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{{Short description|Culture of heavy metal fans}}
[[Metalhead]] is a popular term for a devoted fan of [[heavy metal music]] and is often used interchangeably with the term "[[headbanging|headbanger]]". Since the early 1990s however, the use of the term has declined in favour of the more fashionable "metalhead" tag.
[[File:Metalhead Kids.jpg|thumb|Young metal fans.]]
Fans of [[heavy metal music]], commonly referred to as "Metalheads", have created their own [[subculture]] that encompasses more than just appreciation of the style of music. Fans affirm their membership in the subculture or scene by attending metal concerts (an activity seen as central to the subculture), buying albums, growing their hair long (although some metalheads do wear their hair short; one very famous example is late 70s to 80s-era [[Rob Halford]]), wearing jackets or vests often made of denim and leather adorned with band patches and often studs, and by contributing to metal publications since the early 1980s.<ref>Heavy Metal: The Music And Its Culture, Revised Edition by Deena Weinstein Da Capo Press; Revised edition (April 4, 2000) {{ISBN|0-306-80970-2}} {{ISBN|978-0-306-80970-5}}. Page 294.</ref>


The metal scene, like the rock scene in general, is associated with alcohol, tobacco and drug use, as well as riding [[motorcycles]] and having many [[tattoo]]s. While there are songs that celebrate drinking, smoking, drug use, gambling, having tattoos and partying, there are also many songs that warn about the dangers of those activities. The metal fan base was traditionally [[working class]], white and male in the 1970s,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bennett |first1=Andy |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pWvlAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT56 |title=Cultures Of Popular Music |chapter=Heavy Metal |publisher=McGraw-Hill Education |year=2001 |pages=44–45 |isbn=9780335202508 |accessdate=2022-02-05 }}</ref> and since the 1980s, more female fans have developed an interest in the style. Metal culture has also grown more popular among [[African Americans]] and other groups in recent times.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metalinjection.net/lists/10-african-americans-slaying-in-metal-today|title=10 African-Americans Slaying In Metal Today |publisher=metalinjection.net |date=2016-02-12}}</ref>
There is one school of thought among the heavy metal subculture that the "metalhead" and "headbanger" labels represent distinctive groups within it, with metalhead being a generic term for metal fans as a whole and headbangers representing older fans or fans of older metal styles. This idea does have some merit as older heavy metal fans often dress in a distinctively 'retro' fashion from younger fans, favour different or more traditional bands and eschew some aspects of the culture that have developed in recent years. Nevertheless, both groups share common interests that go beyond a preferred musical style and together comprise a distinctive [[counterculture]].


==Nomenclature==
== Socio-economic background and traditions ==
Heavy metal fans go by a number of different names, including ''metalhead'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metalhead |title=Metalhead - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-webster.com |date=2012-08-31 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> ''headbanger'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headbanger |title=Headbanger - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-webster.com |date=2012-08-31 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> ''hesher'', ''mosher'', and ''thrasher'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clevescene.com/2007-08-08/music/talkin-thrash |title=Cleveland - Music - Talkin' Thrash |date=2007-08-10 |access-date=2014-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110222020/http://www.clevescene.com/2007-08-08/music/talkin-thrash |archive-date=November 10, 2007 }}</ref> being used only for fans of [[thrash metal]], which began to differentiate itself from other varieties of [[Heavy metal music|metal]] in the late 80s. While the aforementioned labels vary in time and regional divisions, ''headbanger'' and ''metalhead'' are universally accepted to mean fans or the subculture itself.


==Subculture==
Metalheads are typically drawn from the middle and working classes and in [[Europe]], [[Australasia]] and [[North America]] are most commonly [[White people|white]], however in [[Arizona]] metalheads are divided between White, [[Mexican-American|Mexican]], & [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] very evenly. Metalheads of other socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds are not unheard-of. Indeed, heavy metal music has an almost worldwide following and fans can be found in virtually every country in the world including [[South Africa]], [[Philippines]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[Japan]], and [[Brazil]]; for example [[DragonForce]]'s guitarist [[Herman Li]] is from [[Hong Kong]]. Metal has a large following & bands in Middle Eastern and South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran & India as well, with the major cities having respective underground metal scenes & followings. Even in some of the more conservative Muslim countries of the [[Middle East]] a tiny metal culture exists, though judicial and religious authorities don't always tolerate it. (In 2003, more than a dozen members and fans of [[Morocco|Moroccan]] heavy metal bands were imprisoned for "undermining the Muslim faith" through their "satanic" music.)<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,,968946,00.html#article_continue]</ref> [[Israel]], for such a small country, has an exceptionally strong metal scene, particularly in the subgenres of stoner/doom and black metal.<ref>[http://www.metal-mayhem.co.uk/interviews/betzefer.html]</ref> In [[Western Europe]], metal has a more mainstream appeal, whereas in the U. S. and Canada it takes a comparatively subcultural stance. (It is often the case that heavy metal artists will spend much more time touring in Europe than in the Americas.)
[[File:Sabs.jpg|thumb|upright|250px|[[Black Sabbath]] are one of the biggest pioneers of [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and are often referred to as the first true metal band.<ref>{{cite book |last=Elflein |first=Dietmar |year=2017 |chapter=Iron and Steel: Forging Heavy Metal's Song Structures or the Impact of Black Sabbath and Judas Priest on Metal's Musical Language |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EL_OCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA35 |editor1-last=Brown |editor1-first=Andy R. |editor2-last=Kahn-Harris |editor2-first=Keith |editor3-last=Scott |editor3-first=Niall |editor4-last=Spracklen |editor4-first=Karl |title=Global Metal Music and Culture: Current Directions in Metal Studies |location=[[London]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=35–42 |isbn=9781138062597}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hartmann|first=Graham|title=11 Seriously Heavy Songs From Before Metal Existed|url=https://loudwire.com/11-seriously-heavy-songs-before-metal-existed/|access-date=2021-11-02|website=Loudwire|date=30 January 2017 |language=en}}</ref>]]
Heavy metal fans have created a "subculture of alienation" with its own standards for achieving authenticity within the group.<ref>"Three profiles of heavy metal fans: A taste for sensation and a subculture of alienation." In ''Journal Qualitative Sociology''. Publisher Springer Netherlands. ISSN 0162-0436 (Print) 1573-7837 (Online). Issue Volume 16, Number 4 / December, 1993. Pages 423-443</ref> [[Deena Weinstein]]'s book ''Heavy Metal: The Music And Its Culture'' argues that heavy metal "has persisted far longer than most genres of rock music" due to the growth of an intense "subculture which identified with the music." Metal fans formed an "exclusionary youth community" that was "distinctive and marginalized from the mainstream" society.<ref name="Heavy Metal 2000">Heavy Metal: The Music And Its Culture, Revised Edition by Deena Weinstein Da Capo Press; Revised edition (April 4, 2000), {{ISBN|0-306-80970-2}} {{ISBN|978-0-306-80970-5}}</ref> The heavy metal scene developed a strongly masculine "community with shared values, norms, and behaviors." A "code of authenticity" is central to the heavy metal subculture; this code requires bands to have a "disinterest in commercial appeal" and radio hits as well as a refusal to "sell out."<ref name="Heavy Metal 2000"/> The metal code also includes "opposition to established authority, and separateness from the rest of society." Fans expect that the metal "vocation [for performers] includes total devotion to the music and deep loyalty to the youth subculture that grew up around it;" a metal performer must be an "idealized representative of the subculture."<ref name="Heavy Metal 2000"/>


