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What is metal for you?


Holy Terror

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Metal is a musical style with its own characteristics and sounds just like any other musical style, but the special thing about it to me is the fact that it unites people together like no music has since the 50's. A long time ago before certain technology was developed, almost everyone knew how to play an instrument (mainly the pianoforte or something of its equivalent) and most knew how to sing. Before reading it was an entertainment, the only true form of entertainment besides violence or sex people had. As time moved on, music evolved, and with it a stronger sense of community. However, the fifties came, and technology started to develop even faster. Once this happened, music started appearing over the radio, on records, and on tapes. Along with these advancements, music started to split off in genres and styles, where before there had been very few if any splits of style at all. Now, what does this have to do with Metal? Metal has a community unlike any other genres that currently exist. Sure, there are large followings of rock, pop, blues, jazz, and other genres, but they don't have a sense of togetherness or a way of life. At the most, the fans of these styles feel the music as a form of entertainment that speaks to them, but nothing else. Maybe it will bring a family together in very rare cases, but I haven't seen it myself. Personally, metal has effected me by bringing me closer to my friends and even some people I barely even met. Metal is also the only genre close enough for me to vent my inner rage out in a cathartic manner.

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Re: How Metal Affects You Warning you now, I am going to provoke you. :P

...but the special thing about it to me is the fact that it unites people together like no music has since the 50's.
This is a bold claim. Care to back it up?
As time moved on' date=' music evolved, and with it a stronger sense of community.[/quote'] This is interesting. You have to remember that music was an extremely strong unification object much before the '50s. For example, think back to African Americans who were oppressed in American society. Blues and jazz, among other styles, were outlets to artistically express oneself and to generally be accepted in some, way, shape, or form. By doing so, African Americans could unite towards a common cause. Hell, music even created a tight knit community long before this.
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Re: How Metal Affects You I already acknowledged your counter arguments int he original post. For the most part I spoke in terms of generalization, but I only mentioned the 50's because the decline of community from there was most noticeable and prominent at that time. I also acknowledged the existence of other styles by saying there were very few splits at all (especially compared to modern music.) The first thing you wanted me to back up is kind of strange to request. I can't tell if you want me to back up our culture (metal) and how it ties us together or if you wanted me to back up music bringing people together at all. When referring to metal I do mean it in regards to brotherhood and a sense of belonging, but it also seems to be more than that. It seems that it brings together many different types of people (whether through the love of metal or hatred of other music). I also acknowledged other fan-bases, but I cannot answer for your specific example that you gave, but I can take your word for it. Still, I doubt it is anywhere close to metal or the kinship and normalcy music was at during the medieval, baroque, and classical time periods. I may be interpreting your message wrong, but I believe you interpreted my message wrong. It seems you're trying to say the same things I did but in a different way. The main message I tried to get across was the decline of community in modern times compared to old times and that metal seems to have defied this.

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Re: How Metal Affects You

I already acknowledged your counter arguments int he original post. For the most part I spoke in terms of generalization, but I only mentioned the 50's because the decline of community from there was most noticeable and prominent at that time. I also acknowledged the existence of other styles by saying there were very few splits at all (especially compared to modern music.) The first thing you wanted me to back up is kind of strange to request. I can't tell if you want me to back up our culture (metal) and how it ties us together or if you wanted me to back up music bringing people together at all. When referring to metal I do mean it in regards to brotherhood and a sense of belonging, but it also seems to be more than that. It seems that it brings together many different types of people (whether through the love of metal or hatred of other music). I also acknowledged other fan-bases, but I cannot answer for your specific example that you gave, but I can take your word for it. Still, I doubt it is anywhere close to metal or the kinship and normalcy music was at during the medieval, baroque, and classical time periods.
I don't think I misinterpreted your message, I was just trying to point out that metal isn't the only type of music that has a strong sense of belonging and such. I feel a lot of people put metal on a pedestal and neglect to look at how other genres of music "cultivate." As of now, I see your post as essentially saying metal is above other types of music in fan devotion and in unification (and similar aspects), which, to be frank, I can't agree with at all. For my first request, I'm not exactly sure how it's strange. You're basically saying that no other style of music has united people since the '50s in the same way that metal has. I think that's very odd as it brushes aside every type of music that's come along since then. You did acknowledge other styles, but you said "very few." This may be an issue of wording, but I don't see "very few" styles. It's true that there weren't as many as many as modern day, but it certainly wasn't "very few." :!: Regarding the brotherhood comment, you did indeed acknowledge other fanbases. However, we just have a big difference of opinion here. I've explored numerous styles of music and tried to experience them at one time or another (not saying you haven't). I've found that more often than not, the deeper one goes into a genre of music the more one will find that they have a cult following, often times similar to metal devotionwise and unificationwise. I feel some people are so deep into metal they neglect to consider how other genres are. These traits aren't exclusive to metal, rather mutual across music if one is really "into" a style. As for this...
The main message I tried to get across was the decline of community in modern times compared to old times and that metal seems to have defied this.
I believe I understood that, but I did write that post at ~2:00 a.m. I saw your post (and still do apparently) as saying metal has a stronger sense of whatever (may it be A, B, or C) than other types of music. In my experience, I just haven't found that to be true. I know you were trying to say metal defied a downfall/superficiality/insert word of choice here (and it has!), but it isn't the only music to do so and I don't see it as stronger than another style that has done the same thing (think eurobeat). In any case, if it was matter of misinterpretation, that's what I get for reading your post that early in the morning. I knew something might come back to bite me in the ass. :roll: I'm trying to get some extended discussion going on this forum; I don't mean to come off as strong. It's just been severely lacking. :(
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Re: How Metal Affects You How Metal Affects me?. i really could not Imagen my life with out metal, its inspired me so much. with out metal i would have any idea what career i wont. i probably wouldn't have the same friends as i do now, due to our friendship starting from interests in metal. its affected the way i dress and look (longhair, band t's so on) and more than likely affected my personality making me more confident. there something about metal that is so motivating, the surge of energy it gives you.. the atmosphere it gives out theres also the feeling of...what i guess you could call "brotherhood" with other metalheads theres so much i could say about it but al leave it at that for now =]

