Metal means a great deal to me. Firstly, it is ramified into various sections and I prefer Stoner/Doom metal. I listen to Orchid, Electric Wizard, Cathedral, and Uncle Acid. It is heavy, raw, and the mediocrity of mainstream pop cannot hold sway over it. It is enduring and consistantly pays homage to the early 70's riffs and approach. Stoner and Doom is so indicative of this approach.
It is never affected by 'trends' and its followers tend to be intelligent and well-read people. I also like how some bands, like Electric Wizard, weave their lyrics around what influences them. Such as a passion for HP Lovecraft and 1970's British Horror films. Jus Oborn has admitted that on many occasions.
The whole image of metal sums me up perfectly. The whole retro-feel of it is basically timeless. I know that sounds quite paradoxical but it is timeless. Metal has brought us all together here, for example, to this forum. And it is like a huge, international brotherhood (and sisterhood).
To conclude my post metal is what metal is. Love it or hate it, you certainly cannot ignore it. It is not something that will ever die off but continue on long after we've expired. The same cannot be said about the insipidness of mainstream pop. Those people come and go and vanish into oblivion.