Hypocrisy sucks. And I don’t mean the band.
Hypocrisy is a feint, a deception. It is to present oneself as having some sort of quality that one does not actually possess. It means that one is publicly promoting some sort of standard of behavior but behaving differently in private.
If you’ve you’ve ever heard, “Do as I say, not as I do” from a parent, you probably chafed at the obvious hypocrisy in the statement. Of course, what we say is not so important. It’s what we do that matters.
Hypocrisy is the norm in society and as the metal community is a subset of society, it stands to reason that we have our own share of dysfunction.
We make fun of people because of the t-shirt they wear or the music they listen to. Why? In the name of metal.
We say we are into metal because of the anti-conformity, yet we all wear black t’s.
We say we want variety, yet complain when something doesn’t fit the template we’re used to.
We say we want to support independent musicians and labels yet download tracks from torrent sites rather than buying music directly from the band, even if it costs only a few dollars more.
We say we love metal, yet reserve that definition for anything that is or is not power metal, prog metal, epic metal, symphonic metal, classic metal, black metal, death metal. . .
We say the important thing is that we are united by the music, yet we lord our age, our experience, our knowledge over others.
We don’t write or play music ourselves, yet are intensely critical of people who choose those expressions.
Most of us chose metal, yet we think others have to earn it.
We say that metal is a community for the misfit, the outcast. We’re all different, but we’re all of one tribe. Then, when someone has an opinion that we disagree with, why do we pick them apart?
Since metal is born of agitation and unease, perhaps it is not surprising that our basic behaviors are misleading. But what is the purpose? Why do we do what we do? If we can’t articulate a why, then why continue the behavior?
. . .
Agree with most of your points except the tired old “if you haven’t made an album yourself you have no right to criticise a musician’s performance/recoredings” argument. I might not be a master chef but I don’t need to be to appreciate a fine meal or to recognise when someone has done a terrible job. Sure, I might not be able to do better, but if I can name a dozen guys off the top of my head who can and have done better that’s got to mean something, right?
Worst angsty horseshit article yet. The author either hangs out with, and is influenced by, terrible people, or is 14 years old. Seriously? Nobody of any decency has these qualms
I have to agree with both of the above commenters. This is the worst thing I’ve seen on this site.
There’s some garbage in this article. “Most of us chose metal . . . .” Not true. Metal chose us.
There are some really dumb complaints here, too. You have to understand, metal is a community, but not a touchy-feely one. It’s a community of wolves.
A lot of what you say is true, and they really are problems. So what? Can’t you do any better than simply listing grievances?
“”Not true. Metal chose us.”"
-
What? Wtf does that even mean?
“”It’s a community of wolves.”"
-
If by wolves you mean over testosteroned, wanna be, alpha male douches combined with awkward outcast nerds as the vast majority… Then sure, wolves.
I love metal, I live music (without making it currently), and metal makes me laugh so hard all the time. Dude, sit on the curb at Maryland Deathfest sometime and just watch the crowd… Wolves? I dunno what wolves you’ve seen on Discovery channel…
“Wtf does that even mean?”
It means that no metalhead woke up one day and said, “I think I’m going to be a metal fan.” It just happens, usually in a dramatic and sudden way.
And wolves, yes. Fiercely loyal, territorial, suspecting of outsiders, not always getting along, will fight over small slights (psysically or verbally, depending on whether they’re the alpha male type or the nerdy type).
Who exactly is this “we” that everyone keeps referring to when they generalize and say that metalheads are territorial, suspecting of outsiders, will fight over small slights, etc.? Certainly not most metal concert-goers, from my experience. These attitudes and observations are more based off the faceless Blabbermouth-type commentators, which, as others have expressed, are far from a true representation of the metal scene or community as a whole (if you can even truly say there’s a singular scene or community within the broad spectrum of “heavy metal”).
In my experience, it’s mostly people on message boards and blogs.
most right on comment ever, that metal attorney guy is an idiot.
Aluminium.
Not “Alluminum”, it’s not even latin.
Aluminium.
Chemical symbol Al.
Got that?
Settle down, Metal Warrior.
Akash,
got what?
