thrashinbiker

Responded to your survey - hope you get this off the ground!

12 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

My son is 11, likes junk food, and has farts that can destroy a room like nobody's business, so I'm good.

If I were to have had kids, that sort of thing would make me immensely proud.  

I remember I had some horrendously bad smelling farts when I was that age, too.  It sticks in my mind because I had just started high school.  Sadly the wooden chairs we were forced to sit on were not conducive to doing subtle/silent farts so I was often sent out of classes due to - as one teacher put it to my parents - "constantly noxious smells that distract the entire class".

Nowadays I think it's mostly due to beer consumption, medication and acid reflux.  Also, they linger.  And I do mean LINGER.  As in 30 minutes can pass, you can walk into a room that I've previously tooted in and still smell the remnants quite strongly.  

15 minutes ago, AlSymerz said:

If only we had high speed sniff-a-net you could share with everyone!

 

Not sure I could handle all those deaths on my conscience, but hey, I would secure my place in MF history... even if there isn't anyone left to appreciate it  

21 minutes ago, AlSymerz said:

I'm too old to understand what hashtags are 😜

In all honesty, I only ever used one once and felt kind of dirty and ashamed afterwards, so I have never dipped my toe in those particular waters ever again.

Now, now.  Don't force me to do a hashtag "be kind" in my own introductory thread... 😮 😮 

I'm drinking San Mig and listening to Slayer.  Pretty much my average Sunday evening, though as I am only one pint in, the farts haven't started yet.  Guarantee this room will stink like a bag of dry roasted peanuts and rotten cabbage by 22:30.

I actually quite liked it, it was chunky and conveyed a sense of despair and disaffection.

On the other side, I did find the da-da-da-da in the verses repetitive, though like I say, I still enjoyed it.  One thing I didn't like was the higher-pitched lyric juxtaposed with the growl.  No offence, but it grated a bit.  Perhaps use it to accentuate certain words/phrases of the song, but all the way through I found a bit hard to take. 

Like I said, though, I did enjoy it, so please don't take any comments to heart, I am certainly no musician and definitely no musical genius!

12 minutes ago, MacabreEternal said:

So, I am 47 and shave my hair short as I am going bald anyway (hairline recedes faster than my bank balance).  I also live in Merseyside although I am a) not a scouser and b) not called Phil and c) drive an Astra so I am not you I can confirm.  

Don’t be fooled by all those lot who have posted here before me.  They are all dicks I can confirm.

To be fair if I start balding I will have clippers out and shave my head in an instant.  I know I shouldn't judge but the whole bald head thing with a ponytail/long hair at the back/sides thing just doesn't look great in my opinion.  

An Astra?  Are they any good?  I have never driven one.  Despite me not holding a car licence I have driven a fair few cars (on private land, of course) as a friend of mine is a mechanic and heavily into cars - he buys them when they're pretty much fooked and restores them, so it's always fun to rag them a bit, though of course, bikes are my true passion.  

13 minutes ago, AlSymerz said:

Yeah but we don't drive Astra's

Love-Fifteen! MacabreEternal to serve 😮 

I have to say I have found this topic really interesting to read and have devoured it all in several sittings  I hope no one minds me giving my opinion on a rather old thread, by the way.

If you look at a lot of the theories that have been put forward across the years about metal (some fair, some ridiculous) it is invariably true that the majority of metal fans are white, working-class men.  Of course, that's only the majority, but to go deeper than that I think you have to look at the representation of metal (and its followers) in society.  

Metal is undoubtedly aggressive in its approach to pretty much everything.  It spews forth anger and venom and an aggressive attitude to everything from sex to dismemberment and anything else in between.  Perhaps these subjects are just more appealing to men than to women, though the in metal-playing pubs and clubs I have frequented, I definitely noticed more female metalheads as we ended the 1990's and headed into 2000 and beyond.

I think someone on a previous comment summed it up when they said it's probably the only place men can show some aggression, beat their chests, grunt and just unleash the part of themselves that is largely forbidden in today's rather bland, gender-blurring society, where we have it drummed into us that even an opinion that slightly differs from the norm (and I am not talking extremes, here) are, at best, frowned upon and, at worst, can bring about some serious trouble.  

