What is it like to be a metal metalhead in America?

[Sullen Jester]

Originally posted by Trapped
Australia = America II

Could not have put it better myself.

 

[lumen]

Despite my sister still claiming I'll "grow out" of listening to metal, I've never been stigmatized for my musical tastes, only for the way I look(ed).

 

[Cutter]

I don't live in America either, but can tell you all a story.

Back in high school, there this was this guy who copped heaps of shit because of the music he was into. IE, Metallica, Sepultura, Pantera...your usual suspects. Apparantly, it wasn't cool to be into 'metal'. Soon enough though, some of the people who gave him shit started listening too metal. It was quite sad really, but the saddest thing is. They still gave that guy shit, they just picked something else to give him shit about.

 

[S4R]

I've never even attached the title of metalhead to myself. I simply enjoy the ride my music takes me on, whatever it may be. And much like what metalman said, you are welcome along for the ride if you so desire. I must confess however that there are certain people that I do not let enter my musical world so to speak. Some simply give off the vibe of a mind forever closed.

I do find it unfortunate that metal has the stigmatas it has in the US. Especially since mainstream music is much more blatantly in touch with greed, lust, deception, etc.

 

[Sullen Jester]

Originally posted by Soul4Raziel
I do find it unfortunate that metal has the stigmatas it has in the US. Especially since mainstream music is much more blatantly in touch with greed, lust, deception, etc.

Here, here.

 

[The Nomad]

Originally posted by Lina
My hatred goes for all groups whose clothing defines them.

I think I know what you mean by this, but for me, I think what I wear should say something about me. At work I have to wear the same slacks and shirt as everyone else, but when I'm feeling casual (most of the time) I'll don a metal shirt... or a football jersey, or something else that says "This is a part of who I am." Especially back in University, so many people were just conformists, and you could see it in their dress and on their face.

I had another point, but it got lost in the brain.

 

[StorTroll]

Originally posted by jimbobhickville
Okay, take the stigma of listening to metal in the US, and try to imagine what it is like living in Utah. Here are a couple questions I got on a date (I was actively religious at the time and listening to metal): "Do you do drugs?" and "How can you listen to that and still be active in the church?". Ah, the lovely ignorance.

Most people here equate metal to either a) hair bands or b) nu-metal. It is really frustrating. I generally introduce people to Aghora, since it is so mind-blowingly excellent and non-offensive. People are like, "oh I thought all metal was noisy guitar solos and screaming". And if they don't like it, I know they will never appreciate anything with musical quality and I give up.

I, too, find the "metalheads" to be quite ridiculous. It just perpetuates the stereotypes. It is really self-defeating. Generally they do it to rebel, but they rebel by conforming to a stereotype, which is humorous to me. If they are doing it just 'cause they like it, then that's cool, but I think a lot of them aren't. I used to wear a long black trenchcoat and combat boots 'cause I liked wearing them, then everyone started copying me, which I thought was funny. I never knew how easy it was to be a trendsetter.

Oh well, I'm just babbling now. Later.

I was thinking of Utah when sending this thread, as I got some information about the city and its surroundings. Do you think people in your region are concervative religious hypocrites?
What are those peoples´virtues?

 

[YaYo]

I'm in Oz.... And it's exactly the same here.

Australia = America II

Actually, down here in tas it aint so bad.. i mean the death metal bands got to play as often as any other bands did back when i used to go to school...and got as much encouragement... and thats at a catholic school...

I mean there are still stupid attitudes but they werent as stupid. no "satanist" or such attitudes....
and most people expected me to be fairly cool when all they knew about me was that i played in a metallica (and similar) cover band.. so yeh the attitudes around here are much more accepting..

I dunno, but tas is actually is a damn cool place to live.... its cold and boring but overall im pretty happy to be living here.

 

[bleed for me]

i don't talk about myself or music unless someone asks me...i don't dress like a metalhead or look at all like one...

right now it's cool to listen to slipknot and alot of my friends listen to them and i guess its cool to be a metalhead...subconciously i could be trying not to reveal that i love metal because i don't want to be a superficial trendy bitch

 

[mindflesh]

Talking about dressing:

I guess the way I dress is considered rather "normal"... Jeans & shirts & whatever... Where I live, the majority of the ppl (regarding guys anyway) my age dress the rap-style - (except those ravers I hardly ever get in contact with and a few punks)... You rarely meet guys here who don't wear those skater-shoes and try to look as "cool" as possible all the time.

Last year I went to a rock-festival which lasted two days, and on the first day Marilyn Manson were the headliners... what a freak show! The way some people were dressed... It must have took them half a day only to dress like that! Now those ppl WERE defining themselves by how they were dressed...

