What got you into this hellish heavy metal music?

EmoElmo wrote:

jettafiend wrote:

I grew up in a strict Christian household as my dad was a pastor.

We have the same upbringing. At one point I even knew more Christian hymns/ songs than mainstream music in general.

My father was so strict that I had to rebel, just to pis s him off. So I had no choice but to listen to LOUD music even though I hated it (at first)

Absolutely! My grandfather gave me a large component stereo when I was 13 or 14 for my room. Anything above 2 automatically brought my parents storming down the hall with hands extended looking for lyric sheets.
I loved the looks when they handed it back and choked out a "keep it down please". I will give my parents credit here, they put up with quite a bit and still stuck to their end of the bargain. Looking back now, I really appreciate that they did that for me. I will say tho, that I much prefer the old hymns than what passes for modern praise and worship now.

Some things don't change tho, a few years ago I came home for Christmas and one of my brothers had left their Roger Miret & the Disasters albums on the coffee table and I got the lecture. Ugh.

I got into metal listening to Vio-lence with a friend who just bought the album and brought it home.

It is weird reading everyone's experiences with Christian parents. Being that I am not from the United States I never really realised how religious US society is, and what an impact it has on people growing up in those environments.

I guess they kinda left that out from most Hollywood movies they showed us lol

It's only in recent years that I discovered how deeply religious some folks are in the US. Not to say that European folk aren't religious but I find it features less in post-ww2 upbringing. I guess it depends on which European folk you talk about though, where I am originally from all forms of religion were strictly banned and people did not talk about it or display for a long time. That's not good either as a choice is taken away from people who do wish to worship and be part of a religion.

I can only talk about my experience, and having grown up without knowing anything about Christianity or religion for a long time, well into my early teens, I find it strange when people talk about how they could not listen to metal or music because of their parents' beliefs. Sure some of these lyrics are satanic, evil, gory, sexual etc. but I never thought of them to be taken seriously, it's more part of the theatrics of the music - the imagery, the shock value etc. It is no more real than Star Wars or Star Trek.

Not sure what there is to rebel against - if people take offense to something that is fictional against something they deem to not be fictional then it seems pretty silly to me to get worked up over listening to a bunch of loud music.

My parents are religious as well, but they had no "moral" issues with me watching violent films, playing violent video games or listening to music with disturbing lyrics(except for the Slayer example I mentioned). I stopped going to church when I turned 18, as despite my best efforts, I never developed any sort of spiritual connection to Christianity (or any other religion for that matter) and never truly believed in the existence of any god.

I guess everyone has a different threshold of what they see as moral and immoral.

For example, to this day I struggle to like black metal. For me all too often when it comes to black metal I question whether it is moral for me to like / support a band that has a criminal past.

To that extent, the black metal bands I like are those that (as far as known to me) they have not been involved in church burnings, murders and other such heinous acts. Of course many musicians have had their run ins with the law - but some of those episodes can be forgiven or just passed for a general racket that for better or worse is anticipated of very young, reckless and restless bands. Not everyone is Rush, Dream Theater or Maiden in that regard.

However, when I see people talk about the likes Burzum and how great their music is, I can't help but feel that part of the attraction is the colorful past of those musicians. More so though, is it right to support someone who has murdered who has destroyed peoples property and generally has a bleak destructive attitude towards others, and given the opportunity would continue carrying on such acts. Is financing these individuals not helping them further their destructive agenda?

That is what I have a moral issue with. Some will disagree but that is the reason why I cannot support the likes of Burzum.

Speaking of Rush, didn't Alex Lifeson get into a brawl with police?

As for Black Metal, I enjoy the music regardless of what the band members themselves have done.

Vexer6 wrote:

Speaking of Rush, didn't Alex Lifeson get into a brawl with police?

As for Black Metal, I enjoy the music regardless of what the band members themselves have done.

I remember that about Lifeson. I think the charges were dropped? ... I can't remember

I never realized how good I had it growing up until I went off to college and had friends who weren't even allowed to watch Three's Company since it was a man living with two women. In my Catholic grade school we were told it was a cool show since it showed men/women as platonic. We were also allowed to listen to things like Motley Crue and Madonna during our art class. I think the idea was to take away the notion of stuff being "forbidden fruit" and thus more sought after. In fact I don't remember anyone we knew having parents who forbade anything entertainment wise. And keep in mind I grew up in South Bend, Indiana where we all came from Catholic households. My parents were encouraging of music and movies. They believed interest in those things would keep you out of other things. And they were right about that since the only time in my life I ever drank was my first two years of college when I was around all these people who came from strict households. I was also one of the few who also didn't have an arrest record of some kind. My family used to even get the Frank Zappa Rock Confidential newsletter to keep up with all the censorship efforts. My mom hated, I mean really hated the PMRC.

My parents were not strict about rock music, they did not like it, but it had nothing to do with Satan or the fact the church filled with loonies they sent me to had a record burning, no it was a cultural difference.

But never once did they lecture about the content of the lyrics, more about the sound and how loud it was.

I'll never forget the look on my uber-red-state-right-wing-Bush-groupie mom when I finally (recently) revealed to her that all her protesting against rock music was the exact same mission of Tipper Gore and the PMRC.

My mum hates conservatives and loved Twisted Sister!

My best friend's older brother turned me onto KISS. It went all downhill from there.

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

It is weird reading everyone's experiences with Christian parents. Being that I am not from the United States I never really realised how religious US society is, and what an impact it has on people growing up in those environments.

