Gender in metal

BlackMetalWhiteGuy said:
I think you might want to consider rephrasing it again, because the way you're describing it right now makes it seem like metal's no different from any other genre. Of course metal's dominated by male musicians, as explained in this excerpt from a research proposal that I wrote for a class last year.

Haha, I used two sources from Miller (2000) and didn't notice until just now. I can't remember which one that information is from though, so here are both of them, in case you're interested.

Miller GF, 2000. The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature. Doubleday Books, New York as cited by Pankskepp J, and Bernatzky G, Emotional Sounds and the Brain: The Neuro-Affective Foundations of Musical Appreciation. Behavioural Processes 60: 133 - 155

Miller GF, 2000. Evolution of Human Music through Sexual Selection, from The origins of music. Wallin, Nils L. (Ed); Merker, Björn (Ed); Brown, Steven (Ed); pp. 329-360. Cambridge, MA, US: The MIT Press, 2000. xii, 498
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Thanks for the sources, I have to admit I'm having a little difficulty in phrasing question 5. I think people are misunderstanding me, thinking that in saying because it is masculine, women should not listen to it. Which is kinda innaccurate, what I'm really trying to get at in this project is how and why females enjoy metal and participate in the subculture, in contrast to males.

For now, I'll change it to this, but if there are any other suggestions please let me know:
5) Why do you think there is a female fanbase for the metal genre, taking into consideration its masculine attributes and relative scale of male musicianship (next to many other popular genres)?
 
Maybe women are more bothered about what is fashionable in terms of music so now in and in the 80s it's alright for them to like metal.
 
1) Gender:Male

2) What are your favourite metal bands and why?
Slayer: Best metal riffs ever. Amazing solos. Brilliant Vocals. Superb drumming. Thrash perfection.
Gojira: Best metal singer at the moment imo.
Machine Head: Amazing song writers in my eyes. Brilliant in all aspects.

3) How do you feel you fit into the metal subculture? For example, do you go to gigs? Play in a band? Participate in the metal community/fanzines? Or just listen to it at home?I try and go to ever decent metal gig that goes my way. I also play in a metal band.

4) How would you describe the way you dress? Is it similar to what people tend to perceive as a typical metal fan?Kinda. I wear band shirts a lot but it's just cos I like them. I don't make a point of wearing them. I wear normal shirts and jeans and shit too.

5) Why do you think there is a female fanbase for the metal genre, taking into consideration its masculine attributes and relative scale of male musicianship (next to many other popular genres)? Because the music sounds good to them.
 
Crimson_713 said:
(Ender, a good buddy of mine, proved that viewpoint to be very, very wrong.)
Click to expand...
:headbang:
1) Gender:Male
2) What are your favourite metal bands and why?
Lamb of God pretty much for Crim's reasons
Opeth because of the inventiveness and beauty
Nile due to the great taste in brutality.
Darkthrone because... well... it's Darkthrone.
3) How do you feel you fit into the metal subculture? For example, do you go to gigs? Play in a band? Participate in the metal community/fanzines? Or just listen to it at home?
This is about as far as I go into participating in anything other than listening to it at home. I would like to be in a band but Crim explained the problem with that.
4) How would you describe the way you dress? Is it similar to what people tend to perceive as a typical metal fan?
Somewhat. It's hard to find me not in a metal t-shirt.
5) Why do you think there is a female fanbase for the metal genre, taking into consideration its masculine attributes and relative scale of male musicianship (next to many other popular genres)? Because metal isn't gender exclusive, and women can see the same things in metal that men can.
 
Ok, that's it; I gotta be the first one to give this a female's perspective.

1) Gender:Female

2) What are your favourite metal bands and why?
Iron Maiden: Excellent musicians and songwriters. I love nearly every song I've heard by them.
Anthrax: Very enjoyable. Though they were pretty goofy, it was all good. (Well, Ok, State of Euphoria wasn't really, but you know what I mean...)
Sepultura: AWESOME riffs and there's this frantic feel to their music that I really like.
Queensryche: Beautiful vocals, I love the guitar tone, and they just create such a great atmosphere.
Metallica: Even though they suck now, their first four were awesome and the Black album is actually pretty good too. The first metal band I got into; that's actually one of the only reasons it's here.
Death: One of the first death metal bands I got into. Great musicianship and I love the lyrics to the stuff past Scream Bloody Gore/Leprosy.
(Dang. All my favorite bands have taken a massive dip in quality the past ten or fifteen years except for Iron Maiden, and Death which is obviously defunct. :erk:)


3) How do you feel you fit into the metal subculture? For example, do you go to gigs? Play in a band? Participate in the metal community/fanzines? Or just listen to it at home?
Not too many gigs come my way, so I can't say I've been to a gig yet. I WANT to play in a band once I'm good at playing guitar. And I participate on a few metal forums. I definitely listen to it all the time!

4) How would you describe the way you dress? Is it similar to what people tend to perceive as a typical metal fan?
Not yet, but I'm gonna get a few band shirts soon among other things. If you saw me now you'd never guess I listen to metal, ha!

