Heavy Metal: Why all the hate?

[tzimize]

On the internet, metalheads are everywhere, but IRL, we're few and far between.
In my experience the dislike comes from people saying the music is "just noise." Well that simply because their ears haven't adjusted to the music. Perfect example (I'm guessing most people here don't listen to Emperor) listen to an Emperor song, even if you listen to metal, even black metal, it will initially sound like noise, after a while, however, you'll adjust and be able to notice the layers and complexities of it. It's just like that, only with all bands.

Or maybe not. I think the reason it sounds like noise to a lot of people is that their brain simply cant follow the music. They are too slow (and by that I dont mean stupid, at least not directly).

A lot of pop music is simple. In the way of beat, melody and instruments. A lot of people listen to it because it does not require a lot of focus/effort. The most advanced metal I listen to, I cant listen to for too long at a time because it is simply tiresome to me. Not because I dont LIKE the music, but because I get literally exhausted from it. An example could be Blind Guardian or Dragonforce. The speed or complexity of the music is simply too much for a lot of people and they perceive it as noise. At least thats what I think.

Metal has also been categorized as "smart" music. I forget the research, google it if you are interested.

 

[Trogdor1138]

Oh look, one of these topics.

I absolutely love Metal, I listen to all types of music too (not so much rap/hip hop though, which is expected).

If somebody doesn't like a certain type of music they have every right to.

 

[Kajt]

I love metal (especially Children of Bodom [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84NVNzesY-8] and Sabaton [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x88HTu0pFSA]). So does most of my IRL friends, and so does most of The Escapist.

Sadly, I don't listen to metal as much as I used. Nowadays I listen mostly to music from various games and animes.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

I'm a big fan of lots of different Metal sub-genres (I have a wide taste for music in general), so no hate here. I figure the reason people don't like it that much is because its an aquired taste. Heavy Metal is not easy to listen to if its your first time, especially if it's one of the harsh sub-genres. It's image probably plays a big part as well, both in the idea that it's all just anger and noise and the idea that only white middle-class teenagers with nothing to rebel against listen to it. Couple those with the fact that when many people dislike something, they can't just ignore it, they have to actively insult it. Thus the "hate" (in which case "hate" means dislike, I feel people overuse that word at times).

 

[Verlander]

If I had to guess, it's the ridiculous amount of people who create threads on here about how it's the only "true music" and all the people who try to "out-metal" each other by claiming to be fans of increasingly obscure artists. We get it, you guys like metal. I do to. Now lets move on...

On the internet, metalheads are everywhere, but IRL, we're few and far between.

Sorry, but where are you from? Metal is easily the biggest musical community, the best selling live community, and one with the broadest selection of bands. Throw a brick, and you'll hit a metalhead. I mean, even in the smallest of towns in the UK, there's a pub or bar that plays rock and metal. There are hundreds of festivals tailored to the community and, frankly, it isn't a taboo anymore, if it ever was. I don't know what it's like in America, but in Europe it's so big it's getting boring

 

[Metal Brother]

If you're not into metal, you are not my friend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhYjU7-w8g8

[youtube]OhYjU7-w8g8[/youtube]

Seriously, everyone has his own tastes and preferences. Like what you like, let others like what they like, and try not to hate too much.

And one of these days I need to remember how to post a &^%$#* embedded YouTube video on this site...

 

[DustyDrB]

This site has an insanely disproportion amount of metal heads.

I'll be in the corner playing my folk songs.

 

[astrav1]

Uh...there's a lot of people here who like metal.

I don't mind it, but I don't like "screamo" at all.

Well then fear not! Screamo is a genre separate.

 

[UberNoodle]

Hate: Why all the hate?

 

[MetalheadParkey]

If you're not into metal, you are not my friend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhYjU7-w8g8


I fucking love you
Manowar got me into metal
and Playing the guitar
they made me realise how much I want to be a musician.
so now I'm studying music A level, and hope to do it at university
I would have no goal in life if it wasn't for them, Idd probally just end up working at a supermarket for the rest of my life xD

Garr, quote fail :/

 

[Zeraki]

I don't think there is a lot of 'hate' towards metal, especially on the escapist where the vast majority are metalheads. I listen to all kinds of music and metal is definitely one of them. I used to listen to a vast majority of styles, but now that I've gotten older I mostly listen to bands like Blind Guardian and Kamelot.

Spoiler

 

[Rajin Cajun]

Metal makes the world go round! \m/

 

[TyrantGanado]

Metal isn't as easy to just listen to casually off the bat like most popular music (hence why pop lives up to its name, it's easy if not exactly great to listen to). For this I can understand why the layman might not like heavy metal, or at least not the heavier subgenres one finds beyond Metallica and Iron Maiden.

Personally, metal will always be my mainstay, subgenres may come and go from my favourites slot (even though electronica fills it at the moment) but metal is too much a part of me having been there during my teenage years for me to ever hate it.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Wrong place to ask. Every other person is a metalhead on this forum.

I listen to the kind of metal most people don't like however. The more screams, chugs, and breakdowns the better.

 

[Sakurazaki1023]

I like heavy metal just fine. I just hate vocalists that screech and growl. This is why I rather like Kamelot (when Roy Khan sings with his godly voice; Mark Vanderbilt's voice is concentrated shit).

I'm the same way, as long as the majority of the song is clean vocals then I'm happy. I've been listening to quite a bit of Melodic Death Metal recently, and it suits my preferences well enough. Kamelot is still my favorite metal band, but I'm beginning to like Soilwork, Mercenary, and Engel quite a bit.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Fearzone]

Some hear music, probably some hear elements off the periodic table, I hear magazine.

 

[BMX670]

*SNIP*
Screamo isnt Metal, and Metal isnt Screamo.
*SNIP*

This is true. It is also why Metal often gets a bad rap. Metal gets lumped in with other less popular genres such as screamo, (not ripping on screamo, just using an example) as people who don't listen to it cannot tell the difference. They then proceed to hear a song from some terrible band which is not actually metal, and generalize that all metal sounds like said song.

I personally enjoy a few metal bands, but there are a lot of metal sub-genres that i'm not really big on.

 

[Verlander]

If I had to guess, it's the ridiculous amount of people who create threads on here about how it's the only "true music" and all the people who try to "out-metal" each other by claiming to be fans of increasingly obscure artists. We get it, you guys like metal. I do to. Now lets move on...

On the internet, metalheads are everywhere, but IRL, we're few and far between.

Sorry, but where are you from? Metal is easily the biggest musical community, the best selling live community, and one with the broadest selection of bands. Throw a brick, and you'll hit a metalhead. I mean, even in the smallest of towns in the UK, there's a pub or bar that plays rock and metal. There are hundreds of festivals tailored to the community and, frankly, it isn't a taboo anymore, if it ever was. I don't know what it's like in America, but in Europe it's so big it's getting boring

What part of UK are we talking.

Mostly England, but all through Scotland as well. Even if the pub itself isn't overly "rocky", at least they'll have a jukebox that plays rock and metal a lot. Seriosuly, I've not been to a town in England without one, nor in Scotland