Metal fans: USA vs Europe

[Onder]

I think England is pretty good with metal. I see a lot of posters of english metal festivals and such. It's just another misconception.

 

[Pessimism]

My bet is that there's no difference whatsoever. The only reason Americans who are into metal think it's the "pop" of Europe is that they, already existing within the genre as active searchers, know of tons of metal from Europe, while knowing of basically no mainstream European music at all. It's simply the lack of other references that makes you fall for this myth.

I'll respond because frankly I think this is aimed at me:

Metal does not enjoy the same recognition as the pop music of Europe does; but to deny it's popularity (and general widespread acceptance from some MAJOR bands, who are recognized as a major export of a certain country) is completely retarded.

 

[Blind Guardian]

Well you said it yourself; that's the major bands, which makes it the same as in the U.S. Everyone between 15-40 knows of Metallica in the U.S, but that doesn't make metal as a whole mainstream there. Similarly, everyone knows of Iron Maiden in Europe, but that doesn't make metal mainstream here either. Moreover, smaller countries may have one or two indigenous metal bands that have reached a certain level of mainstream recognition, like In Flames and Hammerfall here, but I say good luck discussing Lykathea Aflame with a random guy on the street in Sweden.

 

[Onder]

Well you said it yourself; that's the major bands, which makes it the same as in the U.S. Everyone between 15-40 knows of Metallica in the U.S, but that doesn't make metal as a whole mainstream there. Similarly, everyone knows of Iron Maiden in Europe, but that doesn't make metal mainstream here either. Moreover, smaller countries may have one or two indigenous metal bands that have reached a certain level of mainstream recognition, like In Flames and Hammerfall here, but I say good luck discussing Lykathea Aflame with a random guy on the street in Sweden.

Good luck doing it here. Nobody I have ever met knows Lykathea Aflame.

EDIT: Some tougher guys around 35 might know Master's Hammer or Root, but that's it. There are czech metal bands that more czechs know, but nobody outside does, like Arakain or Debustrol. They're not as good though, it's like some kind of legend for older guys.

 

[cookiecutter]

My bet is that there's no difference whatsoever. The only reason Americans who are into metal think it's the "pop" of Europe is that they, already existing within the genre as active searchers, know of tons of metal from Europe, while knowing of basically no mainstream European music at all. It's simply the lack of other references that makes you fall for this myth.

This!

Metal fans, like ArneZ for example, like to feel persecuted by christians, or mainstream types. If only these people weren't around, they say, metal would be popular here like it is in Europe (or whatever grass is greener fantasy they have). Feeling persecuted makes them feel better than just some guy who likes music that most other people don't like. Fact is, metal is just an unpleasant style of music for most people. That is the reason it is not popular.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

I am an American and I live in the UK and I have been to shows in Europe in multiple countries as well. There are notable differences between the US and the UK/Euro scene. The biggest one is the actual passion for the music held by the fans. UK and Euro fans are far more passionate about the music than the average American fan. We sing along with the guitar riffs for fucks sake.

I would say, after thinking about it for a few minutes, that metal is probably more 'mainstream' than it is in the USA, but it still isn't 'mainstream' if you know what I mean. The difference is best put like this: in the USA, if I told a girl I listened to heavy metal, she would roll her eyes and make some stupid face or pithy comment. Here, when I tell a girl I listen to metal, even death metal, she just says 'oh, cool' or believe it or not, often, 'oh yea I know that band'. It's just more laid back here. A girl will still talk to you at a bar if you're wearing a Cannibal Corpse T Shirt.

 

[Badbird]

This!

Metal fans, like ArneZ for example, like to feel persecuted by christians, or mainstream types. If only these people weren't around, they say, metal would be popular here like it is in Europe (or whatever grass is greener fantasy they have). Feeling persecuted makes them feel better than just some guy who likes music that most other people don't like. Fact is, metal is just an unpleasant style of music for most people. That is the reason it is not popular.

True statement. Unless it's the big name bands and even then it's still questionable.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

lots of americans just go to concerts to have a good time, not caring about the music. The metal scene in America thrives in only certain parts of the country. European fans care more, and they get overloads of concerts, and festivals. And yes there are religious nuts brainwashing their kids that metalheads burn in hell.

 

[SentinelSlain]

I think England is pretty good with metal. I see a lot of posters of english metal festivals and such. It's just another misconception.

I live in England though.

 

[Pessimism]

I am an American and I live in the UK and I have been to shows in Europe in multiple countries as well. There are notable differences between the US and the UK/Euro scene. The biggest one is the actual passion for the music held by the fans. UK and Euro fans are far more passionate about the music than the average American fan. We sing along with the guitar riffs for fucks sake.

