Heavy metal subculture

Metalhead is a popular term for a devoted fan of heavy metal music and is often used interchangeably with the term "headbanger"; since the early 1990s, however, the use of the latter term has declined in favor of the more fashionable "metalhead" tag.

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.

Socio-economic background and traditions

Metalheads are typically drawn from the middle and working classes and in Europe, Australasia, South America and North America are most commonly white, however in Arizona metalheads are divided between White, Mexican, & 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, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, etc.; for example DragonForce's guitarist Herman Li is from Hong Kong, and DragonForce singer ZP Theart comes from South Africa. 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 Moroccan heavy metal bands were imprisoned for "undermining the Muslim faith" through their "satanic" music.) Israel, for such a small country, has an exceptionally strong metal scene, particularly in the subgenres of stoner/doom and black metal. 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.) Metal appears to also have a large Japanese fanbase, which such bands as Dream Theater, and Deep Purple, releasing Live In Japan albums, and many other bands releasing Live In Budokan albums.

Themes and messages vary by genre or band. Some bands, particularly thrash acts, address social & political issues in their music, while other bands are devoted to fantasy subjects, historical themes and cartoonish depictions of violence. One of metal music’s key defining aspects is that of complete escapism, while another key defining aspect is social criticism, and as such the metalhead culture is geared towards these outlooks. Some black metal bands espouse philosophies that can be considered extremely right-wing or even neo-fascist in nature and a high degree of socialist rhetoric can be found in the music of some grindcore bands. Despite the social involvement of many heavy metal bands, metalheads are often mistaken as unintelligent. Even though they are stereotypically portrayed in films such as Airheads (1994), Bill and Ted Excellent Adventure 1989 and Bill and teds Bogus Journey, 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 are more factual portrayals of heavy metal and the metalhead sub-culture.

Intelligence and disrespect for organized religion

A number of documented studies have correlated Metalheads and poor academic achievement and delinquency in school, on the other hand a recent study has pointed out that another subgroup with higher intelligence listens to the music as a way to deal with stress and as a means to cope with a lack of self esteem and problems with interpersonal relationships, "liking heavy metal may be a sign of intelligence in youngsters."

The common perception is that Metalheads in general have little respect for organized religion. Religious iconography is quite prominent in certain metal genre culture, but often in a blasphemous fashion, with crucifixes and other holy objects often depicted inverted or otherwise debased. One infamous album by the English band Cradle of Filth features cover art showing a nun masturbating with the Holy Cross, as well as a similar demo cover by the Swedish black metal band Marduk. The level of disrespect for 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 (along with pagan and Wiccan 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. Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society, Alice Cooper, Dave Mustaine and Dave Ellefson (now formerly) of Megadeth, Dan Spitz of Anthrax, Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian, 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 claims to be a Catholic, however with song lyrics and album titles such as "God Hates Us All", this is not immediately apparent to much of the bands fanbase. When questioned about the intent of that particular song title, Araya simply stated "It's a great fucking title", one of many statements that suggests his music does not necessarily reflect his own personal views, and implying that his bands perceived anti-Christian imagary and lyrics are purely theatrical, similar to a movie or a broadway play.

Although artists like Araya merely appropriate Satanic imagery & lyrics for shock value, there are artists who take Satanism very seriously. For example, some Black Metal musicians such as Gaahl of Gorgoroth encourage church burnings and other actively anti-Christian practices. Despite the actions of such 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 the values espoused by the artists.

Behaviour

In place of dancing as it is usually defined, metalheads are more likely to mosh or headbang, where the head is vigorously shaken up and down (or “windmilled” in a circular motion) while the lower body remains somewhat 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 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.

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 Southern and Eastern Europe. An example of this can be found in the early chapters of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". This gesture was first popularised by Gene Simmons and Ronnie James Dio in the 1970s 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. The Corna is also very similar to the Texas Longhorns hand symbol.

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. swords, knives, firearms etc) and militaria, fantasy (with particular attention to the work of J. R. R. Tolkien), and Celtic and Nordic culture and mythology.

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 nu-metal is 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 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 that simply adopts the feel of metal music.

Fashion

Main article: 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.

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 (a trend still common today). 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. 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 goths or punks.

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.

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 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.

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.

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. Hoodies 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.

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.