an intoxicated ramble about our metal community

[ProjectedBlack]

Sure, I relish the looks I get and all of the negative people that don't approve of it can merrily go fuck themselves. Too me it's not just a style of music I prefer but a way of life.

That about sums up my beliefs on it, the metal community (to me) is a lot more "tighter" and relative then other musical cultures. Most metal-heads I've met share similiar beliefs on life and what you should make of it. It's a culture promoting freedom and strength and a lot more then just head-banging and screaming.

 

[The ORIGINAL South Of Heaven]

Meh, clothing IS insecurity. You choose your clothes so that people will see you a certain way. If you deny this, you are full of shit. Even if you supposedly "don't care" what you wear and never even give a second thought to what you put on (highly doubtful), you are choosing to appear as though you did not give a second thought to what you are wearing. Maybe out of chance it would coordinate in a socially acceptable fashion (or at least acceptable within whatever clique) or even appear "out of the ordinary" in that trend-starting way. But this is mostly likely due to your wardrobe selection conforming to a certain style or image that you prefer. Everyone does it and there's nothing wrong with it because it's part of the game. I was speaking for me personally and how I would want to be seen as "metal" about as much as I would to be seen as "punk" or "goth" (fucking not at all). See, you still care about how you are percieved, you are just choosing to disregard any negative opinions of how you're dressed so that you can feel comfortable with it. And if that's what it takes, then so be it. Personally I don't want to be percieved as a metalhead, because I'm not. I listen to indie rock and new wave and other gay things. You could call that insecurity if you want, but by that standard, we're all insecure. The man who has no social insecurities about how others percieve them cannot be a functioning member of society. Obviously you don't murder someone even if they kill your father because then you'll probably spend the rest of your life in jail. I really shouldn't have brought any of this up because now I'll have to respond to every single nitpick that I don't have time for. I wasn't really expecting anyone to see it my way, to be honest though.

You're right. I have zero insecurities, and I'm a leech on society. However, I really don't care about how I dress. I wear what I think looks cool. You're just as likely to see me in a band shirt as you are Roccawear jeans and a Sean John button shirt thing (not sure the type of shirts name). I hate rap, but I think the shirt and pants look cool, and believe me, I get some fucking strange looks wearing a Destroyer 666 shirt with Rocca wear and Sean John, and having long hair. Do I care? Not really, no. I think I look badass.

And like a wigger with an identity crisis.

 

[Kenneth R.]

i don't see why some of you think the "metal culture" is so close compared to other musical affiliations like Jazz.

 

[byrne]

Perdition's Light, your argument is totally fucking ridiculous.

How do YOU choose your friends? By finding the people on the planet you have the least in common with? What the fuck?

How is befriending someone based on their musical tastes any different to chatting with someone because you like the same tv shows, jobs, sports or anything else. Although I haven't really done any formal research on the topic, I'd be pretty willing to bet large sums of money pn most people meeting their friends through common interests.

As for this crap about everyone being insecure, that's also fucking stupid. Why do we need to view all peoples actions based on their insecurities? Short answer - we don't. I wear band shirts for any number of reasons. Supporting the bands, I like the often plain looks, or the images on the front, or sometimes I really put no thought into it at all and just wear them. It has nothing to do with me being insecure about anything. It's just the fact that I go outside naked and my preference on any given day may be to wear a band shirt.

However, if we are to take your view, should I assume that because you feel a need to post your opinion online in this public forum, that you are insecure about yourself? You perhaps feel that you are underappreciated outside this forum and thus need to vent your views and ideas here, in a bid to 'make a difference' during your otherwise insignificant existence? See how completely ridiculous that is? :Smug:

As for acting 'metal', I don't really. Although if someone stopped me for a conversation about a band I'd be more than happy to have a chat. Just like if a tourist stopped me for directions, I'd tell them where they needed to go (if i knew). Nothing to do with any unwritten brotherhood or something like that, its just being friendly.

 

[no country for old wainds]

^ Agree agree agree.

 

[Nico]

Let me start by agreeing with Misfit on the majority.

Meh, clothing IS insecurity. You choose your clothes so that people will see you a certain way.

No, clothing is habit. I've been wearing band shits since I was 13, back in the days when I thought it was cool. Since then the only ordinary clothing I've purchased has been plain and ordinary for the sake of formality. I wear band shirts because it's part of who I've been for the past 6 years.

I've had metal "aquaintances" but they were never close friends because we were so unalike, and I would never claim someone as a friend for such superficial reasons as mutual interests or pastimes. None of my friends listen to metal and it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

See, I'm not a thoughtful or profound person. Metal is what I love and metal is what I aspire to be. I've got nothing to talk about with people who aren't into metal. My mates are the people whom I can drink and listen to metal with and talk about metal with.

Call me shallow, call me whatever the fuck you want. I like metal, and that's all there is to me. Darth Kur summed it up well.

 

[Erik]

See, I'm not a thoughtful or profound person. Metal is what I love and metal is what I aspire to be. I've got nothing to talk about with people who aren't into metal. My mates are the people whom I can drink and listen to metal with and talk about metal with.

