How did you first get into metal?

Vera Gemini

Member
Jan 22, 2013
35
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6
Brighton, UK
What sort of genres and bands did you start with and how old were you? Do you still listen to the same genres and bands and have your opinions changed on them? Has your music taste changed or evolved and if so, how?

I'll start. The first metal band I ever listened to was Cradle of Filth at the age of 14. From there I discovered black metal(as although they are of course not a black metal band they are often mislabelled as such). The first two bands I discovered were Mayhem and Darkthrone(I can't remember which I found first).

For about 2 years it was what I mostly listened to(I was very musically narrow minded back then), along with a bit of death metal here and there. I then discovered gothic metal which I listened to for a year or so, but it never really stuck.


When I was 17 I discovered doom metal(traditional and stoner) and absolutely fell in love with it.


Then at the age of 20 I started to listen to traditional metal and along with doom it was the absolute perfect genre for me.

Shortly after discovering traditional metal I started to listen to classic rock and prog rock, since I couldn't get enough of the 70's vibe of certain doom bands. They became my other two favourite genres of music.


I still occasionally listen to black metal and also death metal, though even less than the former. I find that both of them are too harsh to listen to all the time now, it would drive me nuts! Plus I can't take either genre seriously any more, but in small doses they're enjoyable.
 
Old and overdone :lol:

I was 12 and on a road trip with my brother. He listened to metal and I asked him to give me the heaviest CD he had, so he handed me Slayer's God Hates Us All and the rest is history.
 
I didn't see any other threads with the same topic and anyway, I asked several questions, so I can imagine this version is more detailed. I was actually hoping for more in depth answers....
 
Ok that's fine, although I did ask some questions that weren't in the other threads too. If it's really that much of a big deal the mods are welcome to delete it.
 
My progression went from rock to metal in my early teens, like:

Queen -> Van Halen -> Ozzy -> Dream Theater -> Metallica -> Symphony X

Then I got all into classical music while studying it, then finally back into metal. I still enjoy all of those bands in some regard.
 
Started off with popular rock in my teens (Midnight Oil, ACDC), then heard my brother playing Iron Maiden a lot so got into them. Moved into the hair bands like Motley Crue and WASP for a few years, but wanted more.

A friend at school leant me Ride the Lightning and I was blown away (especially hearing the 1st track FFWF). Got fully into thrash then wanted more, and bought Altars of Madness – blown away. From then it was a mix of all thrash and death metal for a number of years.

Things sort of waned and I listened to a lot of alternative rock for many years – Nirvana, RHCP, Radiohead, etc etc.

Then a few years ago I heard Porcupine Tree’s In Absentia and was blown away. Got fully into them and wanted more of this more progressive music – and now listening to the likes of Ihsahn, Enslaved, Opeth, etc. etc. Never got into black metal - most just doesn't appeal (the closest I get is Ihsahn, Agalloch and Shining).

I find that a lot of metal today sounds too similar, so I’m always looking for bands doing something a bit different.
 
started listening to linkin park and such stuff
then bands like Trapt and Sum41 caought my attention
in my 14s i started to listen to cradle of filth " not proud of it " hehehe
soon after i started to feel the magic of doom metal mixed with black or death and it became my favorite style along with melodic stuff

and i stopped listening to famous bands altogether coz personally i think they sucks when i compared the first band i listen to to some underground bands and started to listen to underground bands till this day
 
Started off with Poison's Open up and Say Ahh...was the first cassette i bought.

Then a friend introduced me to GnR - Appetite for Destruction. From there i made the progression to Faith No More / Metallica, then on to other styles.
 
Grunge and pop/punk on the radio got me initially into rock, and Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid got me into hard rock and made me begin to accept my dad's music. Him picking me up from school around 3rd grade with Master of Puppets playing made me obsessed with that album and later 80's Metallica on a whole. Eventually I started pulling CD's from his collection on my own, and getting into Iron Maiden (starting with Brave New World) is what got me into listening to metal all the time. Downloading Heathen's and Anacrusis' albums from their websites got me interested in more underground metal, and I took the plunge into my first act of blog-aided piracy with Virus' Force Recon.
 
I was browsing some music videos and I came across Slipknot's Psychosocial. I didn't know what to think, but started enjoying it more and more. I still listen to them every once and a while, but generally I listen to other things.
 
I like this poster. Give him/her a break people.

I listened to the normal Slipknot, Mudvayne, Linkin Park, etc in middle school, graduated into more "acceptable" forms of alternative rock like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins and eventually, with the aid of friends, I started to see the appeal in metal. Mainly the really shreddy technical wankery of Necrophagist, Gorod, Nile and the like. I also enjoyed a few certain grind bands like Pig Destroyer and some shred metal like Jason Becker. Ever since then I've just explored the underground more and more and finally formed my opinions. While I enjoy all forms of metal, I find myself listening to traditional doom metal above all.
 
I remember really getting into Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails and Tool at around 12-13. I think I got into them by googling the patches on backpacks I saw from other kids who were into metal.

After that I found bands such as Jack Off Jill (as they used to tour with MM in Florida) and Babes in Toyland, which got me into Riot GRRRL.

When I was 17, I got into loving 60s psychedelic music, such as The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin.

Then about the time I was 19 I discovered Doom Metal and Black Metal for myself. After that I got into grunge, which I didn't like as a teenager, or didn't "get".

Now I have also discovered dance and deep house music for myself, which I had a very narrow minded opinion on before. I guess I took a similar pathway as Fenriz regarding BM and House, haha. :D
 
My cousin introduced me to slipknot in middle school, dabbled there a little bit. Later I discovered Alice In Chains and then Metallica. Slowly got into melodeath and thrash by the time i was in college.
 
I bought a Meatloaf best of after hearing an ad for it.
Then I got GnR's Appetite for Destruction free with Esso Tiger tokens (you collected them with petrol in the days before loyalty cards) that my dad said I could have. I picked it cos all the other stuff in the catalogue looked lame.
I saw Metallica on the Freddie Mercury tribute concert which was shown on tv, which was the first time I'd ever seen 'Metal', and it blew me away. They played 3 songs off the black album, but I didn't know that then, so me and my bro just bought all their back catalogue on tape (cos we had no idea which songs they played - pre-Internet and all that). Got tickets for Metallica a few months after (my first gig!).
Also bought Maiden's 'fear of the dark' around that time cos I liked the cover.
Within a year I was a full-blown metal-head, and got into death and thrash big time, and still am.
I owe it all to you Freddie! (and Esso Tiger Tokens).
 
One by Metallica fingered me in the ass so hard years ago that it got me into metal and to start up playing guitar. Like to a lot of folks it was the gateway band. Still lovin em and the other classic thrash bands too.