The irritation with the stigma of heavy metal.

[Illkurok]

I've listened to heavy metal since I was in high school, the band that immersed me into the glory of the genre is called Meshuggah, in my honest opinion no other band holds a candle to them and I find it quite pathetic how some bands can keep a straight face while considering themselves "metal."

I've had all kinds of things thrown at me over the years because of my obsession with heavy metal in general, but I've always found it the most ridiculous when people think that just because you listen to it that it means you are this violent, goat sacrificing tyrant that just wants to see the world burn. Some of the looks people give me just from saying I listen to metal are the most bizarre I've ever seen, they look at you like you just got admitted to an insane asylum or something.

Honestly, I'm quite the opposite. Meshuggah is extremely calming for me, they've been a part of my life for so long and they've pulled me out of some insanely dark periods in my life.

I've even had some women refuse to date me or even be friends just because I listen to metal, which I've always found rather amusing because of how shallow that is, God forbid I listen to rap music, dare I say country. Yuck. I feel like I need to bathe now for saying that.

I honestly believe that without heavy metal to help me cope with things in life, I wouldn't be alive today. I know some people might think that is the stupidest thing they've ever heard, but it's true to me. I will always love metal, it is a part of who I am and I couldn't imagine living without it.

 

[AHuman]

Metal saved me.

I have wide ranging music taste now, a lot of which nobody seems to have heard of, but metal has a special place in my heart because it helped me so much when I was really struggling with everything.

I really miss going to metal clubs, it was a way for me to exist around people when any other setting would have been impossible. The loudness was never loud in an overbearing way, it was like a mental swimming pool, where the water is made of noise.

The people were mostly accepting and kind, and the ones who weren't were easily avoided. The clothes you could wear were comfortable and didn't have to be revealing. There was always something to talk about if you wanted to.

I don't know how to solve your problems, but being a music lover I just wanted to point out why your interest is good in general terms. I'll add more later when I've had time to think.

 

[Autistamatic]

Where do you live @Nihilus that has such a weird attitude?
I certainly came across attitudes like that in the 70s and early 80s from older people, but it's 2019 now. Anyone under 60 has grown up with some form of metal being around in their youth, from Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to the present day. It's their problem not yours

 

[Illkurok]

Where do you live @Nihilus that has such a weird attitude?
I certainly came across attitudes like that in the 70s and early 80s from older people, but it's 2019 now. Anyone under 60 has grown up with some form of metal being around in their youth, from Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to the present day. It's their problem not yours

Unfortunately in a redneck infested part of the US, someone like me sticks out like a sore thumb.

“Hey, he doesn’t drive a truck or listen to our horrible music, let’s treat him like an outcast.”

Love that mentality. /sarcasm

 

[Ken S.]

I was/am a Punk Rocker since it's inception in the mid 1970's and love metal as well. I went to a very redneck school in Garland Texas (at the time a semi-country suburb of Dallas) and was considered an outcast for it. Unfortunately for the bullies by then I had been taking self defense classes (Judo & Jujitsu) for 9 years so I wasn't picked on just avoided.
Don't let what others think get you down.

 

[Mia]

Punk, and rock and early heavy metal were my lifeblood at a certain age growing up. My husband's as well. My love of music is what kept me sane. Don't care what other's think about it.

 

[Autistamatic]

 

[JDShredds]

That definitely does not sound like the culture out here in the southwestern US, at least not in my experience. Metal is still fairly popular (as far as an inherently underground genre) all things considered.

Metallica's Ride The Lightning was the album, when I was 12, that made me say "holy crap." Changed my trajectory permanently.

As an aside: Am I the only one that thinks headbanging is a very autistic-friendly behavior? Haha.
"How can you do that?!"
"Its comforting."

 

[Fino]

I don't listen to metal, but I was required to study the history of most genres and how you describe it is what it has always been intended. Anyone who thinks what you say is "the stupidest thing they've ever heard," need only to utter their own name to top it.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

I do not listen to heavy metal music as to me it sounds like noisy chaos and elevates my stress levels, BUT it's ridiculous for anyone to judge your character based on your love of it. People do judge, though and often make erroneous conclusions. You will be judged negatively by someone for anything you do and somewhere in the world are people who think metal is awesome and you'd fit right in, while somewhere else in the world the mainstream opinion is that country music is abominable. Fortunately there are musical genres to appeal to a wide range of tastes but yeah....there is always judgement.

