On a quiet Friday night in suburbia back in 2000, I witnessed Iron Maiden performing 'The Wickerman' on BBC's Top of the Pops. As an unsuspecting child of 13 years, I remember being enthralled by the drama, theatrics and sheer energy of the music and performance, and was left with something of an open jaw. I have since watched that same performance back, and realised it was clearly lip-synced, but that doesn't even matter. From that fateful day, the seed had planted.
Throughout the tumultuous years of adolescence, the seed gradually manifested itself. Though my first love was punk rock, I slowly but surely graduated into a full-on metal fanatic by age 15, which is the age me and some friends formed Obsolete, our first metal band. We had a blast. The only thing more powerful than listening to the bone-crushing energy of metal was performing it yourself, and nothing beat the thrill of blasting out a wall of distorted noise in countless dingy venues we weren't even old enough to be in.
Metal spoke to me on a deep level. The lyrics, the attitude, the overall vibe. It centered me. While I was heavily into this musical world, I still pursued my love of all music, whether it was Rancid, Weezer, Jeff Buckley or Tom Waits, but metal was an integral part of my life. As visceral as the genre is, there is naturally going to come a day when the music just doesn't have quite the same effect. Once you've heard a thousand half-time breakdowns and wailing guitar solos, the base elements of the genre can often lose some of the bone-crushing impact they had on your once young and impressionable mind.
However, this is not to say that metal is exclusively a young man's game. Far from it. It's just that as you get older (I'm only 23, for the record), you generally become more centred, and it takes a little more to get into that frame of mind. Of course, it doesn't help when you outgrow a lot of the more musically straightforward stuff you used to listen to. As with any genre though, the more you dig, the more gems you will eventually find. In recent years, the more progressive metal acts such as Mastodon, Gojira, Isis, Pelican and Opeth have been pushing the constraints of the genre to its very limits, and in my opinion these acts often showcase music at its most electrifying and dynamically brilliant.
However, there are some critics who just point blank refuse to take metal seriously, and all but recoil at the very mention of the word. This is presumably because the first image that pops into their head upon broaching the subject is probably some combination of spandex jumpsuits, 10-inch spike bracelets and lyrics about dragons, swords and pillaging. On a certain level, it's understandable why metal isn't taken as seriously as most other genres in existence. The sheer ridiculousness of all this stereotypical imagery is hard for even the most hardened metaller to deny. Thankfully there are those who play up to the inherent absurdity of the genre, and have a damn good time in the process, such as mock-rock heroes Zimmer's Hole, and fellow Canadian Devin Townsend, the latter creating 2007's 'Ziltoid the Omniscient' - a concept album about an evil alien overlord waging war on planet Earth in search of the ultimate cup of coffee. However, there are those to whom irony is simply an alien concept, and these people must be stopped for the good of mankind. Take this bunch of characters, for example:
This, my friends, is Manowar. The self-proclaimed 'Kings of Metal' who make Spinal Tap look like Pink Floyd. Aside from proudly sporting the stupidest outfits in the history of the modern world, they also have in their arsenal some of the worst lyrics ever written. Okay, base point - they're hilarious. Just look at them. The problem is, a worrying amount of people don't seem to get the joke, Manowar themselves included. Believe it or not, an average Manowar crowd consists of thousands of people - particularly in Europe. How exactly this has come to be, I'm still not sure. However, on a purely statistical level, this means that there must be a sizeable percentage of their audience who see them as something more than a hugely overblown joke, and hold them in the same regard with which a more sane, rational human being might view the works of Picasso. This is partly what stops metal getting the recognition it deserves - metal fans are often viewed as uncultured cretins without a trace of humour. Not so. Metal on the whole is an extremely valid form of music, but it often needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, or in some cases a good few heaps.
Thankfully, the denim and leather contingent of the genre is largely a thing of the past, save for a few throwback acts. A musical style's imagery should not dictate how it's viewed artistically, but we live in a shallow world with a short attention span, and it's just unfair - but somewhat inevitable - that the general opinion of the genre has not evolved as the music itself has.
