In a new appearance on Australia’s Metal On Tap with host Jaimunji, Behemoth frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski commented on the state of the genre, noting that many of hard rock and metal’s biggest acts have already retired or are nearing the end of their run.
As he put it (via Blabbermouth transcription):
Every time GUNS N’ ROSES are in town, I’m up and I always go and check it out. With all those legacy bands, be it GUNS, be it AC/DC, be it fucking METALLICA, [IRON] MAIDEN, in the first place I’m a fan of their music. I collect their records. I’ve always been a fan [of those bands], as far as I remember. And I always tell whoever I talk to, man, just go and see those bands. Buy tickets and go and see [them play], because the time is flying. And it’s gonna be in a blink of the eye that METALLICA is no longer, fucking MAIDEN is no longer. You would be, like, ‘Oh, shit. I should have gone and gone and seen them.’ Yeah, you fucking should. So every time those bands come across Poland or wherever I have a chance, [I] fucking go and embrace that because this era is getting to an end.”
It’s gonna be another few years, hopefully good years for the [afore]mentioned bands and others — there’s more, but there’s lesser and lesser. It’s shrinking, [the list of] big arena rock-star bands that I look up to. I mean, I know PARKWAY DRIVE is probably an arena band now, but it doesn’t tell me anything. I don’t know what PARKWAY DRIVE is. I don’t know what AVENGED SEVENFOLD is. I don’t know what — who is SLEEP TOKEN? It’s not me. It’s not my DNA. I mean, I don’t fucking get it. It’s probably good music. It’s all well played and big productions and stuff, but once those giants leave the earth, leave the stage, let’s put it that way — I’m lonely. There’s nowhere to go.