5) Why do you think there is a female fanbase for the metal genre, taking into consideration its masculine attributes and relative scale of male musicianship (next to many other popular genres)?
Well, I don't think we mind that mostly guys play it... :D But seriously, I've never thought of metal as a masculine genre of music. Even though mostly men play it, there's something for everybody in my opinion.
 
Necuratul said:
1) Gender:

The good one (male)

2) What are your favourite metal bands and why?

Black Sabbath, because they were the forefathers of what came to be known as Metal, in doing so establishing many of the musical tendencies that are identified with Metal. Their ability to formulate such despotic and gloomy atmospheres using primitive and simplistic techniques is something that more bands should aspire to.

Judas Priest, largely due to their 70s output, especially Stained Class and Sad Wings Of Destiny, combining a maturity of concept and a solid ear for catchy yet substantive and contextually powerful riffs that absorb the listener into the song.

Bathory, for their ability to formulate the various influences of Venom, Motorhead, GBH, and others into a stylistically astute expression of hatred and aggression, and later painting vivid landscapes through monolithic, crushing riffs and emotionally charged vocals in his "Viking" period.

Mercyful Fate for their early works. The semi-neoclassical-punk hybrid rhythm approach is just so infectious, it would be difficult not to feel something while listening to this band. King Diamond's theatrical vocals accentuate the horror/occult undertones of the music in an essentializing manner; the band would not be complete without his lyrics and vocals.

3) How do you feel you fit into the metal subculture? For example, do you go to gigs? Play in a band? Participate in the metal community/fanzines? Or just listen to it at home?

Most of the metal "subculture" annoys the fuck out of me and I want to have nothing to do with it. I only associate with those who I find to be respectable, who have a true dedication to the music, and yet who realize that there are other things in life. I don't frequent many shows, but then again there aren't many I would want to see around here. The extent of my interaction is largely through internet communications between bands, fans, and record labels, and the occasional real life chat with people at a local store called Vintage Vinyl.

4) How would you describe the way you dress? Is it similar to what people tend to perceive as a typical metal fan?

Largely, I would say so, though not intentionally. I have long hair and almost exclusively wear black band shirts and blue jeans with black sneakers and a leather jacket. This is what I am comfortable in, simple as that.

5) The metal genre is dominated by male musicians, with typically masculine attributes such as aggression and violence central to much of the music. Why is it then, do you think, that there is a female fanbase?

I don't think that there is such a large female fanbase, as the genre is heavily geared toward masculine qualities and is frequently very sexist, but there has been a stride in recent times to popularize the genre and to cross the gender gap by incorporating more female musicians into the fold, largely operatic singers with bands who would be most likely to reach a crossover appeal to fans of other forms of music would would normally have no interest in Metal. The inclusion of feminine role models is probably the most significant factor in the current increase of a feminine representation in Metal, though I don't suspect that women will ever come out in numbers like they did in the 80s for Hair Metal bands.

Of course, there are those who are fully entrenched in the genre and are on equal footing with any guy in terms of understanding and dedication to the music, but this tends to be rare. Is this because of the general aggression and sexism associated with Metal? Probably, but I don't think that it's limited to simply that.
Click to expand...

Sin After Sin > Sad Wings of Destiny
 
TechNoir said:
Thanks for the sources, I have to admit I'm having a little difficulty in phrasing question 5. I think people are misunderstanding me, thinking that in saying because it is masculine, women should not listen to it. Which is kinda innaccurate, what I'm really trying to get at in this project is how and why females enjoy metal and participate in the subculture, in contrast to males.

For now, I'll change it to this, but if there are any other suggestions please let me know:
5) Why do you think there is a female fanbase for the metal genre, taking into consideration its masculine attributes and relative scale of male musicianship (next to many other popular genres)?
Click to expand...
Sounds good to me. That is a really difficult topic though.
 
Gender: male
Favourite metal bands: Tvangeste, Kalmah, Nile... an odd mix. As a general rule, I like all melodeath, symphonic black, and techdeath. Tvangeste I love because of the epic orchestral sound... and the godly vocals. Kalmah, because the keyboard is pure win, also good vocals. Nile, because they have such a heavy, dark sound.
How do I fit into the metal subculture: well, I go to the odd gig and stuff, and very occasionally a festival. I'm not in a band, as such, more a bunch of similar-minded metalheads who like screwing around with guitars and drums. And, of course, I listen to metal nearly all the time.
I don't really look like a metalhead. I wear metal t-shirts/hoodies nearly all the time, but I don't have a faceful of piercings and my hair is a pathetic 6mm long, simply because I tried growing it and it looked shit.
Why is there a female fanbase?
I suppose because females, too, can appreciate the themes metal represents, although peer pressure and society in general raises females to like pop :puke: or whatever, because thats what females are meant to do. or something. :rolleyes:
Good to see females are becoming more and more common in metal culture. Especially hot ones.:headbang:
 
TechNoir said:
Hey guys/girls... please feel free to put anything else you feel is worth mentioning...Thanks!
Click to expand...

u-think-we-share-2-much-nah.jpg
 
So only bands that have headlined in the US are overrated? Wow, great logic.
 
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