While the audience for metal is mainly "white, male, lower/middle class youth," this group is "tolerant of those outside its core demographic base who follow its codes of dress, appearance, and behavior."<ref name="Heavy Metal 2000"/> The activities in the metal subculture include the ritual of attending concerts, buying albums, and most recently, contributing to metal websites. Attending concerts affirms the solidarity of the subculture, as it is one of the ritual activities by which fans celebrate their music.<ref name="ReferenceA">Heavy Metal: The Music And Its Culture, Revised Edition by Deena Weinstein Da Capo Press; Revised edition (April 4, 2000) {{ISBN|0-306-80970-2}} {{ISBN|978-0-306-80970-5}}</ref> Metal magazines help the members of the subculture to connect, find information and evaluations of bands and albums, and "express their solidarity."<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The long hair, leather jackets, and band patches of [[heavy metal fashion]] help encourage a sense of identification within the subculture. However, Weinstein notes that not all metal fans are "visible members" of the heavy metal subculture. Some metal fans may have short hair and dress in regular clothes.
Many themes and messages vary by genre or band. Some bands, particularly [[thrash metal|thrash]] acts, have addressed social issues in their music, while other bands are devoted to fantasy subjects, historical themes and cartoon-style violence. One of metal music’s key defining aspects is that of complete [[escapism]], while another key defining aspect is social criticism, so metalhead culture is geared towards these philosophies. Some black metal bands espouse philosophies that can be considered extremely right-wing or even [[fascism|neo-fascist]] in nature and a high degree of [[socialism|socialist]] rhetoric can be found in the music of some grindcore bands. Despite the social involvement of many heavy metal bands, metalheads are often portrayed as unintelligent. Even though they are stereotypically portrayed in films such as ''[[Airheads]]'' (1994), ''[[This is Spinal Tap]]'' (1984), ''[[Wayne's World]]'' and, perhaps most infamously, in the 1990s [[MTV]] cartoon series ''[[Beavis and Butthead]]'', this level of escapism should not suggest that metalheads are any less intelligent or distanced from the real world as any other subculture, although their often shabby appearance and level of indifference to outside influences can be mistaken for dim-witted ignorance. Further examination of the metalhead as a humorous stereotype can be found in the 1986 documentary ''[[Heavy Metal Parking Lot]]''. The 2005 documentary ''[[Metal: A Headbanger's Journey]]'' and the 1999 film ''[[Detroit Rock City (film)|Detroit Rock City]]'' are more factual portrayals of heavy metal and the metalhead sub-culture.


===Authenticity===
A recent study has pointed out that metalheads or "liking heavy metal may be a sign of intelligence in youngsters."<ref>"It's Heavy Mental Music" http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91059-1256804,00.html</ref>
[[File:Metalhead2015.jpg|thumb|A metalhead wearing a [[Metallica]] shirt at a concert.]]
In the musical subcultures of [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[Punk rock|punk]], [[authenticity (philosophy)|authenticity]] is a core value. The term ''[[poseur (music)|poseur]]'' (or ''poser'') is used to describe "a person who habitually pretends to be something he/she is not,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.english-test.net/gre/vocabulary/words/184/gre-definitions.php#poseur |title=Definition of scotch, forgo, temporize, simulate |publisher=English-test.net |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> as in adopting the appearance and clothing style of the metal scene without truly understanding the culture and its music. In a 1993 profile of heavy metal fans' "subculture of alienation," the author noted that the scene classified some members as "poseurs," that is, heavy metal performers or fans who pretended to be part of the subculture, but who were deemed to lack authenticity and sincerity.<ref>"Three profiles of heavy metal fans: A taste for sensation and a subculture of alienation." In ''Journal Qualitative Sociology''. Publisher Springer Netherlands. ISSN 0162-0436 (Print) 1573-7837 (Online). Issue Volume 16, Number 4 / December, 1993.
Pages 423-443.</ref> Jeffrey Arnett's 1996 book ''Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation'' argues that the heavy metal subculture classifies members into two categories by giving "acceptance as an authentic metalhead or rejection as a fake, a poseur."<ref>''Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation'' - by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett - 1996 - Music - 196 pages.</ref>


Heavy metal fans began using the term ''[[sell out]]'' in the 1980s to refer to bands who turned their heavy metal sound into radio-friendly rock music (e.g., [[glam metal]]). In metal, a sell out is "someone dishonest who adopted the most rigorous pose, or identity-affirming lifestyle and opinions." The metal bands that earned this epithet are those "who adopt the visible aspects of the orthodoxy (sound, images) without contributing to the underlying belief system."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anus.com/metal/about/metal/orthodox/ |access-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223084512/http://www.anus.com/metal/about/metal/orthodox/ |archive-date=December 23, 2008 |title=Opinions: Twilit Idols: Orthodoxy in Metal, Selling out and Rejection of Poseurs in a Quest for Genre Differentiation }}</ref><!-- Unacceptable reference, please replace. -->
Metalheads in general have little respect for organised [[religion]]. Metalheads are critical of the way they believe popular religion has been manipulated by the ruling class to indulge the working class for their own benefit. Indeed, this facet of the culture is one of its principle elements, as bands, artists and fans across the spectrum have often been united in their scorn of most religious belief and practices. Religious iconography is quite prominent in metalhead culture, but usually in a blasphemous fashion, with [[crucifix]]es and other holy objects often depicted inverted or otherwise debased. One infamous album by the [[England|English]][[Black metal|black metal]] band [[Cradle of Filth]] features cover art showing a [[nun]] [[masturbating]] with the [[Holy Cross]]. The level of disrespect for [[Christianity|Christian]] belief in particular among metalheads often leads to accusations of widespread [[Satanism]] among its members. Yet while Satanic imagery plays a significant role in metalhead culture, very little Satanism is actually practiced and the rejection of organised religion can be so strong that even Satanism itself (and [[Neopaganism|pagan]] and [[Wicca]]n beliefs) is decried by some within it. However, it is also not uncommon for heavy metal musicians to follow organised religion without necessarily addressing their personal religious beliefs in their music, often paradoxically with the expectations of their fanbase. [[Alice Cooper]], [[Dave Mustaine]] and [[Dave Ellefson]] of [[Megadeth]], [[Dan Spitz]] of [[Anthrax (band)|Anthrax]], [[Max Cavalera]] of [[Soulfly]] (former [[Sepultura]]), [[Nicko McBrain]] of [[Iron Maiden]] and wrestler-turned-metal singer [[Chris Jericho]] are all avowed Christians. [[Tom Araya]] of [[Slayer]] is a Catholic, however with song lyrics and titles such as "God Hates Us All", this is not know to much of the bands fanbase. After being confronted with this song title, Tom simply says "It's just a cool name" and he does not believe in this, citing the whole antichristianity image and lyrics are purely theatrical. Although Tom isn't serious about his band's image and shock value, there are artists who take Satanism very seriously. For example, Gaahl of [[Gorgoroth]] encourages church burnings and other antichristianity practices. Despite these artists, the majority of metal fans do not agree with these beliefs and do not, by any means, promote it. Many will claim that even though they might listen to the music, it does not always mean that they believe in it.


Ron Quintana's article on "Metallica['s] Early History" argues that when Metallica was trying to find a place in the L.A. metal scene in the early 1980s, "American hard-rock scene was dominated by highly coiffed, smoothly-polished bands such as [[Styx (band)|Styx]], [[Journey (band)|Journey]], and [[REO Speedwagon]]." He claims that this made it hard for Metallica to "play their [heavy] music and win over a crowd in a land where poseurs ruled and anything fast and heavy was ignored."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artistwd.com/joyzine/music/metallica/history.php |title=JoyZine - Interview with Metallica by Ron Quintana |publisher=Artistwd.com |date=1982-03-14 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> In David Rocher's 1999 interview with Damian Montgomery, the frontman of [[Ritual Carnage]], he praised Montgomery as "an authentic, no-frills, poseur-bashing, nun-devouring kind of gentleman, an enthusiastic metalhead truly in love with the lifestyle he preaches ... and unquestionably practises."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles/chats/1-212_ritual_carnage.aspx |title=CoC : Ritual Carnage : Interview : 2/13/1999 |publisher=Chroniclesofchaos.com |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref>
In what may seem like a further paradox, there is also a Christian metalhead culture. This sub-culture within a sub-culture is often derided and criticised by some metalheads, but in almost every other characteristic it is identical except in its respect for the Church. The existence of Christian metal and its devotees are often ignored by the media (because of either a lack of demand or lack of "originality" to sell). A small and often belittled group of bands (such as [[Stryper]]) are a part of this sub culture.


