I get this every time - "what the hell are you listening to?" from my friends and relatives (my mom has given up partly because she's got used to my brother's similar taste at home).
For the ones who don't know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about metal - the scourge of every parent and every "level headed" individual on the planet. That's what the impression is.
So lemme start off by clearing a few misconceptions about this very misunderstood form of entertainment and the people who listen to it.
Myth 1 - Metal is not melodic
Agreed that most of the people who haven't listened to it can't fathom where the melody lies but I get into a fit of rage when someone says it's not melodic!! The majority of the genres under metal are melodic in nature - heavy metal, power metal, metalcore, symphonic metal, melodic death metal.. HELLO!!! get the word "melodic". Classic heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest are pioneers as far as twin guitar melodies are concerned. These two bands must have inspired countless metal bands of any genre to pick up the guitar. You can still hear traces of iron maiden and priest in many of the bands. If you listen closely metal bands have an expansive sound i.e. it reaches out, it reverberates in a concert. Try listening to the first intro of "hallowed be thy name" or the part just after the guitar solo. Aptly put, in the documentary "Metal: A Headbangers Journey" a interviewee said if Beethoven had been born in the present era he would have been a rock musician. The techniques of classical music are used by the rock and metal maestros to "reach out" to people. You just don't hear it, you feel it in your bones.
Myth 2 - Its a lousy form of entertainment
This is a good one. Its not entertainment. Its noise. Alright, tell me what entertainment mean? something which is supposed to make you feel good. right? It does its job magnificently. Thank you.
Myth 3 - Its not relaxing
Absolutely true. Who in the world said that music is for relaxation only. Metal thrives on adrenaline and aggro. If it doesn't fit into someone's taste, then its not meant for them. You're better off listening to bollywood or bryan adams i guess.
Myth 4 - What instruments are they playing?
Oh yeah, this is a tough one. For starters, one needs to get familiar with the distortion effect that metal uses. When you listen, you realize its not the same as U2's chiink chiink chink and some bollywood's songs like rock on's "socha tha" which are more candy rock oriented. Here we are talking about some serious distortion, amazing solos, rhythm sections, bass guitars and don't forget the drums. Well i guess only a relatively experienced listener can separate everything and thats the magic. All instruments come together to form one structure which can only be dissected if you're upto it. Lesson learnt - go and start listening to some metal please
Myth 5 - Metal fans are wild, crazy and fools
Hmm... consider me. metal addict, well-mannered, quiet, discliped, religious, consulting job. I don't really fit the stereotype. Do I? Now metal fans are down to the core loyal to the genre. We will freak out again and again after listening to "hallowed be thy name" or turn our eyes upward when listening to "raining blood". You won't hear any metal fan saying these things - "you know what, I'm listening to iron maiden at the moment", "i think i'm gonna dig on slayer a bit"!!! get the point? We live and breathe metal. Metal is a friend that is gonna stick with you for the rest of your life. Its straight, its brutal, its infectious and its honest. Its not oodles of happy shit gift-wrapped in colourful packaging. Its as it is. Its the facts of our life and society and not only the happy and uncontroversial side. Its hits your life chord. So no matter who you are or what you do it sticks. It was my solace in my darkest times. It was there when I needed it most. Well if anyone can can't understand us then so be it.
Alright guys, if you're not a metal maniac then obviously you have miles to go before you wake up! Bruce Dickinson said in the documentary "Metal: A Headbangers Journey" and this is an amazing statement - "Out of a 30,000 crowd if you're able to connect to a person in the last row and ask him "hey you" and he says "who me?", "YES YOU". That is what is all about.
But I think inspite of all my optimism, metal and its fans will remain as outcastes. Metal talks about the things that we are afraid to discuss, relate or accept. It is not about the well-behaved but sly society. It is about you, you and only you. By its nature it will not appeal to the masses and you know what we fans like it that way.
And for all the guys who still believe in the myths, "god bless you".
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