Misconceptions of the Heavy Metal Culture

As what is quite possibly the most stereotypical genre of music in the world, Heavy Metal often comes under fire from people who do not understand it. Heavy Metal is often viewed as virtually devoid of intellect (the ‘all noise and no brains’ stereotype), but many artists are extremely intelligent. A surprisingly large number of musicians are compared to and inspired by great authors; in fact, Heavy Metal is quite possibly the type of music most closely connected to literature.

However, the stereotype is not entirely untrue. Some subgenres and musicians do focus mainly on noise and include little to no complex thought. This is limited to certain sections of the Metal culture which are generally dominated by young, angry people who play loud, angry music. While there is nothing wrong with this type of music (it can actually be quite entertaining), it is obviously not exceedingly intellectual. To avoid appearing biased, one must consider all aspects of the genre.

Grindcore, which derives its name from the guitar method of grinding up and down the strings rather than strumming across them, is one style that focuses heavily on noise and speed. Some Grindcore bands that defy the ste

The last major style that fits the “no brains” stereotype is Thrash. Popular in the 1980’s, Thrash is quite possibly the best example of stereotypical Metal. For a brief period in the mid-1980’s, Thrash made its way into the mainstream, with bands such as Testament, Guns N’ Roses and Life of Agony leading the pack. The goal of Thrash bands is often to play music as loud, fast and heavy as they can. Since during this period Metal came into the mainstream, people may have heard Thrash metal and generalized the sound to that of the whole genre. This generalization is incorrect, however.

By far the most complex band in existence, Tool has written some amazing songs, not only praised for their intricate drumwork and uncharacteristic clean vocals (without distortion or growling), but also for the deep meanings hidden in their songs. Each song has its own story and set of questions, and if one is interested in learning about Tool, they can easily spend hours trying to comprehend them (Akhtar, “Tool FAQ”).

The most important band in this revolution is Fear Factory, who have been molding Sci-Fi Metal since the early 1990’s. Their most industrious work to date is their Obsolete album, which actually contained a novella in the liner notes, and the lyrics to the songs were parts of the story. Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell wrote the entire story himself, and went into great detail. The first lines of the story are: “Fade from black into a tungsten-lit room. The walls are the texture of rust, and the color of dried blood.” Throughout the album, the macabre vision of America in the year 2076 becomes almost real. Though Fear Factory is considered the pioneers of Sci-Fi Metal, they are far from the only band in the genre.

Another skilled Grindcore band is Deicide, whose lyrics are an attempt to promote Satanism. One of their more popular songs is entitled “I Am No One,” and the lyrics are very intricate and even compelling. Though one may not agree with the band’s views, the listener will find it hard to deny that the song writing is smart and to the point. There are other bands that do not fit the “all noise and no brains” stereotype. One that stands out, perhaps even more so than the aforementioned, is Skinlab.

Bands such as Biohazard, Soulfly, System of a Down and Dying Fetus are the outstanding politically savvy bands of recent years. Though most artists address politics at one point or another in their career, these bands focus on them almost completely. Biohazard has recorded many songs about the social classes (New World Disorder). Soulfly uses their music to condemn the murder of a friend in their song “First Commandment,” utilizing the law to judge the killer (Soulfly). System of a Down is made up of four Armenians who believe the system works, but are disgusted by how it works. They voice their discontentment very blatantly in “Prison Song,” which has many messages about the overflowing prison system as well as propagandizing the country with ‘pseudo-justice’ (Toxicity). Lastly, Dying Fetus clearly states that they are anarchists, as well as critics of every aspect of the American political system. Their songs include “Reduced to Slavery,” a song that proclaims that all our laws are suffocating us and turning us into slaves, and “Killing on Adrenaline” which offers a satirical ‘war is fun’ lecture (Killing on Adrenaline). Anyone who criticizes their beliefs will have to be able to back up th

Some topics in this essay:
Heavy Metal, Death Metal, Marilyn Manson, Atlantis Ascendant, Life Agony, Dying Fetus, Sci-Fi Metal, Cryptopsy Grindcore, Skinlab Skinlab’s, Alice Chains, heavy metal, death metal, metal bands, sci-fi metal, metal culture, science fiction, type music, fear factory, ‘all noise brains’, brains’ stereotype, dying fetus, death metal bands, noise brains’ stereotype, heavy metal culture,