 

[puzzlingbill]

When Led Zeppelin first came out, they sounded way out there, but now they sound kind of tame. The same could be said for Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild (which has the lyric about 'heavy metal thunder' that the name comes from). It sounded raw and bluesy compared to the other music of 1967 -- it also sounds different now. Part of the evolution of music is that people hear what's been done before, and they want to top it. I think that explains a lot of why the metal sound has gotten harder over the years.

I said all that because one of the ways music is meaningful to me is an emotional connection to the sound of the music. Some music just feels absolutely right to me. It sounds like the original post was talking about something like this, and I can understand that the genre (or whatever you'd call it) of metal would mean a lot.

Too bad that nobody in your area likes the same kind of music. I don't think there's anything wrong with having different tastes in music from most people. The best thing to do is try not to let it bother you. I try not to be judgemental about other peoples' tastes in music. I can usually find some common ground, but with some people you can tell that you never want to talk about music with them.

 

[puzzlingbill]

I have to add my favorite metal video. This is a great moment in metal history -- from the first metal show ever in Moscow (1991), on an airfield, with an audience of 2 million. The reaction of the audience is amazing.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

Heavy metal is reasonably popular around here, my line manager is actually in a metal band. I don't really listen to metal any more (it was my favorite genre around ages 14 to 21) but I've never encountered any sort of stigma outside of highschool where the 'alternative' kids were considered weird.

 

[Progster]

Ugh stereotypes - some people can't see past them. I listen to some metal too, mainly progressive metal, classic metal and folk metal - especially Skyclad, but also Cruachan, Blind Guardian, Ayreon, Iron Maiden, Dream theater, that kind of thing.

 

[Monachopia]

I know what you mean about people thinking it bizarre that an adult still listens to metal... I've had that attitude thrown at me, but at least, here in London it's not seen as too weird. People do say "You haven't grown out of that yet??" or think of it as immature. I've listened to metal since mid-teens and I would also echo the statement that it saved me. It calms me down and helps me. I listen to all sorts of sub-genres, though never really been into Thrash, Industrial or Black Metal. I'm more into Post-core, Progressive, Metalcore, with a bit of Doom/Sludge.

The only thing I'd say is don't become too elitist about what "metal" is - because music has to evolve, without that we wouldn't even HAVE metal! Bands change, take inspiration from those before them and try to do something new. It's not always successful, but it paves the way for progression of sound. I try to listen to new stuff quite a lot, and right now I am really loving the Metalcore and Electronicore genres.

 

[Judge]

To me it's difficult to be seriously discriminating or elitist about metal when it seems that in general, rock and roll itself went over a cliff at the end of the eighties and never seemed to have come back.

With music industry dominated by pop, hip-hop and country.

In the meantime though I still listen to Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Nazareth, Twisted Sister, Van Halen, Deep Purple and Blue Oyster Cult. So sue me.

Fun to see TWD's Norman Reedus meet up with Rob Halford of Judas Priest to ride motorcycles in Arizona.

 

[Aspychata]

l am a grunge whore, l love that sound, but l don't like to freak people out, so l don't play it too much. l also like strange music, strange sounds and l wonder if this is related. l like repetitive chords, drumming etc. So l get your gist and totally respect your love for metal bands.

 

[Crossbreed]

1. "Heavy Metal" was once thought to be the cause of learning disabilities found in ASD2/3s.
   
2. My idea of "Heavy Metal" music is a tuba...!

 

[Aspychata]

For those intetested: Listen to Alice in Chains, the song is called "Grind" , my ideal grunge song.

 

[Progster]

1. "Heavy Metal" was once thought to be the cause of learning disabilities found in ASD2/3s.
   
2. My idea of "Heavy Metal" is a tuba...!

The flute is a heavy metal instrument