Written by Ruby Saggers, Editor-in-Chief
I love metal; it is, peculiarly, the only genre I have listened to for around ten years. The consequence of this is that I am far too wrapped up in the drama of it all, and the elitism that inevitably formed as a result of old and new fans mixing in a relatively small community (compared to genres like pop, at least). With an increase in TikTok popularity came bands being gatekept and, suddenly, the metal community became dreadfully sour.
I can admit, finding one of my favourite songs amidst a TikTok scrolling session often has me feeling confused. Having grown up bullied and being classed as ‘different’ for liking vocalists that scream, I couldn’t quite grasp the sudden growth in popularity. In recent years many of the bands older metal fans grew up on have evolved to cater to modern listeners. Metal is a genre that often needs evolution to thrive, and the best modern metal musicians are made because they bring something new. It seems, however, that many are not so keen on this change and strive to make it very known amongst the community.
In response to a form I conducted to gather various opinions about the topic at hand, one person felt as though ‘everything is under scrutiny and a lot of people find it far easier to be toxic about bands/artists/musicians, whether it’s love or hate for them’. It seems as though most metalheads have enjoyed seeing a rise in metal listeners through TikTok, but have a particular distaste towards those that have begun categorising people via subgenres. Certain subgenres are under attack, superiority complexes overwhelm comment sections, and the term ‘poser’ has been thrown around more times than I would be in a mosh pit.
People are often scared of change – I am too – and it is absolutely fine to have your own opinion. However, opinions are often hard to accept when the majority think otherwise. In a disagreement between myself and another commenter on an Avenged Sevenfold-related TikTok, they stated: ‘A7X fell off because their first two albums are nothing like they are now’ – a contradictory statement, given that their self-titled (2007) and Nightmare (2010) sit amongst the most popular metal albums of all time. Nobody is holding you at gunpoint when you are listening to newly released music; if you do not like the album, just don’t listen to it. I have found that Avenged Sevenfold are a band that have indeed evolved with the times, The Rev passed away and a new sound was established. We are seeing these changes because… let’s face it… 90s and 2000s band members are getting old and, as a result, are either losing their spark or dropping off the face of the earth. Then again, we also have bands like Trivium that have not really diverted much from their usual sound, so why are people so bothered?
Music never stops evolving; Black Sabbath and Brand of Sacrifice are two completely separate sounds, and both represent the changes in musicianship and culture that we see across genres. It does not necessarily mean their music is bad, it just means it is not the same.
In stark contrast to elitism is the other side of the modern metal debate: the Sleep Token fans.
Sleep Token certainly gained the majority of their fans through platforms like TikTok; I believe they have booktok and thirst traps to thank for that. They tend to glide through genres, and cannot really be confined to metal. They are the prime example of evolution. However, this hasn’t stopped metalheads, young and old, from having very strong opinions about them and their fanbase. The rise of Sleep Token has led to the fall of the community. ‘Sleep Token isn’t metal’, ‘traaaaash (picture multiple bin emojis here)’, or just a very simple ‘stfu’ represents the variety of hate comments this band receives. Now, whilst they are definitely not my favourite band and are not quite heavy enough for me, the elements they have borrowed from metal is undeniable – and their music is good. If they have not confined themselves to one genre, why judge them as such?
This hatred has also fed into the exclusion of women from the metal scene, something I have faced throughout my life. I received comments and messages from grown men that I posted metal for the sake of the male gaze, to make myself more attractive, and that I did not really like the music at all. Metal elitists are not big fans of progression, it seems, and refuse to realise that metal is for every gender. Are we forgetting how insane Tatiana Shmayluk (Jinjer) is, and how feral the community went on TikTok when they discovered ‘Pisces’? Bands like Sleep Token and Bad Omens have unfortunately been the most recent catalysts for sexism in metal. As bands that frequent the romance and bookish side of social media, they have inevitably gained largely female audiences; this has given elitists ammo. ‘Women don’t listen to real metal’ is all you will see. Women no longer get the chance to answer the ‘name three bands’ question thrown at merch-wearers as they are instantly assumed to be listeners for male attention as opposed to actual enjoyment.
So, to answer the question ‘are bands becoming pop-ified?’: no, I do not think so. I believe that metal is ‘borrowing’ from other genres more often than it used to, but it is still metal – just a little more progressive. Whilst I am not a fan of largely ‘pop-influenced’ metal myself, I respect the musicians for wanting to branch out and create unique sounds. I despise the way I have been treated in recent years as a woman in the metal community. Once upon a time I was a young teenager struggling to adjust as a metalhead in an all-girl’s school, and found the community to be far more welcoming back then than it is now as an adult. I hope to see a change in attitude towards subgenres, particular bands, and indeed the people that listen to metal as a whole. There have been far too many unfortunate deaths, incidents of bullying and harassment, and just a general outcasting of people simply because they listen to something different; turning against each other in a community that is supposed to be supportive of all alternative people is very saddening, as many of us are already vulnerable to judgement.