Metal Reviews

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I've often wonderd how many metal heads really are genuinely individualistic. I think going to a metal show, and then hanging out and having beers with your fellow metal heads hasn't got much to do with individuality at all. Fair enough the music/clothes etc. separates you from the crowd, conventional norms etc, and to an extent the symbol of metal is the devil (in the sense: the eternal rebel). But this alone doesn't say much about you, in a sense the metal head is as much a conformist as anyone, he just limits himself to conforming to the accepted norms of one particular sub culture. Being individual is in the heart and must not have anything to do with the sub culture you find yourself drawn to.

This wasn't really a respons to the editorial, just some random thoughts of mine about metal and it's supposed inherent individualism.

I'll stick to my point that most metalheads are followers as well. Good ed Ben!

This was great and extremely enlightening. I love these editorials.

I only hope I'll be able to come with some myself, as I joined the school newspaper and a certain amount of writing is required...

I've never understood how metalheads are different from normal people. I mean dressing and acting according to a style is what a lot of people do. Also I think metal listeners are just as divided between shy/outspoken/accepting/elitist/whatever type personalities as any other group.

Fucking awesome editorial. I wanna listen to some goddam Maiden or something now.

Good ed Ben, i agree with the sense of power that metal can give you, no other music can do this, but like noodles said metalheads are no different than other people, or perhaps we are different but everybody else is also different, the only thing that bind us is the love for a music style that most people consider primitive, tasteless or just pure noise.

About metalheads being smarter, that i dont agree, ive met a lot of idiots in this subculture.

Good editorial. I kind of agree with the thought that metalheads are individuals because we don't just accept what's on the radio. I don't know about other countries, but in the U.S. almost everybody just listens to what's on the radio. I know of maybe five metalheads in a 1500+ student high school. Kind of beside the subject, but it's just really weird to go to a mall and know that you're probably one of two or three people there that listen to metal (excluding metalcore, etc.).

But, I don't know--I think of being an indivual as questioning things and not just taking things as they're given, not necessarily not following what everyone does. And that doesn't really have much to do with metal.

Metalheads follow trends just like everyone else.

The main gist of the editorial was me trying to convey how heavy metal has actually helped define me as a person. It has done so in the sense that when I was younger I was used to being the "odd one out" due to my appearance and the way I acted and that helped me gain confidence in myself and the ability to think as an individual. Instead of coming home and wondering why I wasnt like everyone else and thinking how I could "fit in better" I celebrated my differences .. with some Iron Maiden. When I was importing cds at the lovely age of 13 through the mail instead of blowing money on beer with friends I would stay at home and listen to the new cd I got in the mail from Europe instead of getting plastered.

I stressed the fact that I wear band shirts not to look "cool" but because music is a huge part of my life and I truly really am a fan of the bands that I decide to wear. I dont wear them to be like "I'm a hard ass cos I have skulls and dead people" (which by the way I have very few shirts of this nature. I prefer a good form fitting shirt with a good looking design and logo as opposed to slogans and other such things on the back) but more to say that "I listen to these bands and I enjoy them very much."

The story about the cockblock on my friend wasnt supposed to about how I'm a pimp cos I'm metal, it was to point out that because I am self confident in what I do and how I do it females and other people take notice. Trust me man, chicks are tired of the popped collar douches. The ones that matter anyway. And what I was conveying is that much of that confidence in my being was augmented by my fervent listening of metal.

I feel that when talking in generalities, to some extent we will be expressing inaccuracies. I will agree with some of the above posters in that it is difficult to talk about 'metalheads' as a whole because most likely they are a group of people varied through all the extremes of characteristics, just like people in other subcatergories. There is no "true" perfect, ideal metalhead out there, exemplifying metalness to an absolute degree out there. Is it fair to say that metalheads are more individual people than most? or more true to their nature? or more rebellious? or smarter?

Who can say with certainty. People are entitled to their opinions, however, and I will admit that metalheads SEEM to share certain characteristics, but how pervasive these similarities are within the category of metalheads is hard to say.