In 2002, "[m]etal guru Josh Wood" claimed that the "credibility of heavy metal" in North America is being destroyed by the genre's demotion to "horror movie soundtracks, wrestling events and, worst of all, the so-called 'Mall Core' groups like [[Limp Bizkit]]." Wood claims that the "true [metal] devotee’s path to metaldom is perilous and fraught with poseurs."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2002/1107/mus1.htm |access-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213001335/http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2002/1107/mus1.htm |archive-date=February 13, 2012 |title=FFWD Weekly - November 7, 2002 }}</ref> [[Christian metal]] bands are sometimes criticized within metal circles in a similar light. Some [[extreme metal]] adherents argue that Christian bands' adherence to the Christian church is an indicator of membership in an established authority, which renders Christian bands as "posers" and a contradiction to heavy metal's purpose.<ref name="Khan-Harris, Keith 2006">Khan-Harris, Keith. ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge''. Oxford: Berg, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1-84520-399-3}}</ref> Some proponents argue personal faith in [[Left-hand path and right-hand path#Right-hand path|right-hand path]] beliefs should not be tolerated within metal.<ref>Norsk Black Metal (2003). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.</ref> A small number of Norwegian [[black metal]] bands have threatened violence (and, in extremely rare instances, exhibited it) towards Christian artists or believers, as demonstrated in the early 1990s through occasional church arsons throughout [[Scandinavia]].<ref name="Khan-Harris, Keith 2006"/><ref>Grude, Torstein (1998). Satan Rides The Media.</ref>
It should be noted that rejection of organised religion by a metalhead does not mean a rejection of God, as many Christian metalheads may also have strong feelings against organised religions.


== Behaviour ==
==Social aspects==


===Gestures and movements===
In place of dancing as it is usually defined, metalheads are more likely to [[Mosh|mosh]] or [[Headbanging|headbang]], where the head is vigorously shaken up and down (or “windmilled” in a circular motion) while the lower body remains still; the fast pace, tempo and time changes, and complex rhythm of most metal music makes traditional forms of dance difficult or at least very physically tiring to perform. However due to the rise in popularity of Nu-metal, Metalcore and Alt Metal (whose emphasis is on grinding textures, funky riffs and more dance-orientated sounds), as well as headbanging some fans will [[Skank (dance)|skank]] to the music, usually during [[breakdowns]]. Skanking is derived from [[ska]] music, and is characterised by bouncing movements to the beat of the song, usually elements of [[breakdancing]] would come into play as well, such as complicated footwork and hand movements. During the early 80s with the rise of thrash metal, elements of the hardcore punk culture began to be incorporated into metalhead lifestyle, some of the more prominent aspects of which included [[slamdancing]] and [[moshing]], where fans would form rings in the crowd within which they would run into each other and/or push and shove one another, [[stage-diving]] is where fans climb onto the stage with the band and launch themselves into the crowd. Later, [[crowd-surfing]], where individuals are lifted and carried forward over the heads of others in the audience, also became popular. While this behaviour was generally restricted to the punk and metalhead cultures during the 1980s, by the early 90s moshing, stage-diving and crowd-surfing had spilled over to virtually all spheres of [[alternative rock]] music to the extent that by the end of that decade it could no longer be held as an identifier of any one particular music sub-culture.
[[Image:AsphyxBand.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Asphyx]] headbanging during a performance.]]


At concerts, in place of typical dancing, metal fans are more likely to [[moshing|mosh]]<ref>{{cite news|author=Robin Pogrebin |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E4DB1539F93AA35756C0A960958260 |title=Hard-Core Threat to Health: Moshing at Rock Concerts |work=New York Times |date = 9 May 1996|access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> and [[Headbanging|headbang]] ⁠(a movement in which the head is shaken up and down in time with the music).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861616918/headbang.html |access-date=December 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423132657/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861616918/headbang.html |archive-date=April 23, 2010 |title=Headbang definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta }}</ref>
Perhaps one of the most dominant features of the metalhead culture is the "[[Corna]]" hand-signal formed by a fist with the little and index fingers extended, known variously as the “devil’s horns”, the “metal fist” and other similar descriptors. The "[[Corna]]" was originally an occult sign used to ward off the evil spirits in Eastern Europe. An example of this can be found in the early chapters of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". This gesture was first popularised by singer [[Ronnie James Dio]] while a member of [[Black Sabbath]] in the 1980s and was quickly adopted into the metalhead sub-culture. “Throwing the horns” or “showing the metal fist” very soon became a way for metalheads to recognise and acknowledge each other and to show their appreciation for almost anything from a song or a band to virtually anything else they enjoyed. While the gesture still has strong ties to metal, over the last decade or so its appearance in popular mainstream films such as "Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure" has caused it to be adopted into almost every youth sub-culture, often to the chagrin of metalheads who feel that its status as a sacred element of their lifestyle has been cheapened by its overuse outside the community.


Fans in the heavy metal subculture often make the ''[[corna]]'' hand gesture formed by a fist with the index and little fingers extended. Also known as the "devil’s horns," the "metal fist," and other similar descriptors,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/columns/junkyard/the_devils_horns_a_rock_and_roll_symbol.html |title=The Devil's Horns: A Rock And Roll Symbol &#124; Guitar Columns @ |publisher=Ultimate-guitar.com |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> the gesture was popularized by heavy metal vocalist [[Ronnie James Dio]].
Commonality among metalheads is also found in their typical interest in a range of subjects that have a particular connection with the music itself. These subjects seem to chiefly but not exclusively include [[horror films]], [[science fiction]], [[occultism]], [[politics]], blood and gore imagery, weaponry (e.g. [[sword]]s, [[knives]], [[firearms]] etc) and [[militaria]], fantasy (with particular attention to the work of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]), and [[Celtic mythology|Celtic]] and [[Nordic countries|Nordic]] culture and [[mythology]].


===Alcohol and drug use===
Within the culture itself, metalheads often distinguish themselves according to what genre of metal they especially enjoy. While on one hand metalheads have a tendency to consider each other part of a larger brotherhood, this desire to sub-divide into smaller groups dedicated to particular sub-genres has possibly undermined the idea of a fraternal spirit. Occasionally, there is reluctance for fans of particular sub-genres of metal to mingle with fans of other sub-genres and even some debate among fans as to whether particular sub-genres are truly representative of metal music. These debates are significantly more volatile when it comes to the classification of [[nu-metal]] and its relevancy as part of metalhead culture. To some metalheads, the likes of metalcore and nu-metal are low quality imitations of "real" heavy metal, mainstream and popularist (and therefore watered-down) versions of metal that have no real affiliation to the metal culture. On the other hand, there are others who argue that these styles have some merit as they often lead to newer fans discovering the "real" metal. However, heavy metal music has never been afraid to court mainstream popularity. Some of the best known acts like [[Iron Maiden]], [[Judas Priest]], [[Motörhead]], and [[Metallica]] have enjoyed immense worldwide commercial success and many others like [[Dream Theater]], [[Opeth]], [[In Flames]] and [[Nightwish]] have attracted large and dedicated followings that often include many people who wouldn't usually listen to heavy metal.
The heavy metal scene is associated with alcohol and drug use.<ref>http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1054&context=buschmarcon {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>
While there are heavy metal songs which celebrate alcohol or drug use (e.g., "Sweet Leaf" by [[Black Sabbath]], which is about [[cannabis]]), there are many songs which warn about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and addiction. "[[Master of Puppets (song)|Master of Puppets]]" by [[Metallica]] (which is about how drug abusers can end up being controlled by the drugs they use) and "[[Beyond the Realms of Death]]" by [[Judas Priest]] are two examples of songs that warn about such dangers.


