The 2018 Grammy nominees for heavier music included August Burns Red, Code Orange, Avenged Sevenfold who didn't show up to protest rock and metal's treatment at the event, and Mastodon who actually won, among others. The metal segment is never televised and it just seems like the award show doesn't really pay too much credence to both the rock and metal scene in general. Which also makes a little sense considering rock is on the decline for sales and hip-hop is on the rise.
Despite all this, Black Label Society frontman and guitarist Zakk Wylde just doesn't see what the big deal is. Wylde essentially says rock and metal's place isn't really at the Grammys at all, and as a Grammy winner himself he really doesn't see what the big deal is.
"Do you know what I think is so hysterical with the Grammys? That any of our friends who don't want the Grammys actually get upset about the Grammys!
"Do you know what Grammys is? It's the equivalent of any of our friends, or me and you, with our Sabbath and Zeppelin records – we'll throw in some Allman Brothers in there too – we go to [iconic disco nightclub] Studio 54 and it's 1978 and we're like, 'Man, put on some Sabbath and Zeppelin!'
"And they're just like, 'You're at the wrong bar, guys. We don't play that in here. But down the road there's plenty of bars that play all the music that you want to listen to.'
"I'd be curious to find out… When Zeppelin was playing Tampa Stadium [in 1973] with the big thing, 'Bigger than The Beatles,' because they sold more tickets – The Beatles sold like 65,000 and Zeppelin had like 67,000 or 68,000 [it was actually 57,000, which at the time was the record for the largest audience to ever see a single artist] – here's a band that's doing stadiums now, they sold millions of records and I'd be curious to look up the Grammys in 1973, who the artists were that won and who the nominees were for the Best Album of the Year. And I'm sure Zeppelin had a no.
"I'd just be curious to see if Zeppelin was even mentioned in the Best Album of the Year, or Best Dragon Pants, or Best Robert Plant With Best Chest and Hair. I'm just saying – why does anyone get upset about it and not just go, 'Well, cool, we crashed the party!'
"Put it this way, if the band wins anything – awesome! As for a footsie rub, I still don't get one and I've got a Grammy. It doesn't help things."
I agree with Wylde, personally. Sure, it would be a cool little thumbs up from the industry if rock and metal were recognized anymore, but ultimately the Grammys is just a giant marketing circle jerk anyway with little gold statues. It doesn't actually mean anything other than a group of people decided you were extra cool that year.
https://soundcloud.com/jameyjasta/episode-330-zakk-wylde-black
