Conflicted About Listening to Metal
I've mentioned before on this blog that I like all types of music including metal. I wouldn't call myself a 'metal head' per se, but I do like listening to it. I guess there are a few reasons why I haven't fully devoted myself to metal and why I'm mostly just a musical sponge that absorbs any type of music just because I love it.Metal mainly turns me away for three key reasons.
-it's for men.
-Not only men but angry white men.
-I'm pretty sure a good bit of metal fans are racist-and aggresive.
I suppose this is why I've still never been to a real 'metal concert'. (As well as the reason not alot of black females or black people in general are interested in metal)I've been to tons of concerts but they've mostly been indie rock, alternative, goth/industrial, and avant-garde but never metal because honest to goodness I'm terrified of being heckled and no one defending me or being lynched and raped on the spot. Now, not that I'm stereotyping all metal fans-I did say a few post ago that metal heads can be some of the nicest people-which they can. But men in large groups with aggresive music are dangerous in no matter any environment-its that pack mentality.
So naturally, its conflicting. Why do I like a type of music that potentionally doesn't like or appreciates me and would just mock me for liking it. Well, thats why I listen to metal at a distance and only a few people actually know that I listen to alot of the-ahem-heavier stuff. No, I'm not ashamed of anything I listen to-but people already think I'm strange in general so I don't want to add ammunition to their guns.
Another issue is that if I really wanted to start a band-or be in a metal band, I suppose all I can expect is the same treatment that any black female in a genre of music that isn't specifically molded for her gets treated. I'll get called either novelty, something 'different', or be labeled 'R&B' anyways even if I don't do that type of music-but just because I'm black. *sigh*
Do I belong in the metal world?
You tell me.
Comments
-Not only men but angry white men.
-I'm pretty sure a good bit of metal fans are racist-and aggresive."
I've come across very few racist metalheads. Also, I can connect to metal despite being a black female, not a white male. I think your three points are very stereotypical and misled.
Of course I connect to metal as well, or else I would not write a blog about the subject (which I believe I stated earlier in an entry as well.
These are MY OWN general opinions. I'm not saying you have to agree-but atleast respect my 'stereotypical and misled' opinions.
Don't let them tell you "you don't belong" it's racist and sexist.
Depending upon the particular sub genre you may encounter Mosh Pits, of course, but that is it.
PS: This is coming from a white, male, old school Metalhead who knows quite a lot of women who are also into Metal. At least one of them is the kind of woman you may find in the middle of the front row at a Slayer gig...
"lynched and gang raped on the spot"
"men in large groups with aggressive music are dangerous"
I feel like you just took a big crap in my mouth... white male metalheads listening to aggressive music are not dangerous, are not rapists, and do not lynch people.
It's nice to know you think so highly of us.
I didn't mean to crap in yours or anyone's mouth but seriously males of any race are more likely to act violent in a group-thus mob mentality.
Yeah I understand the mob mentality thing, I've just never seen violence at the shows I've been at, (Opeth, Meshuggah, Psycroptic) not to mention, the death toll at Wacken, (the biggest longest heavy metal festival in the world, attracting around 80,000 people each year) is almost zero, so statistically you're more likely to die on the way to a metal concert than you are actually at the concert.
oh sorry! No I haven't actually been to Wacken, I was just using it as an example, but the most rowdy/aggressive concert I've ever been to was Pantera in 2001 (RIP Dimebag) and that was the first heavy metal concert I'd ever been to, so when the supporting acts were through and Pantera actually started playing, it was a whole different crowd, constantly pushing in all directions, it made me claustrophobic, and I actually fell down a couple of times, but even in the midst of that chaos, there was always someone courteous enough to help me back up (at the time though I thought I would get trampled!) so I though "I can't handle this" and sat up in the stands like a wuss, but the point is, there's always people helping you get back up, so it's a healthy constructive kind of aggression, if there is such a thing...
I've seen Opeth 3 times, they're fantastic, the last one was particularly good (even though I had the flu, which sucked pretty bad) because they had an excellent venue.
"men in large groups with aggressive music are dangerous"
Exactly why I'll never enter a black neighborhood if I could help it.
Hey, I'm allowed my prejudices and opinions like everyone else, right?
The generalizations I was using in this entry was to highlight the black community's opinion on metal AS A WHOLE and not my own.
Sorry for the late response.
I hope you can help to change the black community view on metal beacuse is dead wrong!
I´ve been to hundreds of metal conserts and many festivals through the years in skandinavia, Germany and U.S.A.. Seen everything from classic hardrock to death metal. Not once have I seen any violence of sorts. You will meet more angry racist aggressiv idiots when you go out drinking with your friends than on any metal consert.
You should see the documentary "Global Metal" that shows how big metal is all around the world.
I would love to see more black girls at the metal conserts and festivals because just like Lemmy in Motörhead I love black girls.