Are metal fans the most hardcore?

[waif]

Not asking if heavy metal is the most brutal genre or if the lifestyles of it's fans are the most extreme. What I'm asking is, is metal a bigger part of a metalhead's life than rock is for a rock fan?

So. In your response:
1. How big a part of your life metal is
2. How big a part of people's lives music is based on your observations
3. And then comments and observations and stuff
Like this:

1. Metal is a pretty huge part of my life. My recreational activities consist of playing (metal) guitar, listening to metal, discussing it (on here), going to metal shows, etc. I do other stuff, but 80% is probably metal related. When bored in class, I'll write metal songs in my head. I wear band shirts daily and grow my hair.

2. My friends who are into metal are also very music/metal oriented, they play instruments, listen to metal a ton, wear band shirts frequently, and grow their hair. My friends and other people who are into rock or pop or rap stuff are as a whole dramatically less into music. They're less likely to play instruments, wear band shirts, or listen to and discuss music constantly.

3. I don't really know why this is. It might be because metal provides a wider range of feelings than most other forms of music. It might be because metal is more awesome than other forms of music. It also might be because we're losers.

 

[naboo]

Metal is almost a lifestyle if you're really into it. But yeah, I totally know what you're saying.

 

[mutantllama]

Yeah, I'm pretty much really into it, and it's a big part of my life. My friend was saying how people don't go out and yell "FUCK YEAH BRITTENY SPEARS" or something like that when they go to shows. Unlike a Judas Priest show, everyone was yelling "JUDAS FUCKING PRIEST" after the metal masters show.
So I guess metal fans are the most dedicated to their music genre.

 

[Deicidal]

First off, metal shouldn't be a lifestyle. It should only be music. I don't go around in facepaint and shit burning churches or crosses. I don't walk around mean mugging people and threatening to beat the shit out of them. I feel the mainstream has blown music so out of proportion that kids my age (15) make a complete fool out of themselves putting on this gimmick. "I'll punch your fucking face in emo queer!" It's just not me.

1. Metal is a part of my life musically. I guess it's a kick in the face for me sometimes lyrics-wise. But I don't usually go around doing what some lyrics tell me. For example, I listen to Slayer. But I'm not hurting people and/or killing anyone, because I know what they mean. I know that behind the lyrics, none of the band members (that I know of) have raped/hurt/killed somebody.

2. I think many teenagers take some music too seriously. For example, kids who listen to "emo" music that either kill themselves or someone else, or self mutilate take the music they choose to follow and listen to heart and think that the band members actually do that stupid shit.

A lot of real metalheads who are teens live regular day-to-day lives and don't threaten people who aren't like them and call them faggots. Most teens who like metal like Slipknot and As I Lay Dying anyway, so they have no clue what they are saying or doing. They just enjoy pig squeals and Dropped G tuning, without listening to the lyrics...

A lot of people in america like pop music, mostly because it's catchy and very convenient, meaning it's on MTV and other channels 24/7. They have little to no taste in music, but the music themes and the singer/songwriter's fashion has a great amount of impact on them clothes-wise and mentally. They think all they need is an alcoholic beverage, trendy clothes, and no sense of... Well, anything.

That is what I've seen so far in my short, young life pertaining to music.

3. Finally, metal fans don't have to prove themselves as "hardcore". I believe that "hardcore" is a gimmick for you to go out and buy a band/artist's album because they must be so brutal, while other music is so pussified. I don't attempt to call what I listen to hardcore, because I also listen to other kinds of music some metalheads would think isn't, like George Clinton, and A Tribe Called Quest, for example.

I don't care if you think a certain metal band is hard or not, because even if you hate Opeth or something, it's a different genre of metal that you are or aren't interested in. So if you think that everyone should listen to everything you like and hate everything you don't like, you are a communist. So suck it.

 

[Slayed Necros]

1. Huge. It essentially is my life. After the necessities of life are taken care of the entirety of my weekly wage is spent on Metal music, or otherwise Metal related items. I exclusively wear black clothes, bands shirts, leather jackets, combat boots, patches, pins, hair is over three quarters of the way down my back, etc.

2. My closest friends all listen to Metal, though I don't believe any are as deeply immersed as myself. For example, they only have extensive mp3 collections... My other friends and associates couldn't care less about music.

I have little else to add.

 

[waif]

@deicidal:
okay.
thank you. that was well written and you actually followed the format, which was nice. It didn't actually relate to the question, but whatever.

I agree, I don't think anyone should take lyrics seriously, except that some bands do have a message that they want to spread (like RATM).

As far as a lifestyle, I dunno. I think that some people construct a personal philosophy heavily influenced by (ideas contained in) metal, and that can be a good thing (or a bad thing, depending). And there's no douht that many people draw fashionwise on metal, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I wear jeans and a t-shirt normally. I buy metal shirts at gigs, so why not make it a metal shirt, since otherwise I'd have to go buy one of those stupid "Save Darfur" shirts.

As far as listening to non-metal...I don't think there's a stigma about listening to George Clinton, but "only faggots listen to Dragonforce."

@mp:

 

[mutantllama]

Btw, I'm gonna make myself a patchjacket. I already have a couple, I just need a vest now to make one.

It's gonna be badass.

