Spring Break
MADE OF METAL: Metal needs a new kind of hate
by Daniel D. Snyder
Associate Editor
Music | 10/2/07
Posted online at 9:56 PM EST on 10/1/07
/ Last updated at 7:59 PM EST on 10/1/07
Ask an angry Metalhead what makes him the most angry, and likely he'll tell you that it's a non-Metalhead describing our beloved music as "BLAAARGH!!! RAAAAHG!!! I HATE MY PARENTS!!! I'LL NEVER BE PRETTY!!! KILL! KILL! KILL!" Though it's a generalized depiction, it's a description I've heard many times. ("Sick death s-" is also a popular response.) Hearing people talk about Metal like that inspires a rage in me that I haven't felt since Angelina Jolie starred in A Mighty Heart (GET OVER YOURSELF!!!!) Just once, it would be nice to hear something like, "Oh, it's not really something I'm into, but it sounds very passionate and intelligent."
Metal is not for everyone. I know that. Some people will never get over the extreme vocal styles or the speedy tempos (although there exists excellent Metal devoid of either of these elements). What gets me is when I see people who can accept all these things, but are still turned off by what they perceive to be a message of blind hate. Don't call me a sellout just yet, though. Metal should be pissed and hateful, just not without an appropriate target and an intelligent argument. Fervent anti-Christian messages and hokey Satanism have, at least in recent years, probably turned away more potential Metalheads than they've converted. If we are to pull Metal out of the gutters of people's minds and keep it relevant, we have to steer it away from these themes.
Though most bands try to adopt unique and stimulating lyrical and visual themes, it's the odd incidents and exceptions that continue to sully our good image. Take for example, the March 2007 incident involving the Norwegian Black Metal act Taake. At a concert in Essen, Germany, their frontman, Hoest, who was already in trouble for exposing himself at a concert in 2005 (His balls burst through one of the many holes in his jeans-smooth) took the stage with a large swastika painted on his chest (smoother). Long story short; people were peeved. The rest of the tour was cancelled, the band's fans condemned and abandoned them, and their record label threatened to drop Taake from its roster. Now, for argument's sake, a person could claim that Metal is about rebellion, and the band was simply expressing an opposing viewpoint. I would call that person a mental invalid. The band got what it deserved. Hoest pulled a tastelessly offensive stunt with no real intent or message behind it and damaged Metal's already fragile image in the eyes of the public. Screw them.
Metal is not for everyone. I know that. Some people will never get over the extreme vocal styles or the speedy tempos (although there exists excellent Metal devoid of either of these elements). What gets me is when I see people who can accept all these things, but are still turned off by what they perceive to be a message of blind hate. Don't call me a sellout just yet, though. Metal should be pissed and hateful, just not without an appropriate target and an intelligent argument. Fervent anti-Christian messages and hokey Satanism have, at least in recent years, probably turned away more potential Metalheads than they've converted. If we are to pull Metal out of the gutters of people's minds and keep it relevant, we have to steer it away from these themes.
Though most bands try to adopt unique and stimulating lyrical and visual themes, it's the odd incidents and exceptions that continue to sully our good image. Take for example, the March 2007 incident involving the Norwegian Black Metal act Taake. At a concert in Essen, Germany, their frontman, Hoest, who was already in trouble for exposing himself at a concert in 2005 (His balls burst through one of the many holes in his jeans-smooth) took the stage with a large swastika painted on his chest (smoother). Long story short; people were peeved. The rest of the tour was cancelled, the band's fans condemned and abandoned them, and their record label threatened to drop Taake from its roster. Now, for argument's sake, a person could claim that Metal is about rebellion, and the band was simply expressing an opposing viewpoint. I would call that person a mental invalid. The band got what it deserved. Hoest pulled a tastelessly offensive stunt with no real intent or message behind it and damaged Metal's already fragile image in the eyes of the public. Screw them.
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