As metalheads, is it compulsory that we must hate?

[starhaven]

Never noticed, metalheads tend to be the nicest people you could meet and usually just ignore other music at worst.

lol i went to a guys house once for some party games and drinking everyone who turned up had long hair leather jackets and tattos i felt way out of place these guys looked like thugs and i was woundering what i was doing here they put on some hammerfall and i was still like ok there cool but what sorta game are we gonna play and no word of a lie we played D&D i counldn't bloody belive it metal head/nerds i didnt think they existed till that point greatest bunch of guys i ever met and they turned me into a meatel head untill that point i never really liked any music

as for hateing no we never did they listened to all sorts of music but metal was on 98% of the time with selected bits from other music

 

[Spinozaad]

First: Metal is not underground, at least not on mainland Europe. Never, no way. That it's not broadcasted on MTV or TMF or public radio does not mean there is not an entire industry promoting their product and leeching off its fans. People who think that Nightwish, Dream Theater, Korplikaani, Opeth, Avenged Sevenfold, Burzum and pretty much every band that has any reason to be known are still "unknown" and "underground" are, in my eyes, seriously deluded.

Second: The problem is not with metal fans pulling No True Scotsmen on other genres, the problem is that a lot of them take their own genre too serious.

It's not a higher form of art. It's not even art. It's just music. Music that, to me, is often quite shite.

Except Kyuss, of course. Kyuss was made by every divine entity ever divined. Kyuyss transcends the natural, and stuff.

 

[fesc]

Hey OP, you know that Indie is NOT a music genre, right?

Anyway, I like many types of music, ranging from classical and jazz to blues, metal, and sometimes old pop rock. Techno, trance, and what the industry now calls "R n' B", AKA Akon, Rihanna, and all those wankers who use auto-tuners because they can't sing, all those, I can't stand.

 

[HobbyJim]

Well, my girlfriend is really into indie music, and I honestly can't fucking stand it (Decemberists and Mountain Goats to be more specific). Like, some days it's cool, other days I'm like, "turn on real music? please?"

But the thing about music is that musicians (well, good musicians) are constantly being influenced by so many different other forms of music. So, my theory, if the bands you like are into it, give it a try yourself. Examples: Metallica cite Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Seger as influences. Anthrax were one of the first bands to incorporate hip hop into their music. On the flip side of that, Public Enemy sampled a Slayer song (Angel of Death) for their song "she watch channel zero?" Speaking of Slayer, Tori Amos covered Slayer's Reign in Blood. Tori Amos + Slayer = Fucking creepy.

The point is in order to truly appreciate metal for what it is (incredibly arranged and composed music) you should have a wider musical pallet. So, to answer your question, no, I don't think we should automatically go "Fuck mainstream!" I think their are valuable lessons (and mistakes) to learn from mainstream bands and the successes they've had or not had.

 

[HobbyJim]

Hey OP, you know that Indie is NOT a music genre, right?

Anyway, I like many types of music, ranging from classical and jazz to blues, metal, and sometimes old pop rock. Techno, trance, and what the industry now calls "R n' B", AKA Akon, Rihanna, and all those wankers who use auto-tuners because they can't sing, all those, I can't stand.

You know, you're absolutely right about Indie. If anything, it's more of a category of different genres, like indie rock, indie rap, and so on. I probably should have been more specific in my argument. DAMN IT! lol.

 

[reg42]

No. I don't like pop because I don't like it, not because of some stupid stereotype. People should like what they want to like, and if that happens to defy a stereotype then good for them.

 

[Kikosemmek]

I don't really call myself a metalhead because, even though metal was the first music genre I felt strongly about, I listen to lots of other kinds of music.

However, I have nothing but disdain for the mainstream, for two synergetic reasons:

1. Pop acts (mainstream) are largely inane exercises of high-school tedium being played to music that is orphaned of any real measure of creative enterprise. These are often corporate endeavors that are made in response to previous market success for the sole purpose of money-making, rather than artistic expression. Their intellectual content is dumbed down and repetitive, and their tones venture no further than the confines of mainstream thought processes, precisely in order to appeal to the general public, again at the cost of artistic expression, with which the artist could attempt to highlight controvercial/unique/creative paradigms. Reference: Spice Girls, Madonna, Backstreet Boys, N-Sync, Lady Gaga.

2. Everything the mainstream attaches to becomes overrated very quickly. People love their hive minds, and as soon as it is readily evident that lots of people like a certain thing, it also becomes readily acceptable to praise it publicly and irrationally, without any real formulation of opinion or introspective analysis. Just as mainstream acts stay in the green zone of their creative confines in order to remain popular, whatever becomes popular is soundly supported by people so that safe social interactions may be achieved, and that they, as individuals, might become or remain popular and fashionable. This scares me, because it destroyes the individual, and tramples any hope of transcending the possible faults of the social system. I despise this behavior as I despise the bad music it begets.

 

[dfphetteplace]

I don't hate other genres, although I do think most metal bands put more effort and have more talent than say....Kanye West, Or Justin Beaver (Refuse to type real name). And the lyrics are usually slightly more deeper than blatantly saying "I love you baby...and I also love your friend!"

Except when half the lyrics are just talking about graphic violence and/or sex?

Bands like Cannibal Corpse, sure, but a lot of metal bands usually have pretty poetic and deep lyrics (Absu, Opeth, Quo Vadis, Sentenced, Borknager, Summer Dying, Neurosis, Nightwish, Leaves' Eyes, Katationa, Chthonic, ect.). Some bands talk about violence, but to it in a poetic way as well, too though (Vital Remains, Paths of Possession, The Project Hate, ect.).

