If we are to accept that heavy metal musicians, record companies, and media participate in silly and ineffective rituals, we must also recognize that the heavy metal fan does this as well. If we are to say that the musicians, record companies, and media must correct their behavior to preserve the core of heavy metal, then we must establish a code of behavior for fans. I realize that the heavy metal industry would burn to the ground if the ideas laid out in this issue were followed. I am not only OK with that, I wish it would happen. Heavy metal, the music, would survive the death of heavy metal, the industry, if the fans were honest in their support and respected the sacrifice the artists would be making.
Heavy metal fans have to stop worrying about instant gratification. They have to stop pinching pennies. The primary contact for the purchase of heavy metal should be people that one has a direct connection with. Local shops are usually the best place for this. The staff can get to know you and will learn your tastes, and be able to serve your specific needs for heavy metal instead of their need to sell it. If this takes the form of a heavy metal store such as Metal Haven in Chicago or Kråklund Shåp in Vaasa, fine. If it is more of an independent store catering to a wider clientele such as Aquarius Records in San Francisco, or even a traveling record show dealer like Exploding Ned's, fine. The point is making contact with people who can connect the music with the listener without a silly corporate structure behind it pushing major record company releases as their primary product. The advantage of this approach, in addition to the superior customer service, is the ability to walk out of the store with music ready to listen to. It will cost a bit more than ordering online, but if we're serious about killing the mass commercial mindset out of the heavy metal art, the fan has to realize that specialty products come with specialty price tags. You're not just paying for the album, you're paying for the assistance that the staff is providing for you in getting the correct album for you.
Stores can't carry everything, and few areas even have suitable stores. Some otherwise suitable stores have an asshole running them, and they do not deserve your support. If an appropriate local outlet does not carry what you want, go directly to the musicians. The majority of musicians have websites with ordering information, and by ordering that way you know that every penny of what you spend is going directly to the creators. No, they usually won't be concerned with instant shipping, but if you're ordering albums you probably don't have a terminal disease. Have patience.
Some musicians don't offer direct sales, and I wouldn't blame you if you hesitated to order every single one of your albums from various overseas musicians. Here is where the record company becomes useful. Record companies love direct sales because they make more money from a direct sale than a sale made through a store. If local sources and the musicians do not give you what you need, then ordering through the people who financed the creation of what you want to buy would be the next logical step. You could have fun with them before you order: Ask if the musicians receive a higher royalty on direct orders than sales through third parties. If the record company is making more of a profit, shouldn't the musicians receive more as well?
Some record companies are completely retarded and do not offer an easy, direct ordering process. It is then that you should go to the general heavy metal mail order sources to get your music. Deciding which source to go to should not be made simply on price and shipping speed. Be an active and aware consumer! Most record companies run mail order operations that carry far more than their own releases. Reward record companies that deliver quality products, do not engage in crass marketing techniques, and that do not have a reputation of fucking their musicians over.
Never buy your heavy metal from general retailers or chain stores. They do not care about this music, and you do not represent the customer they try to attract. If you like mainstream music, by all means shop at these places for that music. But do not reward a token acknowledgement of our music with your dollars.
Following these guidelines should help the money flow to the correct people, and make it sustainable for heavy metal to be available while not needing to conform to mainstream business standards.
Use logic when deciding where to buy. While I believe it unreasonably selfish to quibble over a couple of dollars if you can order from the musicians instead of a non-related mail order store, there are musicians trying to sell their products for double the price that others are selling the album. Do not support such foolishness.
If we're going to ask musicians and record companies to not cater to a general audience and if we're going to ask them to not engage in corrupt marketing tactics, the fans have to be willing to stay with them. There is a difference between wishing them to not have purely commercial aspirations, and asking them to lose their entire investment in music. Fans need to be willing to buy music, not take it for free. Fans should also be willing to buy new, and not used product whenever possible. If heavy metal fans are not willing to act in good faith towards the musicians themselves, there is no reason for musicians to act in good faith towards their fans.
Heavy metal fans have to stop worrying about instant gratification. They have to stop pinching pennies. The primary contact for the purchase of heavy metal should be people that one has a direct connection with. Local shops are usually the best place for this. The staff can get to know you and will learn your tastes, and be able to serve your specific needs for heavy metal instead of their need to sell it. If this takes the form of a heavy metal store such as Metal Haven in Chicago or Kråklund Shåp in Vaasa, fine. If it is more of an independent store catering to a wider clientele such as Aquarius Records in San Francisco, or even a traveling record show dealer like Exploding Ned's, fine. The point is making contact with people who can connect the music with the listener without a silly corporate structure behind it pushing major record company releases as their primary product. The advantage of this approach, in addition to the superior customer service, is the ability to walk out of the store with music ready to listen to. It will cost a bit more than ordering online, but if we're serious about killing the mass commercial mindset out of the heavy metal art, the fan has to realize that specialty products come with specialty price tags. You're not just paying for the album, you're paying for the assistance that the staff is providing for you in getting the correct album for you.
Stores can't carry everything, and few areas even have suitable stores. Some otherwise suitable stores have an asshole running them, and they do not deserve your support. If an appropriate local outlet does not carry what you want, go directly to the musicians. The majority of musicians have websites with ordering information, and by ordering that way you know that every penny of what you spend is going directly to the creators. No, they usually won't be concerned with instant shipping, but if you're ordering albums you probably don't have a terminal disease. Have patience.
Some musicians don't offer direct sales, and I wouldn't blame you if you hesitated to order every single one of your albums from various overseas musicians. Here is where the record company becomes useful. Record companies love direct sales because they make more money from a direct sale than a sale made through a store. If local sources and the musicians do not give you what you need, then ordering through the people who financed the creation of what you want to buy would be the next logical step. You could have fun with them before you order: Ask if the musicians receive a higher royalty on direct orders than sales through third parties. If the record company is making more of a profit, shouldn't the musicians receive more as well?
Some record companies are completely retarded and do not offer an easy, direct ordering process. It is then that you should go to the general heavy metal mail order sources to get your music. Deciding which source to go to should not be made simply on price and shipping speed. Be an active and aware consumer! Most record companies run mail order operations that carry far more than their own releases. Reward record companies that deliver quality products, do not engage in crass marketing techniques, and that do not have a reputation of fucking their musicians over.
Never buy your heavy metal from general retailers or chain stores. They do not care about this music, and you do not represent the customer they try to attract. If you like mainstream music, by all means shop at these places for that music. But do not reward a token acknowledgement of our music with your dollars.
Following these guidelines should help the money flow to the correct people, and make it sustainable for heavy metal to be available while not needing to conform to mainstream business standards.
Use logic when deciding where to buy. While I believe it unreasonably selfish to quibble over a couple of dollars if you can order from the musicians instead of a non-related mail order store, there are musicians trying to sell their products for double the price that others are selling the album. Do not support such foolishness.
If we're going to ask musicians and record companies to not cater to a general audience and if we're going to ask them to not engage in corrupt marketing tactics, the fans have to be willing to stay with them. There is a difference between wishing them to not have purely commercial aspirations, and asking them to lose their entire investment in music. Fans need to be willing to buy music, not take it for free. Fans should also be willing to buy new, and not used product whenever possible. If heavy metal fans are not willing to act in good faith towards the musicians themselves, there is no reason for musicians to act in good faith towards their fans.
