Not to piss in anyone's cornflakes, but I'd say only the ones who have gone through a major life change (marriage, college graduation - starting a career, divorce) and are over 25 (30 would be a good age) would be qualified to state if it was just a phase or not. Having your opinion backed up by a bunch of high schoolers / college freshmen who are still figuring out who they are and what they want to do in life is asinine.

"Oh mommy, all the 16 year-olds on Metalstorm agree that I'm not going through a phase." Yeah...

I, myself, am probably going through a metal phase. I got bored of all the crap repeatedly played on the radio. However, my phase is only to find good music that has the potential to be heard years from now and still be enjoyed, not a 'way of life'.

Written by [user id=28178] on 09.01.2008 at 17:27

Not to piss in anyone's cornflakes, but I'd say only the ones who have gone through a major life change (marriage, college graduation - starting a career, divorce) and are over 25 (30 would be a good age) would be qualified to state if it was just a phase or not.

Pfew, I am safe

Started with metal in September 1979 and still going strong now in 2008 at the tender age of 39.
For me it certainly isn't a phase, but I did have a small period of time when metal was less for me and ska and punk were the most prominent music genres I listened to, but metal still was a part of the music experience then as well. That was in 1981/82.
But I only came out of it more metal-minded then ever. And now metal is the only music I listen to. Okay almost all of its subgenres, but still only metal.

metal 4 ever metal 4 ever
fuck stupid people

Plan on devote whole live to metal?

Good question. I can't tell what will happen in twenty years (especially if I am not any more on earth). But one thing is sure, actualy I don't see and can't imagine myself listening other things than metal in 20 years. Certainly my tastes will evolve, focusing on bands with more searched universes. I listen to metal since I was 13, and I don't intend to stop ...

I definitely think I will be listening to metal in the years to come, but would I be dressing up as a metalhead or be a part of the local metal subculture anymore? For me it was a phase, and for a bunch of people I know was the same. I think being a metal listener is somewhat different then actually calling yourself a metalhead... imo.

Written by Sunioj on 09.01.2008 at 18:15

I think being a metal listener is somewhat different then actually calling yourself a metalhead... imo.

It can be but it doesn;t have to be. I for never ever ever in my every day life looked like a metaller. Never had long hair, never dressed in denim with patches. Only wore metal shirts to concerts... yet I wouldn't call myself a metal listener. I would call myself a metalhead through and through. And so do people (also metallers who look metal) who know me. I wake up with metal, go to bed with metal, dream metal, breathe metal. Yet totally don't look it.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.01.2008 at 18:24

Written by Sunioj on 09.01.2008 at 18:15

I think being a metal listener is somewhat different then actually calling yourself a metalhead... imo.

It can be but it doesn;t have to be. I for never ever ever in my every day life looked like a metaller. Never had long hair, never dressed in denim with patches. Only wore metal shirts to concerts... yet I wouldn't call myself a metal listener. I would call myself a metalhead through and through. And so do people (also metallers who look metal) who know me. I wake up with metal, go to bed with metal, dream metal, breathe metal. Yet totally don't look it.

I see what you mean. I guess the factor of 'feeling metal' is also one way of being a metalhead while not being connected by image etc. Personally, I try not to label myself ( or anything in general ) but I could understand why people label me a metalhead even though the only the only thing other that would connect me to being a metalhead is long hair and occasionally going to a gig. When I think of the word 'Metalhead' I usually think of the bad stereotype ( i.e. those obnoxious, loud, aggravating dudes dressed in black getting wasted outside the gig hall ).

I think the more precise character for a being just a 'metal listener' is perhaps someone who listens to metal but has never attended a gig in their life even owned a band shirt, and I know people like this. And they do it purposely too...