==Intolerance to other music==
The nu-metal subgenre tended to be frowned upon, and often shunned by bands and fans alike of the less media friendly subgenres that made up the rest of the metal community. Where most metalheads would agree that metal is and always should be anti-conformist and in no way influenced by the mainstream society, genres such as nu metal tended to be viewed as pop music, adopting the feel of metal.
On a 1985 edition of Australian music television show ''[[Countdown (Australian TV series)|Countdown]]'', music critic [[Molly Meldrum]] spoke about intolerance to other music within the subculture, observing "sections who just ''love'' heavy metal, and they actually don't like anything else."<ref name="meldrum">{{Cite episode |series= [[Countdown (Australian TV series)|Countdown]]|first= Molly|last= Meldrum|station= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|location= Melbourne|date= 5 May 1985}}</ref> [[Queen (band)|Queen]] frontman [[Freddie Mercury]], a guest on the program, readily concurred with Meldrum's view, and opined that his comments were "very true". Directly addressing the resistance to alternate genres seen among certain heavy metal fans, Mercury asserted: "that's ''their'' problem".<ref name="meldrum"/>


Interviewed in 2011, [[Sepultura]] frontman [[Derrick Green]] said: "I find that a lot of people can be very closed minded – they want to listen to metal and nothing else, but I'm not like that. I like doing metal music and having a heavy style, but I don't like to put myself in such a box and be trapped in it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rushonrock.com/2011/07/18/exclusive-sepultura-interview/ |title=Exclusive – Sepultura Interview |publisher=Rushonrock.Com |date=2011-07-18 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> Also that year, [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]] drummer [[Charlie Benante]] admitted that hardened members of the heavy metal subculture "are not the most [[Open-mindedness|open-minded]] people when it comes to music."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.eternal-terror.com/articles/index.php?id=861&type=B|title= Anthrax - Worshipping Metal Legacy|last= Coe|first= Matt|date= 21 September 2011|website= Eternal Terror|access-date=25 September 2013}}</ref>
== Fashion ==
{{main|Heavy metal fashion}}
Apart from the music itself, the most distinctive aspect of metalhead culture is its [[fashion]]. Like the music at its cultural core, these fashions have experienced levels of change and diversity over the decades. The evolution of metalhead fashion has in fact been quite pronounced, from a style that could almost be defined as a uniform in earlier times to a far more broadminded look recently. Some aspects of this fashion have spawned a backlash that seems to be renewing an interest in older trends among some members of the sub-culture.


[[Ultimate Guitar Archive|Ultimate Guitar]] reported in 2013 that [[thrash metal]] fans had directed "hate" towards [[Megadeth]] for venturing into more [[Rock music|rock]]-oriented musical territory on that year's ''[[Super Collider (album)|Super Collider]]'' album. Singer [[Dave Mustaine]] stated that their hostility was informed by an unwillingness to accept other genres and had "nothing to do with Megadeth or the greatness of the band and its music"; he also argued that the labelling of music fans contributed to their inability to appreciate other types of music.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/dave_mustaine_thrash_metal_fans_dont_want_to_accept_rock.html|title= Dave Mustaine: 'Thrash Metal Fans Don't Want to Accept Rock'|date= 3 July 2013|website= [[Ultimate Guitar Archive]]|access-date=25 September 2013}}</ref> That same year [[Opeth]] frontman [[Mikael Åkerfeldt]] also alleged that most members of the subculture are resistant to the musical evolution of artists within the metal genre, stating that it "doesn't seem to be that important" to those listeners. He added: "I think most metal fans just want their [[Happy Meal]]s served to them. They don't really want to know about what they're getting. For a while, I thought metal was a more open-minded thing but I was wrong."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalinjection.net/hateorade/opeth-frontman-thinks-metal-fans-are-close-minded |title=OPETH Frontman Thinks Metal Fans Are Close-Minded |date=21 November 2013 |publisher=Metal Injection |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref>
Typically, the heavy metal fashions of the late 1970s – 1980s comprised tight blue jeans or drill pants, motorcycle boots or hi-top sneakers and black t-shirts, traditionally augmented with a sleeve-less jacket of denim or leather emblazoned with woven patches and button pins from heavy metal artists. Like in other cultural groups, this jacket was often seen as the individual’s defining symbol within the sub-culture. During this period, metalheads often wore [[t-shirts]] with the emblem of bands such as [[Black Sabbath]], [[AC/DC]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Metallica]], and [[Slayer]]. The intricacy of decoration could be seen as both a reflection of one’s dedication to the genre as well as one’s status within the group. This outfit could also be supplemented by [[jewellery]] and accessories that included studded leather wrist- and arm-bands, bullet belts, chains and even rings depicting skulls and other death- and horror-inspired designs. The metalheads of this era generally wore their hair quite long, with lengths beyond the shoulder being not uncommon, or sometimes in a [[mullet (haircut)|mullet]]. The relatively small number of female metal devotees of the era were generally discouraged from dressing in a similar fashion as traditionally this costume was reserved almost exclusively for males; indeed it wasn’t that unusual for female metalheads to adopt dress similar to that of [[Goth subculture|goth]]s or [[punk fashion|punks]].


Journalists have written about the dismissive attitude of many metal fans. MetalReviews.com published a 2004 article entitled "The ''True'', ''Real'' Metalhead: A Selective Intellect Or A Narrow-Minded Bastard?", wherein the writer confessed to being "truly bothered by the narrow-mindedness of a lot of [his] metal brothers and sisters".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/album/2022 |title=Editorial - The ''True'', ''Real'' Metalhead: A Selective Intellect Or A Narrow - Minded Bastard? |publisher=Metalreviews.com |date=2004-01-24 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> Critic Ryan Howe, in a 2013 piece for ''Sound and Motion'' magazine, penned an open letter to British metal fans, many of whom had expressed disgust about [[Avenged Sevenfold]] – whose music they deemed too light to qualify as metal – being booked to headline the 2014 installment of popular metal event the [[Download Festival]]. Howe described the detractors as "narrow minded" and challenged them to attend the Avenged Sevenfold set and "be prepared to have [their] opinions changed."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://soundandmotionmag.com/2013/11/04/an-open-letter-to-uk-metal-fans-regarding-avenged-sevenfold/ |title=An Open Letter to UK Metal Fans Regarding Avenged Sevenfold &#124; Sound And Motion |publisher=Soundandmotionmag.com |date=2013-11-04 |access-date=2014-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108051736/http://soundandmotionmag.com/2013/11/04/an-open-letter-to-uk-metal-fans-regarding-avenged-sevenfold/ |archive-date=2014-01-08 }}</ref>
By the early 1990s, metalhead fashion changed direction somewhat. This seems to correspond with the rise of the more diverse and even more extreme forms of heavy metal around the same time. [[Death metal]] and [[black metal]] began to dominate the culture as the more traditional forms of metal wavered under the influence of the [[grunge]] movement and metalhead fashion reflected this shift. As heavy metal music itself diversified and branched out, so did the fashions associated with it. A growing influence from goth and [[industrial music]] and [[hardcore punk]] became increasingly evident. Black jeans and army fatigue pants began to replace the more traditional blue jeans and the patch-clad “battle jackets” were pushed aside in favor of long-sleeve t-shirts and military-style coats. Some of the jewelry and accessories of the previous era also became less prominent but were by no means forgotten.


Despite widespread lack of appreciation of other music genres, some fans and musicians can profess a deep devotion to genres that often have nothing to do with metal music. For instance, [[Fenriz]] of [[Darkthrone]] is also known to be a [[techno]] [[Disc jockey|DJ]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Hughes |first=Dylan |url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/a-fist-in-the-face-of-god-presents-dj-fenriz-the-human-touch-vinyl-mix |title=A Fist in the Face of God Presents... DJ Fenriz' Dance Mix &#124; VICE Canada |publisher=Vice.com |date=2012-03-13 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> and [[Metallica]]'s [[Kirk Hammett]] is seen wearing a T-shirt of [[post-punk]] band [[The Sisters of Mercy]] in the music video for "[[Wherever I May Roam]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwPg8gJq_Kw |title=Metallica - Wherever I May Roam [Official Music Video] |publisher=YouTube |date=1992-05-21 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref> [[Tourniquet (band)|Tourniquet]] band leader [[Ted Kirkpatrick]] is a "great admirer of the [[Classical music|classical masters]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tourniquet.net/ted.html |title=Ted Kirkpatrick Bio |publisher=Tourniquet.net |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref>
While long hair had been a defining aspect of metal culture in the 70s and 80s, by the 90s shorter hairstyles and even completely shaven heads had begun to grow in popularity and acceptance. An increasing [[Neo-Nazism|Nationalist-Socialist]] influence among some pockets of the heavy metal subculture was probably partly responsible for this but there were certainly many bands and artists of no clear political or philosophical persuasion that were choosing to either wear shorter hair or none at all. Certainly influential acts such as [[Metallica]] and individual artists like [[Bruce Dickinson]] of [[Iron Maiden]], [[Kerry King]] of [[Slayer]] and [[Phil Anselmo]] of [[Pantera]] either cut their hair short or shaved it completely. In a strange contrast to the shorter length of head hair, it could be argued that beards and facial hair rose in popularity among metalheads in the 90s. Whereas the metalhead of the late 70s and early 80s had a tendency to eschew facial hair except for the occasional mustache, during the 90s beards, most particularly goatees, became rather fashionable.


