by Derek Draven

Created on: September 29, 2008

To the uninitiated, the term "Heavy Metal" conjures up images of leather-clad teenagers throwing themselves around as if possessed by the minions of Hell itself. Its incredibly aggressive nature, coupled with dark lyrics and sometimes offensive imagery has caught the attention of horrified parents and politicians from around the globe. Beneath the seemingly anarchistic lifestyle of its listeners however, Heavy Metal is actually a diverse and extremely technical form of music that overshadows most genres of music in terms of musical skill. In short, Heavy Metal is pure passion set aflame with blazing guitars, rapid-fire drums, and powerful voices that spit forth and bring attention to society's most dark dealings.

Unfortunately, media attention has focused primarily on anything negative associated with the genre. In 1999, Columbine High School in the U.S. became the victim of a terrible massacre when two teenage assailants opened fire on student and teacher alike, killing 13 in total, and wounding 23 before committing suicide. In an attempt to explain the inexplicable, media outlets began focusing on the interests and hobbies of the two teenage killers, discovering their love for both violent video games and Heavy Metal music. Subsequent attacks since 1999 have sometimes been linked to Heavy Metal bands, bringing further criticism to the genre.

In reality, Heavy Metal music can be either negative or positive, depending on the subgenre, and the band in question. Some American Heavy Metal bands favor a positive outlet for anger in an attempt to affect positive change in society. The theme of using anger in a constructive way to make the world a better place is a common theme. One such band is Killswitch Engage, which has become popular among young Heavy Metal fans in recent years. Bands like Megadeth turn their focus to political matters, openly exposing and attacking the hypocrisy of world governments, and warning about the dangers of modern warfare and nuclear weapons. At the opposite end of the spectrum are Norwegian Black Metal bands who openly glamorize physical violence, oppression, and even theistic Satanism. Given the rather large amount of sub-genres within Heavy Metal, it is both irresponsible and assinine to label the entire genre good or bad.

It is important to focus on the level of skill that most Heavy Metal musicians possess. Where radio-friendly pop and rock music favors a "less-is-more" approach when it comes to musicianship, Heavy Metal bands balk

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