To make this short, metal is my fucking life. Sounds cheesy, but it's the way I feel. I've been listening to all kinds of music, I'm very open-minded for it. I have Wu-Tang Clan standing next to Atheist, Atheist standing next to Madonna, I listen to the music I grew up with, and that's why I still listen to Michael Jacksons "Thriller" album atleast once a week. But Metal is just more then just music for me, yeah I know you heard this milions of times befor, but that's just the freaking way it is. I've been listening to Iron Maiden since I'm 12 years old and it was always a part of my childhood and it's still part of my life. I've gotta agree that some bands I used to listen to don't bother me today as much as they did when I first discovered them, but I love metal since the first day I listend to it. As some of you arleady know (I was here active 2-3 years ago) I'm addicted with old school extreme metal, and when I read the interviews from the old zines and talk to metalheads above the age of 35 at gigs, I just realise that I'm living like they did in the 80s. You go to work and expend all your money on metal, gigs and getting fucking wasted at the shows. It's not uncommon for me to drive 4 or 5 hours to see my fav. bands, it's just like that. Call me enthusiastic or just a dreamer, and even if you can't understand it, but metal is not just music for me, it's my fucking life.

i guess that it is a phase for some, but if someone does tell you it is a phase, well thats a different story, it pisses me off too
a friend of mine, was into metal (or hard rock) but is now into emo music
music IS very influential, on you emotions, but i dont think it can be to so much of an extent that it makes you an angry person, i listen to alot of death metal and black metal, and most people find me as placid, i guess it really depends on the person for both emotional influences, and whether it is a phase,
but yeah i understand how much it can annoy you when people try to tell you and/or persuade you

@Marcel H.: You're a living example for the people tat like metal dude, you're totally right.

@Slemanof: Nobody can say it better my friend.

I am studying music right now, and the people around say to me "Hey, metal is just a phase, i used to listen sonata arctica, yngwie...blablabla, and it doesen't fill me in somehow, so now i think is avery shitty and closed gene", so i turned and say "Metal is the only way to make this fuckin' wolrld beter, it's about unity and being prud, so you can go yourself to listen wes montgomery or something lie that, i stay with the true face of the music".

Metal heals my soul!

The last post here was really too much. Metal is really not some way to make the world a better place, no it's not all about unity and togetherness. It's great music.. yeah. Some might be more into it than others. Some of you are into it way more than i am since metal is just a part of what i like. Sure some people stick with only one type of music their whole life and keep spending cash on metal gigs forever. It's all good. But please, don't give it more credit than it deserves. Sure,I'd say that a metal band that lasts for a long time has way more worth than some pop act who's gone in a season... and we all know there's a lot of those, but when people start their rampage about metal being this and that and making the world a better place and uniting us all...it pisses me off because it's just not true. Not even close.

But metal does make the world a better place! Ask all the people who are alive today because I listened to Slayer instead of going on a killing spree in a fit of rage... they'll tell you that metal saved their lives!

Written by [user id=22888] on 10.01.2008 at 09:24

But metal does make the world a better place! Ask all the people who are alive today because I listened to Slayer instead of going on a killing spree in a fit of rage... they'll tell you that metal saved their lives!

LOL!

Nice argument you have there Funny, to say the least.

Good one... but still no

Written by Deus Ex Machina on 10.01.2008 at 10:16

Good one... but still no

Haha, my thoughts too.

@all

And why does it piss some people off when they are told that 'metal is a phase?' Maybe they aren't looking at metal in the same perspective as you ( feeling metal etc. ), but that doesn't mean you should be offended at all. I mean, to people who aren't so familiar with the genre, the only thing they connect to the word 'metal' are the musicians that appear on MTV or the classic names in metal ala Iron Maiden, Manowar, Mayhem etc. I personally don't deny the massive amount of posing that goes around the metal scene, and metal musicians subscribe to this attitude when they decide to become performers. Don't you guys think so? Just look at all the big names in metal today and I think it would be impossible to deny this....

