When I talk to metal heads, especially the fans of the more aggressive genres of metal, the first thing I ask them is, “Why do you like this kind of metal music?” I would say that 90% of the time I get the answer, “Because it’s aggressive and it makes me feel good to get my frustrations out.” I always found this answer interesting and while I totally understand it, it’s an aspect of being a heavy metal fan that I couldn’t (and still can’t) relate to. I’ve never really been a fan of overly aggressive, angry metal; death metal and whatnot. Connecting with the speed and aggression of metal is a way for some to exorcise the demons and free themselves of frustrating. While I don’t connect in that way personally, I can see why it does appeal to people, especially a younger generation. For me it was never about that.
When I was in high school, I knew a lot of kids who loved the more aggressive metal music. Cannibal Corpse was a new-ish band bringing their heavy death metal to the scene while even bands like Death, Slayer, and Sepultura were appealing to a lot of these kids. The live shows of these bands were a place for these kids to go let out their aggressions. All of the pent up anger and frustration could be let out in the mosh pit as kids ran around in circles pummeling the shit out of each other. The mosh pit was the place where it all got let out but in good fun (most of the time). I personally wasn’t one for the mosh pit or even connecting with the aggressive nature of heavy metal music. My love for heavy metal music wasn’t rooted in looking for a way to channel and/or let out any aggression. My love for metal came from a whole other angle.
I guess you could say that while I wasn’t connecting with the aggressive nature of metal music, personally I was connecting with metal as a form of escape from the day to day bullshit hassle of being a fat kid loner. Much like the metal kids who had the mosh pit and the aggressiveness of the bands they loved to channel their anger and frustration, I opted more for the escapism of the lyrics and the melody of metal music. I found solace, comfort, and acceptance in the lyrics to a lot of these metal songs. When I listened to Dio, I knew what it was like to be “The Last in Line” and a “Rainbow in the Dark.” When I listened to Twisted Sister, it was cool to be “me.” Really? “I Am, I’m Me!” Fuck yes. When I listened to Grim Reaper, “See you in hell my friend!” I mean, these guys were singing were just singing to me but they were speaking to me and for me.
Suddenly, I found myself not caring what those fuckers at school though of me because now I didn’t feel alone. It was also something to grasp that these guys were grownups who seemed to not just understand me but they sympathized with me. They were me at one time so of course they got it. Listening to these “old” dudes singing these songs gave me the fuel that I needed to make it through life. If these people understood me and they didn’t even know me and they were grownups, than all of the sudden I had a chance at making it through it all unscathed.
Even to this day, I find myself looking to metal music as my escape. The lyrics, the melodies, the music, the vocals, everything about it is what I look for. I still don’t connect with that aggressive aspect of metal music but the older I get, the more I understand as to why so many people connect with the aggressive side of metal music. Regardless of what aspect of metal you do connect with, it just reminds me what a multi faceted kind of music metal is. So many people can take away something different from the same song and that right there is some powerful stuff.
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