A critical narrative of death metal

In a Q&A session with his readers New York Times jazz and pop critic Ben Ratliff outlines his theory on the relative lack of mainstream media attention for death metal:

There is a certain midlevel meat-and-potatoes death metal that resists "serious consideration" outside of specialist quarters because ... because ... because so much of it sounds alike. It's not bad that it sounds alike; it strengthens a tradition. But writing about it for a general audience is really hard work.

I would also add the rather sensible reluctance of many music critics to endure bleeding eardrums and sweat-rain from metal venue ceilings.

- New York Times, 11 January 2009