heavy metal - not as bad as I thought it was?

There was one of those nostalgia shows on telly the other day (forget the channel), talking about the history of the sort of stuff Kerrang likes (Motorhead, Judas Priest, Ozzy, etc). I was wondering why I never got into any of it or knew anyone who liked it. 'Cos to be fair it wasn't the sort of Californian megastar prog-rock indulgent rubbish that everyone rightly hated and punk was supposed to be reacting against. Lemmy doesn't have much in common with Peter Frampton. And 'Ace of Spades' is pretty good. Or have I got the chronology mixed up?

What I was wondering is, is it a purely geographical thing? Everyone in London when I was a kid seemed to be into punk or later new wave, while at school Two Tone and Ska plus soul or reggae seemed to be the big things. The only time I ever met anyone into 'metal' was when visiting friends in places like Yorkshire. I always associated demin patch wearing head bangers with 'the provinces'. Is that accurate?

Anyway, did anyone go from likeing that stuff to NO?

Originally posted by 404 error There was one of those nostalgia shows on telly the other day (forget the channel), talking about the history of the sort of stuff Kerrang likes (Motorhead, Judas Priest, Ozzy, etc). I was wondering why I never got into any of it or knew anyone who liked it. 'Cos to be fair it wasn't the sort of Californian megastar prog-rock indulgent rubbish that everyone rightly hated and punk was supposed to be reacting against. Lemmy doesn't have much in common with Peter Frampton. And 'Ace of Spades' is pretty good. Or have I got the chronology mixed up?What I was wondering is, is it a purely geographical thing? Everyone in London when I was a kid seemed to be into punk or later new wave, while at school Two Tone and Ska plus soul or reggae seemed to be the big things. The only time I ever met anyone into 'metal' was when visiting friends in places like Yorkshire. I always associated demin patch wearing head bangers with 'the provinces'. Is that accurate?Anyway, did anyone go from likeing that stuff to NO?

I think it's fair to say that metal was always a largely provincial thing - at least that's the way I always saw it. I remember reading something Stuart Maconie wrote about how whenever you nip to the pub between trains in places like Crewe, Peterborough, Nuneaton, Stoke(!) etc., you always end up in a "metal" bar.

Metal is, and always was, bloody awful.

Its crap-it should be banned.

Originally posted by 404 error What I was wondering is, is it a purely geographical thing?

Partly yeah. As a Finn I was basically forcefed metal in school for years; many teens here have listened to it since, um, the early '70s I guess. Needless to say, my love for JD stuck out like a sore thumb in the school I went to. But then I've gotten rid of some of that metal bias and quite enjoy listening to it as a guilty pleasure of sorts. Still can't tolerate the likes of Bad Company or Mötley Crüe though. But acts like Motörhead were definitely closer to punk than speedy solo wankery in spirit and the emphasis on playing skills.

Some musicologists have argued that metal was mainly a working class thing, while prog was for the "thinking, cultural and Europeanized" people. I've seen that view expressed in old '70s Rolling Stone/Creem magazines too, they loathed prog for its high-brow attitude and metal for its "caveman simplicity". Kind of ridiculous, if you look at it now. Punk was then supposedly a combination of both; a musical ideology which appealed to both the working class and the middle class. People with different backgrounds like Howard Devoto and Peter Hook both arrived to their own conclusions with it. Of course no one falls into a simple set of labels, etc. ;)

I have one question, why do they all have permed hair ?

Although I didn't grow up in the prime of either new wave or heavy metal, I like both, a bit. Growing up in the '90s in the US, I liked "grunge" bands, but then when I was 15, I started listening to the Cure and Metallica around the same time, although I liked the Cure more. I got into New Order and PSB when I was 17. But, Metallica's the only metal band I can stand. I hate hair metal and Nu-metal was extraordinarily lame, but Metallica seemed to be the only band with a sense of melody in the '80s. Now, after the Black album, that's a different story.

