Metal confronts what we’d rather ignore.

Metal celebrates what we’d often deny.

Metal indulges in what we fear the most.

And that’s why, metal will always be a culture of the outsiders!

When these words were said by Sam Dunn during the ending of the Metal documentary, “Metal : A Headbanger’s Journey”, I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I was introduced to metal by my father at the age of 12 or so, if you exclude my years of classic rock and classic metal. My first three metal bands being Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. Ironically enough, it was this very father who beat me up (understandably so, anyone would get pissed off if their son listened to death metal at the age of 12 especially if that person does not understand death metal) and deleted every song from my Ipod that had explicit language in it because he caught me listening to Cannibal Corpse back in 8th grade.

And today, I walk around proud, wearing my Butchered At Birth t-shirt in the open. People stare, and some even wonder if I’m some kind of antisocial being. But all I do, is laugh. Anyone else would try and say that they’re normal, just like the rest. But we, metalheads? We are one of a kind, and I’m proud of that.

Listening to Cannibal Corpse doesn’t make me antisocial at all, and neither am I glorifying these subjects. Listening to death metal is just like an audio version of a horror movie, with music in it, and either way, nobody is naive enough to believe in it or take it seriously. Although, there are exceptions of metal actually causing havoc in the society, *cough* Varg *cough*. But can anybody name something which has no alter-ego to it?

If metal SPEAKS about killing and such things, there is religion that actually DOES it in the name of god! In my country, people hurt themselves and “sacrifice” animals just to seek salvation? Salvation is something where one can get only in utopia. Preservation from destruction and evil is inevitably impossible in this world, and like Dio would say,

The world is full of Kings and Queens

Who blind your eyes then steal your dreams

…it’s Heaven and Hell, oh well

And THAT is what we aren’t afraid to accept! Irrespective of whether one believes in Satan or God, one should accept the fact of life, which includes the dark things that the society out there neglects. In a world filled with bigger problems like corruption, religious exploitation, and much more, Metal is made to be just another scapegoat whereas that same finger should be pointed right at yourself! In this hypocritical world, the majority just flocks in, like sheep in the herd. Thus, remaining a coward.

Metal, on the contrary, has saved many lives. For millions out there, it is their fuel to drive past the day. This kind of music accepts the world the way it is. It is all about opening people’s eyes to the truth. I personally connect with metal music because of its uniqueness, its bold musicality and lyrical themes, its immense versatility and diversity, and to top it all, the vast outlook on how to interpret things, that is solely based upon your mindset. With a million subgenres to juggle around, metal easily reigns as the most diverse genre ever! So I could go on has to how metal is one of the most beautiful things I have ever come across but if I had someone put a gun to my head to make it short, I’d say,

“Listening to metal music is like the most adventurous, deep and meaningful voyage filled with umpteen discoveries that the world outside will never unveil.”

And with that, I’m open to listening to any kind of metal music as long as it has the spirit, and zest in it to make it what metal music is now. Your opinion about metal might not have changed by reading this article, and if not, I really don’t care. But if you really are interested in exploring metal music, worry not, for you have the rest of your life to explore the largest sea in the world, the sea of metal. I would like to conclude by taking an excerpt from the same movie I started with,

“Ever since I was 12 years old, I had to defend my love for heavy metal against those who say it’s a less valid form of music. My answer now is that you either feel it or you don’t. If metal doesn’t give that overwhelming surge of power that make the hair stand up at the back of your neck, you might never get it, and you know what? That’s okay, because judging by the 40,000 metalheads around me we’re doing just fine without you.”

NOTE – I have NOT written this article with an aim to glorify myself as a human, but just to merely make the common man understand metal. We are all equal. Cheers.

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