One names himself as one desires, not as Akash deems it right.
definitely some thoughts there that i juggle around in my head from time to time. it’s always good to look at ones own opinions and the stupid shit we sometimes say or think.
as a wise man said: “opinions are like arseholes, every once in a while they need a good wiping”
The author’s repeated use of “we” is telling; it’s the same tired us-vs-them mentality that should have been put to rest back in the ’80s. I’m going to second ADB’s hunch that a 14-year-old penned this drivel.
I’m struggling to comprehend how something this insipid was published here. May be time to tighten up the IO quality control department, guys.
Invisible Oranges=too cool for the room
A piece of shit. grow up.
Maybe it’s because I’m approaching 30 and don’t go to many shows these days, but I don’t get who this article is directed towards? The last time I caught myself acting like any of the anonymous “we”s in the article, I was probably 15 years old.
Also, what kind of article is this? The thesis, “Hypocrisy Sucks,” is hardly a thought at all. The “evidence” provided to back up this thesis is amateurish and wildly speculative, and it doesn’t even critique a specific hypocrite, but a group of unknowns. I really… just don’t get it…
I agree, this is a pointless “article”…
We say we listen only to Metal, and then curl up with a warm fuzzy cat and listen to posers bands like The Smiths, Morrissey, and The Cure.
This guy is eleven years old.
Calling it…Invisible Oranges time of death 10:38am 7/20/12. Cause of death, whiney article written by 15 year old girl. Tag em and bag em.
“’Most of us chose metal . . . .’ Not true. Metal chose us.”
uh… huh?
I don’t agree with a lot of what the article says. Most of it almost looks like observations from a non-metalhead looking in from the outside. But perhaps the most valid and interesting point made is the one of conformity. When I look around and see people joining these metal “clubs”, the issue of hypocrisy does come to mind quickly for me. To some extent, metal really is about being an individual. Metalheads will bond by the common interest of heavy music, but that’s usually about as far as it goes. It’s really a very diverse group of people. But these metal clubs that come and go look to me like nothing more than a metal fraternity of sorts. It’s one thing to form a network and use your resources to get to shows, put on shows, help bands out, etc. But it’s totally different to say “Hey this club is a brotherhood we’re all brothers, honor, respect, yadda yadda.”
Whatevs. Sounds to me a lot like the college fraternity across town that the same group probably makes fun of for being tools or “conformists”.
You put on the uniform so you know who your brothers are. It’s about identifying as a metalhead, a niche group.
Well, it’s one thing to (for example) see a guy wearing an Emperor shirt walking down the street and acknowledge his good taste by giving him devilhorns and saying “nice shirt”. It’s a totally different thing to say “Hey that guy I’ve never seen before is wearing a patch that identifies him as a member of my metal-club so therefore, we are brothers!” Don’t you think that’s going a bit far? I don’t know, just blindly throwing in your allegiance with a group of people – most of which you’ve never met – doesn’t seem very “metal” to me.
And btw, I’m acquainted with a few of these types and they’re awesome, nice people from what I can tell. I just don’t get their mindset…
That article was like reading my diary from high school.
Anyone else hoping at first this was an article about a super awesome Swedish Death Metal band? lulz
Yes.
Disapointment shall rule today… I can tell.
Yes.
This is by far the worst thing I’ve ever read on this site. It is a glorified Facebook status or Youtube comment. I come to this site because of high quality posts, not a 16 year old whining about metal having a uniform or people saying the shitty bands he/she likes are shitty.
Why are you letting children write articles for you?
this blog is going through one helluva slow and painful death…
What the hell is this tween angsty crap? Halfway in this I expect a “We are all Metal brothers and sisters…” line to pop up.
I actually agree with most of these points. I’m not literary genius nor do I care how this was written, but I get the point. I look NOTHING like a metal guy, and when I go to metal shows, I’m the one who is the outcast because I don’t have tattoos, long hair, or a 1 inch gash in both of my ears for those stupid hoops. Metal is trendy to those within metal and it’s quite sad. Individuality is there but extremely rare.
I’ve seen the terms ‘whatevs’ and ‘lulz’ used in the comments already. Talk about trendy.
