Here I am - back and ready for more! I'll continue where I finished last time, shall I?
So, where was I...? Ah yes, my introduction to the metal culture! As soon as I entered the arena at Download I could tell that things were different here with these people. There was a special bond that I hadn't really seen before, due to the lack of Metal exposure in my younger years. There was unity, togetherness, acceptance. It was obvious that it didn't really matter how heavy you like your music, how you dressed or what colour your hair was, everyone was there for the same reason; to take part in something that they have a passion for, to show their dedication and love for a genre of music and lifestyle that is quite unlike any other.
I have to admit that it really didn't take long for me to want to become more of a part of this culture. It intrigued me, and I had to have some more! Each time we go I find myself becoming more involved. Every year since 2011 we've returned to Donington Park, eagerly awaiting the line up announcements as they are drip fed from the Download team at Live Nation in the months beforehand.
The culture that I have become a part of has taught me a lot. I was brought up to be polite, respectful and non-confrontational, and those are qualities that I would never want to lose on the most part. However, one of the most important things I feel that I have learnt from Metal is the confidence to stand up for myself and my beliefs, and sometimes that means being a little less polite and a lot more confrontational! From the way I compose myself in different situations to the way I dress, Metal has inspired change in a number of different ways, and these changes weren't because I felt like I had to, they were because I realised that I could express myself in whatever way I wanted to and be the person that I want to be, not the person that others want me to be.
So that's it, a brief story of how I got to where I am today. As for the future, who knows? I just hope I can keep learning and continue to be part of this diverse culture that we are all involved in.
Keep those horns up \m/
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Thursday, 8 January 2015
It's all about me, me, me! Part 1
Well here it is, finally, another post! It's been far too long since I last wrote, but at last I have found the time to sit down and do it.
This time I want to get a bit more personal. I'll be talking about my own personal journey into Metal: How it began, how it has evolved, and where I would like it to take me.
Having very little exposure to Metal during my childhood, it wasn't always a prominent force in my life. My parents had an interest in music, but it was the likes of Madonna and Frank Sinatra that echoed through the household. Heavier music, like rock and metal were often labelled as "aggressive", "loud" and "offensive".
As I had no real interest in the music that was played, I went for many years without even giving it a second thought. But then in my early teenage years, with some help from my brother, I discovered Guns N' Roses. This changed everything!
Following this revelation, I realised that I had found something that I really enjoyed. More discoveries like Metallica, Linkin Park, Disturbed and System Of A Down only helped to increase my interest in the heavier, "darker" side of music.
However, for some reason that is unknown to me, my enthusiasm suddenly disappeared and I found myself without music again for a few years. When I finally found an interest in it again, the music coming out of my speakers was not of the same caliber. While it was still rock, it was softer and much easier listening. Bands like Muse, who to this day I still enjoy listening to, but for completely different reasons.
It wasn't until I met my girlfriend that the fire was re-lit for something a bit more hard hitting. The first band that she introduced me to was Avenged Sevenfold and it didn't take long for me to become completely overwhelmed with a passion that I hadn't experienced before. This is where my journey really picks up some pace. At this point I had no idea just how much of an impact Metal would have on my life.
In 2011, my girlfriend and I decided to buy Download Festival tickets after seeing a line up consisting of bands that first got us both interested in the music - System Of A Down, Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed and Korn, just to name a few. The time that we spent at Download was some of the most memorable that we have spent together, and it introduced us both to a whole new, larger and even more exciting element of Metal - the culture.
But I'll explain about that, and more, in my next post. After all, I can't give away all of my secrets at once!
Keep those horns up \m/
This time I want to get a bit more personal. I'll be talking about my own personal journey into Metal: How it began, how it has evolved, and where I would like it to take me.
Having very little exposure to Metal during my childhood, it wasn't always a prominent force in my life. My parents had an interest in music, but it was the likes of Madonna and Frank Sinatra that echoed through the household. Heavier music, like rock and metal were often labelled as "aggressive", "loud" and "offensive".
As I had no real interest in the music that was played, I went for many years without even giving it a second thought. But then in my early teenage years, with some help from my brother, I discovered Guns N' Roses. This changed everything!
Following this revelation, I realised that I had found something that I really enjoyed. More discoveries like Metallica, Linkin Park, Disturbed and System Of A Down only helped to increase my interest in the heavier, "darker" side of music.