OT: I don't really care much about whatever is mainstream with rock or pop music. It is boring, the lyrics are juvenile, the music is thin and simple, and there is a reason it is marketed to teenagers. I'm too old to give a damn about some one complaining of being bullied and worried about popularity, or fitting in or something. I like music that is interesting and when it has lyrics, makes me think. Do I hate pop music? Yes, but not to the point where I ***** about it, because I have no idea what is popular or on the radio.

And besides, metal can incorporate almost any other kind of music and make it awesome. Other then pop music, metal bands can play anything and make it sound good. Just look at how many subgenres of music there is, and how many have elements of jazz (prog metal), blues (doom metal), Techno (not sure what to call it, but bands like Blood Stain Child), dark wave (The Project Hate), classical/Opera (Nightwish), ect. ect. ect. So am I kind of a music snob? Yes, but I do love a lot of different music, metal is just my favorite and in my opinion, is the most interesting and takes the most talent (not all bands arfe talented, but when they are good, they have to be really good).

 

[Looking For Alaska]

Alot of metalheads are music snobs.

I'm a hip-hop head, we're the same way.

We need to end this.

Edit: I feel I should say that I also listen to a wide variety of genres but I don't hate on anyone for what they listen to, even if I can't stand it. Like metal, for example.

 

[MasTerHacK]

I've noticed it quite a lot that alot/most metalheads (including myself), are guilty of, well I hesitate to say music snobbery but something along those lines.
Is it because metal had pretty much always been an underground thing that any mainstream medium of music is automatically seen as an enemy of metal?
Like my opinion is that Indy and pop music must die in a big fire, with lots of screaming and laughter but is that just me being, I dunno, pretencious or something?
Or is it because metal itself has always had a soul and a beating heart to it, the fact that a style of music tends to become soul-less and same-ie when it hits the mainstream.

I'm a metalhead too, but I don't see.... Ahhhhh, actually I would like to see pop go down in a huge fire, preferably started by me. I think this song explains everything, all too well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3DT6Bjdhu0

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

I've noticed it quite a lot that alot/most metalheads (including myself), are guilty of, well I hesitate to say music snobbery but something along those lines.
Is it because metal had pretty much always been an underground thing that any mainstream medium of music is automatically seen as an enemy of metal?
Like my opinion is that Indy and pop music must die in a big fire, with lots of screaming and laughter but is that just me being, I dunno, pretencious or something?
Or is it because metal itself has always had a soul and a beating heart to it, the fact that a style of music tends to become soul-less and same-ie when it hits the mainstream.

I listen to everything except Soul, Rap, and Western (country too)...

I have always loved indie music, and I was an indie kid before I became the proud metal head I am today. Metal doens't have a beating heart and soul to it JUST because it's not mainstream. Iron Maiden and Metallica are actually QUITE mainstream, and it's not completely soul less.

Metal has passion, raw emotion, those feelings within us that are expressed in a pure form. We sing songs of bravery, of ancient times, or love, of hate, of everything. The only differences is the form that it takes. We sing what we feel, how we feel it. Our music may be rough and raw, but it strikes us in a certain way and we connect with it. THAT is what gives our beloved metal its heart and soul

 

[The Stonker]

Naah I listen to metal and all kinds of rock but I do have a guilty pleasure of listening to James Blunt.
Personally I don't despise any of the other musical genres that people listen to because it's their own taste and I can't change that and they can't change my love for Dio or Beethoven (I know classical).
And Prodigy has some good songs in between.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

In real life, Metal fans tend to be semi exceptant or just ignore other music, other than the occasional "Justin Bieber sucks!". Youtube, and the internet in general, makes people hate.

 

[Call4Duty]

Most of my hate is directed at musicians rather than their music. There is ONE song by the Jonas brothersWell, it's a cover. But still that I actually like, but I'm not fucking downloading it because of the culture around their music. In popular music the musician is more important than the music. Imagine if an ugly old guy sang justin beaver's songs, literally nobody would like it.
But hating a whole genre is unjustified, I think if you look hard enough you can find something you like anywhere you go. Even if you can't you can bet that somebody else LOVES this, because music is a really personal thing.
OP: INDIE? What have you got against indie, man? I'm going to Heavy MTL at the end of july but I loves my indie.

 

[axron27]

We love Partying

 

[master m99]

i have to say i have on a number of occasions anounsed all out one man war against rap and EVERYTHING aimed at tweens epeshaly music. (yes my spelling is awsome please set it slide =S )

 

[Polyg0n]

It also depends on where you live, but at least in Finland I would hardly call metal "underground" and even though I know some people who act like you described I still know at least as many people who love metal, but can still enjoy other forms of music as well.

And many metal bands just copy their styles from other artists so that is not something only pop artists do. Also if you looked into it you might notice that even the pop genre has a large amount of different kind of artists the problem is that only one kind seems to become popular with the masses.

If knowing what kind of music I listen affects how seriously you take this post then I can tell that even now I`m listening to Shai Hulud and way more than half of my Ipod`s 1000 songs are some kind of metal, but still I sometimes feel like listening to some happy fluffy Jpop or possibly some dance or electronic depending on my mood.

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

i have to say i have on a number of occasions anounsed all out one man war against rap and EVERYTHING aimed at tweens epeshaly music. (yes my spelling is awsome please set it slide =S )

Actually my friends and I played a prank at a rave once. We set the stereo to randomly switch the regular music to Amon Amarth and Megadeth.

Look on people's faced amused us...

 

[Sifter49]

Metal may seem violent at times, but the other types of music just act like a bunch of lovey-dovey crap or some wanker whining about how some girl/guy broke his/her heart. As for sex, the other genres seem to have that dominated. Personally, metal feels like a way to let out some agression in other ways besides bludgeoning someone to death with a toaster or a frying pan.