Metalhead

Metalhead is the term commonly used to refer to people belonging to

the subculture generated by heavy metal music. More specifically,
metalheads are those who follow or are fans of metal in all its
tendencies, such as thrash metal, death metal, speed metal, black
metal, grindcore, power metal, among others.

Although heavy metal originated in the late sixties, the metal cultural
movement with its current characteristics began to take shape in the
late seventies and early eighties, with the new wave of British heavy
metal (NWOBHM), when the punk movement still dominated the
underground music scene in Britain. From then on, metal spread
throughout the world and diversified both musically and culturally.

Cultural characteristics
Idiosyncrasy and religión
Due to the presence of different movements, subgenres and styles
within metal, it is difficult to define the tastes, attitudes and beliefs of a
metalhead. Although there are fans who listen to any subgenre and do
not identify with any one in particular, there are those who take one in
particular seriously, even to the point of fundamentalism and violence.
This is the case of black metal, whose most extremist followers identify
their music with a militant anti-Christianity that seeks to exterminate the
Christian world by any means. However, there are metalheads who are
fond of the occult, paganism and satanism who are usually against
unnecessary violence and that they are not related to discrimination.
Atheism and agnosticism find many supporters in metal, although there
are well-defined Christian metal currents, based on Catholic
Nationalism.
Political and social visions
Political ideologies are a source of inspiration, it is common to find
metalheads with nihilistic and individualistic worldviews, but there are
also those who were supported by different social ideals and utopias.
In thrash metal, for example, it is common to observe the rebellious
influence of punk, reflected both in the sound and in its lyrics, many of
which are openly anti-capitalist. A small but significant division of black
metalheads, especially in Europe, feels identified with Nazism and
other racist political-religious visions, while others tend to be in favor of
multiculturalism and non-discrimination. However, there are
metalheads who do not feel identified with any political current or who
tend to build their own ideas independently, criticizing sheepishness of
any kind.
War of musical styles
The musical question also generates important disagreements. Many
define this or that sound as true metal and accuse other subgenres of
being false metal or the deliberate product of the culture industry. In
the eighties, it was common, for example, for thrashers to accuse
glamers of being posers and their music and image of being a
commercial product for the masses. In death metal and black metal it is
common for many to defend a primitive and raw sound against the
more melodic and refined sound of more commercial extreme metal.
Progressive metal fans, for their part, attach great importance to
instrumental technique. Perhaps like in no other musical genre,
metalheads are characterized by being very demanding and critical of
the artistic work of the bands. In the mid-nineties the name of old
school metalhead began to spread to designate those who were
faithful to the roots of metal and who were against more commercial
and prefabricated subgenres.

Authenticity and critique of the pose

Metalheads tend to be very strict about the authenticity of their culture,
although there is no general agreement on what criteria characterize
the true metalhead. The most common problems when it comes to
differentiating the "authentic metalhead" from the posero are: the type
of subgenre that is listened to, ideology, social behavior, attire and
group membership. In strictly musical terms, metalheads have made a
distinction between what they consider true metal (true metal) and
false metal (false metal). The proliferation of more commercial metal
bands and the crisis that the genre suffered in the nineties from the
success of grunge (and which forced many bands to change their
sound to adapt to new trends) motivated an intense internal debate
about what should be considered "real metal" and what should not.

Relationship with other subcultures

The relationship of metalheads with different urban tribes is complex
and largely depends on the individual metalhead and their own
opinions and preferences. In general, rockers (especially hard rock
fans) and metalheads have always had a good relationship. On the
other hand, in the eighties there were some violent conflicts between
punks and metalheads, although the reasons are not entirely clear,
even less considering that punk was a key player in the development
of the New Wave of British Metal and thrash metal, while early hard
rock was an influence for the birth east. Currently the conflict is over
and it is common to find punks and metalheads in the same social
circle.

Discrimination and social rejection

Religious institutions in some countries and certain ultra-Catholic sects
have manifested for years (with strong intensity in the 80s) a
persecution against heavy metal, to reduce its influence on young
people. The accusations that have been leveled against this youth
movement are that it is music that incites sex, drugs and violence, thus
really generating (before Black Metal) a bad image of the metal genre.
This persecution was quite important in the US with the administration
of Ronald Reagan, who throughout his term carried out a conservative
policy, contributed to this cornering against Heavy Metal being more
intense.
Controversy in metal and burning of churches
At the beginning of the 90s, the subgenre that has caused the most
controversy in the world of metal finished developing, the so-called
second wave of black metal, where numerous violent acts were
recorded. Musicians and black metal fans such as Euronymous
(Øystein Aarseth) caused the burning of 52 Christian churches and the
attempted burning of 13 churches, damage to a total of 65 temples in
Norway, more than 15,000 graves were also desecrated. for burning
churches they showed no remorse, describing their actions as a
symbolic "retaliation" against Christianity in Norway. Mayhem drummer
Hellhammer said that he had called for attacks on Hindu mosques and
temples, on the grounds that they were more foreign. Today, views on
the burning of churches differ within the black metal community. Many
musicians, singers and songwriters from the early Norwegian black
metal scene, such as Infernus and Gaahl from Gorgoroth, chimed in
praising church burnings, with the latter saying "there should be more
of them, and there will be more of them". Others, like Necrobutcher and
Kjetil Manheim of Mayhem and Abbath of Immortal, consider the
church burnings to be pointless. Manheim claimed that many arson
attacks were "just people trying to gain acceptance" within the black
metal scene. Watain frontman Erik Danielsson respected the attacks,
but said of those responsible: "the only Christianity they defeated was
the last piece of Christianity within themselves. Which is a very good
start, of course.

Social aspects
Instead of a typical dance, metal fans often mosh. They also tend to
move their heads up and down to the music while making the now
famous metal symbol "la corna" or cornuta hand. It is also often called
the maloik or the metal fist. It is believed that Ronnie James Dio was
the first to give importance to this attribute, to the point of becoming a
popular tradition within metal culture. This symbol, socially seen by
other urban tribes and people in general, is often associated as a
symbol that refers to the devil, but in reality -according to Ronnie Dio's
own words- it is a gesture that his grandmother used to make when he
was small to ward off evil spirits, although some use it as a reference
to the devil.

Esthetic
Outfits
Metal clothing has varied over time, and currently depends to a large
extent on the subgenre that is listened to. Originally, metal fans wore
jean pants, tennis shoes, jean jackets, and a black T-shirt stamped
with the image of the bands. This outfit has lasted until today,
although with some variations.
Accessories are an important part of metal clothing. Pendants with
pentacles, skulls, inverted crosses or pagan symbols are common. The
pins and the patches with the logos of the bands, too. It is common for
many to wear leather wristbands, rings, and metal bracelets. Piercings
are also common. There are many metalheads who have tattoos and
who practice body modification. As for footwear, tennis shoes,
Converse shoes or boots, corn-type shoes and Texan or calf boots are
the most common options.
Female clothing
The clothing for the "metal girls" is a version adapted to the
feminine physiognomy of the masculine clothing, using mainly
black, jean pants, wide belts with rivets, wristbands, boots, etc.
Monochrome goth makeup is relatively popular among female
metalheads, and its use is optional. The accessories are similar to
those of men.
Hairstyles
The most popular hairstyle associated with metal is long natural hair
to be able to experience headbanging.