Some metal fans are also fond of [[punk rock]], most notably the [[hardcore punk]] scene which helped inspire the [[extreme metal]] subgenres and even fusion genres such as [[crossover thrash]], [[grindcore]] and the [[New York hardcore]] scene.
The wave of "Hair Cutting" that has taken place throughout the more mainstream of American scenes has not seemed to effect the heavier, more discrete genres. Band members and fans alike of genres such as death metal, and black metal still hold true to the long hair, and tend to sport straight hair falling well below the shoulders. Long beards are also very popular.


The term ''metal [[Elitism|elitist]]'' is sometimes used by heavy metal fans and musicians to differentiate members of the subculture who display insulated, exclusionary or rigid attitudes from ostensibly more open-minded ones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/butcher-babies-heidi-shepherd-feels-shunned-by-metal-elitists/ |title=BUTCHER BABIES' HEIDI SHEPHERD Feels 'Shunned' By 'Metal Elitists' |date=18 November 2015 |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |access-date=2016-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=70440 |title=Elitists Are Killing The Heavy Metal Genre? |publisher=Metal Underground.com |access-date=2016-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2015/02/18/things-elitist-metal-fans-say/ |title=Things Elitist Metal Fans Say |date=18 February 2015 |publisher=MetalSucks |access-date=2016-02-12}}</ref> Elitist attitudes are particularly associated with fans and musicians of the [[black metal]] subgenre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://noisey.vice.com/blog/why-are-black-metal-fans-such-elitist-assholes |title=Why Are Black Metal Fans Such Elitist Assholes? |date=21 January 2014 |publisher=Noisey |access-date=2016-02-12}}</ref> Characteristics described as distinguishing metal elitists or "[[nerd]]s" from other fans of metal music include "constant [[One-upmanship|one-upping]]," "endless [[wikt:pedantry|pedantry]]" and hesitancy to "go against the metal [[Orthodoxy#Non-religious contexts|orthodoxy]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2011/09/12/are-you-an-internet-metal-nerd-im-here-to-help/ |title=ARE YOU AN INTERNET METAL NERD? I'M HERE TO HELP! |date=12 September 2011 |publisher=MetalSucks |access-date=2016-02-12}}</ref> While the term "metal elitism" is usually used pejoratively, elitism is occasionally defended by members of the subculture as a means of keeping the metal genre insulated, in order to prevent it from [[selling out]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deathmetal.org/news/in-defense-of-elitism/ |title=In defense of elitism |publisher=Death Metal Underground |access-date=2016-02-12}}</ref>
In the early 2000s, some metal heads began to be known as moshers due to the type of dance metalheads adopted ([[moshing]]). These moshers tended to wear baggier jeans which would come over the feet and often trail behind them and rip. The jeans would normally have a chain attached to a hitcher at the front of the jeans and would wrap around to the back of the jeans. They would normally be held up by studded belts. Black T-shirts were often worn with emblems of their favorite bands or other motifs such as flames, skulls and other various images. Shirts could be worn also over a t-shirt being open to show the motif. [[Hoodie]]s were worn by most metal heads and would either be plain black, or another dark color and even sometimes red, or would be emblazoned with the logo of a popular metal band. Big clunky shoes such as [[Vans]] were worn and became known as fat shoes due to their size. Piercings were common and would normally be the bottom lip or between the lip and the chin. Hair dye, although normally constricted to punk, was also often used.


Heavy metal is also known for its large quantity of fusion subgenres including [[nu metal]], [[folk metal]] and [[symphonic metal]] - contradicting the notion of metal as an isolated musical genre. Many popular groups within the genre are also [[Fusion music|fusion-music]] acts not represented by any larger subgenre, such as [[Skindred]] and [[Matanza (band)|Matanza]].
In the late 1990s, outside influences began to be infused into metalhead culture once again. The rise of nu-metal saw facets of hip-hop and ghetto culture being introduced, including the adoption of sportswear, dreadlocks and African-American slang. Unlike the adoption of earlier influences however, these new aspects were seen by some to be at odds with the traditional metalhead outlook, particularly as many metalheads consider nu-metal to be a completely different style of music with a totally different culture. The explosion in the popularity of metalcore since 2002 has also brought with it changes in fashion particularly, as fans of the genre are typically neater in appearance with shorter hair, usually dyed black, and a tendency toward favouring “label” clothing and footwear. Many of these newer fans are also seen to be associating themselves with the culture for purely fashionable reasons. As with members of the nu-metal fanbase, there is some debate as to whether these fans can be properly described as metalheads as they are traditionally recognised or if they are, as many metalheads themselves believe, a new and different sub-culture.

==Attire==
{{Main|Heavy metal fashion}}
[[File:PriestScorpionsNEC 017 Halford.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rob Halford]] of [[Judas Priest]] wearing [[wikt:stud#Etymology 2|stud]]ded [[leather jacket]]]]
[[Image:HeavyMetalJckt.jpg|thumb|right|A man wearing a denim jacket with band patches and artwork of metal bands including [[Metallica]], [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]] and [[Led Zeppelin]]]]
Another aspect of heavy metal culture is its [[fashion]]. Like the metal music, these fashions have changed over the decades, while keeping some core elements. Typically, the heavy metal fashions of the late 1970s – 1980s comprised tight blue jeans or drill pants, motorcycle boots or hi-top sneakers and black T-shirts, worn with a sleeveless [[kutte]] of denim or leather emblazoned with woven patches and button pins from heavy metal bands. Sometimes, a denim vest, emblazoned with album art "knits" (cloth patches) would be worn over a long-sleeved leather jacket. As with other musical subcultures of the era, such as punks, this jacket and its emblems and logos helped the wearer to announce their interests. Metal fans often wear [[T-shirts]] with the emblem of bands.

Around the mid-2000s, a renaissance of younger audiences became interested in 1980s metal, and the rise of newer bands embracing older fashion ideals led to a more 1980s-esque style of dress. Some of the new audience are young, urban [[hipster (contemporary subculture)|hipsters]] who had "previously fetishized metal from a distance".<ref>{{cite web|last=Stosuy |first=Brandon |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2124692/ |title=Heavy metal for hipsters |publisher=Slate.com |date=2005-08-19 |access-date=2014-05-19}}</ref>

==International variations==
Heavy metal fans can be found in virtually every country in the world. Even in orthodox Muslim countries of the [[Arab World]], a small metal culture exists, though judicial and religious authorities do not always tolerate it. In 2003, more than a dozen members and fans of [[Morocco|Moroccan]] heavy metal bands were imprisoned for "undermining the Muslim faith."<ref>{{Cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=7 March 2003 |title=Moroccan heavy metal fans jailed |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2828049.stm |url-status=live |access-date=29 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030314005028/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2828049.stm |archive-date=14 March 2003}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tremlett |first=Giles |date=11 March 2003 |title=Moroccan judge jails metalheads |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/11/arts.artsnews |url-status=live |access-date=29 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827000639/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/11/arts.artsnews |archive-date=27 August 2013}}</ref> Heavy metal fans in Arab countries have formed their own specific metal cultures, with movements such as [[Taqwacore]].