How exactly are you cast out by not having tattoos or long hair? I’ve never had long hair nor tattoos, rarely wear black band shirts to shows, and I have glasses and a receding hairline. But I pay my money for my ticket, and therefore, I am accepted into the venue. Does it matter if I’m perceived by some ignoramuses in the crowd as being an “outcast”? (Something, by the way, I don’t ever feel, but clearly you must get that, if you’re saying you’re an outcast at metal shows.)
If you feel like an outcast at metal shows, maybe that’s your problem. I don’t have any tattoos/piercings/long hair either and I’ve never felt like an outsider.
Oh and I like some (albeit small) varieties of pop music, and popular TV shows too. I’m not one of those people who shuns everything that is popular just because it’s popular. Back to the point. To me metal is about individuality and that means I can like whatever I want without having to answer to you or anyone else. So WHATEVS DUDE!
I suppose outcast was the wrong word and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but I have had folks question my love for metal based on my looks many times either at shows or in public. If it hasn’t happened to you great.
I was addressing the point she is trying to make in the article, not that I really give a shit what anyone else thinks of me. Metal is trendy while trying to act like it’s not.
I see your point. If you grow your hair out and get a bunch of tattoos just because that’s what all the other kids are doing then yes, that is “being trendy” or a “poser” if you prefer. But I dunno… I think that most people (that I hang out with anyway) who have the tattoos and piercings do it for themselves and not for the approval of their peers. The way I see it, having that look generally shows an individualistic attitude, and that look has been around longer than metal music has. I think that generally speaking, metal music attracts these types, not the other way around.
I am not white, do not have long hair or a bald head, do not have any piercings or tattoos, and do not own a single denim jacket or band patch, yet I feel like I’m at home when I’m at a good metal concert. I feel like most metalheads, aside from the occasional douchebag, can legitimately tell if you are into the music or not regardless of your appearance, and how they treat you generally corresponds with this perception. I am sorry your experience has differed.
Then again, I’ve never felt that metal was about tolerance and acceptance, nor do I think that all metalheads are “brothers and sisters” or any other such nonsense (listening to too much Manowar there?). The many genres of metal are as distinct as night and day, and I think it is natural that people gravitate towards others who have the same idea about metal that they do.
A few things:
1.
s/metal/punk and hardcore/g(for non-geeks – substitute “metal” with “punk and hardcore” in the entire article)
2. Just because someone doesn’t play music, doesn’t mean they can’t criticize it. Helm said it best (emphasis added):
And here I thought that dominatrix post was the ultimate low for this blog…
Look, I get that this is the kind of article that’s supposed to provoke thought and start discussions, but you still have to put a minimum of effort into writing it. This is just extremely lazy, which is the exact opposite of what I expect from IO.
I don’t actually feel like I do any of those things. But, then again, I left my 20s behind some time ago.
I do still make fun of hippies occasionally. Not the OGs, the newer deadhead-meets-burning-man trustafarians.
Regards,
David
I understand that the writer here is trying to prove a point about understanding and acceptance, but boy does she ever overshoot and over-dramatize her point. I’ve been to a lot of metal shows in the last handful of years, probably close to a hundred or more, and have never run into many of the things described in this article. Where I do see them, however, are in the comments sections of sites such as this or MetalSucks, comments on YouTube, etc. In the moment of a show, more often than not I see intense camaraderie–especially when you and your metal brethren are all banging your heads to whatever band happens to be on stage. Even in mosh pits there is almost always a high level of respect and care taken to watch out for your fellow mosher–regardless of whether they fall into stereotypes or not. Sure, I’ve scoffed and joked about some people who seem really out of place, but I’d never intend to cause anyone to be an outcast and I (like many others) know they deserve as much as anyone to be there and rock out. More power to them.
In my modest opinion, this author needs to understand that the Internet and live, in-person events are very different and do not paint an accurate picture of the metal community as a whole. Just like that one loud asshole dude at a party ruins the fun for everyone isn’t an accurate portrayal of every party-goer. Broad generalizations and stereotypes aren’t helping anyone here. Perhaps if you backed up your claims with some real data, or changed your focus to some specific events your point would be more effective.
