Like birds flying south for the winter or stores putting out their holiday decorations in mid-September, there are some yearly traditions that will continue on long after we’re gone. Bitching about the Grammy awards, specifically who was left off the ‘In Memoriam’ segment is one of them. And while every genre has its share of snubs, metal always gets the short end of the stick. It’s not surprising that it happened again, but given that one exclusion was four-time Grammy nominee Vinnie Paul, people are deservedly up in arms.
Paul, who played for Pantera, Hellyeah, and Damageplan, died in June from coronary artery disease. It was national news in the mainstream media when it happened, and given that he was in one of the biggest metal bands of the last quarter century and an extremely well-respected drummer, he should’ve been included, and it’s really just another example of the genre being disrespected by the organization. He wasn’t the only metal musician that didn’t make the cut. We Came As Romans’ Kyle Pavone and All That Remains’ Oli Herbert were notable deaths that deserved a passing mention in the segment.
The Grammys seemed to recognize that they would be catching flak for snubbing musicians in the televised segment, as they released a list that includes all three musicians online and it’s apparently also included in the Grammy guide. And it’s not like it was only metal artists that weren’t included in the online segment. Others online are expressing anger that up and coming Soundcloud rapper XXXtentacion wasn’t included either. Here’s hoping that we haven’t lost too many metal musicians by the time next year rolls around, but we’re sure one year from today, there will be another article like this.
