise most new bands playing hair metal are just bands made up of members of old hair metal bands.
What’s AOR? I’m not familiar with that acronym
Not really the same kind of music, in my opinion.
Album-Oriented Rock. In most cases, what was once AOR may be better known today as a “Classic Rock” or “Active Rock” format.
Just checked out some Romeo’s Daughter…this is exactly the kind of music I was talking about, although it seems they’ve actually been making music since the 80s, so they’re not really new. But they’re new to me.
I haven’t listened to anything of theirs since early/mid-2000, but The Darkness are apparently still around and doing that 80s hair/glam metal sort of thing (they formed in 2000.) “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” was the big hit from when they formed. Although I just looked up their last album (2015), and “Last of Our Kind” is a pretty cool tune.
Hmm…I"m going down the Youtube rabbit hole and am actually enjoying their 2015 album. Also try “The Barbaian” by The Darkness. I guess they have a new album coming out this year. This is some pretty fun stuff. I never really delved into them beyond “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” but I’m enjoying what I’m hearing.
Thanks…listening to it right now on Spotify, and I agreed…until that ‘chorus’ on ‘Barbarians’…sounds like something the gang on It’s Always Sunny would do. Rest of the song I’m liking though.
There was a big revival of that kind of music in Sweden and Finland in the '00s with bands like: Reckless Love, WigWam, Crazy Lixx, and Hardcore Superstar.
Some non-Scandanavian bands that also have that kind of sound in the 21st century: Airbourne (Australia, sound like AC/DC), Biters and The Last Vegas (both USA), Black Diamonds (Switzerland), and The Struts (UK, they sound most like Queen but if The Darkness qualify for this discussion then this band should too)
White Wizzard is always good for a laugh. Try this one, “Over The Top”. It’s got a wizard, a GTO Judge, liquor, chicks and hair. It’s awesome!
The Darkness
Also this one
Hah! I see what you’re saying. “The Nightman/Dayman” stuff. I originally thought this band was more tongue-in-cheek with regards to the genre, but I think now, listening through some more stuff, that there’s genuine love there and it’s not meant as a simple parody, but more a genuine pastiche.
AOR makes me think of Journey, REO Speedwagon, Boston type stuff with shorter and/or not poofy hair and less of the Party! Girls! Party Girls! type music.
Opposite direction lyrically, but Power Metal is sort of the neo-prog. Similarly nerdy fanbase. The Nightman Cometh is also nerdy.
Chevelle is just pretty much an alternative rock band, unless they’ve changed drastically since I’ve last listened. Whereas the other 2 might be closer to what the OP is looking at. Along with things like Buckcherry, sort of neo-cock rock.
Airbourne, out of Australia: Airbourne - It's All For Rock N' Roll (Official Video) - YouTube video features Lemmy
Jet, who’ve broken up but Cold Hard Bitch is a rockin song: Jet - Cold Hard Bitch - YouTube
Supagroup: Supagroup Bastard - YouTube
This was the first song I thought of. They sound like a modern version of AC/DC to me. Especially the guitar. That’s a great rocking tune too.
I don’t think of Five Finger or Avenged Sevenfold in those terms. They are of a differenbt ilk, as is Chevelle, a band I quite like, along with bands like Incubus.
Yeah, just trying to think of bands that aren’t really death metal, but still rock.