Call me shallow, call me whatever the fuck you want. I like metal, and that's all there is to me.

^ ...except I'm also thoughtful and profound. All of my friends listen to metal, and I don't know what to say to people that don't. Heh.

 

[dill_the_devil]

Generally, I wear band shirts because I like the images on the front, yet I won't buy a shirt by a band I haven't heard/don't own an album by no matter how much I like the imagery - mainly 'cos I don't someone to say something like 'Oh, dude, you're into Nig-Nog-Suggarothitheth too!' and have me looking all blank and going 'nah man, just liked the picture of the eviscerated nun orgy on the shirt...' Whether that's insecurity or not, I dunno...

 

[Erik]

That's a rule for me too, I will wear no merchandise by bands I own no records by.

 

[SlaughterofSoul]

I wear band shirts, Jeans and boots, because it's what I like. I chop off most of my hair, because it's thick and annoying, so I keep it very short. I always have.

 

[Episteme]

Bah. Seriously who cares.

All I've been wearing since I was 14 have been metal shirts. As many people have said over here, I wear because it's convenient(Always at the top of the shelf...heh). And also because I like listening to metal. Even with a metal shirt I don't exactly look "metal". I have quite a few mates who listen to metal and we seem to stick out during local gigs even when we wear our metal shirts because everyone else around us has long hair down to their waist...and most of us...barely have hair that goes past our ears(except mine but that's because I'm too lazy to get a haircut).

Turns out though, the metalheads I talk to at local gigs aren't the most intelligent lot in the world and they tend to piss me off. I'm glad that I'm not part of that group of people and I'm my own person with my own group of friends...who are abit more intelligent.

 

[Scourge of Malice]

ya i think i usually stand out at shows too. i have some metal band shirts but the rest of my attire is skate companies.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

I'll wear metal shirts because I like the bands, and even though much of the company I keep listens to other styles of music, the shirt's presence is nice because it reflects a bit of my personality. It says: "I like this band." And I am also a thoughtful and profound individual in my better moments. The shirts aren't any mask of insecurity. I'll go days without them or whatever. They're just shirts.

I really don't care much for the "metalhead brotherhood" thing, though. I like metal. If you like metal, so what? Taste in music is so subjective and so meaningless. I'd rather befriend someone that I can have fun with rather than someone who listens to metal and all around kind of sucks.

Maybe your definition of fun involves people who you can drink and headbang with, and I say power to you. But not for me. Not really, anyway.

 

[SlaughterofSoul]

None of my friends really listen to metal. So, I really don't keep in the company of metalheads. Mostly because the ones around my area are annoying.

 

[byrne]

That's a rule for me too, I will wear no merchandise by bands I own no records by.

i take it a little further; i dont buy
1. shirts for tours i didnt attend and
2. shirts of albums i dont have.

 

[triellan666]

shut up, all of you, like any of this matters, so what if people like to ware band shirts black boots, or studds for that matter, it dosent matter, metal isent a pop fling that can change in just a few months or years, metal is forever and ever lasting, even if the music chasnges metal is a life style its and state of mind, and for that reason it binds us all together if you like it or not its kinda like a brotherhood of some sort but instead of knowing the person like a brother you respect them because there a metal head and fo choosing the same life style and beliefs as you, because if you ask a bunch of metal heads there beliefs are and what they want in life i bet most of them will be very similar and thats why you can make a friend my just knowing there a metal head

 

[no country for old wainds]

punc

tuate?

 

[infoterror]

the metal "image" of long hair and band shirts is often seen as just another group of hypocritical non conformist conforming. i dont see it that way. i see it as a sign of brotherhood. your walkin down the street and you see a guy in a darkthrone shirt, you say whats up. its this type of brotherhood that makes our community unique

Agreed. This is why they call it a subculture. However, for it to live up to that name, it needs to come into more agreement on standards and philosophical values that do not reflect the conformist norm.

 

[Fourka]

I can't see any problem with the metal "image" and with any other image. If you "feel" metal then there is not any problem to wear metal shirts and have your hair long. In the contrary...Now whether someone is following the metal "image" just to show off and to feel like he belongs in a community and so on is another matter. Whoever is real to himself, he knows it better than any other person in here. The only problem I personally might have with the people that are just trying to show something else than what they really feel is that they confuse other people. For example, if I go to a place where many people with different interests are, and I see someone having long hair and wearing an Immortal shirt, I will think that hey there's a person that I could hang with for the rest of the night and looking forward to talk about our "common" interests. But if that person is how he is for any other reason except the real one, then I will be dissapointed if you know what I mean.
What I understand though from the people that keep whining about this metal image, is the following: their problem is that other "metal" people will point to them saying that they actually don't like metal since they are not wearing band shirts etc, like they know everything...well, just ignore those kind of people...simple as that. This moaning is really getting quite annoying. You'd better sort out the people that you hang out with, I say and stop getting so worried about being accepted in a community whose members you despise.

 

[The.Donut]

Just be who you want to be. Who cares what anyone else thinks?