When asked who their contemporaries were, Behemoth said they had the same level of popularity as Nile, Gojira...

When asked who their contemporaries were, Behemoth said they had the same level of popularity as Nile, Gojira, Electric Wizard, and Watain.

What level is that? How does popularity affect bands in niches like extreme metal?

All those bands fucking suck so maybe it's that.

Not answering the questions, but i think they're more popular than some of those bands.
I've seen Watain open for Beh

The interview they said it was done around 2015, so it's possible they hadn't yet completely experienced how much exposure they'd get from The Satanist.

I like all of those bands. I like bands like Archgoat and can appreciate the metal purist mentality, but its eagerness to dismiss anyone who dares to experiment, have a clean sound, or become somewhat popular is frankly irritating. Electric Wizard is a solid band, Nile has done some really interesting stuff, and while Gojira is hit and miss, they've also done some cool stuff. I love Behemoth, though.

Behemoth is big with the Hot Topic crowd, they're about as popular as Dimmu or Killswitch Engage probably.

Never was a fan of Behemoth, love Wizard and Gojira. Nile is a band I respect the shit out of because they are super talented and from my home state, but I just can't get into them for some reason. Never gave Watain a spin.

I don't know that that grouping is fair, desu. I actually stayed away from them for a long time because of those connotations - I always despised Hot Topic bands like Dimmu Borgir, MCR, scene metalcore, etc. - but finally hearing them was sort of a revelation. It's definitely a lot glossier than I think pretty much any other blackened death band has ever been, and I can see why fans of bands like Blasphemy and Revenge could hate it (note that I love Revenge), but I just think they're a cool band. I like the triumphant tone, mixed with that darkened vibe. It could be that I like them because I'm not a huge metalhead, though, and as far as heavy music goes, I'm more into stuff like crust punk. Still, I think Behemoth is a cool band, and it's a shame about the Hot Topic association, to whatever extent that's actually a thing.

>soyboy tripfag has shit taste
Imagine my shock

>Nile has done interesting stuff
Fuck off poser, Nile shits on tryhard "war metal"

I actually agree and I like Nile more than pretty much any war metal band I can think of, though I love Archgoat and Revenge. But I find it strange that I upset you because my praise wasn't emphatic enough.

Metal fans I know swing toward preferring the big names to smaller ones on average. Partly due to hatred of everything that seems fake and hipster, partly due to fans going diehard once fans and thus slowly elevating groups into the big names bracket, also partly due to access to good equipment sometimes, also having money glue groups together for long enough to grow, etc. Most of those bands deserve their fame imo.

I was just messing with you, i too empathise with the elitist view, but im really a punk loser with nothing better to do. Impiety is pretty good.

Post-Sventevith Behemoth is a false and you'd do well to not entry. They mean they are pseudo-core-tier and fanbase of hot topic posers with haircut. They aren't even recognize by extreme metal underground!

The only band more soyboy than behemoth i can think is modern dimmu borgir, but damm behemot fucking sucks

you fucking suck

The only album they made that i like is demigod. But they were one of the first extreme metal bands i ever listened to. Now that im older and can understand the lyrics i realize they say some real Satanic shit.

t.

You're using Sup Forums language, which by definition means you're a newfag. I've been here since 2009. You're the tourist. I bet you can't even into crust.

Those pants are fucking retarded, I hate anyone who wears them

m8 that's more like Slipknot and Korn. Behemoth are death/black metal, as well as most of the other bands OP listed. Not really close at all.

>2009
>Not an absolute newfriend
I've been """here""" since 2006 and crust is entry as fuck. I do unironically like some of it though.

wow what a bunch of faggots, who the fucks idea was it to make a picture such as this

Somewhat true I guess. It goes something like

1. Most popular tier (big four thrash, Maiden, Sabbath, etc.)

2. Trendy or easily digestible tier (metalcore/deathcore in the 2000s, some bigger name djent/prog guys like Periphery/AAL/Dream Theater, super popular power metal like Nightwish, and Dimmu Borgir) A lot of stuff dubbed industrial metal can fit here, too

3. Slightly rawer stuff than the more popular stuff but still more glossy than less popular tier (tons of slam, Behemoth, Nile, basically all those bands you mentioned plus some others like Deathwish records stuff aka Converge, Deafheaven, etc.) I think some trad metal style stuff like Accept and Ghost are here, too. Also I guess techy death like Necrophagist

4. Classics in the extreme metal genres, also some of the lesser known big names in the less extreme metal genres (this is where stuff like Morbid Angel, Demilich, Immortal, etc. lands but also thrash like Coroner, Razor, Dark Angel or trad metal like Mercyful Fate, King Diamond)

5. Stuff that has a half decent following. Mostly only actual metal fans that dedicate quite a bit of time to the genre know of. Ex. Nuclear Death, Disma, Arghoslent/GBK, Taco Circle bands, Blood Incantation, Obliteration, etc.

6. Bands usually only listened to by guys who have been listening to the music for ages and are able to sift through underground labels to find their stuff. Often circlejerked as flavor of the year from websites like Ultimate Metal, NWN, DMU, and others. Sammath, Antichirst, Black Mass Of Absu, Dark Fury (though they might be getting out of this tier if they keep ramping up their popularity), Grausamkeit, etc. Some of the weirder gimmicky stuff like Jute Gyte that might get attention from a small collective of non-metal fans makes it here too sometimes.

7. Stuff with zero exposure outside their local area. *insert random band name of band that plays mostly in their basement and occasionally at the local live venue for cheap/free

The fact that Grausamkeit is no longer underground makes me lose hope in ugbm. In the early 2000's Fucking Armageddon Prod was my thing, now it's just an instagram gimmick for the common sightseer.
*sigh*

nice breakdown

They are on Darker Than Black right now, and that just means that they'll get even more exposure especially among the far right type guys.

Immortal/Emperor are waaaaaaaaay ahead of bands like Nile and Behemoth.

The thing to remember is popularity is relative to audience, and what really matters is whether the band is financially independent and to what degree. Emperor basically only has to play one show in Norway every three years and they're set.

Some bands are festival headliners in some parts of the world and opening bands in others.

Grom is good though.

Nile and Behemoth have more views on YouTube, more listeners on last.fm and Spotify. And while I don't have sales data for it, probably sold more, too.

If financial independence is a terrible metric especially in a genre known for guys that aren't big spenders and find various ways to be financially independent. Not to mention many popular groups can't necessarily be considered financially independent if we tied their finance to their popularity thus music deals.

In the end, although among "serious" music listeners like here or RYM or Sputnik I am sure Emperor/Immortal are far more popular because they have that legendary status. Probs will main event with openers more popular than them for that reason, too. But if we use actual data like listeners, sales, etc. they don't come out as being as overall popular. You're right, popularity is relative, and internet popularity doesn't amount to real life popularity where normies fuck with Nile and Behemoth FAR more than they'll ever fuck with Immortal.