I would say, after thinking about it for a few minutes, that metal is probably more 'mainstream' than it is in the USA, but it still isn't 'mainstream' if you know what I mean. The difference is best put like this: in the USA, if I told a girl I listened to heavy metal, she would roll her eyes and make some stupid face or pithy comment. Here, when I tell a girl I listen to metal, even death metal, she just says 'oh, cool' or believe it or not, often, 'oh yea I know that band'. It's just more laid back here. A girl will still talk to you at a bar if you're wearing a Cannibal Corpse T Shirt.

This is exactly what I (apparently)failed at conveying. THIS RIGHT HERE ^^^^^

 

[The Ozzman]

I would love it if metal became popular. See, I listen to metal for the music, rather than so I can feel cool and different. So if metal became popular it would be awesome because then they might finally reissue a lot of shit I want to get, and I might be able to find a god damn metal drummer.

I really only want one album re-released, and that album is Pantera's Power Metal

 

[Episteme]

I suck because I'm not American or European. Aussies unite

 

[sovetsky10]

A girl will still talk to you at a bar if you're wearing a Cannibal Corpse T Shirt

Overall, Europe is more Liberal, than USA.It have some pros and cons, sone good and bad sides, but-it is.
Maybe because an idea of Liberalism, like a philosophical and political movement grew there, and have a far older roots here, than in USA.

I suck because I'm not American or European. Aussies unite

Please, feel free to tell us about Australian Metal scene.
I know, such band as Mortal Sin is from your country.

 

[meaperson333]

I really only want one album re-released, and that album is Pantera's Power Metal

Idk, I'd want Pantera's I Am The Night too.

 

[waif]

Far Away From The Sun, Welcome My Last Chapter, Silence Of The World Beyond, Lost In The Beauty You Slay, pretty much the entire Skyclad and Manilla Road discographies, and loads more, and that's just the stuff that's expensive, there's some that's pretty much impossible to get in physical form.

 

[RedFox742]

I would love it if metal became popular. See, I listen to metal for the music, rather than so I can feel cool and different. So if metal became popular it would be awesome because then they might finally reissue a lot of shit I want to get, and I might be able to find a god damn metal drummer.

A+.

There's a certain band I love who were the darlings of the underground until a certain game made the mainstream aware of them, and then suddenly everyone and their kvlt goat decided they were shit and had always been shit. Load of crap. And if you look at Metallica, they largely got popular because they got shitty, not the other way around (and they were rather popular before that, too.)

Fuck man, I'd love to hear Blind Guardian blasting out of someone's car, "wigger" or no. I love the music, not some pretentious feeling of uniqueness I get out of it.

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

I don't listen to metal to feel unique. Anything that is immensely popular suffers from a sort of "beating a dead horse" syndrome. I loved the Star Wars movies as a kid, now I never want to watch them because of their omnipresence in American popular culture. Same with anime, I can barely stand it anymore because anime is everywhere. Shit, I remember when I was the only person I knew who listened to rap, now I'm practically the only person I know who doesn't listen to it (very often). Obviously, if metal was blasting out of every car stereo, buzzing out of every cell phone, and on every TV channel, I would grow tired of it.

 

[Blind Guardian]

This is exactly what I (apparently)failed at conveying. THIS RIGHT HERE ^^^^^

You said it's "pretty fucking mainstream over there", he said it's "more mainstream but still not mainstream". What he meant was that there's a more open minded attitude towards, well, basically everything here (you can just as easily switch "metal" with "rap", "muslims" or "homosexuals"). This doesn't mean it's more popular or has a bigger presence in the public sphere, it only means that subcultures are treated with higher tolerance.

But let's stop the armchair speculation and get to the hard facts, take a look at the album charts for this week in Europe, there's really not much of a metal presence:
http://www.billboard.com/charts/european-hot-100#/charts/billboard-200?begin=1&order=position.

The top of Sweden's last.fm:
http://www.lastfm.se/place/Sweden

Norway:
http://www.lastfm.se/place/norway

Finland:
http://www.lastfm.se/place/finland

After looking through Europe's last.fm country by country, Finland seems to be the only country able to live up somewhat to this myth, but even there it doesn't go beyond Metallica, In Flames and Nightwish.

 

[Inso]

This!
Fact is, metal is just an unpleasant style of music for most people. That is the reason it is not popular.

This. Listening to metal, particularly the more extreme sub-genres, requires a specific kind of taste in music which is simply only present in a certain percentage of people. I would speculate that this percentage is exactly the same across Europe and the USA, no difference at all. Nothing more to it than that. However those that do like metal tend to like it A LOT and be very passionate about it compared to other genres of music, so although it only enjoys a small portion of the total music audience, it has stayed consistent over the decades for this reason.

 

[sovetsky10]

requires a specific kind of taste in music which is simply only present in a certain percentage of people

Of all people, you mean?
In that case, how about Afro-Americans? As i know, percentage of people, who listens to Heavy Metal music amongst them is comparable lower, than between mmm...Caucaseo-Americans? Well-you know, what i'm talking about...