 

[Vossyrus]

I would agree that "metalheads" on average are more into the music than fans of other genres. But there's plenty of goths and diehard punk fans for example, who 'breathe' the music just the same. Keep in mind, most of this are judging this from a metal fan's perspective - you can't look at fans of other genres, and assume that they all only listen to the most commercial stuff, and don't know their music.

And I wouldn't say I am exclusively a "metalhead" or even label myself as such. I've always listened to whatever I enjoy, and so I listen to plenty of stuff outside of metal that is just as, or more important in my life, as the metal that I do listen to.

But metal is definitely an essential part of my life.

 

[mutantllama]

Yeah, I think punk would probably be the most comparable to metal as in who is the most into it. Because, I've seen some hardcore punk fans.

 

[Deicidal]

@deicidal:
okay.
thank you. that was well written and you actually followed the format, which was nice. It didn't actually relate to the question, but whatever.

I agree, I don't think anyone should take lyrics seriously, except that some bands do have a message that they want to spread (like RATM).

As far as a lifestyle, I dunno. I think that some people construct a personal philosophy heavily influenced by (ideas contained in) metal, and that can be a good thing (or a bad thing, depending). And there's no douht that many people draw fashionwise on metal, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I wear jeans and a t-shirt normally. I buy metal shirts at gigs, so why not make it a metal shirt, since otherwise I'd have to go buy one of those stupid "Save Darfur" shirts.

As far as listening to non-metal...I don't think there's a stigma about listening to George Clinton, but "only faggots listen to Dragonforce."

@mp:

I'm not saying that it's stupid to wear a metal band shirt, I have a few myself, but I don't go all out with it, studded belts, and those Hot Topic baggy pant with the chains, and long ass black hair.

 

[waif]

@mL: Punk is a lifestyle, end of story.
@deicidal: studded belts for every day is overboard, hot topic is fucking worthless, baggy pants with chains I've always associated with posers, and if your hair is black then that's cool, if you're dying your hair black you'd better be in a black metal band. Nothing wrong with growing your hair though.

 

[Deicidal]

... and if your hair is black then that's cool, if you're dying your hair black you'd better be in a black metal band. Nothing wrong with growing your hair though.

I wasn't saying that long black hair wasn't OK, shoot, you can look however you want and still be a metalhead, in my opinion. I do agree with you on the hair dying.

 

[meeseface]

1.Metal is a huge part of my life. Whenever I can't go to a show, I take it personally. I'm always wearing a band shirt(immortal, morbid angel, immolation etc), I don't care how much of a hassle my hair can be, I refuse to cut it, in fact my hair is longer than my girl's hair. I go to ever show that I can(don't care if I go into debt of am over drafted), Finntroll this Thursday. I buy cds every chance that I get. I am currently saving cash to go to Wacken, I'll quit my job if I have to, and I would like to move to any European country, because metal is a lot more appreciated there and I listen to foreign bands the most (immortal, finntroll, satyricon, etc) they don't come to the U.S.
2. Out of all my friends, I am the only one who is really into metal. Everyone listens to everything else but don't take it as seriously, I am the only one willing to travel as far as it takes to see a show.
Don't know what else to say

 

[Alter]

I am first and foremost a music fan. Any true music fan is the most "hardcore." The ones who do not have limits on one music genre and focus on the whole underground music scene are the ones who breath the music the most. That is what I try to be, and yes my life does revolve around music. What I wear, though I rarely wear band shirts , has been crafted by that music I listen to. A large amount of my money goes into music. I play guitar and am in a few bands. At my high school's newspaper I always review the most obscure shit possible. The problem is that I am the only one who likes music as much as myself within my circle of friends. Everyone else is into the same stuff as most people my age is. I don't have a huge issue with this but sometimes when I drop a comment about music they will be put off-guard. At last years turnabout dance, a kid wore a Led Zep shirt for the 80's theme(he was a decade behind) and I remarked that he got his 80's and 70's proto metal mixed up and he was just like "WTF."

 

[Vossyrus]

@mL: Punk is a lifestyle, end of story.

One can make a case to say that punks, goths, rivetheads and metalheads live their life in a similar fashion - call it a lifestyle or whatever.

 

[Alter]

I know people who are serious about house music also. Does that make the less similar to us?

 

[waif]

It makes them rarer than us.

 

[meeseface]

If your life revolves around a certain genre, your hardcore. My gf's bro, is in love with rap and hip hop(I cringe at the sound of it), but he's into it as much as I am into metal, that makes him hardcore fan, of crappy music

 

[mutantllama]

Does he like the underground stuff?

 

[no country for old wainds]

i'm addicted to heavy music and find the best stuff generally reflects my tastes and general attitude to a tee, yeah i love it to bits, who on this board doesn't? on the other hand i don't particularly identify with or care about the traditional metal lifestyle, i don't see it as accurately representing the metal i love. most metalheads (certainly most of the young ones) are the other way around, metal is more a means for social bonding, a way of forging identity for themselves as someone abnormal, and unity with others of the same ilk (usually social retards). i know a million of these people, they hardly ever go past the mainstream of metal or have any desire to.

fortunately the genre also attracts some unpretentious intelligent folks with a penchant for all things dark 'n raw. my friends either fit into this category or are casual metal listeners who aren't metalheads at all. it's not for me to say whether they love music as much as i do, music's a pretty personal thing for me and most of my friends aren't aware of the extent to which i love it, and because most of them are similar to me i suspect this applies vice-versa as well.