Well said. It’s much easier to spout of idiotic sentiments that you might not even fully believe on the internet, whether to get a reaction, or to stir up controversy, than it is to do in person. People might swear “Death to poseurs!” on the internet, but if they see someone like me at a show, that person would keep their mouth shut. I’ve never been called a poseur, nor have I been called out for not looking metal enough. If anything, I’ve found the metal scene (which is a grossly generalizing term as it is) to be pretty accepting.
Oh look, another hipster who thinks she’s got it aaaaalllll figured out. If we are really sheep, how come we can’t agree on anything? How come I haven’t found anyone with whom I’d agree with even as much as half the time when it came to music? Answer me that one. I guarantee you, even with 7 billion people on this planet, you will not find anyone who would agree with me on music all the time. If you grew up, you’d realize things aren’t quite as simple as that. People like the author here use overly simplistic logic and think they’re philosophical icons because of it. I used to have the same mindset as the author here, but then I turned 16.
Philosophical icons? Hipster? Different subject than the article? You’re mad dude. Drink some water.
I get the point, but yer hangin with the wrong crowd. Yer also part of the problem.
Every metal show I go to features the legion of black-clad unwashed nerdy wannabes who only associate with their kind and every metal blog gets much comment traffic from people who like to bitch.
It’s the same way in every subculture and every club of any kind. It’s the same at any kind of concert. People like groups and conforming and giving themselves reasons to gripe and talk shit. Be sad about it if you want, but the “we” implicates you as much as everyone else.
If you got a problem with the clique, don’t be part of it. That simple. I have maybe two friends that are metalheads and we don’t get all serious about it, we bring outsiders to shows with us, we wear whatever we feel like, and get down to music we like-which is the only reason to listen to music anyway! Leave the “scene” thing to “scene” people and if you want to be in a “scene” expect it to be like high school.
So profound, yet so accessible.
What the fuck is this? Where is the quality control on this site any more? “Waaaah, metal is hypocritical”—-honey, people are hypocritical. Big fucking deal. I wrote shit like this in my high school zine when I was 16.
When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.
Speak for yourself, author of this piece. You may do all these things, I don’t.
BRING BACK COSMO!!! this site is bereft…it has become almost, with the exception of the book recommendations, a few show reviews and a few band intros… a cesspool. I don’t even have to elaborate. Look at the writing during the cosmo era, and look at it now. Hell, just use the god damn template that was put up originally and go from there…Christ, this is coming near ANUS like imbecility…
I totally understand Cosmo’s burnout, and I didn’t really expect it to maintain that level of quality after he left. I think that this site still has quite a few good articles, like the palate cleansing one . . . although that’s the only standout on the main page right now. I guess the Priest one was pretty good too.
Anyway, my problem with this one is that it’s just so lazy. God knows I’ve been lazy on my own blog a few times . . . but that’s run by exactly one person (with the occasional guest review), and the posts come nearly as often as they do here. This place has 18 regular writers and a handful of various editors and directors, according to the sidebar. That this is the best they could do today is a little sad.
. . . anyway I’m going to stop bitching. It’s not like I’m paying for this, after all.
I mostly echo the comments, i mean, the writer makes a few good points but nothing really new or that hasn’t been said before. I’m also part of the ‘don’t look like a metalhead’ group, and I have never had anyone care, that’s what is cool about metal fans. Last show i went to was Opeth/Mastodon/Ghost. I had to go right from work, so I had like ‘business casual’ clothes on, no metal shirts or anything. And no one gave a shit! No one gave me a dirty look. And that’s what IS cool about most metal fans, they really don’t care…
author sounds butthurt about metalheads being butthurt, whatevs
Pointless article!
You know what’s awesome? Not being a “metalhead”. Who does anything “in the name of metal”? Metal isn’t a cause…. It might be an aesthetic, but it’s just another malleable art form like anything else.
As for us choosing metal, or metal choosing us, I think we’re reifying things, here…. Some bands play metal. Some people like some of those bands.
And yeah, as has been mentioned, “us vs. them” is lame, useless, and counterproductive. There is no “us” or “them”.
I don’t think it’s so much the site that’s the problem. It’s mainly the core group of people who reply to every single post (like that metal attorney guy from whom I’ve seen blatantly misogynistic, racist, and homophobic comments, among others guilty of the same). Now the lot of you (this core group to whom I’m referring) are being unintentionally ironic by engaging this post, which you claim was based on some imaginary behavior you were over by the time you were in your 20’s. You’re the only problem on this site and just about every other metal blog in the internet.