==Examples in fiction==
Heavy metal subculture appears in works of fiction, mostly adult cartoons, and 1980s and 1990s live action movies.
*The 1986 film ''[[Trick or Treat (1986 film)|Trick or Treat]]'' stars [[Marc Price]] as Eddie Weinbauer, a metalhead that obtains a unreleased demo record of his deceased heavy metal idol with startling consequences. Guest appearances by [[Gene Simmons]] and [[Ozzy Osbourne]].
*The titular characters of [[Mike Judge]]'s animated show ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' are among the most notorious examples of heavy metal subculture in fiction, being fond of bands representative of, or marginally associated with, the style (such as [[Metallica]] and [[AC/DC]], whose logos emblazon the T-shirts of the protagonists respectively). They also exhibit stereotypical metalhead behavior such as headbanging to songs they like, singing guitar riffs in response to good things happening to them, and deeming glam metal bands as "wussy". However, in a subversion of the stereotype that members of the heavy metal subculture are intolerant towards other styles of music, the duo are very responsive to hip hop music due to them finding it to be just as authentic.
*The film and ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' program ''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]''.
*''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'' is also a well-known example of heavy metal subculture in fiction, in which the titular characters are time travelers driven by the desire of keeping their band together.
*In the ''[[Happy Tree Friends]]'' episode entitled "In a Jam", the characters Cuddles, Lumpy, Russell, Handy, and Sniffles are in a rock and roll/heavy metal band. In that episode, they also have a stereotypical metalhead/rocker attitude such as being rude to people auditioning to be in the band, being careless, and even having some hand gestures that belong to the subculture.
*The 1999 film [[Detroit Rock City (film)|Detroit Rock City]] tells the story of four teenage friends, set in the 1970s, who are trying to go see their idols [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] in concert.
*In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'' entitled "Saving Private Brian", Chris Griffin gets inspired by [[Marilyn Manson]] to become part of the heavy metal subculture and is mouthy to Lois and Peter.
*In one episode of ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' entitled "Krabby Road", Plankton makes a rock and roll/heavy metal band called "Plankton and the Patty Stealers" and gets SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward to be a part of it.
*The [[Disney XD]] [[sitcom]] ''[[I'm in the Band]]'' featured a teenaged boy named Trip who was the lead guitarist of a heavy metal/rock and roll band called "Iron Weasel"; the show also focused on heavy metal subculture in high school.
*The French-Canadian cartoon ''[[My Dad the Rock Star]]'', created by [[Gene Simmons]], featured the father, Rock Zilla, having a family belonging to the rocker/metalhead subculture. His son, William (aka Willy), is the main protagonist as well, but has trouble fitting in with his peers and family since he wants to live a more normal lifestyle.
*''The Death Metal Epic'' is a series of comic novels by the writer Dean Swinford. The books tell the story of a death metal guitarist from Florida and is set in the early 1990s, a timeframe in which the genre thrived in the location.
*The 2001 film ''[[Rock Star (2001 film)|Rock Star]]'', starring [[Mark Wahlberg]] and [[Jennifer Aniston]], features a fictional heavy metal band "Steel Dragon", of whom the leading character eventually becomes the vocalist. This film is thought to be based on the story of Rob Halford's departure from Judas Priest in 1992.
*''[[Metalocalypse]]'', a TV show that aired from August 6, 2006 to October 27, 2013, features fictional death metal band [[Dethklok]].
*[[Rodrick Heffley]], the brother of main character [[Greg Heffley]] in the book series ''[[Diary of a Wimpy Kid]]'' (2007–present), is the drummer for a heavy metal band called "Löded Diper" that practices in the Heffley garage, much to the chagrin of his father.
*The 2009 [[video game]] ''[[Brütal Legend]]'' is set in a world inspired by heavy metal music, and features characters voiced, and visually inspired, by [[Jack Black]], [[Rob Halford]], [[Lemmy Kilmister]], [[Lita Ford]], and [[Ozzy Osbourne]].
*The characters [[List of Grand Theft Auto IV characters|Johnny Klebitz, Jim Fitzgerald, Clay Simons, Terry Thorpe, Patrick McReary and Brucie Kibbutz]], from ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' and its episodes, are all metalheads.
*The 2011 horror novel ''[[The Ritual (novel)|The Ritual]]'' by Adam Nevill features three metalhead antagonists named Loki, Fenris and Surtr who attempt to sacrifice the protagonist, Luke, to [[Odin]].
*The 2018 [[Adventure game|adventure video game]] [[Detroit: Become Human]] features a detective, Hank Anderson, who is shown to be a fan of a fictional heavy metal band called "Knights of the Black Death."
*The 2018 film ''[[Lords of Chaos (film)|Lords of Chaos]]'', starting [[Rory Culkin]] and [[Emory Cohen]], is a historical fiction account of the early 1990s [[Early Norwegian black metal scene|Norwegian black metal scene]] told from the perspective of [[Mayhem (band)|Mayhem]] co-founder [[Euronymous]].
*The 2022 film ''[[Metal Lords]]'', its story follows two high school best friends and metal music lovers, Hunter and Kevin, who set out to start a metal band, against societal norms. It features special cameos by [[Scott Ian]] from [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]], [[Kirk Hammett]] from [[Metallica]], [[Tom Morello]] from [[Rage Against the Machine]] and [[Rob Halford]] from [[Judas Priest]].


==References==
==References==
{{reference}}
{{Reflist|30em}}


{{Heavymetal}}
[[Category:Heavy metal]]
[[Category:Subcultures]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Heavy Metal Subculture}}
[[et:Heavy-mehed]]
[[Category:Heavy metal subculture| ]]
[[it:Metalhead]]
[[Category:Youth culture in the United Kingdom]]
[[he:מטאליסט]]
[[Category:Musical subcultures]]
[[pl:Metalowcy]]
[[Category:Motorcycling subculture]]
[[ru:Металисты]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1970s]]
[[sr:Metalci]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1980s]]
[[fi:Hevari]]
[[sv:Hårdrockare]]
[[pt:Headbanger]]

Latest revision as of 07:50, 28 June 2024

Young metal fans.

Fans of heavy metal music, commonly referred to as "Metalheads", have created their own subculture that encompasses more than just appreciation of the style of music. Fans affirm their membership in the subculture or scene by attending metal concerts (an activity seen as central to the subculture), buying albums, growing their hair long (although some metalheads do wear their hair short; one very famous example is late 70s to 80s-era Rob Halford), wearing jackets or vests often made of denim and leather adorned with band patches and often studs, and by contributing to metal publications since the early 1980s.[1]

The metal scene, like the rock scene in general, is associated with alcohol, tobacco and drug use, as well as riding motorcycles and having many tattoos. While there are songs that celebrate drinking, smoking, drug use, gambling, having tattoos and partying, there are also many songs that warn about the dangers of those activities. The metal fan base was traditionally working class, white and male in the 1970s,[2] and since the 1980s, more female fans have developed an interest in the style. Metal culture has also grown more popular among African Americans and other groups in recent times.[3]

Nomenclature

[edit]

Heavy metal fans go by a number of different names, including metalhead,[4] headbanger,[5] hesher, mosher, and thrasher,[6] being used only for fans of thrash metal, which began to differentiate itself from other varieties of metal in the late 80s. While the aforementioned labels vary in time and regional divisions, headbanger and metalhead are universally accepted to mean fans or the subculture itself.