For me, as an introvert, I absolutely love getting into the crowd and just being loud, brash and part of a filthy, braying mob - and if it comprises men and women then so much the better.  It doesn't mean I AM that person, all of the time, just that there is a part of me that wants and needs to cut loose and allow that primal energy an outlet.  It's always given me great satisfaction that despite that aggressiveness and the desire for carnage, the brothers and sisters I have been in the pit with show great care and affection for their fellows - someone goes down, you help them up and carry on.  Those days when I got out of the pit with blood streaming from my nose, loose teeth, sore ribs and bruises on top of my bruises are some of the fondest memories I have.  

To answer the question of male chauvinism, as a man I am not best placed to answer how prevalent it is in the metal word, but the people I hung around with were certainly welcoming to female metalheads.  I think a mix of men and women add a balance to any group of people, but I always loved chatting to a mix of men and women when taking a break from the pit and grabbing a drink.  Male chauvinism has no place anywhere and I would be especially saddened to hear it was a problem in what I have always thought of as our community.  

Have a great day

Wow, thanks for the warm welcome everyone.  I'll try to answer your comments/questions in one post rather than confusing myself by trying to reply individually, if that's cool 

13 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Cheers man, welcome to the forum. I am 44 and still rock the long hair as well. I've cut it all off in the past, but at some point I realized I feel more like myself with my hair grown out. Maybe that's dumb but it's still true. No motorcycle though, I think I'd be dead by now.

It's not dumb at all and at the risk of sounding hippiefied, I think I've long since learned that doing what makes you happy and what makes you feel good about yourself is invaluable.  I started growing my hair in the eighties and since it got long (I have it trimmed occasionally) it's always been that way and unless I start losing it, I am disinclined to have short hair.  Plus, my hair is really, really curly so when it's short it looks hideous!

11 hours ago, Thatguy said:

I had long hair once upon a time, but I got my first buzz cut back in the I think 1979 when the band I was playing in had a 6 week residency in Cairns- tropical heat etc plus it was kind of punk - I subsequently went bleached blonde for a bit.

Since then it's been either too long or too short but back to the buzz cut for the last 12 years or so and that's the way it will stay. I have plenty of growth still so I could go long, but it's a bit of a sad look on the older bloke unless you've been that way all you life.

Never rode a bike. Not a temporary Australian.

As I said above, whatever makes you happy dude.  I can imagine in the heat long hair must be a royal pain.  Of course, in pommieland we only get half a day of sunshine a year, so it's never been an issue

 

11 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Hello long-haired old bastard Phil from the UK. Are you by chance from "oop north?" .... Like FA it's probably good that I've never bought a motorcycle, I'd undoubtedly hurt myself. I know people who ride though, what do you ride?

Yes, I am a Scouser, go ahead with the jokes, you might have one I haven't heard before, haha.  And yeah, I think I would miss my hair if I had to cut it off, but to me, the essence of metal isn't about hair, or clothing, or even attitude as such.  It's just about what the music does to you and for you.  The only time I get slightly annoyed by metalheads is when they get hung up on image and the old "you're not a real metalhead unless..." argument.  

What really opened my eyes to metal when I first listened to Slayer, Metallica and many others was the pure, untransubstantiated emotion, the aggression and the ability to just release the tension that daily life throws at you, be it at school, work or home.  It's something I am really glad I never lost the affection for.  

Currently riding a Bandit 1200, on a long term loan from a mate.  I sold my Yamaha FJ1200 when I did my back in some years ago.  I've always had back issues but stop riding?  Fuck that!  Getting some tunes on and going for a ride makes absolutely any day bearable.  And I doubt any of you guys would hurt yourselves.  You soon learn to have eyes everywhere and it's the best feeling in the world, though I accept it's not for everyone.

9 hours ago, AlSymerz said:

I got my hair cut when I was spending more time fixing trucks than I was driving them.... Currently I haven't had a hair cut since 2018 though. I'd rather look like an old hippy than a testicle.

We've got a four wheeled bike here on the farm but I've never owned a two wheeler and never really had any inclination to ride on the road or for any sort of distance. If I got a bike now it would just look like a late life crisis given that a few of my mates had their mid life crisis and bought Harley's about 15 years ago.

I think the last time I had a trim was 2019 so about the same.  Yeah Harley's do kind of scream mid-life crisis, but you're never too old to learn.  I know a few guys who didn't start riding until in their 50's, once their kids had grown up and they just wanted something a bit adventurous.  Like I said, it's not for everyone so I would never say "you should do it..." but I enjoy it immensely.

