Inaugural Post -- Why talk about Metal Music?

"Really? You listen to metal? Are you sure? I mean, you don't look like a heavy metal music fan."

I get this a lot, and I understand. I'm a fairly unassuming, white-bread-looking midwestern guy. I suppose that just adds to the awkward reactions and remarks I get when the subject comes up. No matter how the conversation begins, it usually begins in the same manner, disbelief followed by either concern, light-hearted jest, pedestrian questions out of feigned interest, or simple acceptance.

Whatever the reaction it doesn't matter much to me, I like heavy metal music. You don't have to. That being said I do like talking about it, whether you're a fan or not. I like the genre for a wide variety of reasons. As a teacher I delve into the historical and cultural geography-related implications. As a fan it's a lot simpler and less pretentious sounding.

I have noticed that I also receive another fairly typical response, usually after much time has passed:

What can you tell me about metal? 

So herein lies the purpose of this blog. I'm going to use this space as a means for organizing my thoughts and presenting them. I will make one very clear disclaimer: I am not an expert, nor do I wish to be considered one. My views have been heavily influenced by people who are much more well-informed and wiser on the subject. This is just my humble take on the subject.

Specifically I'll draw on the good works of friends at the Requiem Metal Podcast, as well as materials discussed in the works of Sam Dunn of Banger Films (Metal: A Head Banger's Journey, Global Metal, Metal Evolution). Sam Dunn isn't a friend, but I admire his work a great deal. There are also many fine publications on metal including the great work done over at Decibel Magazine.

So to help with the process let's answer a few simple questions:

1) How did I get into metal?

My earliest recollection of listening to metal and thinking of it as, "Hey, I'm listening to metal!" Began during the summer of 2004. That summer was a particularly formative time period for me as that was also the summer I discovered my passion for teaching and working with young people. I was involved in a daily cross country running practice hosted by my old high school. A friend invited me to join in his training, by the end of the first run it became apparent that my friend was much faster than I. What started as 2 friends who were supposed to run and train together turned into me meshing with the whole team, and being introduced to a new friend: the young, hip history teacher. We ran together and swapped stories of world travel, and music interests. By the end of the summer I returned to college with a stack of mix CDs of new bands to explore, mostly metal but there was a decent amount of folk rock too.
Among this stack of mixed CDs were the tracks to what would become what I would consider to be my gateway album, Opeth's Blackwater Park from 2001. I recall seeing in my friend's hand-written liner notes "The Drapery Falls -- Truly Epic!"

2) What have I learned since becoming a metalhead?

-A great deal of thought and care (experimentation, musicality, stripped-down simplicity, raw expression, etc.) can go into the creation of music, and I appreciate and expect that of the music I listen to.

-Much of what I picked up in my teen years at school, my house was not a house of metal, was highly derivative of the heavy metal sound; often those derivations are also a lessening of quality too. Such is the hazard of the musical wasteland that was the late 90s and early 2000's.

-Metal isn't for everyone, and I wouldn't expect it to be. I actually like that aspect of it.

3) What are my aspirations as a metalhead?

To own a truly kick-ass dog and name him Bruce Dickinson at Hammersmith Odeon.

Yours in Metal,

-L