Have the Pet Shop Boys, ever actually played live?

Originally posted by Digital Mike Binoche Have the Pet Shop Boys, ever actually played live?

Yes. Saw 'em twice in San Fran during their Performance tour in '90. Quite a good show, but the electrified steel chastity belt I had to wear to protect my bum from "Anal Violators" really did chafe!! Yeeouch!!

Rock on metal!!! I used to really dig Twisted Sister, Motley Crue (circa '80-81) and Quiet Riot. But those days are long gone and them bands are now all

Rock on

Hope no Fudge Packers got near your Chocolate Starfish.

Your a braver man than me to watch them

Respect Chunks

Originally posted by 404 error The only time I ever met anyone into 'metal' was when visiting friends in places like Yorkshire.

yorkshire => sheffield => def leppard. there's your answer right there, friend.

i was into ratt, van halen, and twisted sister for a while in 5th grade (this would be 1984). i even had a ratt t-shirt, van halen window decal, and twisted sister button. however, i also liked madonna and duran duran. go figure.

You need THERAPY agent, an I ain't talking of the band

Originally posted by Digital Mike Binoche Rock onHope no Fudge Packers got near your Chocolate Starfish.Your a braver man than me to watch themRespect Chunks

Thanks haus...coming from the likes of you...well, this is a special moment for me.

I believe people should show some respect for IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, CELTIC FROST, SLAYER, MOTORHEAD.

And agree, SLAYER was a great band.

Originally posted by A severe young man I believe people should show some respect for IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, CELTIC FROST, SLAYER, MOTORHEAD.And agree, SLAYER was a great band.

SOME respect for what they accomplished back then, but I really don't think that they have any relevance at all today IMHO...Metallica excluded.

And I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT consider Slayer a 'Great' band!? I mean, I payed to go see them play and all, wearin a fuckin' DM t-shirt too!!, but I never would think of them in such a light. It was just a gig and we were bored. Fun though!! Testament was a good opener!!

____________ It was just a gig and we were bored. Fun though!! ____________

Hmm I see a logical contradiction in this phrase

Originally posted by Digital Mike Binoche You need THERAPY agent, an I ain't talking of the band

i make no apologies for my aural transgressions.

and i almost forgot about quiet riot.

Originally posted by AgentWood > Originally posted by 404 error> The only time I ever met anyone into 'metal' was when visiting friends in places like Yorkshire.

i even had a.... twisted sister button

*with spittle coming out of the mouth* A Twisted Sister button..........on your uniform????????

Sorry bout that Agent, couldn't resist it. It's been a hard day, I need a drink, thank goodness for the holiday tomorrow

The heavy metalheads who lived across from my first apartment, who were friends of mine, and we'd often have big parties that spread across the two places, would always play Priest, Leppard, Maiden, Rush, Van Halen, Scorpions, etc. for me, and I would torture them with stuff like Athletico Spizz, Gang Of Four, and Wire. Good times.

Amateurs, the lot of you.

I was into heavy metal back in the day... but none of these panty-waist bands mentioned above; I'm talking Black Sabbath. Then punk came along, and I got into that, and the rest is history.

I grew up on a diet of Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Rory Gallagher, etc. due to my big brother not allowing anything else being played in the house. I still love all this stuff and own quite a bit, but I did manage to find a way out from oppression and make my own choices. Imagine my surprise, after dropping the name New Order in a conversation recently, that said brother actually knows who they are - quote: Are they still around?

By the time I hit middle school Led Zeppelin and AC/DC were the metal mainstays. Mostly music to make people appear tough and a rebellion against parents. Crap rock was big too--REO Speedwagon, Journey, Styx Foreigner. When I hit high school Metallica and The Scorpions were coming about but by then I was into The Police, The Cars and Duran Duran. I do remember enjoying the Scorpions and considered them the best metal band. The Scorps hit it big and then died or should have buried themselves, AC/DC has not put forth a decent album since Back in Black (1980?), Metallic has been in the shitter since the Black album and Led Zeppelin is music for the meth crowd and those lacking decent radio stations.