IMO.

i simply don't take it into consideration, just like the whole poser debate. personally, if my liking metal is a phase, albeit a very long one, there's still nothing i can do about it. when people change, or are forced to change, their taste of music can change as well.

i'm with deus ex machina on this one. it's only music. whether or not you're going through a phase is so unimportant to begin with than why worry about it? as an example, if i stopped listening to metal two years from now i'm pretty sure i'd live through it.

i also disagree with any type of music having the purpose of unity or togetherness. you get a bunch of people that like the same kind of music into a room and it ends up being an "i know more than you" party. and the last time i checked, that only causes arguments.

most of the people who screams metal 4 ever, metal 4 life and stuff will give it up in a few years. mark my words
they love to tell and show people how much they love metal, just to look cool
people who dont care whether other people know it or not, listen metal because they love it
they do it for themselves, not for others

When I'm 90 years old, useless and moping around in a nursing home, I'll still listen to metal. I'll fight the nursing staff for my right to listen to Iron Maiden, even though nobody in the year 2063 will know who the they hell they are, or even care. It'll be ugly, but I'll never abandon metal!

Written by [user id=22888] on 10.01.2008 at 18:09

When I'm 90 years old, useless and moping around in a nursing home, I'll still listen to metal. I'll fight the nursing staff for my right to listen to Iron Maiden, even though nobody in the year 2063 will know who the they hell they are, or even care. It'll be ugly, but I'll never abandon metal!

Dude, i admire the way you say that. I think that is a way to make a better world because metal is very very possitive, is the only genre that shows a way of thinking about being a true guy instead go and buy hip hop clothes and say stupid shits about money and cars. Metal is not a phase, is the way i kill this world of lies and hipocrisy.

"It's more than a religion, it's the only way to live!"

@Deus Ex Machina: so, if you think it is not about togetherness? Why do you listen metal? Music is an important part, yes, but what about the lyrics and the way they make you feel? C'mon, it's possitive!

I dont like hip hop, but why does hip hop sucks more than gothic or even metal?
just because you like it
be more reasonable

The sheer range of the metal subgenres mean there's enough material out there already to last a lifetime, and more obviously keeps getting released day by day.

In my opinion if it's a "phase" for people they weren't really into it properly in the first place, maybe liking it because it's "cool" instead of having an ear for the music. There are too many people like that...

Written by Inlé on 11.01.2008 at 18:13

The sheer range of the metal subgenres mean there's enough material out there already to last a lifetime, and more obviously keeps getting released day by day.

In my opinion if it's a "phase" for people they weren't really into it properly in the first place, maybe liking it because it's "cool" instead of having an ear for the music. There are too many people like that...

I think you're right.

I think that's bollocks. Tastes change and are mostly subjective, and labelling everyone who has gotten bored of the relatively limited scope and repetitiveness of metal as posers or people who "didn't really like metal in the first place" isn't very believable or objective.

@ JeviMetal Chirgo - Yeah...here we go again. I listen to it... because i like the sound. Go figure.
And... no of course it's not about togetherness. Yeeeaahh, i know a lot of people who listen to heavy metal in particular has this image. Others don't mostly.
You seem to have this idea that metal is like holy or something. A simple example is that you keep shitting on Hip Hop music..well..newsflash..Hip Hop is really not just what you see on MTV. People do that kind of music almost everywhere, no not only in America. There are a lot of artists out there who are not well known but are great. So this is just an example. Nobody cares about the fact you know nothing about Hip Hop as such or how young people who are into that genre make music. Some have amazing lyrics and beats btw. I know you know 50cent or whatever but wake up and smell the daisies, alright? I know you crapped all over every non metal genre out there but i just decided to pick out a certain thing. However, I don't think you're all bad for saying all these things. I just think you're wrong but i know i can't prove it to you. I don't see your point in "come on it's positive". I never said it was negative. My opinion is just that that you're absolutely too extreme in your love and it blinds you to everything else. To me it would be difficult to talk to someone like that... at least music wise, because we'd have nothing to talk about. Also i hope you'll grow out of your "metal is holy phase". It is about time. By that i don't mean the music itself because I'm sure you'll be listening to metal all your life - and that is great..it's your taste. You just really need to learn respect for other things since you clearly lack it and not in a subtle way. Makes me wonder if you're 21 years old, because you sound like a kid. Also i hope you don't feel offended by any of this since it wasn't my intention to offend. I just always have to say what I'm thinking.