 

[CarcassKreator]

Mainstream pop bands fill up venues of 15,000+, yet when I went to Enslaved, there were not even 100 people there. I feel bad for the musicians in this field. They work hard - and struggle.

How true! Look, whenever I read interviews with Metal bands, they say, we have no money, we have normal jobs, we're not rich, yet, they make such a good quelity music... reall music... but I guess it's not about the money really, but still, real music = harldy any money, shit like pop, usually 80's or 70's etc COVERS = £10000000, huge houses, Ferrari, Porshe... etc.

Here in the UK, there was this show called "Pop Idol" [soon, you Americans will have it.] It's sort of like a competition, you go, sing in front of juges [record company owners, manager, radio dj] and they decide, if they like you, you're throught to the next round... and, so on, you win and get a record deal, the show lasted 5 month or so, [once a week], so, anyways, this guy won, he then did a cover [I believe it was a cover song, or so I heard... from 60's 80's or something around], then, he reliesed it as a single... and guess what, this single became the fastest selling single in the UK ever! And he made millions... he became popular in 5th month... now, he's a pop star. For what? for having a OK voice [hes voice was quiet good really.] And reliesing a cover.

On some show, record owner was asked, how much freedom will Will [his name] have on this album...

So there, yeasy money and fame.


Anyways, I was asked what music I listen to by a class mate, when I said Heavy Metal, he was like, "oh... Blink 182 and Marlin Manson?"... no, I said they aren't Metal, tehy're Pop Punk and Rock...

This girl once said that I was "Evil" because I listen to Heavy Metal...

As for dressing, why not dress with some black leather [sp?] jacket with some flames on it [pictures], black jeans and have long hair... I see nothing wrong with that, this is what you are... as long as you don't over do it, like some people... there is one Cradle Of Filth fan in my college, and man, he is a big poser! dresses black, sort of like Dani Filth, he has white/silver eye lashes [or whatever that is, (instead of wearing glasses you wear those things)?], and you can see that he's so... "oh, I look evil, I listen to Metal, I'm cool..." you can just see that he listens to Metal only for image.

Anyways... I'm from UK, not US, so... anyways...

P.S. doesn't that annoy you when some pop band members does this > \m/ \m/ <??? I fucking hate that... what do they think they are???... faggots.

 

[CarcassKreator]

And so, here in the UK, pop bands, boy bands... they usually do COVERS of 80's or 70's etc pop songs or even some Rock, like Freddy Mercury... and they hit number 1 in charts! Fuck sakes, how can people be so stupid... [listiners]

 

[Blackspirit]

Originally posted by Lina
But let me take this opportunity to say I hate people who dress like a "metalhead," because that usually means they ARE trying to look evil. (My hatred goes for all groups whose clothing defines them.) No wonder there are so many misconceptions concerning metal, since the "metalheads" go out of their way to look gothic, evil and morose. They give metal just as bad a name as white boys in visors and baggy pants give rap a bad name. Argh.

I have no idea what to say, except; that right there might be some of
the strangest stuff I have ever read on this board? You are just like
everyone else, you really can't see that we all have different tastes?
If someone feels like looking like goth, then don't think more about it.
It's just like you picking out a pair of let's say blue jeans, this other
person picks out a pair of black ones... If you wear a belt, this other
person wears a spikey belt... I don't get what's so difficult about that?
Just let it go. If you dress a certain way just to get attention, then
what? And if you dress in a certain way just because you like it...
Then what? It's just clothes... )

Music has always formed my life. When I was into indie and rock I looked
quite a bit like a hippie, and I loved it ) I still wear flarred trousers,
just cause I love the looks of them ) But since I started listening
to metal, black is what goes through all my clothes... I just end up that
way... I go to clothesstores and I see a great top I'll buy it,
no matter what colour....

Your clothes can tell alot abouot you as a person, and I like that, but I
don't buy my clothes based on that. And I do not look like a goth at all )
I look quite normal )

Pluss, I tell people what style of music I'm into and they already know
that, cause of the way I am. I am "different" they all say. The way I think
and behave. And I do get the usual "So, you're one of those
churchburners, murdering christians and eating babies" "Why, of course
I am one of those!!" I always respond, and then we laugh. If you take
all of this in such a serious way then you just beg for it.....

And another thing, I don't think metal is less underground here in Europe
than in the states.... Everyone look at metallers thinking they're weirdo's P

ARGH!!! Hehe.... I'm done )

 

[Jim LotFP]

Originally posted by Lina
But let me take this opportunity to say I hate people who dress like a "metalhead,"

Metal's the only thing on this planet that's not let me down, which makes it superior to friends, family, any job I've had, and even myself.