Originally posted by Fogface > Originally posted by 404 error> What I was wondering is, is it a purely geographical thing?

Partly yeah. As a Finn I was basically forcefed metal in school for years; many teens here have listened to it since, um, the early '70s I guess. Needless to say, my love for JD stuck out like a sore thumb in the school I went to. But then I've gotten rid of some of that metal bias and quite enjoy listening to it as a guilty pleasure of sorts. Still can't tolerate the likes of Bad Company or Mötley Crüe though. But acts like Motörhead were definitely closer to punk than speedy solo wankery in spirit and the emphasis on playing skills.

Some musicologists have argued that metal was mainly a working class thing, while prog was for the "thinking, cultural and Europeanized" people. I've seen that view expressed in old '70s Rolling Stone/Creem magazines too, they loathed prog for its high-brow attitude and metal for its "caveman simplicity". Kind of ridiculous, if you look at it now. Punk was then supposedly a combination of both; a musical ideology which appealed to both the working class and the middle class. People with different backgrounds like Howard Devoto and Peter Hook both arrived to their own conclusions with it. Of course no one falls into a simple set of labels, etc. ;)

Finland, hmmm, that sort of fits into my unfair stereotype HM nexus - Scandanavians, children of steelworkers and miners, Yorkshiremen and of course the mighty Beavis and Butthead (though I guess Finland isn't technically in Scandanavia is it?).

I was wondering if it was a class thing and if I was being a condensending Democrat-voting type snob for disliking it, but I think it must be to do with what region you're from as much as class - my school had plenty of working class kids and they didn't have so much as a denim jacket between them.

Anyway, I've never really _hated_ it like I hate/d Genesis, I just wasn't interested in it.

One thing that confuses me is that I kind of associate fans of that stuff, at least in America, with the rather homophobic 'disco sucks' thing, yet from what I've seen bands like Judas Priest appear to be as camp as they come.

Oh yeah, and the other thing that makes me dislike it less than I used to is how clearly all its now aging practitioners never took it too seriously. Even the Motley Crue guy seemed quite articulate and normal in this program.

Whatsoever... heavy metal is DAMN BORING! And looking back from 2004 to all those bands I feel sorry for them.. :o:

Originally posted by Green > Originally posted by AgentWood> > > > Originally posted by 404 error> > The only time I ever met anyone into 'metal' was when visiting friends in places like Yorkshire.>

i even had a.... twisted sister button

*with spittle coming out of the mouth* A Twisted Sister button..........on your uniform????????

who wore a uniform? i sure as hell didn't! i was at a public elementary school. i wore my ratt t-shirt to school, man!

My answer to the original question is, no its much much worse.

my brother in law gave me twisted sister cd a few weeks ago. thought it will be funny to listen to after all these years but it was like in the 80s - :barf:

Originally posted by 404 error Oh yeah, and the other thing that makes me dislike it less than I used to is how clearly all its now aging practitioners never took it too seriously. Even the Motley Crue guy seemed quite articulate and normal in this program.

Yup, that's the saving grace for some metal acts in my eyes. God forbid those who seem like they're taking it too seriously though (*cough* Sammy Hager *cough*).

Even listening to any form of any sub-genre of metal can be dangerous. I've found myself buying Paradise Lost, Nine Inch Nails and Linkin Park albums - crossing the sector from dark, Northern British Goth Metal to cheesy American Nu-metal there....

Anyone catch VH-1's 40 Worst Heavy Metal Songs??? Fooking riot it was! Shit, I learned that Van Halen had a 3rd singer!

As for sub genres of metal I thought there were 3

1. Long Hair shit band
2. metal like old Metallica
3. Anthrax/Suicidal Tendencies types

NIN is more of an Industrial not metal although they used guitars.