Those of you who have seen Sam Dunn’s docu-film “Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey” will know he set out to study the music we love as a culture as much as for the art form – as he’s an anthropologist.
Culture would, however, denote a sense of a shared passion and of community, something Mr Dunn focuses on. But there’s a flaw in his reasoning.
You do see this sense of community forming at the big festivals like Download and Bloodstock. These festivals have the infectious spirit of a huge group of like-minded people uniting to have fun and enjoy the music we all love. The fact the world outside the festival’s bubble doesn’t understand? We just don’t care.
Moshers, metalheads, Goths – call us what you like – we’re heavy metal fans and we are proud of it!
So why do we not get this same spirit found at the festivals in the local scene here in the Steel City (Sheffield, UK)?
Something that’s become very apparent is the idea of “true metal” – only metal which falls into this category, usually the most extreme forms of black, death and doom, is considered to be the real thing – everything else is “poser” or “fake”. So apparently, if you can’t growl like Nergal of Behemoth or you don’t have the scream of Mortuus from Marduk, you just aren’t metal?
To me, metal is an art form that has to be reckoned with. In the late 70’s and early 80’s it was actually one of the most popular forms of music, despite the efforts of many in authority in America and elsewhere. Despite a drop in popularity from those dizzying heights, it maintains a vast and loyal fan base who are enduringly passionate for the music. In the words of Rob Zombie – “I’ve never heard “Yeah, I was in to Slayer, one summer!” I’ve never met that guy!”
And whether the metal in question is black, death, power, symphonic, progressive, battle or any other of the prefixes it acquires, on a basic level it has the same elements as all the rest – it’s metal, pure and simple. And metal is a force all of its own.
Heavy Metal is the kind of music that speaks to the outsiders and the loners, the people who never fitted in to the model society had laid out for them for any number of reasons. We all know we are set apart by being fans of metal music – we’re considered society’s outcasts as a whole because we dare to follow the music that doesn’t confirm to the prescribed format, and doesn’t set out to please the masses. Metal is as it is, you take it or you leave it, and if you don’t like the message it gives out, well then, don’t listen. And that is the attitude of a united front.
So why are we splitting ourselves up even further into silly factions of what’s “true” and what isn’t? Surely all the music which falls under the bracket of “metal”, like it or not, is speaking on the same level?
What a lot of people don’t accept is that metal, by its nature as a type of music, is also an art form. Art and music both have to change, they have to grow and evolve with time. Those that don’t frankly just don’t last long. Moving with the times can sometimes mean commercial success on a given level. But wait! That’s not metal, that’s selling out!
I hate to break this to the True Metal Elitists out there, but if metal didn’t have any viable commercial success at all, there would be no albums, no metal club nights, no live gigs and definitely no festivals. And what, pray tell, would be the point of that? Yes, the message would still be there loud and clear – but a message is there to be shouted from the rooftops and heard by anyone who will listen, not to be hidden away to die unheard?
If heavy metal had no commercial success at all, if it had died on its feet back in the days of the mighty Black Sabbath, then think of what we would be missing from our lives, and think of the unspoken numbers of people that metal reached out to and helped, who wouldn’t ever have received that comfort because there was no success and therefore, frankly, no music. For example, what’s wrong with a Grammy for Best Metal Performance? The bands we love are artists at the end of the day, and they deserve some kind of recognition by the masses for their dedication and brilliance.
Put in that context, is commercial viability really so “not metal?”
All these silly things are splitting the metal fan base apart for no good reason – society by its very nature would do that job quite happily for us, so why are we doing it for them?
If we’re a community of outcasts, as Mr Dunn suggests in his film, isn’t it about time we banded together again and acted like a one?
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4 comments:
You know, we had a similar conversation in class today. We were talking about our work placements and one lady had gone to a self-employed local artist who charges the stupendously cheap amount of £20 to come to her home and work on any art project you like, with a free supply of tea and coffee, not to mention paints and other art materials. I think the only other thing she charges for is the paper (50p). She'll also teach you specific techniques you want to learn as well as being on hand to help you in other ways.
Those who met her say she radiates joy and is a wonderful person to be around, so giving and enthusiastic, but this was met with cynicism from a few people - as if a 'real artists' wouldn't charge of she was that nice!
What crap. Altruism doesn't pay the bills and she's way cheaper that a lot of 'art days' you sign up for. I can't stand that silly notion that something or someone can't be genuine if they charge for their time and materials or try to make a living from it, weather it's painting or music.
I can remember when I first got into metal, where I'd walk down the street and get a smile and a nod when I walked passed a fellow metaller. But I've found in recent years, that there is a LOT of elitism, and not just in the Steel City. It's a widespread issue.
People just aren't as friendly or respectful of each other as they used to be, and I'm still pondering the reasons why.
I'm one of these really annoying people that starts talking to random people in the queues. I can't help myself! I like interacting with my fellow metaller, discussing the greatness of the band we're about to see, remembering the last tour we saw them on etc. But there seems to be fewer people wanting to interact.
It's not just the elitism that seems to push people away. I just can't seem to put my finger on what it is...
In the arts there is always a sense of elitism - not just in Metal. The same goes for Rap, Poetry, painters, authors, etc etc. And lots of other things too, such as the computer, sailing and motorbike worlds.
In a sense, metal is meant to be anti-commercial to a degree - that's why half its fan base listened to it in the first instance as angry angst teenagers. Now that the hiphop kid down the road has started listening to that awesome band you discovered before they were famous kind of takes away the specialty. You can no longer go on and on about how awesome they are - because everyone knows it.
And there are two factions, really. You get the true metal fans (I use the word "true" loosely) who will love metal until they are on a zimmerframe. And you get the MTV/Kerrang/Scuzz kids who listen to the current "metal" (I use that word loosely, too) band who are all the rage, and only while the rage lasts. Black Metal in general is somewhat of an elitist genre (not always) though, and there's usually a competition to see who can listen to the most obscure band from an Icelandic cave.
Elitism doesn't really make sense however, but I think most people tend to get a touch of it now and again.
Some very good points here. And I also refer to Hannah's post above, a lot of metalheads are very rude and seem to act in a holier than thou sort of attitude, even towards other metalheads. this pisses me off, personally.
However, you also find some metalheads that are still true to their brethren, and are happy to have a chat in line at a gid or whatever. I recall waiting in line for Opeth and having a whole group of people I didn't know prior to the evening all chatting about the band, and other related stuff. it was great, but doesn't happen quite enough I think.
Many fans are also very picky about bands. If I'm a fan of Opeth and they hate the band. I'm an outcast, even if I do listen to, and appreciate Gorgoroth like they do. I don't get it.
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