Also people may disagree with me but i really think that what I'll be listening to 10 years from now is irrelevant. There's tons of music in every genre imaginable coming out today. I'd be a fool not to check out everything that interests me. My point being metal as music isn't and cannot be a phase. You either like it or don't. Posing as holier than everybody else and hating everything that's not metal is. For most people. For those who keep at it... it's kind of pathetic
And so I agree with IronAngel.

Just to say, I rarely play the "poseur" card but if someone has a phase where they like metal, then just rebuff the whole thing I honestly can't see how they were properly appreciative of the music in the first place, especially considering it's such a wide genre.

I personally think it's great when metal fans like other genres too, I'm even a bit envious of people who seem to enjoy listening to almost everything, but if someone tosses aside metal as a "phase" they went through when younger, then jumps to a completely different genre, I can't really imagine that they really had an ear for metal in the first place...

This is all from opinion and personal experience of course, I also don't think it's a coincidence that all of the people I've personally met who say they've "outgrown" metal don't even know about all the subgenres... :/ This is why I said "they weren't really into it properly in the first place", cause, I mean, that seems to be the case with them. It's mainly the 13-18's that are the main "culprits" though, and considering some of the stuff magazines push on them as "metal" I can't be too harsh to them.

I also agree that a lot of people could definitely do with outgrowing the belief that anything that isn't metal is crap by default. It gives metal fans just as bad a name as the 13 year old kids who wear Bullet For My Valentine tops and go on about how "metal" they are...

Well People, I have found from my experience that by listening to pop and rock progress into metal since i was about 4 years old and i am now nearly 43, that things just keep evolving into so many different forms of rock and metal that you can't even really pin anything down to a specific genre anymore, which is great because there is still so much more to be discovered, and i am trully exited about whatever fantastic band i'll discover next, as i am continually on a quest to listen to as much new material as i can in a day/week, and thanks to the internet which wasn't available for me until only about four years ago i have discovered a huge array of great rock/metal. So anyway in conclusion to all that i would just like to say that after 38 years or so things are still improving and progressing and that Metal is most certainlly not just a bloody phase in ones life and whoever suggests such a notion is obviously very deluded to say the least. The best policy is to keep an open mind.

Written by Inlé on 11.01.2008 at 23:21

Just to say, I rarely play the "poseur" card but if someone has a phase where they like metal, then just rebuff the whole thing I honestly can't see how they were properly appreciative of the music in the first place, especially considering it's such a wide genre.

I personally think it's great when metal fans like other genres too, I'm even a bit envious of people who seem to enjoy listening to almost everything, but if someone tosses aside metal as a "phase" they went through when younger, then jumps to a completely different genre, I can't really imagine that they really had an ear for metal in the first place...

This is all from opinion and personal experience of course, I also don't think it's a coincidence that all of the people I've personally met who say they've "outgrown" metal don't even know about all the subgenres... :/ This is why I said "they weren't really into it properly in the first place", cause, I mean, that seems to be the case with them. It's mainly the 13-18's that are the main "culprits" though, and considering some of the stuff magazines push on them as "metal" I can't be too harsh to them.

I also agree that a lot of people could definitely do with outgrowing the belief that anything that isn't metal is crap by default. It gives metal fans just as bad a name as the 13 year old kids who wear Bullet For My Valentine tops and go on about how "metal" they are...

Some people (like a young cousin of mine, shes 15 now) went through a "metal phase", which consists in hearing the following bands: papa roach, cradle of filth (only one or two songs, cuz that shite is LOUD! m/), system of a down, korn and HIM. They dress in all black with spikey bracelets, angry face, chain attached to theur trousers and go out to a chinese store to steal lipstick. Now THAT's a tr00 metal phase

PS: im not rly making fun of my cousin, but i was kinda disappointed that after watching me listening to metal for years and taking interest in this music genre, some people actually consider themselves metalheads being in the situation i talked about. I mean come on that was not a metal phase. That wasnt a phase at all. That was just "lets play doctors" in a darker way

A metal phase would be listening (maybe not only) to metal for some years (and actually like it seriously), then growing bored of it, or unable to go to concerts and therefore losing their focus on it.