What I will say about this article, however, is that it really resonated with me. I personally do love metal music, I find that it just lifts me and carries me through life -- ups and downs. After a long day at school, a reason-defying Cryptopsy song can really hit the spot.

You'll never find that on the mainstream-radio, no, you gotta seek this stuff out. The fact that I've done that, and found shit that I just LOVE, makes me proud. I feel individual and intelligent doing shit like that, motherfucker.

Three things:

1. How the hell were you importing CDs at 13? I was poor until 20!
2. You shoudn't have been drinking beer at 13 anyway!
3. Pimpin' ain't easy.

Haha, I did alot of work. The usual stuff doing move ins and stuff for alot of friends and family, the little bit I got from chores and all that. I wasnt getting a ton of cds, hardly at all. I'd be able to afford like 1 "in store" (Metallica, Iron Maiden) album a month along with two imports. Or four regular cds a month. But I always found stuff to import and really discovered alot of gems that way.

I write a lot, poetry, lyrics, free verse, etc., and I've been doing so since I was about 14. One notebook has my CD collection at the time written in it. I had 62 CDs at 17 years old. I now have 5,467!

I didn't truly start collecting until after 1995 when I joined the Air Force and connected with the computer and was able to find all kinds of stuff! I always went to the used bins before that, but my Boston Market check wasn't buying me shit!

I can only imagine how much I'd own if I'd started at 13 years old!

Oh man. I feel the ansgt. When you become a parent it somewhat becomes different .

I'm with this.


And this.

I'm different to most people I know, and that includes metalheads.

I'll agree that music is an important part of my personality, but to call myself a metalhead is far too exclusive. I like all kinds of music, classic rock, prog, some punk and new wave (late 70's/early 80's) and various types of hard rock/metal. The point is why do you like the music, because it's what's "in" or is it because it resonates with you in a personal way? Will you still play it 20 plus years from now? Something tells me all the white boy rappers in the burbs won't be pulling out their Tupac cd's when they are in their late 40's like I do with my Beatles, Zepplin, Alice Cooper, Sabbath etc that I listened to when I was much younger.

I guess the main thing about what you'd generally call a "heavy metal attitude" is being a man. And by that I mean just being yourself and standing up for what you believe in. It has nothing to do with wearing certain clothes or looking a certain way. Hell I'm a 25 year old doctor, I cut my hair short ages ago, I mostly wear "proper" clothes at work out of respect to my patients, but I'm still getting that Manowar tattoo on my shoulder next week and I still arrived at the hospital this morning blasting the new Attacker cd from my car, while at the same time constantly writing cd's for my colleagues who I turned into absolute Scorpions and Whitesnake fans

Also, by being yourself you might not make a good first impression, since us "metalheads" are rarely what you'd call "politically correct" in our conversations, but in the long run you deffinetely gain the respect of everyone around you, because -like Ben said- what you see is what you get, no backstabbing, no alterior motives, just a person who has his act together and knows what he wants.

And a last thing about the thinking factor,. It's true that metal, because of it's lyrics, urges you to pick up an epic fantasy novel and read, watch the news to see what all the politics related lyrics are about etc etc. Deffinetely makes you a wiser and more mature individual.

Oh and about the ladies, I wouldn't know, I'm a doctor, I get plenty of action

I don't know Ken, you don't. I don't think I do either. I don't hang out with other metal heads, I don't date metal girls, I don't dress like a metal head most of the time (except my fave shirt of all time is my Cryptopsy "the pain cometh" I even got my Mom one cos she loved the saying so much...lol). the only metal band guy I ever talked to before was Ben Falgoust from Soilent Green and Heather from Tapping the Vein because they both rule.

I like what I like and i don't give a shit what anyone thinks. Unlike certain individuals who denounce bands because of what they see in Hot Topic that isn't me.

Maybe I am not a "TRVE" metal head but fuck, I have listined to it since 83 so I guess that counts.