S͟k͟e͟t͟c͟hy b͟e͟g͟i͟n͟n͟i͟n͟gs
I didn’t begin liking the heavy stuff until much later. I knew of AC/DC, Def Leppard’s Hysteria, ZZ Top’s ‘greatest hits’, and a smattering of other rock groups like Kim Mitchell & April Wine for the longest time. I would have been seven-ish when I first fell in love with The Backstreet Boys. It wasn’t until I was ~12 when I really took to my parents’ music collection, as aforementioned. My first introduction to metal metal was Venom’s Bloodlust.
That was really something else. I knew of Metallica’s S/T, and I do believe I knew Number of the Beast (the song). I do even find it surprising to this day that there was a time when ‘Stained Glass [sic]’ wasn’t music I was too interested in. That was all about to change, however; and it all began when I was ~15.
Yes, by the time I was 15, I was a budding music buff. Tool is metal too, right? They were my favourite band by a longshot! I had lots of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, for I had assumed ownership of both my mother’s and father’s CD collections. (Well, really that isn’t too accurate, but I don’t care to correct myself.) There was a lot of other music, obviously, but that isn’t what we’re talking about today. I had all of Tool’s albums except Salival. (I still remember when 10,000 Days came out, and they were playing Vicarious on the radio…. Yea, I really didn’t like that song. I did still rush out to grab the album though!)
Fast forward to the age of 23: I was listening to as much music as I could (still), but this time it was different! I heard Atheist—oh yea, I had all the Black Sabbath albums up until Mob Rules back in the previous paragraph too. But yea, Atheist…. 𝘔𝘢𝘯! I couldn’t believe people could make music like that. I knew Tool was pretty technical, but Atheist was fast too! By this time, I had heard quite a bit of Voivod and had certainly listened to Pyromania, On Through the Night, Holy Diver (course I had owned The Last in Line too way back when). (I am really not doing a great job at getting the timeline perfect, but whatever.)
A paragraph dedicated to Voivod
I would have been ~17 when I first heard Nothingface. That was another in-awe-of-musicianship moment. Of course, Killing Technology … Dimension Hatröss were excellent listens, and I struggled to like much off War & Pain – but I still sought out to purchase Rrröööaaarrr. (I literally couldn’t get Nothingface nor Angel Rat on CD through A&B Sound.) Clouds in my House is some amazing music. (I actually really want an Angel Rat album patch: maybe one day.)
M͟o͟re e͟s͟s͟ay
Yea, so ~23 was when I first heard Atheist. This was about the time when I began wondering if I actually did like Venom’s Bloodlust. It was just so different from anything I had ever heard before; however, it wouldn’t be until I was 28 that I really gave Venom a listen. But with Venom came the surge of metal catalogue that came to be familiar to me, especially thanks to YouTube and Discord metal guilds.
I thank the gods a decent chunk of music publishers put music on YouTube. I have a couple decently sized playlists there (bonus points if you can find them). (This isn’t one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL7Izflqn2s&list=PLTpIRIbr6VJ8s0sXvfpO1uDSTOQE-Vj_p)
I would like to mention, I did know of a bit of alt. metal like Sevendust back when my person was ~12 years of age. Now, my favourite metal bands are as follows:
① Voivod
② Venom
③ Possessed
④ Queensrÿche
⑤ Judas Priest
It’s almost crazy to think about how much music a person can potentially listen to in their lifetime. But just metal? Kids these days can begin their lives with a helping of the heaviest stuff ever recorded. It’s almost enough to make one envious, really, though I try not to think too heavily about how much music I could have listened to, if I hadn’t spent so many years just gaming out.
Here’s a tweet for posterity: https://twitter.com/expcurtis/status/1537152865352839168. These tweets don’t mention my latest discoveries: Asunder (2003), Grime (2012), Noothgrush (1997 + 1998), Fistula (2016). Listening to Grime was the first time I’d ever been scared while listening. That was new!
Not sure what else there is to say. I listen to a varied tinge of music. Definitely more than a lot of people, but less than the other portion of people that listen to more.
Metal is life.
Note: This is by no means a comprehensive story of my metal experience.