However, all this is immaterial when compared to the genre's real problem - metalheads. Firstly, please note that this word does not hold the same meaning as 'metal fan'. There are plenty of agreeable rational people who have a healthy outlook on life, and just happen to enjoy the odd crushing riff or two. No, I'm talking about metalheads. These curious creatures have done far more to discredit metal as a valid art form than a thousand Judas Priest concerts ever could. Being in a metal band for many years, I came across countless metal fans, most of whom were among the nicest people I have ever met, and are still my friends today. However, the fact still remains that at least 90% of the metalheads have been arrogant, elitist and often infuriatingly closed-minded, due to a stubborn and misguided understanding of what there beloved genre is all about. These are people for whom it seems boneheaded arrogance, thuggery and a general caveman mentality are all personal goals who aspire to. Basically, they are these people.
These idiots can be spotted (and avoided) a mile off, thanks to their standard-issue uniform - black band t-shirt, combat pants/shorts and work boots. Hey, if they're really original, maybe a pair of Converse. Maybe they'll even throw in a wallet chain or two. Of course, conformity of this level exists in nearly every musical niche, but the fact that a lot of this crowd consider themselves staunch anti-conformists makes the whole charade even more laughable.
Perhaps most questionable of all is the professed notion that the metal scene is some kind of fraternity - a close-knit community where the initiated look out for each other, all for one and one for all. Let me get this straight - there's no brotherhood here. There is no sense of kinship within the metal scene, merely a sense of where they are placed on the hierarchy. It's a sad fact that this obsession with status and elitism often seems more of a concern to those involved than the music itself.
There are even those who claim to listen to nothing but metal. I'm not even going to entertain the idea that this is a valid argument. Generally, the justification for this statement is something along the lines of 'Metal has the best musicians by far". Even if this were proved to be objectively true, it still would hold no relevance. Sub-par musicianship does not necessarily equate to sub-par music. Look at 70's punk or grunge, for example. It's not the case that they only like one genre. I refuse to believe that's even possible - it's like saying that you only have one mood, ever. You wouldn't act this way with any other form of art. Imagine someone you knew coming out with "I only ever watch rom-coms" or "I only look at impressionist paintings". They're just scared to be seen liking anything else, for fear of persecution from their high temple of elitism. God forbid, one of these other geniuses may think less of them. Hell, most of these people probably aren't even into music at all; more the politics of domination and submission. This mentality might be understandable at age 13, but these are fully grown men we're talking about. There are people I know of who are now in their mid-twenties and still are adhering to this laughable ethos.
Don't get me wrong - around the age of 17, I wore nothing but Pantera shirts, and by and large was an arrogant prick. However, that was because at the time I was an arrogant prick, and not because it was dictated by my favourite genre of music that I should be. Like the majority of teenagers, I just had a lot of 'issues' I didn't have a clue how to resolve, which often had a knock-on effect on my behaviour. I'm not for a second denying that my attraction to the genre was spurred on by this mindset, but the former did not dictate the latter, and it shouldn't. In emotional terms, metal is generally an expression of anger or frustration, and is a form of catharsis for both the performers and their audience. Both of the above are valid emotions, but within that lies the danger of being seen to glorify negative thought, and in turn, a negative attitude towards the world. For the most part, this is far from what's intended. A good example of this is Pantera's 'Rise', taken from their classic album 'Vulgar Display of Power' (1992).
This album is considered by many to be one of the best and most groundbreaking metal albums of the 90s, if not all time. As for this track in particular - yes, the drums are thunderously fast, the guitars drenched in distortion, and the vocals screamed at the top of Phil Anselmo's hardened lungs. However, the lyrics are anything but negative, and preach loud and clear about the value of taking positive action.
It is hardly surprising that 97% of the genre's fanbase consists of white males between the ages of 15-35. Metal's overall message concerns the journey into manhood - It's about energy, passion, learning important life lessons and above all, self-respect and awareness. Yet it can be misinterpreted by the few as a celebration of pointless aggression and general idiocy. All this is just sad when reminded that metal acts have produced some of the most visceral, staggering and life-changing records in musical history. Despite all my criticisms of the scene, I still love the music, and would encourage anyone to explore it further. While it may seem more trouble than it's worth, if you dig through all the debris, it can be seriously rewarding. Metal at its best is an artistic force to be reckoned with, and an inspiring and challenging experience for any music fan.
Those of you with Spotify can check out my metal conversion playlist here. Enjoy!
Alex
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