I think their problem is they are TOO good to make it as a huge name. Their songs aren't short enough, or basic enough, to be radio-friendly.
I think so too. To date, I think TooL is the only band played often on the radio that can diverge from 4/4 or 6/8 on a regular basis.
One thing I've always wanted to see was
Metropolis Part II: Scenes From a Memory made into a real movie musical, but without James LaBrie singing every part. Guy's good, but doesn't quite cut it as a female vocalist.
Besides, who says speed isn't soulful? If you were to slow down a good amount of H. Li's playing, or go to 0min 29sec on the Dragonforce solo I posted, you get something that reminds me a ton of Slash from Guns N Roses... who, in my opinion, is probably one of THE BEST soulful guitar players out there. Just listen to
November Rain, Estranged, or
Don't Cry(in that order) and you'll know what I mean.
As long as a guitar player (who solos or does lead lines) plays for the song itself, and not to show off, then that's real skill. That's why I don't like a lot of Metallica's early solos or a lot of Pantera (excluding the first part of the solo for
Cemetary Gates)--they do nothing to advance the song. Dragonforce asks for speed and frenetic emotion, and they get it. Tom Petty's
Mary Jane's Last Dance calls for a simple comment of a solo, and that's what you hear.
What I can't stand are bands like Cradle of Filth. They have talent, but they use it so horribly. It'd be like using an Aston Martin to haul manure.
