When most people who are just an acquaintance to the field of metal music associate with the genre, all that apparently reaches their ears are unsynchronised screams that are distasteful and are even taboo in some nations. But why?
Alike to The Sex Pistols’ in Britain and the jazz movement in prohibition-era America, it appears that the accompanied sub-culture accounts for much of the genres criticism. A denouncing stigmatization drags along with the theme of “metal music”, and many people feel the need to exclude the genre from their preference, although with the likes of music such as Serbian Irish folk and Crunkcore they do not feel the need to express their disdain. Towards a drastic musical movement whose most influential musicians share close ties with the genre of classical, many are willing to disregard the metal sphere as an army of sadistic, washed-out middle aged men and angst teenagers seeking for aggression. We perhaps collectively fail to credit a genre that questions our already established beliefs.
The most poignant misconception of metal music, is that it’s in fact all “heavy metal”. There are even some that will hear pieces from the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and mark it under the category. In the late 1960s, metal music established itself within popular bands such as Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, yet metal of today has spread into a multitude of sub-genres. Funk metal, nu metal and rap metal are simply a few of these, which each are distinct from their varied development. Through a progression of blues and psychedelic rock, the metal genre gave birth to a thick concoction of emphatic beats and heavy distortion. So perhaps Hendrix did have an influence on its origin, but the note of a long guitar solo does not simply mean it can be classified as “heavy metal”. Although metal does not derive from art music tradition, traces of metal ideology can in fact date back to Romanticism performances of the nineteenth century. And suddenly, the metal world is starting to gain more culture and esteem.
A specific note that should be celebrated within metal music, in this age especially, is its authentic nature. Little of its material is synthesized, and metal vocals in fact pose as a concentrated skill. Yet there will of course still be an audience who reply with “I can’t make out the lyrics”, and to which I personally respond, can you really make out any more lyrics than you would in a mainstream dance track that features an encore of the same monotonous line? Yet again, metal is rejected for a lack of virtuous talent.
From a lyrical stance, many sub-genres of metal are criticized for their expression of topics surrounding women, sex and romantic tragedy, which we should remember are essentially universal matters. Political and philosophical themes which are socially charged often travel through the outlet of metal; there can be a beauty seen in this movement as a soiree with no limits, yet can also be seen from the outset as the noise of hullabaloo. Of course, controversial topics are to be faced with a case of defence and an extent of response, and metal poses as a “sensory equivalence of war”. Few metal bands are in actual fact satanic, yet many fundamental religious ideas do not go unheard of.
Turning our attention to the apparent strength of hatred within metal, there is no doubt that an increase in dealing with controversy will lead to an increase of intolerant responses. Varg Vikerness, a black metal artist, was found guilty of inciting racial hatred, a single example of the apparent hateful nature of metal. This is behaviour that’s considered despicable in a society that is apparently pro-freedom of speech. Of course we can not use this one man as a accumulative voice of the genre, as in that case all sectors of society would appear equally as demoralizing. Perhaps the stigma of metal music is in fact much deeper than first imagined. Their constant questioning of socialistic and moralistic ideas, partnered with the subject of death, which is ultimately inevitable, is fundamentally challenged to the point of exclusion.
Perhaps people’s fear and sensitivity of the realities of life acts as a barrier of their acceptance. It is a wonder why people generally do not feel so sensitive about these same topics in rap music, for example; it is often in fact praised. There is a poignant bridge between being in touch and being connected with emotional situations, which are a common necessity in the society of today. With common images of greed, hate and aggression in the world, metal music does not deal with alien trivialities. Metal enlists an existential view of society and the realities of life, pressuring the limits of the consciousness of civilisation. Perhaps we should view the exploration of the taboos of society as a feat, rather than a detraction.
This insight into metal music does not however ignore the fact that its aesthetic of violence and destruction loses many potential fans. According to recent studies of the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth, a disproportionate number of highly intellectual students prefer metal music to most other genres, which is not a surprise considering it’s value as a voice of minority. That is not to say that this will always be the case, there would simply have to be a distinct reform in the opinions of many.
Words by Lydia Ibrahim