Good To Be Bad

Is it possible that metal is arguably a bad genre??

"Metal shouldn't be good; it should be cool".

The above quote came from a buddy of mine who, apart from having a crisp-dry humor, is also more than self-aware enough to know exactly how facetious he's being at any given time. The problem with that is, it's often hard for the rest of us to know.

This was one such case. And to this day...

Yeah, I dunno, man.

The thing is, that statement does have some truth to it. The unique quality and personality of metal consists in its unbecoming nature. In its inherent contrast to everything normal and nice.

Ever since Sabbath shook the very world of rock and laid out the blueprint, a canonical part of the definition of metal has always been that it's more or less dirty and hard to approach.

Of course, metal is many things. I consider myself to be all-round interested in music, and I have yet to come across just one genre with as many subgenres and -definitions as metal does. (Unless maybe "electronic music" counts as a valid genre term, which, in my view, is questionable.)

Metal is the black sheep in the family of rock. It's a distortion of rock itself, just like the guitars in metal are distorted.

But as wide as metal is, its essence can still be summarized in a couple of relatively few words and sentences.

Metal is hard, raw, heavy, wild, primal, and energetic. It's got an attitude. It flirts with extremes, focuses on shadows and taboos, and tries to shed light on pain, problems, discomfort, and profanity. – If not downright rubbing it all in the listener's face.

Metal is the black sheep in the family of rock. It's a distortion of rock itself, just like the guitars in metal themselves are distorted.

... So, would one be justified in arguing that an affinity for metal IS, in fact, downright bad taste??

In several years after its genesis, metal was met with poor reviews. Led Zeppelin got slammed for albums that are today considered cornerstones in not only metal, but in the vast world of rock itself. And even though I'm obviously a huge metalhead, I can kinda find it in myself to understand where those critics were coming from.

No, hear me out, now. We can probably all agree that auto-tune sounds like shit, right?

Right. To me, today's perversely prevalent use of auto-tune in music is the sonic equivalent of a big, inflamed third-degree burn on the face of Emilia Clarke.

Why is it that you and I are overjoyed when hearing a deep, guttural growl, seeing as how that's as much of a perversion of the human voice as auto-tune is?

And the point here is, listening to a distorted version of something you're used to is unpleasant for everyone. No matter if it's me despising auto-tuned vocals, or music critics by the turn of the '70s despising the dirty, distorted soundscapes of Zeppelin and Sabbath.

So why is it that you and I are overjoyed when hearing a deep, guttural growl, seeing as how in and by itself, that's as much of a perversion of the human voice as auto-tune is?

The explanation is a bit circular in its reasoning. Whatever is raw, hard, wild, and extreme happens to have a certain, basic appeal, whether you're is mostly intrigued when it plays out in music, movies, literature, news headlines, or around a wrecked car when you're passing it on the freeway.

Some people understand the extremes in metal; others don't. Just like others again don't understand whatever qualities might make Village People appealing to others.

Coming back to the aforementioned quote by the aforementioned buddy of mine, metal appeals to some people because, in its very nature, it's cool. Just like why driving a motorcycle wearing a leather jacket is appealing to some.

... And by the way, speaking of which, apart from Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" being the theme song in Easy Rider, the respective biker and metal cultures are often associated with each other for that same reason (Rob Halford notwithstanding):

The whole, big motive of rebellion unleashed is a basic element in both cultures. The primal force that's behind the act of rebellion will always be part of human nature. Whether it plays out in the form of music, or wearing black animal skin and hitting the open road on the ol' Harley.

Metal is cool because it's untamed, uninhibited, and rebellious. The fact that it IS also possible for metal to be decidedly good, then, is a different matter.