ThisIsACoolName
Member
I see it this way...
There is a very good reason that metal is not particularly popular in mainstream culture: It's such an aquired taste. I honestly don't think that anyone can start listening to metal out of the blue, you know? Like, I don't think someone can go from listening to, say, hip-hop or more mainstream rock music, hear some metal and start to like it. I like it because when I first starting listening to music, I was listening to a lot of "nu-metal" stuff like Korn and shit, then graduated to actual metal, but my friends who already listen to other music? I can't see them ever getting into metal (except some very early metal, like the 70's stuff where you can really pick up the blues influence). That's not to say that metal isn't good- I think that, technically and artistically, it's better than most music out there- but it's just so different. What I mean to say is that I can certainly see why some people think it's offensive to listen to.
I can't stand when metal fans talk such trash about ALL other music. Hip-hop has it's moments, pop-rock and classic rock, funk, blues and yes even country (Johnny Cash, everybody); I mean, sometimes I want something I can snap my fingers to. It's kind of a shame, man- there's so much good music out there and so many metal fans refuse to hear it. You can love metal and still listen to rap every now and then. It can be catchy.
What's more, musicians who play metal tend to take themselves SO FUCKING SERIOUSLY OH MY GOD KILL ME. What makes it so ridiculous is that they are such fucking dorks a lot of the time. If you don't believe me, I'll remind you that Iced Earth released an album about Spawn, that Jon Schaffer wrote songs about Lord of the Rings and that Bolt Thrower named themselves after a weapon from a role playing game and write all their songs about said rpg (for the record, I love Iced Earth). If you still don't believe me, look at a picture of any black metal band. The whole "scary looking black metal dude" thing slays me the most, because they put SO MUCH effort into it. I can kind of understand why the bands do it- it worked for Kiss- a pop rock band- right? I can appreciate a band having a gimmick, but when the fans do it... they think they're showing everyone that they "don't give a fuck what people think of them", yet they just spent who knows how long getting ready to look like they don't care. "Fuckin conformists, man. I'll show them how unique I am by dressing up as Dimmu Borgir". That's why I like Anthrax. Thank God for a good metal band that can have fun with their music.
SHORT VERSION: Metal bands (and to a degree, metal fans) put so much effort into isolating people who don't already listen to metal that they ignore the other music available to them. I think metal is the best, but I see why so many people can't listen to it.
PS: If you doubt that hip-hop can be good, download "Ghostwriter" by RJD2.
There is a very good reason that metal is not particularly popular in mainstream culture: It's such an aquired taste. I honestly don't think that anyone can start listening to metal out of the blue, you know? Like, I don't think someone can go from listening to, say, hip-hop or more mainstream rock music, hear some metal and start to like it. I like it because when I first starting listening to music, I was listening to a lot of "nu-metal" stuff like Korn and shit, then graduated to actual metal, but my friends who already listen to other music? I can't see them ever getting into metal (except some very early metal, like the 70's stuff where you can really pick up the blues influence). That's not to say that metal isn't good- I think that, technically and artistically, it's better than most music out there- but it's just so different. What I mean to say is that I can certainly see why some people think it's offensive to listen to.
I can't stand when metal fans talk such trash about ALL other music. Hip-hop has it's moments, pop-rock and classic rock, funk, blues and yes even country (Johnny Cash, everybody); I mean, sometimes I want something I can snap my fingers to. It's kind of a shame, man- there's so much good music out there and so many metal fans refuse to hear it. You can love metal and still listen to rap every now and then. It can be catchy.
What's more, musicians who play metal tend to take themselves SO FUCKING SERIOUSLY OH MY GOD KILL ME. What makes it so ridiculous is that they are such fucking dorks a lot of the time. If you don't believe me, I'll remind you that Iced Earth released an album about Spawn, that Jon Schaffer wrote songs about Lord of the Rings and that Bolt Thrower named themselves after a weapon from a role playing game and write all their songs about said rpg (for the record, I love Iced Earth). If you still don't believe me, look at a picture of any black metal band. The whole "scary looking black metal dude" thing slays me the most, because they put SO MUCH effort into it. I can kind of understand why the bands do it- it worked for Kiss- a pop rock band- right? I can appreciate a band having a gimmick, but when the fans do it... they think they're showing everyone that they "don't give a fuck what people think of them", yet they just spent who knows how long getting ready to look like they don't care. "Fuckin conformists, man. I'll show them how unique I am by dressing up as Dimmu Borgir". That's why I like Anthrax. Thank God for a good metal band that can have fun with their music.
SHORT VERSION: Metal bands (and to a degree, metal fans) put so much effort into isolating people who don't already listen to metal that they ignore the other music available to them. I think metal is the best, but I see why so many people can't listen to it.
PS: If you doubt that hip-hop can be good, download "Ghostwriter" by RJD2.
