What is it about heavy metal that grabs us by the face, and never lets go?

OK- I'm 44 - been a metal head since my baby sitters laid down some Black Sabbath in 74 or so.

What is it about this music that grabs us - becomes a part of out lives?

Is it social? Hardly, brain washed sheep disparage it.

Is it the tough image? Hardly, how many metal heads do u hear engage in acts of violence.

Is it because we are stupid low IQ freaks? Hardly, many of us have degrees or hold down responsible jobs, raising family etc.  

Is it because its so noisy and untalented, we don't know any better, we just Neanderthal to the racket? Hardly, the finest musicians on the planet are metal.

Is it because it is so popular we follow the mainstream? Hardly, we have never been given any airplay - yet we thrive unabated - AC/DC have outsold the Beatles, and are the highest selling band in the USA of all time.

Is it our poor concert attendances? Hardly, AC/DC embarked the highest grossing show in recorded history 2009, outselling the selloutStones by over 60% of the gross.

Or is it - when your friends who used to listen to it, but patronizingly tell you they have grown out of it, and so called mature, go on to live empty lives as the mainstream dictates the right thing to do - that we are still banging away to the greatest music ever created and having a ball?

Methinks the latter.

Renowned philosopher and intellectual of our time Paul Baloff put it this way

It tickles the same kind of funny bone that makes you want to smash windows as a kid wrote:

And it looks as though we are never going to grow out of that!  

There is no other genre that moves me the way METAL does!!!

MetalRob331 wrote:

There is no other genre that moves me the way METAL does!!!  

It just f*cking grabs you by the balls, and tears at your flesh. My wife is a fair bit older than me (she's 63) - hated metal, I mean hated it. I threw on the odd track here and there. A blend of Dio and AC'DC to break her down. That was ten years ago: now she loves Dio and Metallica - basically, I have converted her       

Now, she always had great taste in music, loves rock - went to school with Peter Green, knows him quite well, so my mission was not to hard.

I listen to metal for several reasons. Mainstream music has zero musicianship to it. No, let me rephrase that, it takes perfectly good musicianship and creates synthetic garbage out of it. I listen to jazz and heavy metal for the same reason. Both genres seem to be two of the few final bastions of musicianship left. The Americana/roots music scene, of which my nephew is a part, is another refuge for those searching true musicianship. But, academic reasoning aside, no other genre has the ability to get my pulse racing. When I want my face melted, there is nowhere else to go!  

Chrome Locust wrote:

AC/DC have outsold the Beatles, and are the highest selling band in the USA of all time.

Source?

Wikipedia:
"As of 2010, AC/DC had sold more than 200 million albums worldwide,[6] including 71 million albums in the United States alone"

On the Beatles:
"According to the RIAA, they are the best-selling band in the United States, with 177 million certified units"

http://www.beatlesradio.com/members/RecordSales.html
"By October 1972, the Beatles’ worldwide sales total stood at 545 million units, a world record (Billboard 84, October 21, 1972)."

I'd say the Beatles are ahead by at least a 4:1 margin worldwide, and a comfortable 2.5:1 margin in the US.

Best-selling Music artists in the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists_in_the_United_States

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. Garth Brooks
4. Led Zeppelin
5. The Eagles
6. Billy Joel
7. Michael Jackson
8. Pink Floyd
9. Elton John
10. (tie) AC/DC and Barbara Streisand

It's the adrenaline rush. I throw on Maiden or Priest to workout and I really do lift more.

For me the years where metal was the primary form of music I listened to was between the ages of 12 to 25. I still love it when the mood strikes but it is just one of many different styles I listen to. My passion for Progressive Rock now is probably about the equal of what my love for metal was as a teenager.

S.D. wrote:

For me the years where metal was the primary form of music I listened to was between the ages of 12 to 25.  I still love it when the mood strikes but it is just one of many different styles I listen to.  My passion for Progressive Rock now is probably about the equal of what my love for metal was as a teenager.

I count good rock/ prog into the mix, I should have been more clear - but metal encompasses classical/jazz/blues and just mixes the hell out of it. No matter what form of metal is your poison. Two bands that ware really flying the flag recently are Rubicon Cross and Airborne. This movement just won't quit.  

I just listen to metal if I like it, same with any other kind of music, it was the main musical style that I listened to in my youth (along with electronic stuff) but all of this 'Metal has the best musicians in the world' 'All mainstream music has zero musicianship' stuff just makes me snigger, I started writing an argument against this but I really can't be bothered, it's too ridiculous.