If you are going to slam someone else’s work it’s fine. Have the conviction to put your real name next to your comment. If you feel that strongly that something is worth attacking, then your should be completely comfortable saying who you are. Vanessa had the guts to put her name next to this piece and she has the guts to take all of the turds tossed around by people that haven’t attached their names.
These same people, mind you, might be too scared to try creating something on their own and put their name on it.
Have I panned and made fun of records before? Of course. Did I attach my real name — not SethPutnamsDouche — to said reviews? Every single time.
It’s easy to pan an act of creation, no matter the merits, as an armchair Internet warrior with guaranteed anonymity. It’s much harder to put your name out there with the criticism. If you believe in something so much that you would attack another person show your face.
+1
Good point. Alex Verkade, enchantee.
Dont need to declare your identity to point out that garbage is garbage.
We are all hypocrites but that’s not metal’s fault, is about humans and society .
If Metal were totally open to every styles ( by the way let’s not forget we have the healthiest and more innovating music scene of all) it would not be metal, metal without riffs, distortion, heavy drums, etc it’s just some other music and once again let’s not forget we accept and love some styles of metal that are not the most aggressive, men we even accept the new burzum’s albums as metal and they are like ambient or whatever, so I think we are very open minded.
I love to wear black t-shirts with band’s logos, I just like that and no one told me to do so, there’s a lot of metal performers who wore plain black t’s or other things and they are as metal as always, Akercocke wear freaking suits!! I have very few metalhead friends so I was not following a trend, I just like to show the people the things I like, it’s like the football(soccer) here in Mexico it’s very big and everyone has a favorite team and in the games people use their team shirts because they like them. And talking about the black color, it’s my favorite color I would hate to wear bright yellow shirts, even in the office most of the time I wear black or darker colors(blue/grey) not because it’s more metal to have a black suit just because I like the way I look with that, just like with the so called black t-shirts.
So yeah the world is fucked up and there’s a lot of shitty people but in my opinion Metal has a lot of great things so I will keep loving it with all my imperfect and flowed love.
It looks like this article is so bad, so really bad that all this comments make look this site like blabbermouth… (and that is real bad News)
A lot of these behaviors look like hypocrisy on the surface, but are better explained when you look at social theories regarding group dynamics, particularly the phenomenon called in-group favoritism. In brief, members of a group will behave in ways that protect the practices of their group (the “in-group”) and to distinguish themselves and their practices from those of the out-group.
Example: Metalheads may decry conformity in mainstream society, and then wear the same clothes as one another specifically to set themselves apart from mainstream society, because enforcing group behavior, group cohesion, and ensuring one’s place within the group becomes more important than making sure you’re not behaving in the same way as the group you supposedly hate.
This study on individual behavior and group membership not only found that individual behavior is strongly guided by the wish to belong to one’s in-group, but that that behavior becomes more apparent, and even more aggressive, when other members of the group are watching. This may explain why the behaviors we see among metalheads to some extent “out in the world” are so amplified online, particularly in metal forums and communities such as this one; everyone’s watching, so it’s a good idea to make comments that you believe will ensure others won’t kick you out of the metalhead tribe.
I also wanted to add, to those folks who are unhappy with the quality of the content on Invisible Oranges are welcome to pitch story ideas to the editors here. If there’s something you’d like to see here, and/or if you think you can do a better job of writing about metal than what you see, I’m sure they’d be glad to hear what you’re planning to write to make this a better site.
I’m not sure that a reader of a webzine should have to lobby the staff with their own ideas–or become a writer themselves–in order to have an opinion on the content.
Not all readers are writers. Not all listeners are musicians. It’s not the consumers’ job to improve a product that is being presented. That job belongs to the creator.
Couldn’t put it better than that: “It’s not the consumers’ job to improve a product that is being presented. That job belongs to the creator.”
Thank you!
I was surprised how much I disagree with literally every single thing in this article.
“We make fun of people because of the t-shirt they wear or the music they listen to. Why? In the name of metal.”
