A metal head is the kind of guy I want watching my back. They aren’t afraid to get knocked around a little, usually smarter than most, and they have the biggest hearts.
Of course, there are exceptions, but that’s the general vibe I get from the metal heads I’ve met.
There’s the old joke that metalheads are nice people pretending to be mean, while hippies are mean people pretending to be nice.
I don’t know about hippies, but this comic is pretty accurate for Metalheads (except many times we also take stupid grimace fotos xD):
Well the hippies are boomers… soooo…
I’ve been going to metal and adjacent shows and festivals for decades.
Metal fans are everything and everyone. There exists no stereotype that any one fan could fully fit.
- The lawyer with more money than sense.
- The family of 3 with their toddler wearing ear protection.
- The guy who looks like he just got done mucking a horse stall.
- The boomers who will tell you about the first time they saw Ozzy without it even being brought up.
- The smokers and the tokers.
- The guy who just escaped the office and doesn’t care what people think of his clothes.
- The visitors who are not really into the music but they love an opener or swore they would see the headliner if they ever got the chance.
For the most part, people are accepting of everyone. There are a few people who are less hospitable. Usually kids who have an idea of the culture that is not instep with reality. Typically they learn, one way or another.
Based on experience, they tend to be people with a tough exterior but with the kindest hearts.
The nicest people in the world cosplaying as the meanest.
My perception is that they are people. I know lots of different people that listen to metal and have nothing else in common.
Metalheads I’ve known 20yrs ago vs now? Still generally lovely, kind and welcoming people. They can look fierce but I’d go to them in a crisis.
Speaking as one, the majority are decent people but there is a minority who are openly fash and a sadly growing amount who tolerate fash bands cos the riffs are good.
Fuck Ivan Moody, i loved motograter’s sound but the five finger death punch turn and then subsequent military fallatiating killed him for me
I feel this one hard, I loved his Ghost Machine stuff too. Can’t do FFDP…
Even though none of motorhead’s members are nazis, I believe the blatant Nazi image to be in terrible taste.
Sure, they may not believe in them, but they are indirectly promoting and normalizing them. It disconnects the symbols from their historical context and association. It taints the image of metal as a whole which saddens me a lot.
To be perfectly clear, I’m OK with Nazi imagery in movies and games but only within the context of the setting.
I was a metal performer for years. And the diversity of walks of life that show up to shows is awesome. They are there to be entertained and get that energy out. It’s a connection point. Everyone knows what it’s like to feel irrationally angry and need to vent it.
Metalheads know this and relate to each other that way.
But trying to convince me that Rush is metal will get you locked out of the studio you fuckin knob.
Rush? Definitely not
But also if Metallica is still real ‘metal’ these days I’ll be falling asleep at the Drumset or sneaking out of the studio to go play sim city 3000
Not a perception as such, but as a metalhead too I wonder what their gateway band was or who they might listen to that I’m unfamiliar with. General intrigue really.
Makes me wonder if those who favour other genres think the same.
Ah jeez, what can I say but 12 years old is the perfect time to be given a Megadeth album. I think it was Capitol Punishment.
In my experience, pretty cool people I happen to be one of them, I will say though, there is a lot of elitism in the metal community.
From my experiences on elitism, it’s really half and half. Some people really are kinda elitist but a lot are only elitist in a very satirical manner.
A lot of metal heads I’ve known don’t use drugs or alcohol and some of them are vegans.
Metal heads are generally kind people that I can get along with easily. Just watch for tattoos around black metal fans
Last year i learned about their running in circles dance. I watched a bunch of videos on it. Now everytime my son goes to a show i need a report on the dancing and random antics.
Aaah yes, circle pits are amazing. A wall of death is scary at first, but also a lot of fun. Forming a Conga line through the whole crowd is always a huge party.
I listen to some metal among a lot of other music, wouldn’t really call myself a metalhead but I have a lot of friends who are
I’m in my 30s, been a lot of metalheads in my friend group since middle or high school, don’t really see that changing any time soon. Overall I like metalheads, under the gruff-looking exteriors most of them are big marshmallows, and overall pretty intelligent people.
There’s a handful of assholes, racists, some people whose main interest in metal is that they like to be too rough in the mosh pit, etc. but the majority of metalheads I’ve met hate their guts. And like with all subcultures, fandoms, etc. there are some who are annoying pretentious pricks about it but are essentially harmless.
