Question to heavy metal listeners

[pearl]

When I tell people I listen to heavy metal music, they act as if I offended them and they act angry. My question is, what kind of reactions do you receive, when people learn you listen to heavy metal music?

I personally do not listen to heavy metal, but my grandson is a fantastic drummer and that' all he plays.

 

[Father Heathen]

 

[Shadow Wolf]

When I tell people I listen to heavy metal music, they act as if I offended them and they act angry. My question is, what kind of reactions do you receive, when people learn you listen to heavy metal music?

In Indiana I heard vastly more of people ridiculing certain types of metal as if it applies to all metal (like the vocal styles of someone like Cannibal Corpse).
In California I hear more varying degrees of like and dislike, with the dislike tending to revolve around a threshold of heaviness. But in California there is a huge array of musical variety and people liking it.

 

[Father Heathen]

In Indiana I heard vastly more of people ridiculing certain types of metal as if it applies to all metal (like the vocal styles of someone like Cannibal Corpse).
In California I hear more varying degrees of like and dislike, with the dislike tending to revolve around a threshold of heaviness. But in California there is a huge array of musical variety and people liking it.

I like metal, but I'm not a big fan of cookie monster vocals or screechy vocals. To each their own, though.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

This is what's playing now. Probably one of my favorites for listening to Dimebag.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Usually indifference or questions about different bands or songs.

 

[crossfire]

When I tell people I listen to heavy metal music, they act as if I offended them and they act angry. My question is, what kind of reactions do you receive, when people learn you listen to heavy metal music?

You are obviously hanging out with the wrong people.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I like metal, but I'm not a big fan of cookie monster vocals or screechy vocals. To each their own, though.

I tend to not like the ones who sound like Pugtopsy could fill in for vocals.

 

[Erebus]

My question is, what kind of reactions do you receive, when people learn you listen to heavy metal music?

I don't need to tell people I like metal. People can usually tell I do just by looking at me.

It was only ever really a problem for me in my teens. Chav became fashionable for a while* so anybody with a hint of metalhead, goth or emo about them could expect trouble. As an adult, the worst I've gotten is the occasional dirty look from elderly women but even that's rare.


*Some people will tell you that the word "chav" is a slur against the UK working class. I would challenge that notion by pointing to the upper-middle class kids who started wearing tracksuits and calling themselves gangsters.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I would challenge that notion by pointing to the upper-middle class kids who started wearing tracksuits and calling themselves gangsters.

Ali G? Lmao!

 

[Erebus]

Ali G? Lmao!

Pretty much.

I remember one occasion where some of the middle class chavs from my school went to Moss Side (one of the not so nice parts of Manchester) to hang out with other gangsters. Didn't take long for them to get beaten up and robbed.

I sometimes like to take a moment to imagine how that scene would have played out. A bunch of sheltered, rural kids who were absolutely convinced that they were gangsters drove to an area that actually does have gangsters and thought they'd fit right in.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Pretty much.

I remember one occasion where some of the middle class chavs from my school went to Moss Side (one of the not so nice parts of Manchester) to hang out with other gangsters. Didn't take long for them to get beaten up and robbed.

I sometimes like to take a moment to imagine how that scene would have played out. A bunch of sheltered, rural kids who were absolutely convinced that they were gangsters drove to an area that actually does have gangsters and thought they'd fit right in.

It's looks like an Ali G interview gone very wrong, lmao.

 

[Aštra’el]

I enjoyed a huge variety of metal for a long time, before I discovered Opeth (early to mid Opeth- Orchid through Ghost Reveries), but now I just do not resonate with most metal anymore. I go in now being used to 15 minute masterpiece compositions taking me on a journey through the cosmos within, where I visualize the most awesome scenes playing out in my mind, and feel the most beautiful and terrible things simultaneously… and rarely does anything ever even come close.

Opeth- “Deliverance”

When random people hate on my music it does not affect me, because I am indifferent to them and do not value their opinion. They can believe what they want, I am not out to convince them otherwise. You either resonate or you don’t. Maybe someday you will, maybe not, but that’s not my concern.

 

[sun rise]

Sometimes I hear some heavy metal that appeals to me but it's not a focus for my musical tastes. That's true for quite a few musical genre.

 

[JustGeorge]

Sometimes I have trouble with folks understanding I only like metal or other forms of rock. I often get shown songs that don't fit that category, and surprise from people that I don't like them.

It isn't that I don't appreciate that other genres have value, or that the artists aren't talented or intelligent in their work. Its that I simply don't derive much pleasure from hearing it. There are a few exceptions(I like listening to classical music that I used to play as a kid on the cello or piano, and some religious songs), but overall, I'm much more music picky than most.

 

[ChristineM]

Pretty much.

I remember one occasion where some of the middle class chavs from my school went to Moss Side (one of the not so nice parts of Manchester) to hang out with other gangsters. Didn't take long for them to get beaten up and robbed.

I sometimes like to take a moment to imagine how that scene would have played out. A bunch of sheltered, rural kids who were absolutely convinced that they were gangsters drove to an area that actually does have gangsters and thought they'd fit right in.

I had a flat in moss side when i was at university in Manchester.. interesting times.

 

[Heyo]

When I tell people I listen to heavy metal music, they act as if I offended them and they act angry. My question is, what kind of reactions do you receive, when people learn you listen to heavy metal music?

It usually ends up in a debate where the line is between heavy metal and hard rock. I like hard rock and the metal heads want to claim the best hard rock songs as heavy metal.

 

[mangalavara]

A lot of people listen to rap music. People seem to be ok with rap. But heavy metal music? They find out you like HMM and they kill you with their look of their eyes.

When I was in school, kids thought metal was of the devil while the stuff they liked (rap) was the music of God’s people. In my least humble opinion, metal is better, be it the music of Azazel or El-Yisrael.

 

[Erebus]

I had a flat in moss side when i was at university in Manchester.. interesting times.

I lived in a few different places in Manchester as a student: Hulme, Fallowfield and directly opposite Piccadilly station. Hulme was the only area I had a problem in and that was a burglary so nobody got hurt. I wouldn't want to live in Moss Side.

I definitely wouldn't want to go to Moss Side and start telling people I'm a gangster

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I don't need to tell people I like metal. People can usually tell I do just by looking at me.

Ya know, I feel confident about that with me but people still.get confused. Like the guy who asked me about Judas Priest, I feel he may need to get glasses, lol. But Metallica? Mercyful Fate? I cannot possibly get on more black and still look good (like I cannot pull off black lipstick). And then people ask me about Alice in Chains, STP and even Elton John and Billy Joel. And all I can think is common!
Guitar people are about the only ones who consistently see it, especially if Zeppelin or the Doors are mentioned. Everybody else, I don't know what they see but it's not what I see.