There are really creative people who are great musicians (or whatever you wan't to class them as) in every genre, there are some really crappy people in every genre too, but this kind of elitist nonsense is why a lot of people don't take heavy music too seriously.

The shocker on that list is that Garth Brooks has sold so many records!!! I'm pretty confident that I don't know a single Garth Brooks fan!

Boris2008 wrote:

The shocker on that list is that Garth Brooks has sold so many records!!! I'm pretty confident that I don't know a single Garth Brooks fan!

Might have done some line dancing in my time  

Chrome Locust wrote:

S.D. wrote:

Best-selling Music artists in the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists_in_the_United_States

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. Garth Brooks
4. Led Zeppelin
5. The Eagles
6. Billy Joel
7. Michael Jackson
8. Pink Floyd
9. Elton John
10. (tie) AC/DC and Barbara Streisand

I got my stats from the billboards - depending on who is getting it right. But that list is damn impressive, bar Joel and Streisand (who I have a hilarious story about her.) I was working security for Babb's in 2007. This was the height of the Celtic Tiger - Ireland so called richest country in Europe - you could see it was about to collapse in a heartbeat. People turned into wankers overnight - I mean wankers. Anyhoo, Babb's comes to town and I was assigned with my crew to mind her.  She was playing in Celbridge, and the weather is awful. Tailbacks miles long. All these wannebe posh f*cks couldn't get into the venue as they were caught in traffic. And the ones that did were gate jumpers popping into the front row seats. It was a howl. I told my crew to let them be, while all these pretentious wankers who had paid an absolute fortune to get front row were whining and bitching. Babb's wants to call the show off, pocket the money and let MCD get sued. I told her to go on just in case a handbag might get thrown lol. She does three songs and is out of there on a private flight from Shannon back to the States in less than 2 hours.

Next day the airways are pandemonium with irate twats complaining. they had all dressed up pretentiously and got caught in the tail back.  Security got blamed (that was me lol) and an unsuccessful lawsuit was filed against MCD. Who in turn blamed us, and yada. We got paid, Babb's got paid, and the douchebags got f**ked lol.

Here's footage from the gig - its all I could find on Ytube - but read the comments - absolute panic.

Well.... it does sound funny, but you were getting paid to do a job. Customers that paid for something, didn't get what they paid for. Doesn't reflect well on you.

Boris2008 wrote:

The shocker on that list is that Garth Brooks has sold so many records!!! I'm pretty confident that I don't know a single Garth Brooks fan!

I have been known to throw on some Garth on occasion. . .  

Lari wrote:

Chrome Locust wrote:

S.D. wrote:

Best-selling Music artists in the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists_in_the_United_States

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. Garth Brooks
4. Led Zeppelin
5. The Eagles
6. Billy Joel
7. Michael Jackson
8. Pink Floyd
9. Elton John
10. (tie) AC/DC and Barbara Streisand

I got my stats from the billboards - depending on who is getting it right. But that list is damn impressive, bar Joel and Streisand (who I have a hilarious story about her.) I was working security for Babb's in 2007. This was the height of the Celtic Tiger - Ireland so called richest country in Europe - you could see it was about to collapse in a heartbeat. People turned into wankers overnight - I mean wankers. Anyhoo, Babb's comes to town and I was assigned with my crew to mind her.  She was playing in Celbridge, and the weather is awful. Tailbacks miles long. All these wannebe posh f*cks couldn't get into the venue as they were caught in traffic. And the ones that did were gate jumpers popping into the front row seats. It was a howl. I told my crew to let them be, while all these pretentious wankers who had paid an absolute fortune to get front row were whining and bitching. Babb's wants to call the show off, pocket the money and let MCD get sued. I told her to go on just in case a handbag might get thrown lol. She does three songs and is out of there on a private flight from Shannon back to the States in less than 2 hours.

Next day the airways are pandemonium with irate twats complaining. they had all dressed up pretentiously and got caught in the tail back.  Security got blamed (that was me lol) and an unsuccessful lawsuit was filed against MCD. Who in turn blamed us, and yada. We got paid, Babb's got paid, and the douchebags got f**ked lol.

Here's footage from the gig - its all I could find on Ytube - but read the comments - absolute panic.

Well.... it does sound funny, but you were getting paid to do a job. Customers that paid for something, didn't get what they paid for. Doesn't reflect well on you.

