Goths

Dodens nailed it with that bit about metalheads being VERY fucking conformist them(our?)selves. Of course, nobody wants to think of themselves or their own faction of the "underground" as conformist, but you see it all over the place. Doesn't bug me though. Trying to avoid conformity is just as much a waste of time as trying to conform.
 
I wrote an essay on conformity and basically said that there was no such thing as a true nonconformist.

Unless you go your entire life without any form of human interaction, you're going to be influenced by society.
 
Old "true" goths are really hard to find, but it´s easy to look around and find some 14 year old girlies which tried to be "different" so they got apologize when someone in school is mocking them. ;-)
BTW: I saw Sisters of Mercy live about 10 years ago, good performance...
 
Varg Vikernes said:
I wrote an essay on conformity and basically said that there was no such thing as a true nonconformist.

Unless you go your entire life without any form of human interaction, you're going to be influenced by society.


I think the real issue is that of "macro" conformity and "micro" conformity. It's true it's impossible to be a "non-conformist" but some people live their whole lives by conforming to almost all standards of a culture or society.
 
If you conform, you're a conformist, and if you don't you're conforming to the nonconformist stereotype and you're a conformist.
 
Well, there are complications, such as being morally opposed to taking one's own life for various different reasons. They may not feel justified causing pain to those who love them, or they may have religious/spiritual reasons. Either way, not all goths and/or goth musicians are suicidal or depressed, but merely choose to reflect that form of emotion in their artwork, the same way most death metal bands focus solely on the topics of death, murder, decay, autopsies, etc. , and black metal on hatred/intolerance/misanthropy. Some of them, however, truly are suicidal and *those* ones usually end up actually killing themselves.

Some of these artists aren't even self-loathing or suicidal at all, but merely explore dark subject matter in a musical style that would be considered "gothic" or "goth-rock/deathrock" in sound. Obviously there are more tasteful ways of expressing hopelessness and suffering than, say, Trent Reznor lyrics, but if done tastefully, I think such content is just as valid as any other topic explored in art, from a solely objective point of view. Whether or not it appeals to you is another matter.

With all of that being said, I agree with you in the case of MOST of these "goth" bands as well as despise 95 percent of the genre and almost all of it's listeners. But I still hold that the foundational bands, along with a handful of later bands in the style, are musically relevant.
 
mylia.jpg


"Oh Krigloch, you're such a funny guy!"
 
Thanks for reminding me why I hate clique mall-goths.

There is a huge difference between being gothic and mall-goth. Trying to rebel against someone (I don't really know who and could never figure it out) is NOT being gothic. Gothic is a dark mind set, a way of life, a way of seeing yourself and the world. It has nothing to do with suicide and Marilyn Manson.