Subculture

[edit]
Black Sabbath are one of the biggest pioneers of heavy metal and are often referred to as the first true metal band.[7][8]

Heavy metal fans have created a "subculture of alienation" with its own standards for achieving authenticity within the group.[9] Deena Weinstein's book Heavy Metal: The Music And Its Culture argues that heavy metal "has persisted far longer than most genres of rock music" due to the growth of an intense "subculture which identified with the music." Metal fans formed an "exclusionary youth community" that was "distinctive and marginalized from the mainstream" society.[10] The heavy metal scene developed a strongly masculine "community with shared values, norms, and behaviors." A "code of authenticity" is central to the heavy metal subculture; this code requires bands to have a "disinterest in commercial appeal" and radio hits as well as a refusal to "sell out."[10] The metal code also includes "opposition to established authority, and separateness from the rest of society." Fans expect that the metal "vocation [for performers] includes total devotion to the music and deep loyalty to the youth subculture that grew up around it;" a metal performer must be an "idealized representative of the subculture."[10]

While the audience for metal is mainly "white, male, lower/middle class youth," this group is "tolerant of those outside its core demographic base who follow its codes of dress, appearance, and behavior."[10] The activities in the metal subculture include the ritual of attending concerts, buying albums, and most recently, contributing to metal websites. Attending concerts affirms the solidarity of the subculture, as it is one of the ritual activities by which fans celebrate their music.[11] Metal magazines help the members of the subculture to connect, find information and evaluations of bands and albums, and "express their solidarity."[11] The long hair, leather jackets, and band patches of heavy metal fashion help encourage a sense of identification within the subculture. However, Weinstein notes that not all metal fans are "visible members" of the heavy metal subculture. Some metal fans may have short hair and dress in regular clothes.

Authenticity

[edit]
A metalhead wearing a Metallica shirt at a concert.

In the musical subcultures of heavy metal and punk, authenticity is a core value. The term poseur (or poser) is used to describe "a person who habitually pretends to be something he/she is not,"[12] as in adopting the appearance and clothing style of the metal scene without truly understanding the culture and its music. In a 1993 profile of heavy metal fans' "subculture of alienation," the author noted that the scene classified some members as "poseurs," that is, heavy metal performers or fans who pretended to be part of the subculture, but who were deemed to lack authenticity and sincerity.[13] Jeffrey Arnett's 1996 book Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation argues that the heavy metal subculture classifies members into two categories by giving "acceptance as an authentic metalhead or rejection as a fake, a poseur."[14]

Heavy metal fans began using the term sell out in the 1980s to refer to bands who turned their heavy metal sound into radio-friendly rock music (e.g., glam metal). In metal, a sell out is "someone dishonest who adopted the most rigorous pose, or identity-affirming lifestyle and opinions." The metal bands that earned this epithet are those "who adopt the visible aspects of the orthodoxy (sound, images) without contributing to the underlying belief system."[15]

Ron Quintana's article on "Metallica['s] Early History" argues that when Metallica was trying to find a place in the L.A. metal scene in the early 1980s, "American hard-rock scene was dominated by highly coiffed, smoothly-polished bands such as Styx, Journey, and REO Speedwagon." He claims that this made it hard for Metallica to "play their [heavy] music and win over a crowd in a land where poseurs ruled and anything fast and heavy was ignored."[16] In David Rocher's 1999 interview with Damian Montgomery, the frontman of Ritual Carnage, he praised Montgomery as "an authentic, no-frills, poseur-bashing, nun-devouring kind of gentleman, an enthusiastic metalhead truly in love with the lifestyle he preaches ... and unquestionably practises."[17]

In 2002, "[m]etal guru Josh Wood" claimed that the "credibility of heavy metal" in North America is being destroyed by the genre's demotion to "horror movie soundtracks, wrestling events and, worst of all, the so-called 'Mall Core' groups like Limp Bizkit." Wood claims that the "true [metal] devotee’s path to metaldom is perilous and fraught with poseurs."[18] Christian metal bands are sometimes criticized within metal circles in a similar light. Some extreme metal adherents argue that Christian bands' adherence to the Christian church is an indicator of membership in an established authority, which renders Christian bands as "posers" and a contradiction to heavy metal's purpose.[19] Some proponents argue personal faith in right-hand path beliefs should not be tolerated within metal.[20] A small number of Norwegian black metal bands have threatened violence (and, in extremely rare instances, exhibited it) towards Christian artists or believers, as demonstrated in the early 1990s through occasional church arsons throughout Scandinavia.[19][21]

Social aspects

[edit]

Gestures and movements

[edit]
Asphyx headbanging during a performance.

At concerts, in place of typical dancing, metal fans are more likely to mosh[22] and headbang ⁠(a movement in which the head is shaken up and down in time with the music).[23]

Fans in the heavy metal subculture often make the corna hand gesture formed by a fist with the index and little fingers extended. Also known as the "devil’s horns," the "metal fist," and other similar descriptors,[24] the gesture was popularized by heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio.

Alcohol and drug use

[edit]

The heavy metal scene is associated with alcohol and drug use.[25] While there are heavy metal songs which celebrate alcohol or drug use (e.g., "Sweet Leaf" by Black Sabbath, which is about cannabis), there are many songs which warn about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and addiction. "Master of Puppets" by Metallica (which is about how drug abusers can end up being controlled by the drugs they use) and "Beyond the Realms of Death" by Judas Priest are two examples of songs that warn about such dangers.

Intolerance to other music

[edit]

On a 1985 edition of Australian music television show Countdown, music critic Molly Meldrum spoke about intolerance to other music within the subculture, observing "sections who just love heavy metal, and they actually don't like anything else."[26] Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, a guest on the program, readily concurred with Meldrum's view, and opined that his comments were "very true". Directly addressing the resistance to alternate genres seen among certain heavy metal fans, Mercury asserted: "that's their problem".[26]

Interviewed in 2011, Sepultura frontman Derrick Green said: "I find that a lot of people can be very closed minded – they want to listen to metal and nothing else, but I'm not like that. I like doing metal music and having a heavy style, but I don't like to put myself in such a box and be trapped in it."[27] Also that year, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante admitted that hardened members of the heavy metal subculture "are not the most open-minded people when it comes to music."[28]

Ultimate Guitar reported in 2013 that thrash metal fans had directed "hate" towards Megadeth for venturing into more rock-oriented musical territory on that year's Super Collider album. Singer Dave Mustaine stated that their hostility was informed by an unwillingness to accept other genres and had "nothing to do with Megadeth or the greatness of the band and its music"; he also argued that the labelling of music fans contributed to their inability to appreciate other types of music.[29] That same year Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt also alleged that most members of the subculture are resistant to the musical evolution of artists within the metal genre, stating that it "doesn't seem to be that important" to those listeners. He added: "I think most metal fans just want their Happy Meals served to them. They don't really want to know about what they're getting. For a while, I thought metal was a more open-minded thing but I was wrong."[30]

Journalists have written about the dismissive attitude of many metal fans. MetalReviews.com published a 2004 article entitled "The True, Real Metalhead: A Selective Intellect Or A Narrow-Minded Bastard?", wherein the writer confessed to being "truly bothered by the narrow-mindedness of a lot of [his] metal brothers and sisters".[31] Critic Ryan Howe, in a 2013 piece for Sound and Motion magazine, penned an open letter to British metal fans, many of whom had expressed disgust about Avenged Sevenfold – whose music they deemed too light to qualify as metal – being booked to headline the 2014 installment of popular metal event the Download Festival. Howe described the detractors as "narrow minded" and challenged them to attend the Avenged Sevenfold set and "be prepared to have [their] opinions changed."[32]

Despite widespread lack of appreciation of other music genres, some fans and musicians can profess a deep devotion to genres that often have nothing to do with metal music. For instance, Fenriz of Darkthrone is also known to be a techno DJ,[33] and Metallica's Kirk Hammett is seen wearing a T-shirt of post-punk band The Sisters of Mercy in the music video for "Wherever I May Roam".[34] Tourniquet band leader Ted Kirkpatrick is a "great admirer of the classical masters".[35]

Some metal fans are also fond of punk rock, most notably the hardcore punk scene which helped inspire the extreme metal subgenres and even fusion genres such as crossover thrash, grindcore and the New York hardcore scene.

The term metal elitist is sometimes used by heavy metal fans and musicians to differentiate members of the subculture who display insulated, exclusionary or rigid attitudes from ostensibly more open-minded ones.[36][37][38] Elitist attitudes are particularly associated with fans and musicians of the black metal subgenre.[39] Characteristics described as distinguishing metal elitists or "nerds" from other fans of metal music include "constant one-upping," "endless pedantry" and hesitancy to "go against the metal orthodoxy."[40] While the term "metal elitism" is usually used pejoratively, elitism is occasionally defended by members of the subculture as a means of keeping the metal genre insulated, in order to prevent it from selling out.[41]

Heavy metal is also known for its large quantity of fusion subgenres including nu metal, folk metal and symphonic metal - contradicting the notion of metal as an isolated musical genre. Many popular groups within the genre are also fusion-music acts not represented by any larger subgenre, such as Skindred and Matanza.

