What is so Good about Heavy Metal?

For many veteran metalheads, the golden years of heavy metal are well behind us. You could call this outlook pessimistic, or elitist, but it is shared by many fans of metal music throughout the world. Many of such metalheads believe that heavy metal died out as a genre because it went 'commercial' and lost its underground appeal, its rebellious edge and even its soul or spirit in the sake of appealing to increasingly mainstream audiences.

One of the complaints that repeats itself regarding the state of the musical arts, and more specifically, heavy metal itself, is that it is simplistic, crass, uncultured, fatalistic, naval gazing, out of touch, brain dead, primitive, idiotic and stupefying. The question is not whether such assertions are right or wrong, that in itself can never be proven, but rather why these ideas have become so commonplace in the metal world.

It is saddening when people who complain about rap, rock, reality television and Lady Gaga usually lump heavy metal along with the complaint. I get it, though. The way most metal appears to the world is not as a refined style. Some of it, unfortunately, is also the byproduct of the vast machine of idiocy that turned 'extreme music' into the joke that it is today, at the behest of the commercial interests of greedy record labels.

But many of these accusations, while true on the surface, are themselves simplistic and uncultured - something that they, ironically, often accuse metal of being. Not all heavy metal bands are Machine Head, In Flames, Fear Factory, Slipknot, Behemoth and Pantera. There is an entire world encapsulated within the metal genre. It is one of the only styles that keeps on expanding and developing. We have innovation, generation after generation, be it in black metal, death metal, grindcore, thrash metal or whatever.

Good metal will always be there, and it will always be a legitimate art form. First and foremost, we must recognise that heavy metal is indeed a legitimate art form. A legitimate form of music. Yes, there is metal which is certainly not music. Pantera, Slipknot and Watain come to mind. But these bands are heavily hyped by music journalists and record labels alone, and have virtually no appeal outside of their respective astroturfs.

Instead of wasting your time with these overhyped and overrated bands, you should consider the forgotten gems of metal, those that 'fly under the radar' of the mainstream press, yet can provide an unlimited amount of listening experiences - in sharp contrast with most pop music, which gets stale after the third listen. Albums like Onward to Golgotha, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Sissourlet, Effigy of the Forgotten and Bloodthirst Overdose are praised in the extreme metal underground for a reason.

So what makes good heavy metal? Whether in black metal, death metal, doom metal, goregrind or even in traditional heavy metal, what matters most is the authenticity and originality of the composers. Making 'paint by the numbers' metal has never been easier these days, but those commercial minded bands will be quickly discarded while true heavy metal of genuine character will remain eternal.

Support true metal music, while shunning the work of commercial and inauthentic 'metal for money' bands. You know the ones.

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