Alternative rock of the 2000s always used to be a reliable genre to listen to; it did not matter what emotions went through your head at the time. There was always a band or a song that you could listen to that accurately chronicled the events of your life line by line. Though most of the artists that found their home in this genre still exist, their styles have changed dramatically coming into the new decade.
Many bands who made valued alternative rock albums, during the 2000s, came in to 2010 and afterward a completely different band. Did old alternative rock
decline somewhere along the way? Did the listeners want a change? Whatever the cause may be, more and more groups have followed the status quo and changed the sounds of alternative rock forever.Many all over the Internet have stated that alternative rock died before the 2000s, saying that the 1990s was the "golden age." Others have stated that the 1990s broke the camel's back, claiming the 1980s be deemed the height. Overall, I believe this is subject to what decade of alternative rock the person grew up with. Sure, I may have grown up with 2000s rock music, but I still do not ignore great classic bands like Pearl Jam and Third Eye Blind. Nonetheless, I prefer 2000s alternative rock because of the well-thought out lyrics in the songs, the unique sounds of the different bands, and the unique voices of some of the frontmen. The voice that always intrigued me the most was Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria. "Welcome Home," was such a unique song in the way it presented itself: the slower than average tempo and the use of string instruments to give it a more distinguished sound.
But nowadays, the genre of alternative rock has, in my opinion, split into two distinct runoffs: mainstream hard rock and electronic alternative rock. Both did exist prior to the turn of the decade, but they were more well known as subgenres of the father genre, alternative rock. Most bands, after 2010, began shaping their music towards one end of the spectrum or the other, leaving just a few bands in the middle who decided
to keep their old sound. Some of these "middle" bands include Green Day, Alberta Cross, and AFI just to name a few. Many of the rest have joined the status quo in picking a side. Old alternative favorites such as Sum 41 opted to travel the hard rock path. Although there are still traces of their old sound on their newest album Screaming Bloody Murder (2011), it is also a much harder sound than many are used to hearing from them. On the other hand, old legendary bands such as My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park dissapointed many of their fans, showing that they had turned towards electronic alternative rock. LInkin Park's newest album A Thousand Suns (2010) was especially dissapointing, as when listening, it seemed like they had forgotten everything that had made them one of the greatest bands still playing. Was it just an experiment or a permanent change? Many are hoping it was an experiment gone horribly wrong: that album has become the Frankenstein of their discography.Some may say I am overreacting... Some may say I have exagerated and embellished the truth, but just note, this is my opinion on the direction of alternative rock music. There is no right or wrong answer. I just took the time to write about this because too many of my favorite acts over the last few years have really dissapointed with the albums they have released. I am not against bands experimenting with their sound, but the trend is very hard to ignore. The trend is blatant! Alternative rock has completely changed! Maybe I am just bitter because I want a resurgence of the old regime. But for all that it is worth, I feel like alternative rock changed for the worst the moment 2010 came around. Nowadays, fishing for good, new alternative rock songs is tedious, takes a long time, and usually baits you nothing, but maybe one day, these bands will catch the answer.