Um no. For many people, a t-shirt is a window into their persona and their ideals. For example, if one is wearing a Liturgy or Opeth t-shirt, it shows their strong dedication to sodomy. Does a person who advertises their love for sodomy deserve ridicule. I think so.
“We say we are into metal because of the anti-conformity, yet we all wear black t’s.”
That is like calling someone a conformist for wearing pants. I don’t think metal ever intended black shirts to be the way to resist conformity.
“We say we want variety, yet complain when something doesn’t fit the template we’re used to.”
Again, maybe there are people like this out there, but again, the metal spirit doesn’t support this concept. Metal can be played on a Kazoo, a banjo or through throat singing. People who understand this don’t complain like this.
“We say we want to support independent musicians and labels yet download tracks from torrent sites rather than buying music directly from the band, even if it costs only a few dollars more.”
I think it’s pretty well known that most of the music that is downloaded is done by people that wouldn’t have bought it anyway.
“We say we love metal, yet reserve that definition for anything that is or is not power metal, prog metal, epic metal, symphonic metal, classic metal, black metal, death metal. . .”
So a love for metal must include all subgenres? Bullshit. Part of metal is about supporting strength and destroying the weak. Many metal genres are by design, weak and therefore does not deserve any love.
“We say the important thing is that we are united by the music, yet we lord our age, our experience, our knowledge over others.”
It was never the music alone that unites people. It was the context and meaning that the music grew out of.
“We don’t write or play music ourselves, yet are intensely critical of people who choose those expressions.”
This logic doesn’t make any sense. You can’t criticize anything you can’t do yourself? Have you ever criticized a painting, a car, or a politician but have never painted, built a car, or been a politician yourself? I bet you have. Therefore, non-musicians are allowed to criticize music they don’t like.
“We say that metal is a community for the misfit, the outcast. We’re all different, but we’re all of one tribe. Then, when someone has an opinion that we disagree with, why do we pick them apart?”
Only idiots categorically tear apart dissident voices. The intelligent metal head hates weak opinions, and therefore tears them apart. It doesn’t automatically shun one from the community, just the weak opinion.
“Since metal is born of agitation and unease, perhaps it is not surprising that our basic behaviors are misleading. But what is the purpose? Why do we do what we do? If we can’t articulate a why, then why continue the behavior?”
I don’t think agitation and unease is the foundation of metal. Obviously it is an element of it, but metal is more than a release of anger and aggression. Some don’t know this, so don’t know how to sufficiently get passed the circle of angst. That lack of articulation perpetuates the idealistic angsty behavior.
Me too.
Strangely enough, it’s now that I realise that, even if it was NOT our intention, the author could take our replies (a point by point rebuttal) for “tearing her down”, as she mentionned in her prose…
Wherever there are people you will also find hypocrisy. So why why shouldn’t that be the case with our beloved metal communnity?
Vanessa’s points resonate well for me. Thanks for thinking, writing and publishing this. – Adam Brown. warcod. Trapazoidal. Linus.
Any Walt Whitman fans here? *A quote by that guy here*.
Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?
I don’t say or do any of this shit.
I want a refund.
It strikes me as funny how some people still believe that there is something real behind the words “metal community”. We simply share the music genre, not anymore. People think differently, behave differently and live differently. That is all there is. By the way, it seems as if IO’s website had been hacked by the writer for the sole purpose of posting this “article”; I don’t see how it made it through the internal quality filters.
Yeah, this article wasn’t great. It exemplifies telling over showing – there are all kinds of ways to explore some of the inherent contradictions in any kind of subculture, but instead of taking a particular case (like, say, this article about a 3 Inches of Blood video) as a springboard to discuss the larger issue, this article just sort of splurged a bunch of contradictions out there and said “this is a thing” and, well, yeah. This is the sort of thing I expect from zines being written by 17-year-olds (mostly because I remember writing shit like this in zines when I was 17) and this site is better and smarter than that.
There have to be more interesting questions, too – are these contradictions avoidable? If they aren’t, is this a problem? If it’s a problem, how is it a problem? Are these things unique to metal? (I don’t think so) If they aren’t, is that problematic? Is metal not so special anymore? What makes metal different from other subcultures? Where does the motivation to deride others’ musical/cultural tastes come from? All of that would have been an examination of the same stuff this article deals with, but it would have been way more interesting, in my opinion.
