being a metalhead

Imagine living in a small area in South Carolina.....all I get is "You mean you don't listen to country? Gosh, I'm headed to the Kenny Chesney concert - you sure you don't wanna come?" urghhhh.....

My mom still asks if I listen to "that stuff" like I did when I was kid. And when I tell the few people who actually have a little rough edge that going to the Def Leppard concert is NOT going to a heavy metal show, they look at me like I just rode in on the ship from Mars.
 
rdyfrde said:
I get that as well. Mostly because I don't dress like a typical metalhead (band t-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, etc). I did back in high school but I've been out of high school since 1994 :lol:

Though at work, all they have to do is look at my office wall and deduce that I like metal. It's all over my wall :cool:

I will add that I sometimes do get mocked on forums for liking Power Metal. They think it's all about dragons and fairies :rolleyes:
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I wear band t-shirts almost daily, and I STILL get "But you don't look like you listen to metal." Apparently band t-shirts look out of place on me. Or something.



@Diamond45: This is true, and I generally point out to people that I don't listen to what they're imagining in their heads. Though some don't seem to believe me when I tell them one of my favorite metal singers actually SINGS, and does musical theater for a living. I think that's just way too far outside of what most people think of when they think "metal" that they simply cannot believe it.


I did luck out on the parent-front, though. My mom really likes the metal I listen to, and has gone out and bought her own Sonata Arctica, Falconer, and HammerFall albums. :D
 
Pelata said:
Yeah...I get that too. This response drives my guitar player up a wall...LOL!

As for the "stuck in" a decade comments...I have a theory:

Americans in general are a "live in the now", trendy, fickle bunch of people...with everything from clothing to music to movies to TV to personal technology. They want to be considered "up to date" for lack of a better term and will jump on the "that's so yesterday" bandwagon in a minute...we have no sense of history. If something gets old, just tear it down and build something new...that goes for any sort of cultural mark like buildings, music, art, anything...if it's old, it's no good.

Now, the reason Europeans (IMO) seem more "loyal" to things for longer periods of time is a sense of history...they know who they are...Europeans have thousands of years of history behind them...Americans have just over 200...Europeans will leave castles and hundred year old buildings standing and figure out ways to still use them and keep them up and intergrate them into modern times...Americans will just rip the shit down and build something else.

Not to say that there are no trendy Europeans, and not to say there are no "loyal" Americans...just on the average, from what I can see, this is why Metal in America is sometimes looked upon as "has been" or "juvenille" or certain styles of it be considered out-dated by the majority of the population...no roots.
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Excellent post!!
 
Not a problem here, our VP at work is Metallica fan... Everyone knows that I love da metal...and no problem... They do seem intrigued actually...
 
My image of myself and 'metalhead' has evolved over the years. I grew up in the 70s (yes I'm old) the 'history of rock and metal' was what I listened to. I did the good mom thing until my youngest was 18 then looked at what I was buying and liked to listen to most and decided to go to the 1st Gigantour by myself. It was a big deal! This month I will make 100 show since July, 05. Friday will be Slayer, next Thurs either Tool or CKY (nice to have options) and Show 100 will be Areosmith. I missed all of the hair band concerts while I raise the kids so that will be a good 100th show.
I have been to Prog twice, been to most of the festival shows that came here, regular at the local clubs. Some have been really bad, others for me really good. Some like Judgement Day none of my friends have heard of but I am really glad to have had the honor to see them play. Was I more metal when I listened to what the radio fed me or am I a sell out when I am at scream or goth with a kick ass pit? Is the only real metal melodic and everything else is just evil noise like my parents called Yes? For my next 100 shows I hope I can see Mob Rules and Rhapsody and 98 bands I have not dreamed of yet. Want to recommend any?
My days are in the PC world of city government so I have quit telling my co-workers who I am seeing next. For the most part my kids eyes glaze over when I tell them about shows I was to. I don't go for them.
 
Everyone I work with is a lawyer and so I'm definitely the only metalhead around my workplace. I get all the same comments noted above. Metallica and Maiden are the only bands any of them have ever heard of.

One funny story to add: we have a video monitor showing various charts and graphs related to our departments. I looked up at the monitor one day and saw the album cover for Gamma Ray's Insanity And Genius. My mind was in a fog as I knew it was impossible for anyone else in my department to even know who Gamma Ray is and I could not fathom how that could appear there. Then it hit me. We had instituted "teams" for morale-building reasons and one team had called themselves the Gamma Rays and choose that as their logo. I went and asked the team leader if he knew what the graphic was. He said no, they had just done a Google Images search for 'Gamma Ray', saw the graphic, and liked it.

For awhile I excitedly told people, pointing to the monitor (which is on a continuous loop): "That's one of those bands I'm always talking about!" After a few days of blank stares in response, I went back into my musical hole.
 
It rarely comes up. My sister thinks I'm living in the past. Of course, she is a trend follower in the extreme, so that doesn't bother me. When it does come up, I usually get a "really?" kinda response. Nobody really makes a big deal about it, especially me. I know that most people aren't as passionate about music as I am, so I don't talk about music with other people. Occasionally, I'll get remarks about the concert t-shirts I wear, but that's more about what's on them (the images) rather than any comments about the bands.
 
