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I Love Heavy Metal Music

Being A Black Man Who Loves Heavy Metal Music

By: AriannaThompson
Written on October 8th, 2012
Ever since my father turned me onto Metallica as a young kid in the 90's i've been an avid metalhead ever since i'm addicted to metal to the point where i even sometimes go out of my way to resemble my heavy metal heroes! But alas, it's pretty different when you're a black male metalhead who lives in the inner-city where all of the other black guys are too busy listening to the latest rap music [i like rap music a lot too but not that garbage that people today call rap!]. Ever since childhood, i've kind of been the odd man out amongst people in my area since i'm one of the very few people who openly expresses my love for metal and people tend to find it weird that i love heavy metal but i look at it as the ultimate thing that seperates me from others here as i have defied the stereotypes associated with black males [i still act pretty ghetto at times but i NEVER deny my love for metal music] i also find it crazy that in 2012 when i go to metal shows i'm STILL very often the only black man in the audience i never understood why black people have such a negative view of metal music but i just know that me as a black man will NEVER stop listening to metal it's my life and it's a big part of who i am as a person my favorite bands include Metallica, Iron Maiden, Type O Negative, Fear Factory, Pantera, Virgin Black, Anthrax, and many more. I thank my father for introducing me to Metallica at an early age because if it wasn't for that i don't know what i'd be doing right now and i wouldn't wanna be anything else other than a metalhead cause this is what i live for: the thrills of seeing my favorite bands live, the adrenaline of blasting my favorite metal albums and headbanging to them, the sudden bursts of energy that come through when i hear some quality speed or thrash metal, i can just go on and on! I'm living proof that a black man is very capable of enjoying metal music and i wish that more black men like me could discover this excellent genre of music because i find it shameful that blacks have missed out on this for so damn long
By: AriannaThompson
Age: 22-25 , Male
214 people have read this story

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4 responses
  • Mrfury202
    Mrfury202

    I feel your struggle I myself a metalhead and a black man in the inner city. I am more into doom metal, bands like witchcraft, grief,electric wizard, and the infamous sabbath.

    Mar 21
    2 likes
  • Air6
    Air6

    I remember in 1996 I was only 1 of 7 black people at a White Zombie concert LOL. There were skinheads in the audience so I was kind of scared it was my VERY first rock conert, (first out of hundreds). what i find is that the people are SO accepting the fact that you risk just to be with them and that kind of music I've never had a problem not one time.

    I find it refreshing that there's others who feel like that but I try not to be angry at other blacks because of the way I was treated for being different. Just my 2 cents

    Mar 11
    1 like
  • AriannaThompson
    AriannaThompson

    @saintmaj Black people can be very heavy if only they had the motivation to do it! If Ice-T and his band Body Count could do it then there's the proof right there that a black man can totally create quality metal music

    Oct 9, 2012
    1 like
  • SaintMaj
    SaintMaj

    Metal is soooo white,but don't forget that the black man (Hendrix) was a starter.Black people can't be so heavy,but they can bring that vividity into metal.
    And of course,metal didn't develop from rock&roll,but from the blues.
    Death metal and other non-musical shyte are dead ends.Maybe we just need more black people to give us that blues spirit back - because metal isn't for emo kids,it's the peak of rock music.

    Oct 9, 2012
    1 like