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Without wishing to generalise too much, I think it's fair to say that most metal fans are at the lower end of the age spectrum (from my aged viewpoint at least).
Why do you think this is ??
As a teenager I found it all so exciting, but the effect didn't last long & I moved on to other stuff. Don't dislike metal, but I'm fairly selective & don't listen to much of it now.
Why did it appeal so much, and why didn't the appeal last ??
What do you all think ??
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I think younger people (myself included) are more impressed by sensationalism... I think as you grow older you either mature out of it, or you simply become desensitized to it. Metal is very sensational... It's fast, loud, and angry. It has (though less so now) a mystique associated with it, due to the nature of the music itself (be it the lyrics or the acutal composition). This is obviously because of a lot of societal disdain for the form.
These are the reasons, I think anyway, that metal appealed to me when I was younger. I'm not much into it anymore, with the exception of a couple of bands that are more musically stimulating than "sensational."
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they want reblious music so thats why we listen to metal and punk and all the rebious music
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Trbc (sorry I don't know your real name, it feels silly calling you that...) says it well. I think that is why metal appeals to most that like it and why those same people grow out of it. Those that stick with it dig a little deeper and find metal artists and bands that aren't just sensational. As TC mentions there at the end. Still, metal being metal it's going to be heavy and loud but not necessarily fast. It only suits certain moods for me. In fact its rare that I'll put a metal record on.
For some its also about the "evil" image metal inspires.
I will say this for metal over punk rock. Metal is less about rebellion and less youth oriented. I can see sticking with metal for a lifetime. As much as I like some punk rock... I think everyone moves on. Maybe just to the post-punk, but true punk is (for me) is about angst. I don't think most people have that after a certain age.
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Yeah, I neglected to mention doom metal, which isn't really "fast" by the standards of most people today.
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I think is it a good outlet for the frustration of not being an "adult" but not being a child, being in a limbo.
its a good way to say f4(k you to the people you are angry with. by that i mean there is alot of metal that offends people, music dealing with self harm can offend alot of people.
the anger music helped me with what i felt when i was younger, i was bad. without metal i would have been worse.......
i dunno just typeing for the hell of typeing i think
blah blah yackedy schmack
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This is really interesting
I agree with young people being attracted due to non-conforming and 'thrill-seeking' nature. Depending on the type of music and the person's own circumstance, then it makes sense that the 'non-conformist' element becomes more anti-authoritarian. I see this type of anger as pretty healthy.
There is obviously a a real sense of community with metal fans. Metal also has both a history and still huge current scene so young people don't have to go looking for it - it's on their doorstep but still vibrant - that's got to be attractive to someone looking for a musical identity.
However I also think that metal as a preserve of youth can also be a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Some metal fans as they grow older must surely leave the youth-dominated 'scene' just because they think they now need to 'grow-up' and it doesn't necessarily mean they've tired of the music.
The comparison with punk is interesting to me as I still listen to lots of punk even though my youth lies distant in the rearview mirror. I admit to feeling slightly ashamed about my listening habits and I know this is purely to do with my age, not how much I enjoy the music.
Now I know I'm rambling - but like I said - interesting -
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I really don't understand the appeal. It just sounds like garbage to me. I listened to it in seventh grade, but never very much. I didn't know anything about music and hadn't developed any taste of my own, so I was probably just expirimenting.
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Alright, first hand point of view here! I am a young metal fan. And where I agree with the main theme of the responses (angry teen wants angry music) and while, yes, that is a part of it. There is also something mind numbing about it. I happen to be in love with heavily distorted electric guitar, just love the sound of it. Also, I grew up to "classic rock" (e.g. The Eagles, Chicago, Guns N' Roses, etc.) and just never felt quite as consumed as I would have liked. Metal has a way of completely devouring you and your senses. Plus compared to POP music today lyrically Metal is so much more believable and complex and "deep" if you will, some metal, not all. And I hope to not grow out of it, it really appeals to me now and always has. But I cannot predict my musical future.
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Hi Chick,
Thanks for the post. It's good to get different opinions...
Hope you continue to enjoy your Metal :rockon::rockon:
