Read on Twitter
Stop saying metal shouldn’t be political. It’s always been political. Did y’all really listen to “War Pigs” and never read the lyrics?
If you want politics out of your art, I got bad news for you. Everything about art is political. The materials used, the spaces in which it’s created and experienced, the discourse around it, the businesses connected to it, every single piece is political.
The promise of heavy metal—one it has yet to truly fulfill for all—is one of a community that accepts folks who feel isolated, afraid, and/or powerless and shows them their worth in this cruel world. That promise requires active effort from all of us. That promise is political.
Remember the feeling of your first show? Your first favorite metal band? Your first friend in the scene? Powerful, right? Now consider that those experiences aren’t available to everyone else because of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc.
“But we don’t see race in heavy metal!” Stop. That colorblind fallacy only perpetuates the problems. If PoC (and/or any other marginalized folks) are saying they feel unsafe or unwelcome, let’s listen carefully. Let’s change our music world for the better.
“But Metal should be dangerous!” And what’s more dangerous than challenging the status quo? Than resisting fascism? Than challenging ourselves and our complacency with a cruel, inhumane society? Punch up, not down.
Heavy metal on its own won’t move our society forward, but we can—we MUST—put the work in and be part of the larger processes of addressing and enacting institutional change. AND this music can provide a killer soundtrack for this moment in history.
Offended by the above thoughts? Please ask yourself why that is. Want to learn more about institutional racism, the police state, the intersection of class/race/gender, etc? Ask. Lots of amazing resources out there. Lots of voices we should heed. Take care, be well, do good.
