“Metal was metal back then… All we have now is a bunch of wannabe Weezer-looking dudes”: Deicide’s Glen Benton argues metal artists don’t care about imagery anymore

Deicide’s vocalist and bassist Glen Benton argues that metal artists don’t care about imagery anymore, stating that the modern metal scene is crowded with “wannabe Weezer-looking dudes”.

Though he’s not happy about the many subcategories of metal we have now either, he does argue that we need more artists with “individualism”, like Ozzy Osbourne or Lemmy Kilmister.

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Speaking to KNAC.com (via Consequence), Benton recalls the impact listening to Black Sabbath had on him at a young age: “I remember being at the breakfast table [at] 7:30 in the morning with my boombox blasting Paranoid at my mother,” he says.

“Metal was metal back then, metal right now – you have so many subcategories of metal now, it’s ridiculous. I understand individualism and that, and we can really use a lot more frontmen like that, like Ozzy [Osbourne] and Ronnie [James Dio] and all those people, Lemmy and that. We don’t have that anymore.”

He goes on to add, “All we have is a bunch of wannabe Weezer-looking dudes trying to play metal. Everybody’s sporting black-frame glasses and wearing trucker caps. Nobody gives a shit about imagery anymore, looking the part of metal and that. I walk around 24 hours a day looking [like I do].

“I can’t shake it, man. I’m never gonna fall into that. I’ve always been that way too about the guys onstage, man. You’re not gonna come out there wearing a fucking plaid shirt and white tennis shoes. It’s not happening.”

Watch the full interview below:

Last year, Osbourne himself explained that he has never been comfortable with being labelled as a metal artist. “Back in the day, it was always just rock music. It’s still just rock music,” he told Spin.

Deicide released their latest album, Banished By Sin back in April. You can stream it now.