I don't think I've ever gotten any seriously BAD comments, as in with a bad intention. Most are just "uneducated", not knowing who I'm talking about. Most people joke about it being just noise, but that's as far as it goes, and some people do seem curious, in a "I'm curious but I don't dare ask more questions" kind of way.

The only really bad question I've ever gotten, and again, it was just a "surprise made me stupid" moment for that person, is when they asked about names of stuff I listen to, and those sounded weird (translate english band names), they asked where those bands were from. When I answered stuff like Sweden, Germany, Finland, the US etc, I got a reply (and keep in mind I'm originally from France) "why don't you listen to more french stuff?". After a couple seconds of confusion, I simply explained that I listened to good stuff, no matter where it's from, and that there are french bands I listen to, just not a lot of them. They seem perplexed for a few seconds and then dropped the subject.
 
Mynock said:
I don't think I've ever gotten any seriously BAD comments, as in with a bad intention. Most are just "uneducated", not knowing who I'm talking about. Most people joke about it being just noise, but that's as far as it goes, and some people do seem curious, in a "I'm curious but I don't dare ask more questions" kind of way.

The only really bad question I've ever gotten, and again, it was just a "surprise made me stupid" moment for that person, is when they asked about names of stuff I listen to, and those sounded weird (translate english band names), they asked where those bands were from. When I answered stuff like Sweden, Germany, Finland, the US etc, I got a reply (and keep in mind I'm originally from France) "why don't you listen to more french stuff?". After a couple seconds of confusion, I simply explained that I listened to good stuff, no matter where it's from, and that there are french bands I listen to, just not a lot of them. They seem perplexed for a few seconds and then dropped the subject.
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France doesn't seem overrun with metal bands. But it does have some good ones, like Adagio, and Manigance. I have some friends who are in to black metal that rather enjoy Amesoeurs and Alcest. But overall, it doesn't seem a hot spot for metal. :/
 
It's not a great spot, but we do have a few really good ones. The scene from around where I used to live tho is mostly grindcore and all... not my cup of tea to say the least. If you're into thrashy heavy metal, I'd highly recommend the sadly now defunct Malediction. Saw them open for Adagio like 4 years ago (with Manigance too) and they totally kicked my ass.
 
Yeah Manigance it's great (actually they should be considerd for a PPUSA one day) and Malediction passing was a terrible waste. Also some people should remember a lot of great French bands: Sortilege, H-Bomb, Blaspheme, High Power, Attentat Rock, Satan Jokers and the still active Killers and ADX.
 
Mynock said:
It's not a great spot, but we do have a few really good ones. The scene from around where I used to live tho is mostly grindcore and all... not my cup of tea to say the least. If you're into thrashy heavy metal, I'd highly recommend the sadly now defunct Malediction. Saw them open for Adagio like 4 years ago (with Manigance too) and they totally kicked my ass.
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I'm a pretty big Kronos fan myself...
 
Pelata said:
I don't get a lot of ridicule...but I do get a lot of "Really??! You like Metal??" only to have them assume I mean only Metallica and Slipknot or stuff they know...when I mention Iron Maiden or Metal Church or something I get the "Sheesh! They're still around??!" response. When I start mentioning bands like Iced Earth or Primal Fear or Redemption then I may as well be speaking Klingon...they have no idea.

This is EXACTLY what anyone that sees me out w/ a Maiden shirt or any other so called "Washed Up" metal bands T shirts I wear & I love & listen to!!!
Granted, I'm fortysomething (grew up in the 70's & 80's!) Love my NWOBHM & any other form of classic Metal!!!:rock: Btw, why the hell does everyone always say that shit?! Why? just because it's not Slipknot or Metalcore, or Screamo, or Goth, good old classic True Metal gets a bad rep! This Is how I see it-Metal IS METAL! Fuck these genres! I happen to love a whole lot of different genres, but I just particuarly LOVE True Classic NWOBHM & Power Metal & Thrash Metal the most!!! Is it so wrong to love something so old & timeless?!
Anywho, as Colin Quinn used to say on SNL-"That's My Story, And I'm Sticking To It"!:kickass:
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The French scene is awesome! The LLN put out some really good bands while they were active and the current French black metal scene is one of the best in the world with bands like Deathspell Omega, Belenos, Epheles, Peste Noire, Mystic Forest, Obscurus Advocam, etc. Of course everybody already knows about Gojira. There are some more quality bands, too, like Scarve, Benighted, Hacride, and Gorod.
 
Pelata said:
I don't get a lot of ridicule...but I do get a lot of "Really??! You like Metal??" only to have them assume I mean only Metallica and Slipknot or stuff they know...when I mention Iron Maiden or Metal Church or something I get the "Sheesh! They're still around??!" response. When I start mentioning bands like Iced Earth or Primal Fear or Redemption then I may as well be speaking Klingon...they have no idea.
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I got that from a friend (more an acquaintance these days) who got me into a lot of bands when I became a metalhead over 25 years ago. I don't understand his attitude a bit. Last time he told me an idiocy like I don't know why bands still putting out albums, last good albums are from 1972. :rolleyes:
 
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