How long have you been listening to metal?

I've been listening to Metal for at least 18 years. The album that got me into Metal was Motley Crue's Shout At The Devil. Shortly after that I heard Iron Maiden's Piece Of Mind. My first concert was Iron Maiden on the World Slavery Tour in January of 1985. I remember it like it was yesterday.
 
I started listening to Metal when the black album arrived, but back then it was only Metallica and GNR.

What SERIOUSLY introduced me to the scene was when I heard "True Belief" by Paradise Lost, and I bought their album Icon shortly after... then I was hooked.

Before that I have been into both synth and hip hop ;)
 
I listened to hard rock since my early, early childhood days.
My older brother was into Metallica, GN'R, Megadeth, Sodom, Napalm Death etc. , but MY first metal record was W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children. It was 1990(I was only 7):p
Then I got into Metallica's Black Album, Megadeth's Rust In Peace, Def Leppard's Hysteria, Skid Row's Slave to the Grind, Iron Maiden's Fear of the Dark etc.
January 1996 changed my life forever(it was my brother again, he is 6 years older thean me) when he got Tiamat - Wildhoney and Amorphis - Tales from the 1000 lakes on the same tape. I liked it more than he did, and that was the beginning of my Gothic/black/doom/atmospheric/whatever metal search.
And the search is still rolling...........;)
 
It was '92, I was twelve. I really could not remember the very fisrt groups I listened but Metallica, Megadeth. At that time a Turkish Trash metal group members had a program on radio. They played Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Sepultra etc. Than radio programme was finished, I went on my way alone....
 
About 8 years now, since I was 11. I started playing guitar at that time, and began looking for riff-heavy music, not just "melodic idea" music like punk and alt-pop. I purchased Ride the Lightning in '93, but the album that changed my view of music was 94's Under the Moonspell by Moonspell. Black and Death metal from then on! With a load of guitar rock and metal/fusion too! I could not live without metal now! And I discovered Opeth from some comp. disc in late 96 (9th grade), but didn't buy anything till MAYH
 
GNR apptetite for destruction when that came out. i was 8 or so. i've been into metal for a long time. thrash was the first style i got really into. now i listen to everything from power to tradition, progressive, black, death, avant garde...you name it.
 
About 12 years ago...GnR 'Paradise City' and 'Sweet Child o' Mine' and METALLICA 'One'...and of course there was Headbangers Ball every Saturday nite. The first metal album I bought was METALLICA 'Ride the Lightning'.
 
I've listened to the more heavier stuff for about ten years. I got an AC/DC LP as a birthday present back then; before that I used to listen to my father's Queen albums (God bless Freddie), and to some stuff I could find when shuffling through my parents' collection of LP's (like Garfunkel, The Sailors.. that sort of thing). At some point (about nine years ago) I started listening to the more metal stuff.
 
The first deathmetal-record came across was Carcass - Hartwork, which I bought at a party for 20 swedish crowns about 5 years ago.

Then it just rolled on with Cradle of filth, Waltari, At the Gates, Dimmu Borgir, Marduk, Dissection and Rotting Christ.

Recently I've had a period of In flames and Dark Tranquility, and Children of Boddom. I like them alot, but i feel that it's much lighter than Opeth. Not lighter as oppose of heavy, but not so hard on the mind.

The first Opeth-song i heard was Nectar, on a promo-cd from close-up magazine. It's still among my favourite Opeth-pieces.
 
Originally posted by NovembersDirge
My first metal was 7th Son of a 7th Son.

Likewise, the first metal album I bought was Iron Maiden's
7th Son of a 7th Son. I remember sitting in a friends basement listening to his older brother's metal albums...and heard this one, and bought it....still one of my all time favorites...
 
Saturnix....i should be a lot more scared than you to post a reply to this board than you....i've only been listening to metal for about 4 months....and for the rest of the 18 years i have lived.....BOY WAS I MISSING OUT!!!! It's only been basically scandinavian metal though....so if anyone could recommend any bands for me to check out...ID TRULY APPRECIATE IT!! thanks....

and to genevieve....first....i love your name...and that quote "women who worship metal should be worshiped by men" is really funny!
:lol:
 
I have two responses to this question:

1. 1983 - a college metal show started, and my 1st song was Metal Church by Metal Church.

2. 1971 - technically, Led Zeppelin was metal at that time. They were so far ahead of anyone else - progressive, loud, etc. And yes, I was old enough then to listen, not that I just bought an album and heard it for the 1st time.