Metal and Rock Grammy Nominees Announced

Metallica, Megadeth, Disturbed, Gojira, Korn and More Earn 2017 Grammy Nominations https://t.co/YKT2ydCyW5

— Loudwire (@Loudwire) December 7, 2016

The Grammy Awards ceremony is set for February 12. You can watch the show on CBS. Here is the list of nominees. I'm sure you'll all have opinions on this! I no longer try to predict the winners of these things. I'm always wrong and usually disappointed. 

Best Metal Performance

Baroness, “Shock Me”
Gojira, “Silvera”
Korn, “Rotting in Vain”
Megadeth, “Dystopia”
Periphery, “The Price Is Wrong”

Best Rock Performance

Alabama Shakes, “Joe” (Live From Austin City Limits)
Beyonce Featuring Jack White, “Don’t Hurt Yourself”
David Bowie, “Blackstar”
Disturbed, “The Sound of Silence” (Live on Conan)
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”

Best Rock Song

David Bowie, “Blackstar”
Highly Suspect, “My Name Is Human”
Metallica, “Hardwired”
Radiohead, “Burn the Witch”
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”

Best Rock Album

Blink-182, California
Cage the Elephant, Tell Me I’m Pretty
Gojira, Magma
Panic at the Disco, Death of a Bachelor
Weezer, Weezer

Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver, 22, A Million
David Bowie, Blackstar
PJ Harvey, The Hope Six Demolition Project
Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression
Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool

Comments

[Him]

Darn, I feel old looking at those lists of nominees. I hope Bowie takes every category he is posthumously in. For the other two, I go with Megadeth (a better return to form-ish than 'Tallica in my humble opinion) and Gojira (simply because I like monster movies as a metaphor for atomic destruction and the idea of a "gorilla whale" makes me giggle).

Like I said, those lists make me feel old. Remember when the Grammy's meant something? Me neither.

[Gary]

David Drama absolutely killed on the Disturbed version of The Sound Of Silence IMHO. Just a killer vocal performance. I hope they/he gets an award. And Him, I'd bet Vince Neal's weekly booze budget that Mr. Bowie is going to win at least one (alternative) ,and probably both catagories he's nominated in. Nothing garners votes and album sales like dying. To quote Metallica, its "Sad But True".

[bob]

LOL gary, David Drama! As for his rendition of "Sound of Silence", just my opinion of course, but I think it is god awful, and completely overblown. David Bowie should sweep most of the categories for which he is nominated. it usually takes death for the awards people to acknowledge someone.

[Gary]

Sad,isn't it Bob. A guy who was almost singlehandedly responsible for bringing a genre of music (glam) to the masses (with a huge nod to Marc Bolan/T. Rex and also The Sweet) will more than likely get his biggest accolades and most attention from the snobs posthumously. I know he won the lifetime achievement award back in the last decade (not sure of the year?) but nothing moves product and garners attention like death. And that sucks, but it's always been that way, and most likely always will. (Prince being the latest example) Death sells....

[Metalboy!]

Call me crazy (that should be easy) but I just gotta wonder, since the competition seems so thin, if Motlëy Crüe actually would have had a shot at being nominated and even possibly winning "Best Metal Performance", "Best Rock Album", "Best Rock Song" and probably more had Nikki Sixx really set his mind to writing an album's worth of a more modern take on music on the level of, say, "Dr. Feelgood", any Crüe album before that, or even the good parts of "The Saints of Los Angeles".

As far as the actual nominees go, it really is a shame they aren't aware of better music that's out there that are, IMHO, actually more informed and aware choices. Who the h*ll do they have on The Academy that would actually know what to nominate and what is the criteria?

Don't get me wrong -- I appreciate the fact we are seeing the likes of Bowie, Iggy Pop, Metallica, Megadeth, Baroness and possibly the others I will do my due diligence to check out from the list (I confess, I don't know some of them), but if the said nominated acts we are all more than familiar with can make the cut than I sure would like to know if any of the following were under consideration, as some are as good or better than those nominated, because, like I said, the competition's kinda thin this year among those selected...

