Code Orange have addressed some of the challenges currently faced by heavy metal. Namely, they see a reluctance in the culture to push newer bands, all while relying on the popularity of veteran acts.

As heavy music's mainstream appeal continues to fall by the wayside largely, vocalist-guitarist Reba Meyers and vocalist-drummer Jami Morgan of the Pennsylvania-based rockers confronted the situation. For her part, Meyers opined about a seeming reluctance in metal to be on the cutting edge.

"I love metal, but there needs to be more forward-thinking," the musician told Metal Hammer. "It's expected to be the most forward-thinking genre, but right now I think it's falling behind some other genres."

Meyers continued, "You look at a metal festival lineup and the headliners are all just bands from the '90s. If you look at festivals like Coachella, the headliners are modern acts. The festival runners who maybe say, 'Oh they don't have a following enough,' it's not just up to them — it's up to the entire industry. … Whenever you push these bands as 'small' they're going to be looked at as 'small.' A lot of that is up to perception."

Morgan agreed, and he put an interesting twist on the issue. He noted that other genres, such as hip-hop, have no problem leading the charge with mostly fresh-faced artists at the start of their careers. Meanwhile, metal seems unable to put new performers at the forefront, he suggested.

"Metal has this amazing, loyal fan base and amazing bands that have paved the way or are still groundbreaking," Morgan said. "But, are any of the new bands some of the biggest bands? No. In rap, or any other kinds of music, are the newest people the biggest? 100 percent. That's the problem."

More of Code Orange's recent chat with Metal Hammer can be found in the magazine's current issue (#339). Earlier this year, Loudwire named the outfit's Underneath one of 2020's Best Albums (So Far).

See Code Orange in the 66 Best Metal Albums of the Decade: 2010 - 2019

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