See this thread, this makes me happy for the forums. I'm glad there are still literate people who know how to explain why metal is a good thing.
I've been listening to metal since I was a little kid, my dad raised me on stuff like Judas Priest and Metallica, but lately I've gotten into many more sub-genres. Lately I've been listening to death,black,progressive,power, and of course good old thrash.
Last year I went to Heavy MTL, a festival containing Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, Alice Cooper, Fear Factory, Mastadon, Lamb of God, Rob Halford and about 20 smaller bands. That was one of the best experiences of my life. Even being in a mosh pit at a death metal concert in a province where half of everyone speaks a different language... everyone was still friendly.
So yeah, I like metal quite a bit. Thanks for making this thread.