Vancouver metal.. What can I say? It's the best thing about BC? Hell Yes!!! What would we do without all these great bands, the people, the shows? I know, be fucking bored!!! Without the people in Vancouver and the bands we wouldn't have what we got now! But it can be better.....

With Abuse being popular already from their Shit Demo and releasing a better full length album soon, Blasphemy being gods (of war) and back together now, hurt putting on so many shows and their fan base already, Myopia coming out with a new demo, Terria was released by Devin Townsend recently, Zimmer's Hole new cd out  and so much going on with the bands in Vancouver BC right now for the summer of 2001. The scene is about to take off but the only thing we need is the fans to support the local scene more and come out for those shows more often. No more excuses like "I have work in the morning" or "I'm too tired" or "I've seen that band already". How do you honestly expect the scene to get anywhere when you won't support the local scene? Do you honestly expect foreign bands to want to play here when you won't come and support  the local scene? Come on Vancouver!! Wake up!!!

Sure the scene isn't perfect but then again we don't exactly live in Europe now do we? Although I can quite easily pick out the goods and bads of the scene, like we don't have the perfect turnouts but everyone is friendly as hell, not many cliques here as like 5 years ago when there were arguments between the bands and cliques were forming. This was back when Metallica was just starting to release crap like Load and Re-load, when metal was thought to be dying but now it is coming back and a lot stronger. Fans are more loyal, in Vancouver anyways. Maybe it isn't quite as popular as the 80's but it's getting there. Vancouver's metal scene is on one of it's biggest rises yet. With everyone working together and there being so many bands to choose from how could the scene be doing worse then a small town? With bands like hurt., Abuse, Blasphemy, Myopia, Goatsblood and Devin Townsend (plus his projects) Vancouver is kicking off to a nice new start as you could put it. And with hardly any nu-metal bands we don't have to worry about that!

The metal heads of Vancouver can be thought out to be all buddies together, especially with message boards such as Blood Red and Countess Gore it gives the metal heads a chance to met up online then possibly later on in person or pass show dates around and such. The greatest thing about the scene in Vancouver and the surrounding areas is the metal heads. The fans stick together and most contribute to the scene in anyway possible really trying to help out. Although the main place to be for metal heads in downtown Vancouver where you will find the most enthusiastic fans and Scrape Records. Not to mention all the bars with the shows. But it isn't like people travel from one city to another to see the shows. With good advertisement and a good date the shows will have a good turnout. The best places to advertise are of course bus stops, at Scrape, Blood Red and through Countess Gore's Underground Metal Domain.

Venues are a major downfall for the scene though. Studebakers books shows when there isn't really anything left, Starfish room books on occasion and is rumored to be torn down by next year. Commadore wasn't booking shows for awhile but is apparently starting to book again. Anza club books on occasion same with Silvertown. Java Joint closed down recently this year and was about the only place for all ages concerts. People would rather drink at shows then not. Cobalt though has shows every Wednesday for metal and a lot of punk other days. A lot of the bands do say that the turns outs for local shows aren't that great. Could that be an ego thing or just because it's hard to find a venue on a weekend! It could just be the hard core metal heads wanting to turn out for local shows too.

The bands are also what makes the scene bigger and better. hurt. takes up a lot of their time setting up shows and such. ( www.hurting.org ). Vancouver owes a great thanks to Bryan and the rest of hurt. They are respected by almost everyone and aren't laughed at when they say they want to put on a show because they know what they are doing, the only difficulty is finding good venues.  Without bands like Devin Townsend and Blasphemy who's been around so long and have been recognized for their work outside of BC and Canada and North America the scene would be extremely small and under developed. Although most of the bands here are death metal or a genre related to that other types of metal such as thrash, power, speed are drawn to Vancouver, usually when a band is on tour and originates from Canada due to the fact that metal just isn't that popular in the world. The bands work together like everyone else. They strive to make the scene larger.

I really could go on forever saying "oh everyone works together, the scene is perfect, it has no flaws, yadda yadda" but that isn't what I'm trying to explain. I'm trying to get out to you that Vancouver Metal is still alive, never has died, never will die. It may have it's harder points in time but there is always a bit of it living. Without nourishment the scene will die down, not completely but close. With everyone working as hard as they are now and the bands supporting the scene here then we will be at a prime point, and hopefully there for a long time. Metal Will Never Die.