Poll: Why do lots of people hate Heavy Metal?

[MisterGobbles]

Metal is such a diverse genre, and can genuinely cross over with punk, jazz, electronica, post-hardcore, and other genres. You have alternative metal (Deftones, Tool), nu metal (come on, Linkin Park's first album was the best-selling album of the decade. Don't tell me people hate metal), metalcore (As I Lay Dying, All That Remains, Killswitch Engage). And of course probably the most popular trinity of metal bands nowadays, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, and Slipknot (those bands are somewhat genre-defying).

All of these bands are really popular, some more so than others, but still all of them have fairly large fanbases, high critical reviews from mainstream outlets as well as non-mainstream ones, and all of them are metal. They may be crossed with other genres and more melodic than some metal, but they are metal nonetheless.

The reason why the metal that is not popular isn't popular is that:
1) melodic things tend to stick in people's heads, and make good singles, which are successful and draw people into a band; examples being Killswitch Engage's My Curse and Avenged Sevenfold's Bat Country. You personally may or may not like these songs, but you can't deny they were/are really fucking popular. And they were pretty damn catchy.
2) people do not like screaming, at least they way it is done in the modern extreme metal genres. It is an acquired taste in almost all circumstances. It fits the music, takes as much talent as singing does, and above all it sounds good, but to a person who isn't used to it it sounds like shit. It certainly did for me, I had to get used to it.
3) Combined with the fact that people like melodic things, and people do not like screaming, one can assume that people will not like things that are not very melodic and that have a significant amount of screaming in them, e.g. death metal, black metal, to a certain extent thrash metal although that once was pretty popular.

So why isn't the other melodic metal popular, like Symphony X and Dream Theater? Because people don't like ten minute songs, that's why. Why isn't the melodic metal that doesn't have songs that go on for more than five minutes popular?

Because metal is complicated, and pop is simple. People like simple music, which isn't really a bad thing overall. Also, there's more to getting popular than just being something that the average person would like.

And the reason that people bash metal as a whole is that they don't understand it.

 

[dex-dex]

at first I thought you meant the movie so I wondering how many people actually hate it. but no it is the music style.

The sound is never enjoyable. also why do all the guys have longer hair than I do?

 

[badgersprite]

It's weird. I used to love metal and old school punk, but now I really don't enjoy listening to it, with some exceptions. I 100% understand what people like about it, because, as I said, I used to be a metal head with bands like 3 Inches Of Blood and Slayer playing constantly, but my tastes dramatically changed when I got older. Now I like music that I couldn't stand when I was fifteen. It's weird as Hell.

Anyway, I don't begrudge anyone for liking any kind of music. Except racist bands. There's no excuse for that.

 

[duckfi8]

because people cannot take getting yelled at

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Eh, I reckon it's not worth listening to solely for the shitty growly vocals that appear in most heavy metal songs. There's a couple that stand out, usually instrumental ones (particularly those experimental bands like Tool or Shelter Red), but for the most part it's just not that good. Like any genre.

Your mixing gendres. In most Heavy Metal there's no growling. It's mostly reserved to Nu metal, Core and Black metal. Screamo isn't metal, it's punk, different.

Or Death Metal. They have some growls.

Never heard of Nu Metal having growls, sure you don't mean groove or something? They have it sometimes. That said, I don't listen to much Nu Metal, so I could be wrong.

 

[Biosophilogical]

I just prefer the slower paced stuff. Also, more lyrics, less screamo helps.
So long as people don't have a go at me for not liking metal, I got nothing much against it.

This, so much this. The friends I have are all into rap and metal and screamo and other stuff I don't like (I don't like most rap because the mainstream stuff I've heard is about sex, drugs, killing, being better than everyone else, etc; I don't like metal because I prefer a more ... I can't think of a good word, it is just the feel of metal is normally so ... harsh and excessive, whereas the music I prefer normally has enjoyable singers and harmonic yet distinguishable insturments (so they all work together well without over-pwoering eachother, yet individually the instruments are still nice to listen to, as opposed to the 'hit everything really hard' stuff I tend to notice more in metal than in whatever style I listen to); and I don't like screamo because I prefer good singing, not screaming). But yeah, whenever they played music on their phones or anything I felt a bit left out, because they all liked this music that I found terrible and the music I would have played, given the choice, would be Paramore or Queen, or Kiss or something, which they probably would have hated to bits).

 

[pigsnoutman]

Tends to be toxic and carciogenic. Disrupts DNA.

 

[parasyteFMA]

It's like asking why do people hate rap, or country, or even jazz. It doesn't appeal to them. Only when people make huge stereotypes of music is when someone should kindly let them know they are wrong. Like how rap takes no talent, or how metal is just yelling and banging on instruments.

Metal is my favorite genre and nothing is really gonna change that, but making a big deal out of someone not liking metal is stupid as all hell. If they just insult it based on horrible mis-representations that's one thing and just not finding it enjoyable is another.

 

[maggot man]

i have bin a metal head for the past 7 years and i love all kinds and hate this screamo that gets called metal when their not.
but as i have grown up i have moved out into other music like industrial and techno and also into steam-punk ect. but i still listen and love metal i am just not always in the the right mood for it. and yes it annoys me when people hate on your music just because they have no real understanding of it or where it is from.
they see one deathmetal band and then say that all metal is like that when its not, and is probably one of the most diverse types of music in the world.

