Code Orange continue to remind us of the days when metal had a real presence in the mainstream, thanks to their great new '90s-meets-futuristic album Underneath, their they-don't-make-'em-like-this-anymore concert film Last Ones Left: In Fear of the End, and their MTV Unplugged-style Under The Skin, which came with a Headbangers Ball-style pre-show where Code Orange put on for newer bands like Turnstile, Higher Power, Vein.FM, and Jesus Piece, all of whom sound like they could've been genuinely huge when MTV played metal.

In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Code Orange's Reba Meyers and Jami Morgan have spoken about some of the reasons why metal bands aren't reaching the heights today that they once did. "I love metal, but there needs to be more forward-thinking," Reba said. "It’s expected to be the most forward-thinking genre, but right now I think it’s falling behind some other genres."

"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,'" she adds. "A lot of that is up to perception."

Jami adds, "Metal has this amazing, loyal fan base and amazing bands that have paved the way or are still groundbreaking. 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% That’s the problem."

You can read the full interview in issue 339 of Metal Hammer.

In related news, Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe answered fan questions on Metal Hammer, and he discussed his distaste for the genre boundaries between punk, metal, and hardcore, wanting to collaborate with the Wu-Tang Clan, achieving his dream of playing CBGB, and more.

Both Code Orange and Randy Blythe were among the many musicians to pay tribute to Power Trip's Riley Gale earlier this week.

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