Imagine if the heavy metal family was in charge of Xmas
Lemmy would come down the chimney to find Jack instead of cookies- Cannibal Corpse would do the caroling
- Gift exchanges would include only band t-shirts and CDs
- Pizza and beer would be served at all parties
- Cool music would be played over the speakers at stores
- Rudolph would rule the reindeer pit
- Elves dressed in leather and spikes would blow glass pieces for all
- Halloween decorations would be left up until January
- Those stupid red fuzzy hats would be banned
But who exactly is the metal family?
It’s simple really: anyone who truly appreciates heavy music – anyone who feels it in their soul. Whether it’s death metal, groove metal, technical metal, thrash metal, American metal, black metal or whatever subgenre you can name, heavy music is heavy music. And if you feel it inside you, feel it reach into your guts and mosh ‘em around a bit, you’re a part of the metal family.
It’s a second family – the one you’d probably rather be with.
Maybe you still get those weird looks from “blood” family members when it comes to “That crazy music you listen to” (most commonly heard from Grandma). They don’t understand that part of you.
You kind of lose that with the metalheads. There’s a connection there, a feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood that is unique. We understand each other on a level that most others don’t.
I see heavy music connect people all the time: metalheads becoming friends, bands finding new bands to play with, people discovering new bands to like – it’s a great circle. And it’s getting bigger all the time.
Here are ways you can get to know more of your metal family:
- Go to local shows and talk to the band members
- Go to national shows and talk to people standing next to you
- Use social media to chat with metalheads on the pages of bands you follow
- Strike up a conversation with someone you see in a band t-shirt, and wear band t-shirts yourself
- Introduce your metal friends to each other
- Join metal groups on social media pages
A family that head bangs together, stays together.
We recently lost a friend who was the epitome of “metal family.” As I heard what so many have said about him, I see how Tim ‘Timma’ Dykema was so good to so many people in so many ways. I saw him at so many shows, supporting bands, banging his head with his fellow metalheads, and just being a generally awesome dude. R.I.P. Tim, and know that your metal energy will carry on down here. Show ‘em how it’s done on the other side brother. m/~.~m/
Read more of Jen’s articles about local metal on RecoilMag.com >