 

[open trap]

I love Metal! I love the culture, the style, the imagrey, the music, the mythology, all the parts of the collective genre of metal (excluding most nu metal bands, for that is mostly rap with a guitar) i even embrace glam metal as a legitament part of the collective. I hear alot of people throw out the usual stereotypes and it disapoints me. Those who give it a try usually like it, or at least get my respect for trying it before makeing up their mind.

 

[Mehplep]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF_YIiRoRFM

inb4 just screaming

 

[pelopelopelo]

(not that theres anything wrong with Thrash, death or black, any music on the bus is annoying)

Yeah there is, thrash is the most boring of all the metals

 

[toastmaster2k8]

Its really not metal we hate, its the fucktards that that have to wear all those depressing all black outfits with the face full of metal Piercings. who have to practice singing ( If you can Call it that) in public places like a bus or a park.

 

[skips]

Why don't people like heavy metal?

-> They've been listening to the wrong artists/sub-genres.
-> They don't like the associated baggage (stereotypes).
-> They have a genuine dislike.

Most often the first option, tbh.

 

[CowboyfromHell666]

People always ask me "Why do you listen to metal?" or "How can you stand such noise?" etc and so forth. I proceed to ask them the same thing, but in terms of their music of choice, which is usually rap. Thus, their reply is "It's good". Yeah well so is metal to my ears. You may not like it, but don't come up to me blatantly saying to my face "METAL SUCKS". I just don't get why people hate it. Maybe it is because of the subject matters of some songs, perceptions on the artists themselves, and just the sound of the music itself. As long as no one tells me they hate it, I show the same respect and not go out against what they like. But yes, I love heavy metal and will always love it. No one can tell me otherwise.

And to those of you that don't necessarily like or listen to metal yet respect the choice people have in liking it, thank you for not being an asshole for going out of your way to hate another form of music

 

[open trap]

I would say there wouldn't be such hatred for metal fans or metalheads if they weren't such purists. I don't care if you listen to metal, but refusing to give a band a chance just because its a part of another genre just seems ridiculous to me, metalheads have a tendency to stick out for hating on many genres, Rap, Country, Pop, and what they believe is Screamo. Most people I know don't glorify or define themselves by the type of music they listen to, and the only two groups I have found who do would be Metalhead and Hipsters/Indie Kids, and for the most part I can respect the latter more because even within the boundaries of whats considered Indie can fit into many genres. Though I dislike hanging out with ether group if they feel pride because they listen to a certain genre.

I my self am a metalhead. I do not like rap because i gave it a try and it never appealed to me, musically and culturaly (i found it to be a very immature genre with all the promotion and glorification of sex drugs and money) But do not think i hate it all. i finde some rap to be ok in my opinion. Some songs by MM or eminem how ever its spelled have appealed to me in a way. Though i will never go out and buy his music i will listen and appreciate it. Pop music on the other hand i can not stand. I have only ever found one pop song i liked and thats because it was a parody of its self. Pop musics culture is centered around the same as mainstream rap, and that is sex, money, and drugs. It also seems really blind to reality. I also dont like all the autotuned repetitiveness of the songs, i too gave this genre a try and i continually here it where i ever i go. I have nothing against country, real country not taylor swift pop country. I actually enjoy the genre. The Taylor Swift pop country i do not like because it is very basic and unmeeningful to me, infact the past two genres for the most part seem basic and unmeaningful to me ( not including the stated exceptions) So there is an honest and (hopefully) intelligent view of other genres from the perspective of a metalhead, enjoy.

 

[Hollock]

I like Black Sabbath, a lot but have never found any other metal band to come close to their skills. Thanks to them I get the feeling most of you get when you're listening to a good metal song, but honestly the demon voice and meedlymeedlymeedlymeedlymeedlymeedlymeedlymeedlymeeeeeeee bangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbang is annyoing as hell. I do like when pages like this pop up because it gives me a chance to try on my modern metal pants and see if they fit, but they never do, I've listened to the songs you've posted and not liked any of them (except of course the Sabbath posted below me!) . What else could you expect from a Simon and Garfunkle fan though?

 

[open trap]

i like beat and rhythm and harmony and none of those seems to be in any metal song ive listened to, in fact the only band i could actually understand was dethklok but their not even real.

Ever listen to Dio or Black Sabbath? Great bands, and they are traditional heavy metal so their easier to get into. Ill post three songs for you Because Dio just so happened to be in Black Sabbath before going solo

Spoiler: Black Sabbath with Dio

Spoiler: Black Sabbath with ozzy (original lineup)

[youtubeqq5Ejw42Yog]

Spoiler: Dio

Sadly Dio died of stomach cancer not long ago

 

[zehydra]

It's exactly what I'm saying. I love metal so why do people have to say I'm abnormal for listening to it. I may not be conformist or a perfect person but that shouldn't be based on music preferences.

Why do you care about being normal? "Normal" is a lie.

 

[GiantRaven]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF_YIiRoRFM

inb4 just screaming

Slightly off-topic but thank you very much for posting this, it's a very enjoyable listen. =)