BY CHRIS ROBBINS
A lot of people today enjoy the love songs of country or the fun upbeat songs of hip hop, however I have always enjoyed what I believe is the most underappreciated form of music out there, heavy metal.
People are quick to judge heavy metal for being screaming nonsense that only the angriest people in society listen to when that is simply not the case. Heavy metal is one of the most diverse genres of music with loving fans that foster an awesome community.
Ever since I was a kid my dad had always listened to heavy metal, so it was something I heard often in the car. As I grew older, I found myself going back to it as it was something I realized that I loved.
My dad introduced me to his favorite band Slipknot, who he discovered in 1999 when their first big album came out. They remain our favorite band till this day and it’s something my dad and I bond over.
I’m not saying heavy metal is for everyone, but I think people have a lot of preconceived notions about heavy metal and all I ask is for people to give it a chance.
Heavy metal has a reputation of being violent and rebellious which at one time may have been true. People are turned away by the loud music and the mosh pits at concerts before they ever really give it a chance.
In my experience a heavy metal concert isn’t any more dangerous than a country concert. Every concert and live sporting events are bound to have a fight or two but, in my experience, heavy metal performers are the quickest to stop them.
My dad and I went to a Slipknot concert when I was 16 and before they came on, a Dutch heavy metal band named Volbeat played. During one of their songs a fight broke out and lead singer Michael Poulsen stopped the band and did not resume until the man who started the fight was thrown out.
You would think as a kid that young at a heavy metal concert I would get a lot of weird looks but all I got was lots of people high fiving and fist bumping me saying how they love to see such young fans. Some of the nicest people I have ever met are big heavy metal fans so people judging those who like it is simply unfair.
The other problem people have is how all the music is just screaming when that is far from true. Several heavy metal bands have made covers of famous songs like Five Finger Death Punch’s cover of Bad Company and Disturbed’s cover of The Sound of Silence.
There is also a lot of comedic heavy metal like a band that makes heavy metal covers of pop songs and a band that made a song using only swears. Heavy metal has a lot of wrinkles to it but most people won’t give it a chance.
All I ask is that if people give heavy metal a chance they might fall in love with it like I did. It is truly a special genre of music that I would love more people to give a try.
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