What Does Metal Mean To Me?

Metal

Metal

Am I Still A Metalhead?
So I have been a metalhead for longer than most of you have been alive (the seventies). When I started getting into Metal, the definition wasn’t clear then either. It was kind of like trying to define social networking now. It wasn’t clear what was Metal, so everyone just called anything with a heavy guitar riff Metal and left it at that. Many bands that would be considered Hard Rock now (with little argument) were considered Metal then. So some of the things that got me interested in Metal, are not Metal now. So am I still Metal? The things that have always made me passionate about Metal are not necessarily Metal now. So where does that leave me? Am I still a Metalhead?

Has Metal Become A Silly Cartoon?
Recently I started the hunt to find a graphic artist for a project for one of the sites I run. The problem was that many people seem to lack the ability to grasp that I don’t want the standard typical Metal cliches. To me Metal isn’t about pushing the limits of gore, cuss words, and pentagrams to absurd levels. That turns it into some silly cartoon and Metal is not some lame cartoon! Not that I have any problem with any of those things. Most of my favorite songs are full of four letter words! It’s just that when you push these things to that level it becomes less about the music. It’s like they are trying too hard to prove how Metal they are. It’s like the nerd who overcompensates in an attempt to be cool. He would have been better off if he just stayed silent. If you think that is what proves how Metal you are, you are not only an insecure twat but you are not Metal either! Metal is about the music.

Has Metal Become Nothing More Than A Cliche?
I get sent an insane amount of press releases from labels trying to sell me on the latest Metal bands. One of the things that let’s me know right away that I shouldn’t waste my time with a band is when all the publicist has to say is how it will be the “most brutal thing ever heard”. You know you have seen the same trend. “This thing will rip your face off!” What it tells me is that the band has nothing more to offer. It is brutality for the sake of brutality. The craft and care to create an amazing song was left behind before they even played the first note. They had no passion for the art of musicianship. So to me they forgot what makes Metal so great. When I hear a band using a seemingly endless stream of cliches to describe their band, I know the band is going to be nothing but a cliche I have heard a million times before. It is a sure bet that the band will have nothing new to bring to the proverbial table.

Metal Used To Be About The Music!
To me Metal has always been about the music. What got me into Metal was the passion, the perfection, and pushing the limits of musicianship. Now I understand that these things mean different things to every person. I loved that this music had a more solid beat to it than the music my parents listened to. It was almost tribal. It wasn’t just about being “brutal”. It wasn’t just about speed. So forgive me if I’m not at all impressed when it becomes more about speed. When it becomes too much about speed the definition is lost and the dynamics that make music powerful are left behind.

It’s Time To Kick Away The Crutch!
Another cliche that Metal seems to use as a crutch is trying to be offensive. It comes from an honest place of course. Metal has always been about sticking your middle finger at the establishment. But what happens when that becomes a uniform? What happens when that becomes nothing more than a sad pathetic crutch? When the cuss words become an excuse for a lack of imagination that is a problem. Signing songs about sex with corpses is fine I guess, but the joke gets old pretty quick. For me the song means more when it is about something that relates to real life. It’s like doing fart jokes in comedy. It’s the cheap and easy way. Metal has never been about the cheap and easy way. Metal is about pushing the level of quality. For me at least the cheap jokes, horror movie regurgitation’s, and replacing swear words where imagination was lacking is not Metal. At least it is not what attracted me to Metal.

Hey, Not So Much Salt!
To me Metal is like good chemistry. More is not always best. Most of the time it is about getting the mixture just right. Metal needs just enough speed, but not too much. Metal needs just the right amount of rasp in the vocals, so it isn’t too clean but still has a range of sorts. It should never be an endurance test or some cheap show of machismo. If you are using Metal to show how much of a badass you are, you are not Metal! When it stops being about the music, it stops being about what makes Metal special. Everything else just cheapens this thing we are all so passionate about. Is it about the music for you? If not you are the one who isn’t Metal.