4 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

I guess I’m unfashionably late to the welcome wagon, unfortunately, I can’t exactly rock the long hair, and for some reason, the Australian government won’t let me drive a car, much less a motorbike, who saw that coming? Not this (almost) blind guy…

I'm sorry to learn that your sight isn't great, Relentless.  I won't insult you with platitudes or anything, since I know it's something no one can understand unless they experience it for themselves, however, I hope you still derive great enjoyment from the music, my friend

4 hours ago, AdamGavriely said:

About a month ago I had the most awful day when I was pretty dissatisfied with how my hair looked (it wasn't super long, kinda came down to my shoulders)....

I know life is long but it still sucks, even for that one extra year I now gotta spend till my hair grows back. I guess I just didn't appreciate it enough. Don't take these things for granted, guys!

Anyway, it was nice to unload some emotions here. Cheers!

Ah that's a bugger, but at least you are growing it back so it's only temporary.  Also, unload emotion all you want, that's what being part of a community is all about.  Just enjoy the music and you will find your hair grows back soon enough.  Like I said earlier in my post, it's not the hair or the clothes that make you a metal head, it's the tunes.  You'll get to a stage where you are happy with your hair and never look back.

Thanks again for the welcome, everyone.  Look forward to chatting again soon!

Good to be here, my fellow metal heads - hello, my name is Phil and I am from the UK. 

Bit of an old bastard here - 45 years old - but a metal head since the late 1980s when I first discovered Metallica and Slayer.   The rest, as they say, is history

I still have the long hair (fortunately not bald yet) and live and die in my black jeans and leather jacket, so I suppose you could say I am a bit of a cliche, but hey, I love metal so it doesn't matter, right?  

I'm also a biker (don't drive a car) and enjoy nothing more than grabbing those bars, putting on some Slayer and riding the fuck out of my machine whenever I can.  I'm a bit anti-social so don't mix with people much but conversely I also enjoy meeting and chatting to fellow rockers and bikers so say hey if you want.  

I still go to gigs whenever time allows and I still rock to good music and the free spirit of my fellow metal heads, the music has got me through some tough times in these past years.

Hope you are all doing well and keep on being the great bunch of people you are!

Phil.

I may be a little late to the party but an interesting question.  

Definitely leather for me.  That said, I don't think any type of clothing or material should be responsible for "labelling" us as fans of metal, but I am an old dude (45) so when I got into metal in the late 80s when I was around 10/11, I was awed by my heroes and for over 30 years have had the long hair (yup, still got it!) and lived and died in black jeans, military boots and a leather jacket.  

Plus, I'm a biker so that kind of gear is also suited to riding.  I've honestly never worn any other type of jacket than my trusty leather (though I do have a black denim jacket to wear under it as an extra layer when it's cold) so I doubt I will change now.  

When I was a kid going about in black jeans/band tees/leather jacket was less "usual" than it is now, so I guess I was labelled as something of a rebel, even though that wasn't the intention.  I just loved heavy music, enjoyed the carefree don't-give-a-fuck attitude of metal and didn't care that people took the piss because I was different to them.  

Doesn't matter what you want to wear, just be loud and fuckin' proud!

Hey guys, thanks for the welcome, apologies for the late reply I've had a busy few days.

Macabre, I agree with you about Justice, I just - and hate to admit this - sometimes find myself getting bored halfway through some of the songs.  And to be fair, it isn't because they are long songs, I love Master of Puppets from Puppets and that's eight and a half minutes, but I have to admit, at times I do struggle. 

Absolutely ADORE Harvester of Sorrow, though. 

Master of Puppets is one of my all time favourite albums though and one I go back to with an almost predictable regularity.  It's a great album to go to when my mood is low - fortunately this is rare - as I just crank it on full, snarl along with James and let all that aggression out. 

Have to stop myself from listening to it on my motorbike though - and many other metal albums for that matter - as it kind of makes my throttle hand twitchy... *grinz*

Hey guys, joined this forum a couple of days ago and haven't introduced myself yet.  I'm Thrashinbiker aka Phil and well... you can probably tell my two passions in life are metal and motorbikes.  I'm 38 and from the UK and love old skool 80's metal, but that said, I will also give anything a try so I'm not closed to other stuff.

My main loves are Metallicas first three albums, Slayers early stuff...Maiden etc...you get the idea.

Hope to meet some good friends here cos it's been a while since i joined a forum since many can be rather unfriendly but hey ho.

Good to be here