500 Words On The Philosophy Of Metalheads | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

500 Words On The Philosophy Of Metalheads

Scream for me cyberworld...SCREAM FOR ME CYBERWORLD!

220
500 Words On The Philosophy Of Metalheads
imgur.com

The world of hard rock and heavy metal is vast, and its citizens are often seen as a certain breed of obscure. They live on the margin of the musical world, and typically they like it there. Metalheads confront evil in the world every five minutes listening to songs such as “Metal Gods” by Judas Priest which depicts a world run by man-made sentient robots or “ Peace Sells ” by Megadeth proclaiming unrelenting individuality as the only way to fix the problems of conformity. Hard rock and heavy metal scream about what is wrong in the world and in ourselves. They confront what they see as unjust and look optimistically toward a future without prejudice. Progressive hard rock band Rush see a future with less cruelty in 1977’s “Closer to the Heart”:

“Philosophers and ploughmen, each must know his part

To sew a new mentality closer to the heart.”

Metalheads do not fear what appears evil (some even feign alignment with it, though this isn’t often the case), but they know what it looks like. It does not look like the devil: listening to Iron Maiden’s “ Number of the Beast” does not make a person evil. It does not look like Metallica’s sandman. Metalheads are aware of their imperfections and tend to be observant of others’. They are often critical of peoples’ lack of awareness in this regard and are not afraid to say something about it:

“I’m ripped across the ditch and settled in the dirt, and I’m

I wear you like a stitch yet I’m the one who’s hurt

Pay attention to your twisted little indiscretions

I’ve got no right to win I’m just caught up in all the battles”

Before I Forget” — Slipknot


“I don’t want to believe I’m empty and I don’t want to admit I’m wrong,

I don’t want to regret who I’ve become, where I belong—I’m an American capitalist.”

American Capitalist” — Five Finger Death Punch

Breaking the law, breaking the law. Breaking the law BREAKING THE LAW!

This analytical tone is often the one used in heavy metal. It is introspective and observational, and it is often satirical in its delivery. Heavy metal and its fan base has gained a notoriety for being hateful, mean, and blind to the mainstream when the opposite is true. The genre is like a research paper on culture norms and a critique of exclusivity and elitism. Metal is, above all things, inclusive. To the metalhead, everyone suffers when the world is misguided by individuals and driven by exclusivity. A perfect example of this sense of inclusion is the metalhead’s uniform, the concert attire as well as everyday couture, the sex-blind look on every person who dares to look at Lemmy Kilmister’s horrendous warts: the androgynous getup of a black band shirt and dark jeans.

Let me hear you scream.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

1289
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

876
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

157
winter

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1530
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments