Headbanger/metal head input sought

I love metal but I'm not entirely certain what you mean by cultural relevance. I just listen to what I enjoy. I suppose it's a different emotion from me than typical rock or soundtracks or eighties music, all of which I also listen to. It's REALLY hard to explain what I mean. If you've ever heard Japanese music, for example, though, it's very happy-go-lucky. Very sweet and cute. If you listen it tends to bring out that aw happy! feeling.

I love the harder edge to metal. I wouldn't call it angry music, but it's just...a different feeling. Geez, and I'm a writer lol. This probably doesn't help at ALL.

A lot of the European metal bands have a very operatic feeling to them, I think, if that's relevant to your story at all. I'm trying to think of examples. Opeth comes to mind, but I can't think of a specific song because I don't have them with me here. Therion actually does big time. Great band, as well.

Blackie Lawless was once asked what the cultural relevance was of a grown man with a saw blade between his legs. His answer, there was no cultural relevance, he's an entertainer.

That pretty much sums up pop metal.

Now hardcore, death metal, or whatever the kids are calling it these days does sometimes claim relevance, most of this runs to the working class angry young man kind of thing, with the exception of some of the Scandi bands that can be downright frightening. The Scandis first claimed to be Satanist, then figured out if you are a Satanist that means you believe in God too. They have burned some churches.

Generally attempts at any kind of social commentary by metal bands isn't taken terribly seriously.

It's a case where "cultural relevance" is like "literary theme." It can be there, but if it's overt, many people will be turned off. I am obsessed with Rammstein and find a lot of interesting cultural commentary in their music, but most of their fans, I'm guessing just love them for the grinding guitars and the menacing basso profundo vocals. Well, I love that, too, but I do think they make interesting observations about the world with their music. If you check out the first blog in my signature and search for the "rammstein" tag, you'll find me waxing bullshitic on them. If that's what you're looking for, I got that kinda stuff on tap and I can point you to someone who's equally obsessed with Megadeth.

the addster said:

Now hardcore, death metal, or whatever the kids are calling it these days does sometimes claim relevance, most of this runs to the working class angry young man kind of thing, with the exception of some of the Scandi bands that can be downright frightening. The Scandis first claimed to be Satanist, then figured out if you are a Satanist that means you believe in God too. They have burned some churches.

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That was black metal, mostly a Norwegian scene. Relevant, sure, but had some really nasty negative elements. Arson, which you mentioned, plus homophobia. Also a bit of a throwback to dangerous white supremacist ideas.

I'll ask my SO for you. He's been a metal head most of his life and has a huge collection. I've had lengthy explanations of the differences between industrial, death metal, black metal, speed metal, etc etc with him until it's running out my ears.

Metal is such a BIG genre of music, it's hard to put words around its cultural relevance. As a musician of classical music, I love metal for its incredibly complex and oftentimes symphonic composition. My husband, who is a composer, has argued that if J.S. Bach were alive today, he'd likely compose metal because of it's fast coloratura and deep, hefty drive.

What the hell does this have to do with cultural reference? Nothing. As I said, metal is such a big genre that it appeals to many different types of people. Emo kids who love Slipknot. Us "oldies" who love Iron Maiden. And you have people in between.

Check out "Metal: A Headbangers Journey." It's a long ass documentary, but well worth the view for anyone who loves metal. It may shed some light on what you're looking for.

I've always been fascinated by the cross section of fans who like metal and sci/fi fantasy. There are a lot of metal shirts at scifi conventions. Just sayin'. Not sure what you are looking for.

It is a style of musical that venerates virtuosity - check out the AW threads arguing over the best guitarists/bass players. There are some truly great musicians working within it and the complexity of the music in some cases rivals most revered classical composers.
If you wish to find a meeting point between your zombie-slaying metalheads and your protagonist check out Nightwish, a Finnish power-metal band until recently fronted by a female opera singer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3sgXMnVmao

Anyone see "Heavy Metal?" A nice combination of sci-fi and metal.

Link to wiki: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082509/

The only real cultural relevance of metal are the summer festivals where a dozen or more bands tour the country. That is the only real demonstration of the influence of metal in a vastly over saturated pop/hip hop society.

imo, metal is the undercurrent where anger, dissatisfaction with the status quo, and a generally peaceful intent merge to create a family for the outcast. Most metal heads i know (my wife and i being part of this group) do not agree with the direction of society, and in metal music find others with thoughts like ours. Ministry's last albums are a great example of anti establishment lyrics mixed with heavy drums and scathing guitars, but the frontman always promoted the beauty of differing opinions and the freedom to express those ideas.

the metal scene of today reminds me of the anti-establishment counter culture of the 60s because of their reliance on the lyrical poets of the time to put out a message they agree with/believe in. The messages behind the metal i listen to (and i'm rather picky about the bands i follow) are so much deeper than the pop culture model that currently floods the airwaves (e.g., MachineHead's album, 'The Blackening' has songs talking about the end result of armed conflicts, religious fanaticism, and our reliance on conflict to achieve political agendas).

hope this helps!