At one point metal saved my life, when I was finished trying to deal with all the shit in the world, hearing the right thing at the right time made me realize that there are people that think like me, that I'm not all alone, that life's not entirely a big pit.

Metal continues to be the main focus of my life, in both time spent and financial commitment, what with record buying and listening, the newsletter, internet reading and research, etc etc etc.

If I looked like anything but a metalhead, I think there would be a serious problem.

What I think is silly... no, what I think is absolutely disgusting is that some of you seem to be into something enough to really, really like something, to spend a good amount of time on the internet discussing things with complete strangers, but then downplay or ignore it when around 'friends'. Completely amazing.

 

[Obyeybyeogone]

Well Jim, I've explained to all of my friends how much I love metal, but they don't understand it. I don't feel the need to continually go on and on about it around them when they just think i'm crazy for doing so. I would call them "friends", anyways, I don't have any good friends.

 

[jimbobhickville]

Originally posted by StorTroll


I was thinking of Utah when sending this thread, as I got some information about the city and its surroundings. Do you think people in your region are concervative religious hypocrites?
What are those peoples´virtues?

Just FYI, Utah is a state, not a city. The people around here are a mixed bag, but there are a lot of self-righteous holier-than-thou hypocrite types. I'm generally a conservative person, but the people here make me look very liberal. Generally, they are trying to be good people, trying to live by what they deem to be right, but there are lots of people who talk the talk and don't walk the walk (damn that sounds trite) and probably more who just brush you off with their self-aggrandized superiority complex. If you're curious about the beliefs of the LDS church, go to the source itself http://www.lds.org (I think that is the url). Other people seem to be certain they believe things they don't. I've heard some interesting ones.

I keep debating whether or not to move away. I don't like this place, but I love my job, so I can't make up my mind. Anyway, everyone I know knows I listen to metal, I don't shy away from it when with them. If I'm driving, they're listening to whatever is in my car, he he. Most of them don't understand or like it, but they don't give me a hard time about it or anything. It's just when I meet new people that I get all the stupid-ass questions.

 

[Wolfman Von Jones]

The biggest thing that makes me semi-pissed off is when people ask me what I listen to I say metal,blues, and they say oh you mean Limp Bizkit and Korn? No, the bands I listen to have more talent in their penis's than all the new metal put together.

To reply to the fitting in to an image posts, I wear whats comfortable, and band shirts and jeans are comfortable.

 

[CAIRATH]

What I'm wondering is what exactly does "look like a metalhead" or "look like a goth" mean?

When do you cross the line from being "normal" (or whatever) to either of those?

I dress in black almost always. I even did that way before I got into metal and industrial music. I just feel comfortable in it. But I don't wear any unusual clothes, just regular black jeans, black t-shirts, black sweaters, etc, and some of those are band shirts yes (Opeth, In Flames, NIN, Front Line Assembly, etc). I also have black/darkbrown hair (by nature, though I dye it black during the summer because it starts turning blonde and I hate that)

So does that make me goth? Or a metalhead? I'm seriously wondering that. In any case I don't think there's anything wrong with it at all. I'm proud that I've found a music and culture that is for the most part "real" and not influenced by crap on MTV and I'm not ashamed to show people that I choose to be part of it.

Hell a few weeks ago I walked into the local recordstore while wearing my Opeth shirt and the guy behind the counter (who I've always suspected as a metal lover because of his long hair and general looks) recognized it and we talked about Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and other stuff for like 10 minutes. I loved that.

I don't think there's anything wrong with dressing according to what culture you feel most at home with. And if you choose to over-do it by wearing makeup or crazy gothy clothes then that is your choice. And whether that is stupid or not sort of depends on your reasons I guess. If you do it because you think it looks nice on you then it's fine, if you do it just to "rebel" then I think it's sort of silly.

In any case I think it's stupid that people who are into metal and complain about how everyone instantly judges them complain about people who look like metalheads being stupid in the exact same post. Aren't you doing the same thing then? Judging people for no reason?

Heh.

 

[Sceptic]

Well, I live in South Jersey, and let me tell you, there is just about no metal here. Most of the bands who call themselves metal, are hardcore, or metalcore if you will. And sometimes "nu metal"...
It is a little rough being a real metalhead in my neck of the woods anyway.

 

[lumen]

Originally posted by CAIRATH

Hell a few weeks ago I walked into the local recordstore while wearing my Opeth shirt and the guy behind the counter (who I've always suspected as a metal lover because of his long hair and general looks) recognized it and we talked about Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and other stuff for like 10 minutes. I loved that.

Yeah, I love when someone recognizes a band shirt I'm wearing and it leads to a good conversation. Or sometimes even when they don't recognize it but they're genuinely interested in the band and the music I listen to.