I mean, what about?...

1) Danko Jones, "Do You Wanna Rock" (song), "Fire Music" (album)
2) The Last Vegas, "Here We Go Again" (song), "Eat Me" (album)
3) Texas Hippie Coalition, "Hit It Again" (song), "Dark Side of Black" (album)
4) Striker, "United" (song), "Stand In The Fire" (album)
5) Jackyl, "Everyone's A Winner" (song), "Rowyco" (album)
6) Airbourne, "It's All For Rock n' Roll" (song), "Breakin' Outta Hell" (album)
7) Hellyeah, "I Don't Care Anymore" (song -- Phil Collins cover), "Undeniable" (album)
8) Herman Frank, "Ballhog Zone" (song), "The Devil Rides Out" (album)
9) Wolf Hoffmann, "Scherzo" (song), "Headbangers Symphony" (album)

I'm sure there's more from people on here who know better than I to add. I was glad to see Ghost win last year. I predict Bowie and Metallica will sweep their categories. As far as me guessing who else that's nominated winning is a crap shoot. Already you can see the politics at work...

Why in hell couldn't Metallica and Megadeth go head to head for "Best Metal Performance"? Perhaps it foretells how they're already going to hand the damn trophies out -- Megadeth gets one for "Best Metal Performance" and Metallica gets it for "Best Rock Song". Or do they both get left at The Altar of What Used to be Rock & Roll?

Whatever the outcome, I'll be watching for the sheer spectacle of it all. Maybe Bella Hadid will be walking the red carpet. Oh, that's right, disappointingly, she probably won't be there because she broke up with The Weeknd last weekend.

[Him]

I agree: the whole posthumous angle is played out. The only comfort I have--regarding an awards show I will not watch--is that Bowie's final bow wasn't bad by any means.

As I said last year around this time, the Granny's aren't there to cater to fans.

[Metalboy!]

Though we may not agree with some of the Grammy's nominees over the years, I thought there was some improvement in terms of who won the last couple of years. Though many on here, myself included, may have a hard time rolling with newer "alternative" styled bands getting in the mix, we should be able to appreciate the music they make, even if it might not be our cup of tea...

Case in points: Alabama Shakes winning last year. I would rather them than some of the crap they were up against. Also, I also completely understand why GHOST won in the Metal category. The judges are evaluating the music -- the melodicism, not just the obvious choice of packaging and hype or from a purely political standpoint though it seems like it does come into play from time to time.

I mean, whoever thought Beck would win a couple years back? To me, there was integrity in that choice. The music contained on that album is just so clearly superior to the pop machine predictability of the other nominees and, I'm sure, so many of the others who were under consideration.

My advice to HIM and the others is to watch... I'm willing to bet Metallica will perform "Hardwired" at the soft open of the show or at a very key point elsewhere in the broadcast.

[Him]

You make several good points, Metalboy! Preference can cloud my (our?) thinking now and again. And I agree, some good bands--putting aside which genre they fall into--have won in the past.

I love Ghost and thought their speech was hilarious. So if that drew some people towards their brand of metal (and it is metal), so be it. I hesitate to ask you, though, about that Beck nod. He won five times and has been nominated sixteen times. So he wasn't exactly off their radar or a bold choice. My hesitancy, though, relates to Beck's religious affiliation. Or do you want to walk that back a scootch given that has caused you to cast aspersions in past instances? Not trying to start something. Just asking.

But, back on point: I also agree with you that the Grammy's at least treat the nomination process with legitimacy. So maybe I will watch the highlights. You at least moved me to consider doing that. I guess my issue is that I am a stick in the mud when it comes to awards shows. That's just me. I own it.

[Metalboy!]

Oh, man... the Scientology thing is ALMOST a deal killer for Beck as you know where I stand with Billy Sheehan's affiliation with the cult, which is me basically giving him a death sentence for it.

However, Beck still deserves the Grammys, something Sheehan will never receive. Why? Because Sheehan's a phony overplayer and disingenuous peddler of calculated mediocrity, whereas Beck is a complete genius and true artist.