Doesn't that sound like the title of a 4th grade essay? At least it would be an awesome 4th grade essay!
I got into heavy metal when I was 18 years old when I went to some concerts during the summer of 2008. I had never even heard of Metallica, I was that far under the proverbial rock. I had previously been a fan of hard rock and classic radio rock, so it wasn't that far of a leap. And I still like that music (along with a potpurri of other things), but metal is most definitely my favorite genre. And the coolest genre!
I love metal because it makes me feel powerful. There were times in my life where I felt very weak, and was told I was weak, which was not true. It makes me feel like a kickass strong woman. At the same time, I feel that metal takes time to recognize pain, rather than ignore it. This is not new- the blues certainly recognized unfortunate events!- but I love the dual nature of the broken self and the dominant self that Rafalovich (who we read in class) talked about. It's like dark chocolate- the bitterness makes the piece taste that much richer. As someone who feels like she's been screwed over at some points in her life, I really admire the way metal deals with real life.
I love the experience of the metal concerts. I'm not really a mosher (for god's sake I'm five feet tall!), but I love the energy among the crowd and the collective camaraderie of being part of a subculture. Even if I can't even see the musicians, I can Feel the music. The Judas Priest concert I went to with Chris was one of the times I felt most alive.
Speaking of which, metal is one of those things that helps me build self confidence. I used to feel like an idiot banging my head and was very very worried about doing it wrong or looking stupid. Metal, in making me feel empowered, has helped me go "who gives a shit!" and do what I want to do for once. I have always felt like I was on the outside looking in, and when I'm banging my head, I don't.
The sound is obviously a huge factor too. Riffs! Power chords! Virtuosity! All I can think of here is that when I first heard some Metallica I thought to myself "wow! This is what I had wished other music would sound like but I didn't know existed!".
I'm sure there's a gazillion more things I love about heavy metal, but I'm drawing a blank.
I don't really know alot about heavy metal. But I know that metal absolutely electrifies my soul. And it's pretty fucking awesome.
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