Well, I used to have hair down to my ass and play a pointy guitar in metal bands.

There's not much to it, frankly. It is the most conservative crowd you'll find. It's an extremely paranoid, asocial subculture of utter selfishness. Many of them overestimate their own importance, and thus you've been led to ask for a paragraph or two on their "cultural significance." There really is not much. Outside their little group, nobody really has a clue about them and just views them as working class (but metal hasn't been working class since the 70s-80s, now it's the most bourgeois thing out there) misfits, which is what they want.

There's not much to really say about them specifically. Look at the entire idea of subcultures in general and people who feel the need to actively distinguish themselves from everyone else. Usually, the more radical the appearance, the more conservative they really are.

And no, this is not as biased as it sounds . . . I'm still listening to a lot of this stuff, but this has been my experience with this crowd. Obviously it doesn't apply everywhere, especially to the early 90s technical death metal scene (a few of them at least), some of which were mature enough to use their skills elsewhere after that fad was over.

Read some lyrics maybe, to get some insight. You'll find many of them shockingly infantile.

A great documentary came out a few years ago called Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. Samm Dunn, the writer/dir/producer is a cultural anthropologist and a headbanger.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478209/

I enjoy metal, but have no clue about the metal culture. To me its just a genre of music that I enjoy blasting as loudly as I can. Personally, I think its almost cliche to assume that because someone listens to metal they also follow in whatever lifestyle might be associated with it.

What I mean is, people are individuals with varying tastes. I don't like pigeonholing people based on one or two interests.

Shadow_Ferret said:

I enjoy metal, but have no clue about the metal culture. To me its just a genre of music that I enjoy blasting as loudly as I can. Personally, I think its almost cliche to assume that because someone listens to metal they also follow in whatever lifestyle might be associated with it.

What I mean is, people are individuals with varying tastes. I don't like pigeonholing people based on one or two interests.

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Agreed, Shadow_Ferret!

RG570 said:

Read some lyrics maybe, to get some insight. You'll find many of them shockingly infantile.

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And this is why many of the best metal bands are those whose lyrics you can't understand.

Since I mentioned black metal above (which I should point out I dislike), let's begin posting some of the more extreme examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFn26ntmSsg

Thanks, Norway!

I grew up on heavy metal, and I had no idea that there was an actual metal culture. Sure, there's metal fashion, but a culture? I don't buy it.

OP, could you ask more specific questions instead of just asking metalheads to contribute a paragraph or two about the "cultural relevance" of heavy metal?

SPMiller said:

And this is why many of the best metal bands are those whose lyrics you can't understand.

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Metal can be like opera that way; the lyrics sound more interesting when they're in a language you don't understand. If you speak Japanese, then J-pop is probably as lame and banal as American pop.

Saskatoonistan - There are an awful lot of varieties of metal music, so narrowing down the area which you are looking at including might help. The metal spectrum goes from HIM (rock metal, which have a lighter sound) to Anal Cunt (death metal, the less said of which the better), so trying to form a generic opinion of the metal scene is not only difficult but may very well be impossible.

BigWords said:

Saskatoonistan - There are an awful lot of varieties of metal music, so narrowing down the area which you are looking at including might help. The metal spectrum goes from HIM (rock metal, which have a lighter sound) to Anal Cunt (death metal, the less said of which the better), so trying to form a generic opinion of the metal scene is not only difficult but may very well be impossible.

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I'm tempted to say that Anal Cunt (or AxCx if you want to a polite euphemism for forums) goes way beyond mere death metal.

Forgive me for sounding naive, but what is AxCx? I'm not a fan of death metal, but my morbid curiosity is peaked.

lilain said:

Forgive me for sounding naive, but what is AxCx? I'm not a fan of death metal, but my morbid curiosity is peaked.

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It's a "polite" abbreviation of the name "Anal Cunt".

Yeah, but what is the band like that it goes beyond death metal?

SPMiller said:

And this is why many of the best metal bands are those whose lyrics you can't understand.

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Rob Zombie has a tendency to write nonsensical lyrics. Doesn't stop the songs from sounding sinister.

I'd love to help, but my metal knowledge ends at the music. That's not a scene I ever delved into much. I just like something that gets the blood running.

And if you ask me, music is a lot like writing. First and foremost you have to get them listening. After that, if you have a message, you better not let it get in the way of the sound.