Written by Deus Ex Machina on 11.01.2008 at 22:21

@ JeviMetal Chirgo - Yeah...here we go again. I listen to it... because i like the sound. Go figure.
And... no of course it's not about togetherness. Yeeeaahh, i know a lot of people who listen to heavy metal in particular has this image. Others don't mostly.
You seem to have this idea that metal is like holy or something. A simple example is that you keep shitting on Hip Hop music..well..newsflash..Hip Hop is really not just what you see on MTV. People do that kind of music almost everywhere, no not only in America. There are a lot of artists out there who are not well known but are great. So this is just an example. Nobody cares about the fact you know nothing about Hip Hop as such or how young people who are into that genre make music. Some have amazing lyrics and beats btw. I know you know 50cent or whatever but wake up and smell the daisies, alright? I know you crapped all over every non metal genre out there but i just decided to pick out a certain thing. However, I don't think you're all bad for saying all these things. I just think you're wrong but i know i can't prove it to you. I don't see your point in "come on it's positive". I never said it was negative. My opinion is just that that you're absolutely too extreme in your love and it blinds you to everything else. To me it would be difficult to talk to someone like that... at least music wise, because we'd have nothing to talk about. Also i hope you'll grow out of your "metal is holy phase". It is about time. By that i don't mean the music itself because I'm sure you'll be listening to metal all your life - and that is great..it's your taste. You just really need to learn respect for other things since you clearly lack it and not in a subtle way. Makes me wonder if you're 21 years old, because you sound like a kid. Also i hope you don't feel offended by any of this since it wasn't my intention to offend. I just always have to say what I'm thinking.

Also people may disagree with me but i really think that what I'll be listening to 10 years from now is irrelevant. There's tons of music in every genre imaginable coming out today. I'd be a fool not to check out everything that interests me. My point being metal as music isn't and cannot be a phase. You either like it or don't. Posing as holier than everybody else and hating everything that's not metal is. For most people. For those who keep at it... it's kind of pathetic
And so I agree with IronAngel.

You spend many time to write that, so the only thing i can say it's: Stay with your way of thinking, i stay with my own and everybody happy. I don't want to pose, i don't want to be selfish, i don't want to be something that i'm not. So i stay with Heavy Metal. If you like hip hop lyrics, it couldn't be music, it's only literaure with music. End of discussion. OK?

I'm literate so i spent a few minutes on that.Stay with your way of thinking. I don't care about you since i don't know you. this is a forum. You know... place for opinions. And I'm not discussing with you since i doubt we can do that well. I see you have not read this and there was no need to quote a huge post to say something trivial as this. And indeed.. whatever.

Written by Deus Ex Machina on 13.01.2008 at 05:55

I'm literate so i spent a few minutes on that.Stay with your way of thinking. I don't care about you since i don't know you. this is a forum. You know... place for opinions. And I'm not discussing with you since i doubt we can do that well. I see you have not read this and there was no need to quote a huge post to say something trivial as this. And indeed.. whatever.

Your post above was very well written and I agree with you about everything. There are a lot of music genres out there and die hard fans that support and love them. More people need to realise this and appreciate the differences in music. If we're gonna say metal brings people together and creates unity, but then say shit like "all other genres suck" you're essentially getting rid of that unity. Seperating music genres and hating them and their fans is exactly the same as people splitting up into different religions and hating all of them except their own.

As I said earlier.. I doubt I'll ever stop listening to metal, and even if I do I'll probably come back to it eventually anyway. What I've always love about the metal scene and fans of metal is that you meet a lot of people who are very open minded, probably more open minded than most others. Simply because we listen to a more extreme form of music than anything else, so we have a more open view on the world then those that only stick to pop or rap or whatever. Unfortunately, some metalheads tend to completely disregard everything that's not metal, which makes them just as close-minded as most other people.

I think it's a gift that I have found metal and am able to enjoy it where others can't, but I don't look down upon those that don't enjoy metal as inferior. It really is a hard genre to get into, if you've listened to metal all your life you probably won't realise that. I've only been listening to metal for 6 years and my perceptions of bands and genres have changed dramatically and the change did not come easy.