Metal Reviews

The Devil may care "fuck it" mentality has been apart of the music as far back as the classic bands. Without mentioning the obvious bands that endowed it upon the music, do you believe it has stayed relevant into the modern era of metal? Do you still see the lack of regard for conventions in modern bands? As it is an integral part of the old school bastion of bands, do you even view it as being so relevant today?

People got snottier about metal. I know this was indicative of metal throughout its growth, like Metallica being "too punk" and having chairs thrown at them, but for being so "don't give a fuck" metal is way too close-minded. Yes, I'm referring to responses to Krallice but even stuff like hardcore which draws so much on what metal has done often gets written off.

I wish metal was as "fuck it" as it claims to be.

Pretension can be found on either side, and despite what dead1 will say, metal is not a 'low class' genre. It is a genre largely composed by the upper middle class and listened to by the upper middle class, and pretension abounds in the upper middle class generally.

If it has become upper middle class it certainly didn't start that way. I always see it as lower middle class if not lower class, based solely on anecdotal evidence of who I've hung out with. Obviously deathcore is being sold to the suburbs but everyone I know who listens to death metal or thrash metal are working 40 hours a week struggling through school, if not smoking meth or wasting their lives toking it up.

Yes, I know it didn't start that way. And this was probably myopia on my part: I can not generalize black metal for everything in metal. You are most likely right about death and thrash.

Further more: I have no idea about black metal listening habits either, anecdotes suggest all types. What I do know is black metal is generally made by people coming from money. Anyroad, I am going to exit the thread before dead1 starts talking about Pantera.

Really? Given the number of black metal musicians working second jobs and not being able to tour due to that fact would suggest otherwise to me. I'll stop badgering now.

In Norway. In Norway. American black metal is a whole different animal.

Yeah, because WITTR is loaded living on their subsistence farm. I can't imagine Xasthur or Leviathan being well off. How do you know what American black metal musicians make?

Actually I just watched an interview with Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir and he didn't quit his day job until PEM came out.

anyways, american black metal generally sucks.

I love metal and I don't care how rich/poor someone is as long as they're cool/not a druggie.

I also love playing metal on the drums.

Norwegian Black metallers were/are a bunch of rich kids. Have you read Lords of Chaos or looked at the multitude of documentaries about that scene? I yield to your knowledge on American black metal.

You should become a lawyer.

I didn't know they were a bunch of rich kids. But now that I think about it, it sounds kinda true for what I heard about Euronymous. This is making me giggle.

Most of the local crowd was very much lower middle class - parents were "tradies" e.g. plumbers, electricians etc. All of these have been upgraded to upper middle class in terms of income in Australia on account of the property boom which has only now subsided.

One interesting thing is that most of the metallers I knew were poorer than their parents and very reliant on their parents in some instances (despite being 30+ somethings).

Dunno about the young uns - i.e. the <25 crowd.

By the way I fit into your group - I'm upper middle class these days but used to be very low class. I grew up in the worst suburbs surrounded by the worst people. Shit changes though.

But I'd prefer drunken yobo Pantera to anally retentive Dream Theatre. Must be the lower class slob in me.

I read an interview once that made it sound like Malefic was not rich, but not poor.

And as far as I know, Wrest was fairly successful/well known as a tattoo artist until his arrest.

You've read Lords of Chaos? Was it at all accurate or a bunch of shit?

imo the fuck it/tough guy metal attitude is obnxious and/or dishonest.

Won't argue on the obnoxious part, but dishonest, I'm not so sure.

And irl I hardly fill the role for the "metal guy" thing. Besides my long hair and occasional band shirt, I'm pretty laid back and goofy.

A lot of shit. But fascinating background also.