Metal Elitism - Elitism Of The Genre Over Others
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Original post
Posted by Zealot644, 25.08.2011 - 02:22
Nowadays I'll listen to almost any subgenre of metal with my favorite's being Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, and Djent if you consider it a subgenre ^^ and then my earlier years favorite of Metalcore now sitting along the bottom because it has been 'mainstreamed' through the overabundance of scene bands nowadays. Either way I'll listen and appreciate prettymuch every subgenre of metal (even though subgenres are kinda silly...it helps you find what you want in the very expansive styles of Metal ^^)
I try and keep myself as open minded as possible and I try and consider many different facts about various things in life. Dont get me started on religion, space, history, psychology, or any other in depth topic that has many explanations of points of view... I love those. Anyways, I have tried to get myself to like so much music over the years from many different genres (Prettymuch heard it all) but I just cant seem to find the reasons that anyone would like 99% of music outside of metal even when I try my hardest to appreciate the talent and work behind it. I know I just stated I like to stay open minded but with music I find this impossible. Every time I hear a song on the radio (Gotta love mom's and sisters who eat that garbage up) I cringe at how awful it is because every single song is about love/drugs/money/girls/cheating/etc and nothing ever changes. It's always the same typical lyrics and style with a CHART TOPPING HIT that lasts about a week before the next big thing rolls in. I mean do NONE of the listeners of mainstream music ever think for themselves and realize "Wow, this sounds like the chart topper last week. I swear they have the same everything" ... *NEW HIT SINGLE FEAT. INSERT GENERIC RAP ARTIST HERE*. Ugh. I hate mainstream the most because it hasnt been original since 20+ years ago (Huge thanks to MTV and the likes for putting it in the state it is in) because music has degenerated from Musical Talent > to > Stage Presence And Appeal. Do you look good and have zero original talent? Get rich with making another autotuned single.
It's the same story with Rap. Or Indie music (Alternative as they like to call their awful hipster crud). Country. Electronic. Whatever other genres really...
None of them work towards coming up with something new and original. Filled with hollow and dry lyrics. Metal isnt entirely free of songs that are pointless...some of those are the best, but I think that when your entire 'genre' is composed of emptiness there is something wrong. It loses the thing that makes it music. Music is hard to define really but I feel some of the agreed definitions are about how it is an expression (Of the soul even) and a representation of a persons talent with their voice or instruments. I find 99% of music past Metal to require next to nothing in terms of these skills. While there are many people in other genres who are talented at either or both it doesnt compare anywhere close to Metal.
Anyways...I figure because music is such a personal thing that it is the reason behind me feeling Metal>All but I cannot find any reasons why other music could be considered better in any way. The only exception to this is various ambient music (Sort of like http://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2011/08/11/in-space-no-one-can-hear-you-scream-but-they-sure-as-hell-can-hear-you-rock/) that I see pop up from time to time on metal websites. Metal just has the largest variety of sounds and individual talent than any of the other genres combined. The only 100% of the time true exception to this would be true Classical music.
As much as I hate to be ignorant and beat my chest yelling "MY MUSIC IS THE BEST" can you really disagree with me that Metal....is?
| lordchadi Posts: 102  |
I think the most thing that keep metal always special is because of the lyrics thats not all about love ,,, sure there s some exceptions but we look for general ... & u can prove that when any other artist in any other genre of music do a good song thats don speak about love it become very popular & make a huge success ..
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| VloRD Posts: 113  |
I think metal-heads tend to be elitist since most other people, who don't listen to metal tend to become extremely freaked out when they are given a glimpse to it, and are not afraid to label us as "freaks". So, we become defensive and claim how metal is the most "sophisticated genre ever" and how the mainstream "lacks the musical intelligence" to appreciate it. While these statements are not entirely false, they skew the truth to the breaking point. How I see it is, people just need a little time before they can adjust their ears to the "harsh noise (as they proclaim)".
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| M C Vice ex-polydactyl Posts: 3353  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.11.2011 at 23:30 Don't forget that great line from The Blues Brothers - when asked what kind of music they usually have at Bob's, the waitress proudly states "We've got BOTH kinds. We've got Country AND Western!"
---- "Another day, another Doug." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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| Introspekrieg Totemic Lust elite Posts: 2747  |
Yes, if you think metal fans are the most loyal... you have never met a country fan. (The bane of my existence lol)
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| Necrox Posts: 103 |
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress elite Posts: 5937  |
I really have to disagree with you on this article. You say that "Every time I hear a song on the radio I cringe at how awful it is because every single song is about love/drugs/money/girls/cheating/etc and nothing ever changes." Solution? Don't listen to radio music. It's catered to a mainstream audiences who can relate to the repetitive, simplistic, and obvious themes of the music so that they can enjoy themselves without having to do any serious critical thinking to discern a message from the music. I understand how you feel, as if a lot of the music around you other than metal is shit, I used to be the same way when I was like 15, 16. But there's a ton of great music out there that goes unlooked by the mainstream eye that really is fantastic, you just have to look for it. This is especially true of underground rap: so many people listen to mainstream rap and think that that's all there is to the genre: money, bitches, cars, drugs, etc. But there are a bunch of indie rappers out there that stay true to the spirit of old hip hop and whose stuff is actually highly poetic, intelligent, and thought-provoking. Also, as some other people on here said: metal fans really aren't that loyal. There's a huge sense of elitism, especially in the death and thrash metal scenes, that if a band today doesn't sound like something put out in the 80s/early 90s, they're automatically shit. And most of those fans are so small-minded with this incredibly high standard that as soon as a band gets "softer" or changes their formula, they think they're immediately selling out and will be likely to ditch them.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Ishwa Posts: 18  |
I have had the same problem over the years. I can barely stand to listen to the radio because of all the so-called "music" that is played on it. All you really have to do though is sift through all of the rest of radio style music to find the certain acts that have real talent in what they do. Now, I am somewhat biased right off the top being a musician who prefers death metal and grindcore. I instantly hear radio type bands and can't stand it, but as you say it 's better to keep an open mind and I try to do so. In my exploits of mainstream music and the like I have found a few artists who do have true talent that I continue to listen to including: Mumford and Sons, Wolfmother, Green Day, and the new Alice in Chains stuff. All music is an opinion and of course if you don't enjoy anything else musically then maybe that's just all you need. However, talent is everywhere, it's just not always easy to recognize. And in the end, everything musically is also a personal taste. Not everyone is gonna like what I may consider to be very talented artists.
---- Ishwa
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