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Re: How Metal Affects You

hahaha point well made :L like when someone walks around with an ugly friend to make them look better, that's what other genres do to metal
Well mainstream rap's gonna have to depend on NSBM and Dying Fetus just to ensure that they DON'T look foul...of course it's mainly black guys in rap, so they've got the 'if you don't like it, you're racist' shield. Well...I'll give you an earful on the evils of popular music in another thread. :) Metal has taught me to respect talent and intelligence even if I don't really agree with it. For example, jazz isn't my cup of tea, but it's not bad tea. Of course, there's a certain level of stupidity I won't take, but I can't say Vital Remains and Behemoth suck and are bad bands even if they are directly opposed to my theology. I will say I think they're dead wrong, though, because metal encourages me to speak my mind. In some sense the music also helps make me different from most people, which I like. Terasbetoni's got a song called Metallitotuus, which means 'Metal Truth' in Finnish. I think that's partially what metal is about - speaking the truth. As a result, metal has made me very prickly about deception, BS'ing and ignorant garbage of all stripes.
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  • 4 weeks later...

Re: How Metal Affects You Metal is a happy place for me - quite the opposite of knee jerk politicians and mums who blame it for the world's ills. I am an extreme person when it comes to music actually, in that I love Metal and I love Classical, most of what lies in between is a never-ending land of slush and broken dreams, along with some absolute drivel, but that is just me. Heavy Metal as been vilified and accused of stuff that, quite frankly, it has not done. Yes, some of the music is about the Devil and stuff, but come on, how many songs about the devil can you write? People write off Richard Wagner's music because of his political views and associations with Hitler, for Pete's sake, his stuff is emotional and well composed, some people, I feel need to get a grip and realise that all forms of music tackle issues ranging from Love to Hate and accept that some people hate the genres you love. Now, I'm off to shoot people on unreal Tournament whilst pretending they are members of boybands :twisted:

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Re: How Metal Affects You

Now' date=' I'm off to shoot people on unreal Tournament whilst pretending they are members of boybands :twisted:[/quote'] :twisted: Good deal. I always make sure to kill Rosh Penin on Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy because in the story he looks and acts like a boy band emo guy. Plus, of course, he's useless and can't do what he's supposedly able to do. Kind of like boy band guitarists... By the way, definitely play videogames an watch movies with metal going on. It's much cooler. :D
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Re: How Metal Affects You

Well, ye got me there. I meant to say 'weenies who abuse guitars that cost about six times as much as mine'. :evil: 'Twas funny actually, at the welcoming ceremony for the school I'm going to, they had an indie pop band which had gained some fame and had made their start at that school, and the electric guitarist (who I think actually used a guitar which resembles yours) was supposed to do a guitar solo. Now his rhythm playing consisted of maybe four notes. :| Let me say that this was one of the most AWFUL solos I'd ever heard. In about five minutes I could have composed something that sounded better than that. He played very dirty (as opposed to clean), so much so that I couldn't hear the notes properly. He seemed to get off rhythm and finally did a terrible sounding slide to end the abomination. And after all this, I still heard people remarking about how good they were.
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  • 4 weeks later...