I guess they kinda left that out from most Hollywood movies they showed us lol

It's only in recent years that I discovered how deeply religious some folks are in the US. Not to say that European folk aren't religious but I find it features less in post-ww2 upbringing. I guess it depends on which European folk you talk about though, where I am originally from all forms of religion were strictly banned and people did not talk about it or display for a long time. That's not good either as a choice is taken away from people who do wish to worship and be part of a religion.

I can only talk about my experience, and having grown up without knowing anything about Christianity or religion for a long time, well into my early teens, I find it strange when people talk about how they could not listen to metal or music because of their parents' beliefs. Sure some of these lyrics are satanic, evil, gory, sexual etc. but I never thought of them to be taken seriously, it's more part of the theatrics of the music - the imagery, the shock value etc. It is no more real than Star Wars or Star Trek.

Not sure what there is to rebel against - if people take offense to something that is fictional against something they deem to not be fictional then it seems pretty silly to me to get worked up over listening to a bunch of loud music.

It's ok to brainwash your kids when theyre still , uhm, little ...but AT LEAST give 'em the freedom of choice by the time they enter adulthood...

Somehow I hated my parents for doing that to me and I promised to myself that I will never do that to my kids! That was the reason why I became a metal convert, Nothing gives me that pleasurable sensation of trolling your dad, which is a beloved pastor in our town.

Vexer6 wrote:

and never truly believed in the existence of any god.

Mankind is a by-product of complex evolution....whether by sheer extreme luck, or by slim chance...we were crafted to perfection thru billions of years of constant adaptation, we weren't created out of magic. Nor by a deity who possess mighty powers.

The Bible was written by tent dwelling cattle herders who thought the earth was flat.

I still couldn't fathom why modern people would believe in something so similar to Greek mythology....no idea...Im not bashing them...Im just amused

EmoElmo wrote:

Vexer6 wrote:

and never truly believed in the existence of any god.

Mankind is a by-product of complex evolution....whether by sheer extreme luck, or by slim chance...we were crafted to perfection thru billions of years of constant adaptation, we weren't created out of magic. Nor by a deity who possess mighty powers.

The Bible was written by tent dwelling cattle herders who thought the earth was flat.

I still couldn't fathom why modern people would believe in something so similar to Greek mythology....no idea...Im not bashing them...Im just amused

Oh boy. This isn't going to end well.

Witchfinder wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

Vexer6 wrote:

and never truly believed in the existence of any god.

Mankind is a by-product of complex evolution....whether by sheer extreme luck, or by slim chance...we were crafted to perfection thru billions of years of constant adaptation, we weren't created out of magic. Nor by a deity who possess mighty powers.

The Bible was written by tent dwelling cattle herders who thought the earth was flat.

I still couldn't fathom why modern people would believe in something so similar to Greek mythology....no idea...Im not bashing them...Im just amused

Oh boy. This isn't going to end well.

Agreed.

First and only warning here, folks: please keep in mind that there are a number of believers on this board who probably won't take very kindly to being called "brainwashed," tent dwelling cattle herders" and the like. So keep it respectful or thou shalt be smited by the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

Fat Freddy wrote:

First and only warning here, folks: please keep in mind that there are a number of believers on this board who probably won't take very kindly to being called "brainwashed," tent dwelling cattle herders" and the like. So keep it respectful or thou shalt be smited by the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

I echo Freddy's warning and also request this topic gets steered back on track. This section of the board is for music discussion. Thanks.

S.D. wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

First and only warning here, folks: please keep in mind that there are a number of believers on this board who probably won't take very kindly to being called "brainwashed," tent dwelling cattle herders" and the like. So keep it respectful or thou shalt be smited by the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

I echo Freddy's warning and also request this topic gets steered back on track. This section of the board is for music discussion. Thanks.

Forsooth. S.D. and I shalt count to four. Not two, not three. Four is the number we shall count to, and the number we count to shalt be four. Three is too few. Five is too many. Six is right out.

I don't take it personal either

Science of the day thought the world was flat (a theory) which has been disproven and is now a scientific principle. Folks need to realize that there is a major difference between a theory and principle. A principle is something like the speed of light is 186,ooo miles per second, rock melts at 7800 degrees, and a theory is just that a theory.

To make it about music, music theory has been around for centuries and is/was initially based around classical music. Each key, note, scale is based on pattern, dynamic, structure, articulation, ect. ect.

In most cases the aspects pertaining to classical music are complex in "theory" and yet since it's inception music theory has "evolved" into other forms/styles of music. In most cases the complexity or design has been simplified, thus giving a great example that evolvong isn't always into things of a more grand design. It is amazing that for centuries man was stagnant in the music composed and the technology invented and then after the turn of the 20th century. Both music and invention changed life as we know it. Man went from Bach and Mozart, to Goodman and Davis, to Robert Johnson and Lennon/Mc Cartney
Not to mention man went from a short flight at Kitty Hawk to the moon in less than 70 years and split the atom somwhere in the middle of that same time frame.

It is also amazing that swing came from roots music which became blues. While jazz came from swing and country/western came from roots music. And rock n roll came from blues and so and and so on.

It all started because of my older sister, who was into classic rock acts, like foreigner, deep purple, smokie and aerosmith...

Then a friend of mine gave me Appetite For Destruction and Kill em All on tape...

When I was single digits, my parents listened to a lot of Kiss, Zeppelin, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, Sabbath, Queen, Pink Floyd etc. I think this set the groundwork for me getting into bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden etc in the 1980's. Never looked back.