Metal Reviews

So I'm almost positive there are posters with kids, right? If so do you try to push listening to metal on them? For example, buying Iron Maiden onesies or putting them to bed with some Limbonic Art? Do you prevent them from listening to Carcass or Cannibal Corpse like parents normally protect their children from watching graphically violent television?

I don't have kids, but I don't think I'd stop them listening to metal. Every child needs a dark streak. Cannibal Corpse is probably less harrowing for a kid than Roald Dahl's The Witches.

Convince them that metal is the way to go! Beat them if they are not convinced.

I got two children (6 & 3). I listen to metal while I'm with them, but not forcing them to listen to metal or something similar. But I sing them Iron Maiden songs or traditional songs singing with harsh vocals to send them to sleep.

I've introduced my younger siblings to metal, to varying levels of success. Don't really want children, but it seems a bit perverse to push Cannibal Corpse on them at too young an age.

I plan on playing Power Metal for my kids when I have them someday. Most Helloween tracks sound like they could be children's songs as it is, so...

It's a bit perverse pushing anything on impressionable people though, ja?

Except maybe, look left and right before crossing the street, stay in school and such jazz.

Well, up to a point obviously, but I meant more with the gory cover artwork and that.

Well, we always push things on children anyway, inadvertantly. If you have Radio 4 on in the background you could say you were pushing Radio 4 on them, and if you have a Picasso print on your wall, you could be pushing Picasso on them.

Children should be kept in a cave until they're 18.
But then, isn't it pushing them towards darkness and rock formations?

Oh yeah, if I ever have kids they'll have my music pushed on them in that sense.

As long as you're not going "hey jr., can you say 'entrails ripped through a virgin's c###'?" then I don't see any problems with them and metal.

Oh, certainly. I don't see anything wrong with letting them listen to Cannibal Corpse (I'd try and mix it up with classical and jazz too, of course) but trying to explain the lyrics and artwork wouldn't be much use even if it didn't freak them out.

I have three kids. 21, 17, and 9. All have been raised on metal. My older children not only listened to it but because of it began playing guitar, drums, piano, and my 17 year old daughter sings as well. My 9 year old son could tell you who Iron Maiden's 'Eddie' was at the age of three. The older two began going to concerts around the age of 10. They've gone to acts ranging from Ozzfest to the Back Street Boys.

My older son (21) about midway into his teens found black and death metal. He loves Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, and older Cradle of Filth. My daughter never went as far but found herself gravitating toward bands like Killswitch Engage while still listening to everything from Iron Maiden to Evanescence. As of today, my nine year old makes sure that we never leave the house without my iPod because he must listen to Rob Zombie in the car.

There are dark and violent things in the world that we all experience sooner or later. If you know your children then you have a good grasp as to what they can handle and at what age they could be exposed to it. I've never painted the picture that the world is DisneyLand to my kids. I say a good dose of metal is fine. However, this holiday season I am guarding them from Rob Halford's Christmas/Holiday album.

I sacrifice goats and children to the metal gods.

I don't want to see 8 year olds listening to black metal though.

My 19 month old daughter used to like listening to Bruce Dickinson's Orchestra version of Tears Of The Dragon. It was her lullaby. Been a while since I've played that for her. She doesn't like metal though. She has her own share of favourite Hindi songs. I'm ok as long as she appreciates music irrespective of the genre.

I'm sure my wife will protest whenever she finds out I've been listening to metal around my kids... I could be wrong though. Btw, I don't have kids yet.

I will force my kids to listen to metal at some point though.