Have you renounced your metal citizenship yet?

Metal music is cool and all that, but one thing that has always ticked me off about the metal community is how snobby many are. Anyone who's into metal music knows what I'm talking about. Metalheads just love their classifications where something is "totally metal" or "somewhat metal" or "not metal enough" or whatever. Very annoying.

I listen to a ton of different stuff for three reasons. First, I enjoy it. Second, I don't like being pigeonholed into liking just one thing and only that one thing. Third, it makes me better as a guitar player.

For example, I like the song The 2,000 Pound Bee by The Ventures. A lot. That song (or songs, rather, as there is a part 1 and 2) was the first commercial release that featured the fuzz effect on the guitar. And it's awesome. I also like Six Days on the Road by David Dudley. Total country trucker's song. And it's cool. I also dig the "Outlaw Country" sound like Christine's Tune by The Flying Burrito Brothers, and I'll even listen to Love's Theme by Barry White every now and then, because it's a great song.

And yes, I will mix this in to listening to metal songs.

There was a time in my life when I listened to nothing but metal. Metal, metal, metal all day long. After a while that gets really boring real quick. And I'll tell you exactly why it gets boring.

If all you do is listen to metal, metal, metal, what happens is that it all starts to sound the same. Every riff, every chug, every "face-melter" scream, every fast drum track, every solo... all of it. Totally boring if that's all you listen to.

And yes, the exact same thing can happen to any other style of music that exists. However, metalheads make it a point for whatever stupid reason to only listen to metal and absolutely nothing else. That's stupid. And what's even more stupid is that if you dare go outside of the only-metal rule, you're actually made fun of for it, as if you "betrayed the community". Whatever.

From the guitar player's perspective, nothing will put you in a rut faster than only listening to just one kind of music exclusively. There will be days you'll pick up your guitar and just not be able to come up with a single new idea, and you will get bored and put the guitar down. It will happen...

...unless you're willing to listen to other stuff. And I don't mean other styles of metal music. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about actually listening to totally different genres like jazz, country, disco, orchestral, big band, swing, rockabilly and so on.

A whole new world of inspiration is opened up when you ditch the metal-only "rule".

In addition, also from a guitar player's point of view, a whole new world of guitars are opened up by ditching the metal-only rule.

For example, if you dared showed up to metal band practice with a Squier Mustang, you would instantly be made fun of for showing up with that because it "doesn't look metal enough". Because the guitar doesn't have a "badass" look to it, well then, it just "sucks" then, right? Wrong. You play what you want because you're the one spending the cash to buy the guitar.

I stopped being a metal-only guy years ago, and to be honest I wish I had done it a lot sooner.

Like I said, metal is cool and all that, and I do listen to metal music from time to time, but it is absolutely NOT the only thing I will listen to, nor do I base my guitar buying decisions off of it either. And neither should you.

On a final note, here's why you should renounce your metal citizenship:

Think of your favorite food. Now think if that's the only thing you were ever allowed to eat. How long would it take before you got sick of eating the same thing? Not long at all. It doesn't matter how you prepare the food, what temperature it is when you eat it or how it looks when served to you because it's the same thing over and over. Day in and day out, same thing. Totally boring.

As the old saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Well, you can't have any variety if you're always listening and playing the same stuff now, can you? Of course not.

"Metal 'til I die" is a joke, because those who sincerely believe that are already dead inside. Try other styles for a change; it's not a sin to do so.

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Published 2013 Jun 6