by Kevin Hutton

Created on: June 24, 2009

What is heavy metal? If you want a cookie cutter definition, it's fast, loud, rock music. But that doesn't tell you much of anything does it? In truth, there are no words to describe it. The definition is not important in the slightest. What is most important is what heavy metal means to the individual listener. It's not about the debate over whether AC/DC is really metal, or if Slipknot is a disgrace to music. It's about the "drive test": Can you jump in the car with nowhere to go, throw on your favorite album, and feel invincible? Yes, this term was coined by the recent movie The Rocker, but it holds a real truth that can't be expressed. Metal is the feeling that overtakes you, makes you lose yourself in the unstoppable tsunami of sound.

If I told you that metal was my heart, soul, and mind...my ultimate catharsis, would you think I'm crazy? Well good, because that's what it's all about. It's not about a 200 beat per minute song or a harmonized guitar solo; it's about particular emotion the music expresses. Heavy metal is a musical release of massive amounts of energy.

It's loud, bold sound is not merely noise thrown together, however. Metal takes a highly skilled musician to play, from vocalist to guitarist to drummer. It may seem like random bashing, but in reality it is a coordinated assault on your mind and body.

Heavy metal is also a long-running form of music. Beginning as far back as the 1950's and 60's, metal's most famous beginnings include Elvis, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Beatles, and Black Sabbath. These bands may not seem "heavy" at all by today's standards, but all these bands all paved the way for what we now know as "metal" in bands from today like Lamb of God, Trivium, and even earlier bands from the 80's like Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead.

Heavy metal likes to scare you, and it loves to tell stories. Heavy metal also takes pride in hiding its intelligence and relevance from the common listener. Heavy metal is often politically and socially aware; you just have to hear it.

To those who say metal is an unsophisticated dance of comic-book Armageddon, that it is eternally pessimistic: aren't pessimism and Armageddon closer to reality than optimism is? Is life perfect, is life devoid of sorrow? Have you never felt hatred toward someone or something? The catch with most heavy metal is that exposes the darker side of life. If everything was roses and butterflies, where would we be? The world needs a little hellfire and brimstone...it keeps us sane.

And to those who say "metalheads" are godless freaks who do drugs and dabble in Satanism from time to time: don't be so quick to judge. I personally have never smoked, drank, or done any kind of drug, I have high morals and love to help others. I am not violent or vulgar, in fact, metal is my outlet for all of these behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. So, before you decline tickets to Ozzfest or Wacken on account of you may come back with lung cancer, get to know us...you might be surprised.

So, have we established something here today? Metal is something that can't be described to the casual observer. But, I hope you've learned that metal is intelligent, metal is aware, metal is eternal, and metal is emotion.

That is heavy metal.

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