Why yes its Thursday again, and I sincerely apologize for missing last week’s entry; but this week I’m BACK! Excited? Maybe? Anyway this week I’m going to give my insight on why we are all so dedicated to metal music, and give you a little window into why I’m so ridiculously engulfed in this style of music.
First off let’s face it, metal isn’t the most popular thing on this planet. Sure there are huge festivals and sold out concerts but compared to other variances of music, there really isn’t any competition. Given in the 1980’s, there was a time when metal did indeed rival the more acceptable genres, but let’s face it Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Judas Priest had / have nothing on the likes of Micheal Jackson, Tina Turner, and other various pop stars of that time period. So it really begs the question, why? WHY are there so many people worldwide into this form of music? WHY are people so dedicated to it? WHY do we choose this extreme and usually off-putting music when most of humanity prefers something else?
I can’t speak for every metalhead, but I can let you into why I, Mr. Fritz, choose this style of music over most other forms. Now first things first, metal music isn’t the only music I’m into, and sparing you a huge list of different artists, let’s say my tastes are extremely varied. I can go from the dirtiest blackened thrash to Nirvana then over to The Pixies and then right back into some ugly death metal. As much as I love other music, metal is something I hold very dear to my heart. What draws me to it is rather simple really; it’s the passion, the honesty, the energy, the riffs, the speed, and the overall ugliness of the genre. I’m a really passionate person and I love to feel the passion and pure love of something. I love the fact that I can put on an album from any band and feel the emotion, the drive, the energy, and most importantly the honesty. There isn’t much money in metal, and the fact that so many bands put everything into a genre that yields a small return is admirable. I HIGHLY respect this, and feel it’s my duty to give back to these bands in any way that I can.
Getting a little deeper, being a humongous thrash metal fan I’ve found I’m drawn to its energy and riffing. For me, there really is nothing like waking up in the morning throwing on a random thrash album and being completely assaulted with blazing fast tempos and catchy riffs. I prefer this over caffeine and cigarettes any day. [well maybe not cigarettes] I just feel it. When I mean feel it, I mean I can physically feel the music. Sometimes if it’s a band I really enjoy, I get the chills travelling down my spine when those riffs are just oh so satisfying. It’s really a tremendous
thing. This is probably the main reason I listen to what I do, because few things in this world grant me that same gratification. It really is tremendous.
Other factors of worth are the fact that I love the ugliness in metal, especially the ugliness on display in the most putrid of blackened thrash. I can’t really put it into words, but it’s something about that guitar tone and mayhem-inducing riffage that just appeals to me so much. Maybe it’s because subconsciously I feel that metalheads and metal music is maligned, and dirtier forms of metal somehow echo that feeling? I don’t know, but that’s my guess.
Another big factor that fuels my metallic love is cover art. Simply put, I LOVE IT! My favorite style of cover art is that real cheesy 80’s-esque
comic-booky thrash art. I’ve found myself just staring at various covers, and being engulfed by its aura. Even band logos are pretty damn cool, and same goes with the t-shirts. I’ve always loved how thrash artists depict thrashers as tall, muscular, wearing the tightest of jeans, and shirts. It’s so cheesy that it’s beyond awesome. Really. How awesome is this cover?
Albeit my reasons for liking metal have changed over the years, but now that I’m much older than when I first discovered all of this, it’s really become apparent that … I L.O.V.E. this music, and maybe I love it a bit too much. But it is interesting how the “why” evolves over time. Mine changed big time as the years went on. I went from being an angst-ridden teen that hated the world and loved the anger and negative energy metal usually encompasses, but now it’s more than that, much more than that. I still listen to thrash metal as much now as I did then, but now I’m less angry and thankfully less angsty, but I still love it as much then as I do now; maybe even more so now then back then. Either way, I can assure you that I am indeed a metal addict.
Mark my words; I will be that guy in the nursing home headbanging, and of course the coolest one there. I will always be captivated by this music, and that’s a very good thing.