Mate, I was just back from 3 tours with the British army, and I find my fellow countrymen/women turned into total douchebags. They thought from the EEC bread they were given they were all loaded, and treated people like dirt. Very sad time in our history - it was about to fall apart at any time. I even had one horrible woman call me "boy." If she had been pleasant (there was a ticket mix up) I'd have put her front row as there were so many empty seats to fill when Babb's came on; it's been my pleasure. But instead decided to rail on me - and thus - I wouldn't let her in. Paying customers, right? These clowns were so far up their own asses, I can't explain. Its an on location thing. You'd get it if u had been there.

Because for most people music is something to have in the background, something to do the dishes by. Not just metal, but music in general is something that has meaning for us, its part of life's soundtrack, and it was love that never abandoned us. I personally feel we are the lucky ones, who feel just as passionate over music as when we were kids

manny wrote:

Because for most people music is something to have in the background, something to do the dishes by. Not just metal, but music in general is something that has meaning for us, its part of life's soundtrack, and it was love that never abandoned us. I personally feel we are the lucky ones, who feel just as passionate over music as when we were kids

Yeah, some people consider music as an unimportant commodity and just listen to whatever is on the radio or MTV, and only buy what other people buy. It serves its purpose when you have a party, and that's all it is worth.

Then there are people who take things very seriously and feel like delving deeper in music. They will find it irritating how so many people like mindless pop music.

Just like there are wine connoisseurs who look down upon anyone buying the cheapest red wine from the biggest chain. Other people are very anal about the phone they use, or brand of underwear they buy, or what type of inanimate object is the best for having sex with. Some people spend all their free time driving cars and reading about them.

Personally, I don't care about wine. I get whatever I think is easy. But music? That's a different thing.

It gives me every kind of emotions, more power for or a hideout from some things happening irl. I simply like to explore and "consume" music. To quote MetalROb, nothing moves me like metal does - metal as in wide range of metals and related rock.

manny wrote:

Because for most people music is something to have in the background, something to do the dishes by. Not just metal, but music in general is something that has meaning for us, its part of life's soundtrack, and it was love that never abandoned us. I personally feel we are the lucky ones, who feel just as passionate over music as when we were kids

 
Took the words right out of my mouth     

BearOnUnicycle wrote:

It gives me every kind of emotions, more power for or a hideout from some things happening irl. I simply like to  explore and "consume" music. To quote MetalROb, nothing moves me like metal does - metal as in wide range of metals and related rock.

And also Lari and Manny - its the music that got me through a rough childhood, got me through even worse times in a certain area or two. And it ruled when we met up with some Yank boys and gals and had a right old time: they plied us with Metallica - we gave em Saxon - they gave us JD - we gave em Powers, and the music played on that night. Its the only music that speaks so many languages. Its the music that is in the heart, not close to - it basically rules - no other words for it really.     

Chrome Locust wrote:

BearOnUnicycle wrote:

It gives me every kind of emotions, more power for or a hideout from some things happening irl. I simply like to  explore and "consume" music. To quote MetalROb, nothing moves me like metal does - metal as in wide range of metals and related rock.

And also Lari and Manny - its the music that got me through a rough childhood, got me through even worse times in a certain area or two.  And it ruled when we met up with some Yank boys and gals and had a right old time: they plied us with Metallica - we gave em Saxon - they gave us JD - we gave em Powers, and the music played on that night. Its the only music that speaks so many languages. Its the music that is in the heart, not close to - it basically rules - no other words for it really.     

 Well said!     

bass63 wrote:

manny wrote:

Because for most people music is something to have in the background, something to do the dishes by. Not just metal, but music in general is something that has meaning for us, its part of life's soundtrack, and it was love that never abandoned us. I personally feel we are the lucky ones, who feel just as passionate over music as when we were kids

 
Took the words right out of my mouth     

On a par with the music, nothing rules more than metal fans, who's comments here move me to tears and make me stick my chest out and say "Hellyeah!!!!!!!!!!" We f*cking rock.

On the subject of love: I f*cking love Americans - u get the mainstream lib media in the States saying how much you guys are hated -- it's anything but, I can tell you. We had the JFK in my home port in 1996; it was a two day, bars open all night, meltdown.  We have strict drinking laws - soon as the Yanks came - even the cops were pissing it up; everything thrown to the wall. It was a great time: 48 hour mayhem. I swear the Yanks left crying, they didn't want to return they got so much love. It was brilliant. We got battle ship over here last year for an American football game held in the Aviva stadium. I don't know anything about American football, I got an invite, but I had to work sadly.


In 2005, 'somewhere not very nice' we hooked up with some yanks and got wasted together. I'm still in touch by letter with a couple of those cats. Pure metal heads, those cats.

As the AMERICANS SAY: "Hellyeah!!!" f*ckin' A one cats