Musical Interests

Why must people create controversy for everything?

When I hear people become all huffy over music, I can’t help but laugh. It is just music.

That’s it. No subliminal messages. No satanic cult callings. No anti-religion chants. No anarchist pleas. Nothing. Just lyrics that had some kind of significance for the artist. When people hear heavy metal music, I’m pretty sure everyone thinks the same thing: 

Satanic Cults. 

This isn’t true though. Yes, there are some heavy metal bands that practice Satanism, but there are always going to be some extremes. Life is full of extremes, this being one of them. I thought this at first also until I was enlightened to things about these bands I never knew before. Most heavy metal band members are Christian men with wives and families. They have children of their own. 

One popular heavy metal band, As I Lay Dying, have repeatedly preached that they are five Christian men in a band singing about their lives, struggles, mistakes, relationships and other areas that may not fit into the category of ideal Christianity but are seen through the eyes of a Christian.

Here is a stanza taken from one of their songs, “I Never Wanted” 

How I long to regress

To the days before I took upon myself

The obsessions of this world

A day of innocence equating beauty

For tomorrow may fall

And today is already gone

I find these words to be beautiful and moving. These don’t exactly fit the Satanic stereotype that labels this band by those too ignorant to actually take a minute to listen to them. These people hear the heavy bass and screaming voices and just think they are up to no good, that they are bad influences. 

Before, I really didn’t like to listen to heavy metal. I didn’t get it. But after taking the time to listen and see that there is so much more to their songs than just crazed lead singers and screaming lyrics, there is a sort of poetry to it all that I have come to appreciate and respect. I have found a new genre of music that I enjoy. 

Obviously, I am still young and ignorant about a lot of things. But when it comes to music, especially the music I listen too, I feel like I am the only one that knows what the artist is really trying to say. What I interpret is only for myself and no one else. 

Everyone is allowed to have different tastes in music. All I ask is that you have an open mind before you judge someone else’s preference. 

If they like to rock out to heavy metal, let them.