Alrighty..
1. Queen really started everything off for me. They were the first "substance" music that I ever liked consistently. I moved into GnR (Illusion era), and eventually onto NIN in the mid-90s. I never went for Manson, since NIN gave me all I needed. I hate to say it, but Cradle of Filth brought me into metal . My old band, Encrypted in Flesh (I wasn't around when it was named.. damnit), was hugely influential in my life. And of course.. now, Opeth and Tool are right up there. I'll say in terms of re-broadening my horizons in recent years, the Tragically Hip, Cat Stevens, and most of all Tom Waits have opened me up to some different styles.
2. My outlook on metal changed when I learned about the Norwegian scene - having formerly attributed the title "blackmetal" to CoF. I'll say Old Man's Child (Born of the Flickering especially) changed that outlook a lot. Opeth is really the only band that's keeping my interest in metal right now.
3. My outlook on music in general has been changed many times over the years. Barring any kind of despicable commercial crap, I've become interested in a lot more "typical" music. I think it was my last GF who got me into a lot of it. She wasn't a metal fan, but appreciated it for what it was, and supported my band. She got me into the Hip, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, etc. None of those bands are on my "favourite" list, but it's music I enjoy and can respect since I know intelligent people do listen to it. The Tragically Hip really grew on me, and I'm not sure why. It's not at all like anything else I listen to, but I find the guitar in it really interesting to listen to, and it's good at work when the customers are sick of hearing Zeppelin over and over (not to mention that green Burzum album, all ambient-like). Oh, and overall, NIN opened my eyes to music that was capable of being heavy, aggressive, and realllllly full of swears.
4. Bands I can't live without: Opeth, obviously. Their cds are in the front of my case, along with Tool. That's the music that's always in rotation. Always in my discman when I'm walking or bussing, and was always in my car before it became a piece of a lamp-post last December. Tom Waits gets a lot of air-time here too. I love his voice, and his storytelling lyrics are incredible. He paints this twisted-dixieland kind of imagery, characters you'd love to see in a movie or read about in a book. I can't live without my roots of music either - Queen and NIN.
5. The above bands mean a lot to me. I'd say Tom Waits doesn't hold an emotional part of me yet, I haven't been listening to him for long enough. But Opeth definitely means a lot to me. Tool does, as well. Zeppelin means a LOT to me. I use that music as a time to separate myself from the world. It lets me feel happy, contented, but still allows me to have my wavering doubt about everything. Which is my nature. Which is the way I like it. Some people who've introduced me to bands will always stay in my heart for doing so, and will always come to mind when that music plays. Portishead is an example, so is Massive Attack. NIN holds some memories, as does Type O Negative (lost my virginity to Blood and Fire, not that you needed to know that
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Music is a HUGE part of my life, and I like to have something playing at most, if not at all times. I need music to sleep, to breathe, to allow my heart to find a beat, to set my biorhythm, to live. I always like to think that the people who share the love I have for this music are intelligent people. People who appreciate it to whatever extent their minds and hearts will allow. Unfortunately, I do find some people who have latched onto some bandwagon, or just don't get it. Just don't see what's so special about what I like. It's subjective and exclusive, but fuck 'em, right?
I love it, and it shouldn't, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, right? right?
Fantastic thread. I'm gonna go dye my hair now.
-whittled from the bone of Caine-
