Image Credit: Jarle Refsnes, via Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.
CHANGE YOUR ELITIST ATTITUDE
The heavy metal community is filled with some that act superior because they believe that the music has more intricacies than other genres. This is why much of the genre sees no growth and development from a commercial and popularity standpoint.
That’s not to say that heavy metal isn’t more prominent than it might have been before given the impact platforms such as TikTok have had on the entire world of music. But it’s still not on par with other genres.
Sure, there are bands out there doing the genre justice, creating engaging and catchy songs with no unnecessary filler that push the genre forward in unique ways. Bands like Electric Callboy and Sleep Token all provide the goods in a style that goes against conventional sound by fusing multiple forms of music into their sound.
Some metal fans will tell you that these bands are simply just there to appeal to the normal music listener who doesn’t delve into what makes a song a song. The kind of people who just want to hear a banger and go on about their lives. Do you know what I say to that? Good for them! If they want to do that, it’s their prerogative. That’s a majority of music listeners, just to be clear.
Musicians are actually a part of the “music entertainment” industry rather than just the music industry. To succeed in such a business, you have to put yourself out there by innovating in a way that defies the expectations of a genre. That leads to mainstream attention.
Frankly, the metal community needs to let this happen to their favorite bands and realize that a lot of bands want to make more money and be more well-known. This mindset doesn’t apply to every metal band, of course, but I would wager that it does to a large group of them. Stop being selfish. Adopt a mindset that allows you to not only hear a wider variety of music but to enjoy it as well without it being some sort of “guilty pleasure”. There is no such thing as a guilty pleasure when it comes to music!
What Defines an Open-Minded Metal Fan?
So, now that you understand my position on the metal genre and its position in the music entertainment industry, let me show you what allows a metal fan to expand their horizons and quit acting superior to other music lovers.
It’s so hard, contrary to popular belief, to write a catchy and memorable track that sticks in the mind of the listener. But when someone can do this on a regular basis, their publicity and notoriety will skyrocket.
As I mentioned previously, bands like Electric Callboy understand this process and have lept to the forefront of mainstream success in the metal scene.
Ever since bringing Nico Sallach, their newest vocalist, into the mix, the band has become more popular than ever. Their breakout tracks “Hypa Hypa” and “WE GOT THE MOVES” both now sit at 34 million views on Youtube. And this is after the band had formed all the way back in 2010. They realized to succeed, there needed to be a change for a more entertainment-driven and catchy sound experience. Just go watch their music videos and you’ll see what I mean.
I say all of this to explain that an open-minded metal fan will hear music from any genre and not immediately write it off as contrived, cliche, or rehashed if they have the right understanding of what constitutes great music.
It’s not complex time signatures, unintelligible lyrics, or being heavy for the sake of being heavy. It’s the memorability and entertainment value brought to the table by an artist or band that truly makes music great.
Don’t get me wrong I love the metal bands that are truly underground. But for the small vocal group of elitists out there, don’t be a hater of popular musicians. They are successful for a reason.