“Hypocrisy is the norm in society and as the metal community is a subset of society, it stands to reason that we have our own share of dysfunction.”
We??? You, probably. So, speak for yourself, please Ms Salvia.
“We make fun of people because of the t-shirt they wear or the music they listen to. Why? In the name of metal.”
We??? I’ve never done it. People have to be different,and this diversity of colours, shapes and tastes is what makes this planet worth living, actually. You, probably laugh at other’s tastes, so speak for yourself, please Ms Salvia.
“We say we are into metal because of the anti-conformity, yet we all wear black t’s.”
We??? Any colour you like as long as it’s back?
No, not always as far as I’m concerned. I’m an undercover metalhead working in a big corporate company. You, probably have only one colour in your wardrobe, so speak for yourself, please Ms Salvia.
“We say we want variety, yet complain when something doesn’t fit the template we’re used to.”
We??? Ah, so why do people like, say, Devin Townsend and Ihsahn, have had such successful careers while doing musical projects with such diverse and non-metallic elements making the “soul” of their albums? You, probably despise non-conformity, so speak for yourself, please Ms Salvia.
“We say we want to support independent musicians and labels yet download tracks from torrent sites rather than buying music directly from the band, even if it costs only a few dollars more.”
Guilty as charged, I stand. But that avoids me from buying duds.
“We say we love metal, yet reserve that definition for anything that is or is not power metal, prog metal, epic metal, symphonic metal, classic metal, black metal, death metal. . .”
Oh no… Not that segragation thing again…
“We say the important thing is that we are united by the music, yet we lord our age, our experience, our knowledge over others.”
Again, not at all my cup of tea: live and let die and let live. I could not care less for what others know more or less than me.
“We don’t write or play music ourselves, yet are intensely critical of people who choose those expressions”
Hey, I do play drums! And most of metalheads I know have at least tried to play some instrument, and some have pursued their interest to this day…
“Most of us chose metal, yet we think others have to earn it.”
Ah, you too think that you’re unique, eh? Just like all the others you happen to be criticising here…
“We say that metal is a community for the misfit, the outcast. We’re all different, but we’re all of one tribe. Then, when someone has an opinion that we disagree with, why do we pick them apart?”
Ah really? Who accepted being picked apart on the basis of a differing opinion?
“Since metal is born of agitation and unease, perhaps it is not surprising that our basic behaviors are misleading. But what is the purpose? Why do we do what we do? If we can’t articulate a why, then why continue the behavior?”
May WE return you the question, Ms Salvia: are you THAT non-hypocritical to be so sure of others being in the wrong, and not you…?
Based on the above, I suspect that the author may actually have had a bad relationship with a highly opinionated metalhead, that the relationship left her bruised to the point of having felt the compulsion to put her long-delayed resentment on this blog. Good for her if it was cathartic. But very bad for her that she tried to throw a generalisation that does not at all fit most metalheads, judging from the numerous comments denying her “arguments”.
Yes, she may be right if she surmises that there are varying degrees of hypocrisy. And her assumption that since the metal community forms part of society we are bound to reflect the same proportions of cultural dimensions seen in society at large: you have altruists, egoist, bucketheads and what not everywhere, but in the metal community, I ‘ve seen that it does not matter what your taste is in sub-genre preference or clothing style or whatever external image you project / mask you hide behind. What matters most is how far you are true to yourselves.
Akash typed a lot and no one noticed….would someone please attempt a smart reply to his comment?
Man, in vague retrospect, you people are triumphant fuckin’ spastics. Fuck metal, because people like you are into it. Yes, that’s right. I have insulted everybody here. Collectively eat a giant dick. What are you going to do? COME TO MY HOME ADDRESS AND BEAT ME WITH A TIRE IRON? YES, I THOUGHT SO. PERHAPS PEN A SCATHING ANALYSIS OF THIS POST? OH OF COURSE. MAYBE YOU WON’T EVEN READ IT AT ALL BECAUSE THEY LAST REPLY WAS IN JULY AND IT IS FUCKING OCTOBER RIGHT NOW? LORD HAVE MERCY. That’s right, fuck off.
@Pinion: HA HA DIDN’T READ!