Re: How Metal Affects You Hmm, how metal affects me and my life. I love the energy and spirit and (mostly) the intelligence behind it. I have been a lifelong metalhead. I do listen to other forms of music and indeed absolutely love the Beatles but I always come back to it. My 17 year old son has got into it in recent years and has turned me onto many good bands. He also plays the guitar, a BC Rich and can out metal my playing. He lives with his mother and the bond that metal has given us has helped our relationship. We went to Sonisphere this year together although he spent a lot of his time in the mosh pits because I'm too old for that apparently. His pals think its cool that we can do that (their dads are too square by the sound of it). His first ever proper gig was Machinehead. I took him for his birthday. A life long precious memory hopefully. It is a wonderful and varied form of music and as other forum users have said the metal bond exists amongst us. My partner thinks it is just a noise but is slowly learning. Check out the growling bass from Cliff Burton (RIP) on Blitzkrieg...the best bass sound ever. It always sends shivers up my spine. Check out the vocals on 3030150. Corey Taylor does the best 'grunt' at the end of the first bridge. Check out Rob Flynn's singing on Message in a bottle,especially the word 'start'..ooh I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. You get the picture. When I have a bad day I can put on thrash and drive home just a little quicker. I drive a lorry and music makes my day go just a little better, although I was driving through Ukfield the other day listening to 'fuck the system' by System of a Down as I drove past a nun....had to smile...don't think she noticed......god may have done though. Thats my take folks. Peace and love to all...death to false metal!!! Sean

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  • 4 weeks later...

Re: How Metal Affects You

it affects me in the way that! all my spare time evolves around it. Whether im pissed off' date=' happy ,sad whatever it always sorts me out! a weekend full of nothing but metal, shitloads of alcohol and more metal.............roll on 5.30pm so i can start my weekend!!!!!!!!![/quote'] I can relate to that. Metal is a great way to end the day provided I don't fall asleep, leave my Mp3 player on and then tangle myself in the headphone cord. :D
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Re: How Metal Affects You

I can relate to that. Metal is a great way to end the day provided I don't fall asleep' date=' leave my Mp3 player on and then tangle myself in the headphone cord. :D[/quote'] If you fall asleep easily while listening to headphones, don't listen to Until Death Overtakes Me. You'll pass out within seconds. lol.
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Re: How Metal Affects You It affects people around me. lol They think I'm strange & different, sounds about right. The odd one thinks I'm a Satanist & I don't tell them otherwise. I'm not a new kid on the scene, been around Metal & rock for over 35 years starting with Sabbath. As my taste for it developed my circle of mates changed, some of my old old mates think I'm weird but who gives a fook. I'm also well into the Goth side of rock so all the mainstream groups dislike me, ooo look he's got a shaved head & tattoos. :lol: Music for me is emotional (I don't mean emo), I play what suits me at the time, as I type this "Until Death Overtakes Me" is on in the background, before that it was Deathcamp Project ( a bit Goth for most on here I would think). The lines of genres are so blurred it's hard to say what is metal & what isn't, I don't think there are any rules. It's each to their own (as long as it's loud & heavy).

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Re: How Metal Affects You

It affects people around me. lol They think I'm strange & different, sounds about right. The odd one thinks I'm a Satanist & I don't tell them otherwise. I'm not a new kid on the scene, been around Metal & rock for over 35 years starting with Sabbath. As my taste for it developed my circle of mates changed, some of my old old mates think I'm weird but who gives a fook. I'm also well into the Goth side of rock so all the mainstream groups dislike me, ooo look he's got a shaved head & tattoos. :lol: Music for me is emotional (I don't mean emo), I play what suits me at the time, as I type this "Until Death Overtakes Me" is on in the background, before that it was Deathcamp Project ( a bit Goth for most on here I would think). The lines of genres are so blurred it's hard to say what is metal & what isn't, I don't think there are any rules. It's each to their own (as long as it's loud & heavy).
I was called labeled as such in my day. Oh well I say. Also, you're probably the only other person aside from me that knows who UDOTM is. Kudos. :mrgreen:
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Re: How Metal Affects You

It affects people around me. lol They think I'm strange & different
same here, some people says that i'm gay for listening to this kind of music, metal..I dun care, i love the music, and will always do, The people who says this to me, is Great friends, ONLY that they listen to Hardstyle, wich they can, i'm not calling them gay, i wounder why they call me gay. hmmmmmm
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Re: How Metal Affects You There's one girl in two of my classes who seems to think that listening to metal makes you angry or depressed all the time. That might be true...but listening to pop would make want to destroy something. The general public is safer with me listening to metal. :D

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