My life in Metal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMo1VnoPLBU

Links are now clickable! I don't know why I didn't fiddle aroudn with this more. I'm retarded.

Metal has always been a very, very controversial music to most people. After watching "A Headbanger's Journey" once again, I've decided to talk to you all about my personal reasons as to why I Identify with this style of music.

But first, a brief clarification: Metal isn't all guttoral screaming, rough harsh vocals, uber fast guitar, satanic, or crazy stupid unsophisticated music for unsophisticated people. Sure there is some that is satanic, screaming guttoral vocals, and unsophisticated, but that's where personal taste comes in. Most of the satanic metal originates in the Norwegian Black Metal genre, and I stay away from that stuff. Never could get into it, never wanted to.

Metal is in fact, a very broad genre that's been around sicne the days of psychadelic rock in the late 60's with bands liek Blue Cheer, Cream, and furthering in bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. It holds its roots firmly in Classical and Blues, and will remain ever true to them. From roots in psychadelic rock, Original Hard Rock, Early Punk, Shock Rock, and British style Blues, came Metal as a full fledged genre. Many subgenres have emerged through the flames, each with their own distinct sound and style. The rest is history my friend.

For me however, Metal represents something. I admit, at first I was scared of losing my shit because I just didn't know! Metal had this cloud of stereotype around it, but I soon discovered it was so much more. In high school I was obsessed with bands like AC/DC, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton/Cream (and I still actively listen to them, great music), but in grade 10 I picked up my first guitar. I had the intention of listening to and playing songs I liked (who doesnt?) but living in a small town such as Rock Creek, the closest music store was in Kelowna, an hour and a half away, and I didn't drive. Only dial-up internet existed so torrenting was out. Though soon enough, I bought Megadeth's "Greatest Hits: back to the start" and my world changed. I discovered Thrash Metal. Ok sure I'd listened to and heard Metallica, but one band isn't enough for a full taste. It's like only ever driving a Ford Pinto and claiming you know what it's like to drive a Shelby Cobra. IT AIN'T RIGHT!!! But then it was born. Somehow, the guitars, the vocals, the drums, it all spoke to me on some spiritual level. The music took me in, made me it's apprentice, and trained me in it's way.

Music is subjective, but it spoke to my interests and views. It seemed to come from the same sheltered history that I did, and understood my thoughts and desires better than anyone did. I got along with my parents, but there's conflicting interests. I wanted to be a guitar player, they wanted different. The music was there for me during a lot of dark times and dark thoughts. It didn't encourage it, it jsut said "hey man, I understand." From Megadeth, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple I discovered Ozzy's Solo Career, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Judas Priest, and so on. After Graduating high school I started training myself to have a blues foundation on Guitar, and that's what kicked me off. However when I moved out to Kelowna from Vancovuer, the roomates I lived with opened me up to a greater world of Metal. Power Metal, Modern Thrash, Viking Metal, Symphonic Power Metal, all of it seemed to echo what I had been feelign all along. I craved a desire to be unique and different from the mainstream, and although I'm a small part of a large force, it's not a force that demands you to be sheep. I have opinions, I think about shit before I form opinions, I don't reiterate, I'm passionate about certain things, I get angry at issues, but don't beleive in taking it out on individuals, and I'm a brother to those close to me. The music doesn't alienate me, it encourages me to be who I am, regardless of who that is. It respects me for it. It teaches me to be decisive, confident but not arrogant, understanding, respectful, but also strong in will and open but firm in belief.. It was there for me when going through tough shit in high school, when I was trying to decide on a career, when no one else seemed it understand what I was trying to get across tot hem, and it understood my unique history as an individual. It doesn't tell me I'm weird or different, it just tells me I'm my own person and I respect that. Since then I've taken metal guitar lessons and routinely play metal/rock/blues music on my guitar for the sake of it. It's an energy release, but it's a technical challenge. I like challenges.

You understand that I won't talk about the exact shit I went through. It's jsut rather not spread personal stories over the internet jsut yet. Not until I know exactly who's reading this.

I was thuroughly sad when Ronnie James Dio died. I still salute him every day. I wake up int he morning and I have metal playing on my computer first thing. It's a good wake up. If I've had a bad day, it's there, if I've had a great day, it's all like FUCK YEAH ROCK THAT BITCH. I live in Vancouver now, again, and hey, if any of you know any musicians int he area that can use a jam buddy, I'm in!

There is more to my interests and music than metal, but this is the genre I always come back to (that and Classic Rock) because it's reliable and I'm ever loyal.

It confronted some of the things I feared most, and encouraged me to battle through them. I'm a better person for it. I've helped my friends do the same, but it's nice that something is there for you too. Not saying my friends aren't, but the soul needs to be fed too, without soul, you're emotionally dead and look for gratification instead of working for happiness.

Now as a final fuck you to anyone who may want to shit on my day: \m/