Attire

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Main article: Heavy metal fashion
Rob Halford of Judas Priest wearing studded leather jacket
A man wearing a denim jacket with band patches and artwork of metal bands including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden, Slipknot and Led Zeppelin

Another aspect of heavy metal culture is its fashion. Like the metal music, these fashions have changed over the decades, while keeping some core elements. Typically, the heavy metal fashions of the late 1970s – 1980s comprised tight blue jeans or drill pants, motorcycle boots or hi-top sneakers and black T-shirts, worn with a sleeveless kutte of denim or leather emblazoned with woven patches and button pins from heavy metal bands. Sometimes, a denim vest, emblazoned with album art "knits" (cloth patches) would be worn over a long-sleeved leather jacket. As with other musical subcultures of the era, such as punks, this jacket and its emblems and logos helped the wearer to announce their interests. Metal fans often wear T-shirts with the emblem of bands.

Around the mid-2000s, a renaissance of younger audiences became interested in 1980s metal, and the rise of newer bands embracing older fashion ideals led to a more 1980s-esque style of dress. Some of the new audience are young, urban hipsters who had "previously fetishized metal from a distance".[42]

International variations

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Heavy metal fans can be found in virtually every country in the world. Even in orthodox Muslim countries of the Arab World, a small metal culture exists, though judicial and religious authorities do not always tolerate it. In 2003, more than a dozen members and fans of Moroccan heavy metal bands were imprisoned for "undermining the Muslim faith."[43][44] Heavy metal fans in Arab countries have formed their own specific metal cultures, with movements such as Taqwacore.

Examples in fiction

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Heavy metal subculture appears in works of fiction, mostly adult cartoons, and 1980s and 1990s live action movies.

  • The 1986 film Trick or Treat stars Marc Price as Eddie Weinbauer, a metalhead that obtains a unreleased demo record of his deceased heavy metal idol with startling consequences. Guest appearances by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne.
  • The titular characters of Mike Judge's animated show Beavis and Butt-Head are among the most notorious examples of heavy metal subculture in fiction, being fond of bands representative of, or marginally associated with, the style (such as Metallica and AC/DC, whose logos emblazon the T-shirts of the protagonists respectively). They also exhibit stereotypical metalhead behavior such as headbanging to songs they like, singing guitar riffs in response to good things happening to them, and deeming glam metal bands as "wussy". However, in a subversion of the stereotype that members of the heavy metal subculture are intolerant towards other styles of music, the duo are very responsive to hip hop music due to them finding it to be just as authentic.
  • The film and Saturday Night Live program Wayne's World.
  • Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is also a well-known example of heavy metal subculture in fiction, in which the titular characters are time travelers driven by the desire of keeping their band together.
  • In the Happy Tree Friends episode entitled "In a Jam", the characters Cuddles, Lumpy, Russell, Handy, and Sniffles are in a rock and roll/heavy metal band. In that episode, they also have a stereotypical metalhead/rocker attitude such as being rude to people auditioning to be in the band, being careless, and even having some hand gestures that belong to the subculture.
  • The 1999 film Detroit Rock City tells the story of four teenage friends, set in the 1970s, who are trying to go see their idols Kiss in concert.
  • In an episode of Family Guy entitled "Saving Private Brian", Chris Griffin gets inspired by Marilyn Manson to become part of the heavy metal subculture and is mouthy to Lois and Peter.
  • In one episode of SpongeBob SquarePants entitled "Krabby Road", Plankton makes a rock and roll/heavy metal band called "Plankton and the Patty Stealers" and gets SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward to be a part of it.
  • The Disney XD sitcom I'm in the Band featured a teenaged boy named Trip who was the lead guitarist of a heavy metal/rock and roll band called "Iron Weasel"; the show also focused on heavy metal subculture in high school.
  • The French-Canadian cartoon My Dad the Rock Star, created by Gene Simmons, featured the father, Rock Zilla, having a family belonging to the rocker/metalhead subculture. His son, William (aka Willy), is the main protagonist as well, but has trouble fitting in with his peers and family since he wants to live a more normal lifestyle.
  • The Death Metal Epic is a series of comic novels by the writer Dean Swinford. The books tell the story of a death metal guitarist from Florida and is set in the early 1990s, a timeframe in which the genre thrived in the location.
  • The 2001 film Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston, features a fictional heavy metal band "Steel Dragon", of whom the leading character eventually becomes the vocalist. This film is thought to be based on the story of Rob Halford's departure from Judas Priest in 1992.
  • Metalocalypse, a TV show that aired from August 6, 2006 to October 27, 2013, features fictional death metal band Dethklok.
  • Rodrick Heffley, the brother of main character Greg Heffley in the book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007–present), is the drummer for a heavy metal band called "Löded Diper" that practices in the Heffley garage, much to the chagrin of his father.
  • The 2009 video game Brütal Legend is set in a world inspired by heavy metal music, and features characters voiced, and visually inspired, by Jack Black, Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, Lita Ford, and Ozzy Osbourne.
  • The characters Johnny Klebitz, Jim Fitzgerald, Clay Simons, Terry Thorpe, Patrick McReary and Brucie Kibbutz, from Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodes, are all metalheads.
  • The 2011 horror novel The Ritual by Adam Nevill features three metalhead antagonists named Loki, Fenris and Surtr who attempt to sacrifice the protagonist, Luke, to Odin.
  • The 2018 adventure video game Detroit: Become Human features a detective, Hank Anderson, who is shown to be a fan of a fictional heavy metal band called "Knights of the Black Death."
  • The 2018 film Lords of Chaos, starting Rory Culkin and Emory Cohen, is a historical fiction account of the early 1990s Norwegian black metal scene told from the perspective of Mayhem co-founder Euronymous.
  • The 2022 film Metal Lords, its story follows two high school best friends and metal music lovers, Hunter and Kevin, who set out to start a metal band, against societal norms. It features special cameos by Scott Ian from Anthrax, Kirk Hammett from Metallica, Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine and Rob Halford from Judas Priest.

References

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  2. ^ Bennett, Andy (2001). "Heavy Metal". Cultures Of Popular Music. McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 44–45. ISBN 9780335202508. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
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  14. ^ Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation - by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett - 1996 - Music - 196 pages.
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  16. ^ "JoyZine - Interview with Metallica by Ron Quintana". Artistwd.com. 1982-03-14. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
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  27. ^ "Exclusive – Sepultura Interview". Rushonrock.Com. 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  28. ^ Coe, Matt (21 September 2011). "Anthrax - Worshipping Metal Legacy". Eternal Terror. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
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  30. ^ "OPETH Frontman Thinks Metal Fans Are Close-Minded". Metal Injection. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
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  32. ^ "An Open Letter to UK Metal Fans Regarding Avenged Sevenfold | Sound And Motion". Soundandmotionmag.com. 2013-11-04. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  33. ^ Hughes, Dylan (2012-03-13). "A Fist in the Face of God Presents... DJ Fenriz' Dance Mix | VICE Canada". Vice.com. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  34. ^ "Metallica - Wherever I May Roam [Official Music Video]". YouTube. 1992-05-21. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  35. ^ "Ted Kirkpatrick Bio". Tourniquet.net. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
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  38. ^ "Things Elitist Metal Fans Say". MetalSucks. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  39. ^ "Why Are Black Metal Fans Such Elitist Assholes?". Noisey. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  40. ^ "ARE YOU AN INTERNET METAL NERD? I'M HERE TO HELP!". MetalSucks. 12 September 2011. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
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  42. ^ Stosuy, Brandon (2005-08-19). "Heavy metal for hipsters". Slate.com. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  43. ^ "Moroccan heavy metal fans jailed". BBC News. 7 March 2003. Archived from the original on 14 March 2003. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  44. ^ Tremlett, Giles (11 March 2003). "Moroccan judge jails metalheads". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
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