...and God said "Let there be METAL!!!!"

I was realizing today I haven't given much love to Metal on this blog. Apart from the short bit about "Metalocalypse." So today I'm going to talk about some metal bands who are not fictional, and examine the importance of metal in today's musical landscape.

Metal fans are as numerous and diverse as metal genres themselves. Some famous metal fans: Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, comedic actor Jack Black, stand-up comic Brian Posehn and apparently, veteran actor with a really cool voice Christopher Lee (He's putting out an album about Charlemagne! Brutal!).
Metal has seemingly come a long way from its Zeppelin/Sabbath roots. But, among the purest metal acts, there is still a stringent observance of the founding pillars of the genre:

THE FOUR PILLARS OF METAL

1)Extreme technical prowess: Metal is possibly the hardest genre of rock music to play (unless you play that wanky nu-metal crap). Zeppelin and Sabbath had a basis in the blues, but they also had a surprising amount in common with classical music. As metal has evolved it has only become more technical and complex.

2)Lyrics about weird/disturbing stuff: Metal lyrics are almost never about fluffy stuff like peace, love and understanding. They are usually about death, sex and hatred...and Hobbits. Sometimes. Other fun topics include: Vikings, Satan, Nuclear Annihilation, Cannibalism, Dragons, Antarctica, Cthulhu and whatever a "Nymphetamine" is.

3)Theatrics: Metal is not quite as over the top as say... glam rock, but it's one genre where dudes can get away with dressing like the spawn of Gene Simmons and Pinhead from "Hellraiser". Bands like Metallica, Pantera and Slayer forewent the costumes and makeup, but the music is just as overblown and insane as anything that came before. Songs with multiple key and tempo changes and blistering 2-minute guitar solos are pretty ridiculous when you think about it. But they're also what makes metal great.

4)Distaste for authority: While plenty of metal bands have signed to major labels and received radio play, Metal is still a largely anti-establishment genre. Especially in the case of Black Metal and Death Metal bands, who screech or growl their anti-social, anti-religious and morbid lyrics over mind-blowing speed-riffs. Songs frequently stretch past the 7-minute mark and rarely feature a catchy chorus or pop-hook. Yet these bands sell hundreds of thousands of albums and boast legions of loyal fans.

So, how do I square my love of metal with my love of far less brutal music? I don't know. I can't possibly explain why Kylie Minogue sits right next to Cradle of Filth in my I-tunes play-list. I'm just musically bi-polar.
But, I can explain why the metal scene is no place for me:

The Dark(er) Side of Metal.
Despite some of it's positives (a sense of community, encouraging real musical competency), metal has a number of negatives. This is true of any genre of music, but metal can be one of the hardest to defend.

1)Misogyny: Metal has never been a great place for women. That is slowly changing, but it remains a very male-dominated genre that is often guilty of treating women as sex-objects. Look, if girls want to flash their boobs at a concert, whatever. But guys at metal shows often have trouble with boundaries. There is no excuse for this. Guys need to be respectful of the women at ALL rock shows, whether they're topless or not. It's just good manners.

2)Homophobia: The word "fag" is tossed around so casually at metal shows, I don't think people even think about what they're actually saying. I don't care what you believe personally about homosexuality, when you're in mixed company, it's better not to offend. (yes I realize metal is often about offending people, but some stuff should be out of bounds). Besides, that skinny, emo-looking guy you just called a faggot likes metal too, and he just came to the show to see the band he likes, not get harassed by some douchebag in a Satyricon t-shirt.

3)Acts of Violence: I think most metal fans can agree with me on this one. Despite the dark and violent imagery in metal songs, most fans of the genre will limit their expression of brutality to mosh-pits and the occasional drunken brawl with some poseur who thinks Atreyu is way more awesome than Behemoth. But every culture has it's fringe elements, and metal's lunacy fringe can be downright terrifying. Some Black Metal fans in Scandinavia have gone as far as burning churches and murdering priests. "Dimebag" Darell of Pantera lost his life to a crazed fan who blamed him for the band's breakup. Metal shows have been rumored to include acts of animal cruelty, rape and murder. (These are often untrue and blown out of proportion by Christian watchdog groups, but I know for sure the number of women raped or people killed at metal concerts is most definitely not zero).
These acts have been condemned by the metal community at large, but are unsettling nonetheless. They've also provided much ammo for metal's critics who feel the genre encourages violence, hatred and insanity.

I only bring these negatives up because I care. I love metal, I always will. I just want to see those who love it as much as I do represent the culture a little better. Metal still doesn't get the respect it deserves, and a lot of that is due to an image that overshadows the real talent and creativity in the genre.

Now, as a parting gift here is a performance from an upcoming DVD by Swedish death metal legends; At The Gates. \m/