However, for some reason that is unknown to me, my enthusiasm suddenly disappeared and I found myself without music again for a few years. When I finally found an interest in it again, the music coming out of my speakers was not of the same caliber. While it was still rock, it was softer and much easier listening. Bands like Muse, who to this day I still enjoy listening to, but for completely different reasons.
It wasn't until I met my girlfriend that the fire was re-lit for something a bit more hard hitting. The first band that she introduced me to was Avenged Sevenfold and it didn't take long for me to become completely overwhelmed with a passion that I hadn't experienced before. This is where my journey really picks up some pace. At this point I had no idea just how much of an impact Metal would have on my life.
In 2011, my girlfriend and I decided to buy Download Festival tickets after seeing a line up consisting of bands that first got us both interested in the music - System Of A Down, Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed and Korn, just to name a few. The time that we spent at Download was some of the most memorable that we have spent together, and it introduced us both to a whole new, larger and even more exciting element of Metal - the culture.
But I'll explain about that, and more, in my next post. After all, I can't give away all of my secrets at once!
Keep those horns up \m/
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
Pirates... Who loves pirates? I love pirates! Everyone should love pirates!
This first post was supposed to be done a long time ago! I'm not sure why it has even taken so long for me to get round to writing it in all honesty. Also, it has nothing to do with pirates.
Hopefully sitting here listening to Volbeat will give me some inspiration. They're a band that I have known about for years, but for a while I had forgotten about them. I caught them at Download in 2013 and my girlfriend, who previously wasn't sure whether she liked their music or not, really started to get into them. This year at Download we got up close for their performance, and it really ignited the Volbeat fuse in my head.
The show that they gave us was amazing! Their crowd interaction was great, they enjoyed themselves, and more importantly, they made sure that we enjoyed watching them. Having been out of the loop for a while I didn't know all of the material that they played, but that soon changed. Shortly after getting home from Donington Park (that's where Download is held) I bought myself a couple of Volbeat CD's and Killswitch Engage's latest Album too. If you aren't familiar with Volbeat I would recommend giving them a chance. They take influences from artists like Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley and mix it with modern hard rock and metal, creating something quite unique to them.
I know that it's a little late to be talking about Download as it isn't really news anymore, but while I'm on about it I'd like to mention something that I noticed. Five Finger Death Punch... I know that they didn't perform at Download this year, but their merch was everywhere! Usually Slipknot are the metallers choice of clothing but this year something had changed. It seems like FFDP have taken over! I can't say I'm surprised either, because FFDP are amazing. Since their release of 'The Wrong Side of Heaven and The Righteous Side of Hell', interest in them appears to have rocketed.
I suppose Death Punch have an advantage over Slipknot. They've both got brutal, hard-hitting music with a purpose, but FFDP have newer material that people are still discovering. Although Slipknot are slowly releasing songs from their upcoming album, the majority of their work has been around for years, and being one of metals' most talked about bands, it's impossible not to have heard it.
In my opinion, the reason FFDP have done so well up to this point is that they have that explosiveness about them that we all love. They are heavy, yet they are melodic, and their live shows represent that perfectly.
Keep those horns up \m/
Hopefully sitting here listening to Volbeat will give me some inspiration. They're a band that I have known about for years, but for a while I had forgotten about them. I caught them at Download in 2013 and my girlfriend, who previously wasn't sure whether she liked their music or not, really started to get into them. This year at Download we got up close for their performance, and it really ignited the Volbeat fuse in my head.
The show that they gave us was amazing! Their crowd interaction was great, they enjoyed themselves, and more importantly, they made sure that we enjoyed watching them. Having been out of the loop for a while I didn't know all of the material that they played, but that soon changed. Shortly after getting home from Donington Park (that's where Download is held) I bought myself a couple of Volbeat CD's and Killswitch Engage's latest Album too. If you aren't familiar with Volbeat I would recommend giving them a chance. They take influences from artists like Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley and mix it with modern hard rock and metal, creating something quite unique to them.
I know that it's a little late to be talking about Download as it isn't really news anymore, but while I'm on about it I'd like to mention something that I noticed. Five Finger Death Punch... I know that they didn't perform at Download this year, but their merch was everywhere! Usually Slipknot are the metallers choice of clothing but this year something had changed. It seems like FFDP have taken over! I can't say I'm surprised either, because FFDP are amazing. Since their release of 'The Wrong Side of Heaven and The Righteous Side of Hell', interest in them appears to have rocketed.
I suppose Death Punch have an advantage over Slipknot. They've both got brutal, hard-hitting music with a purpose, but FFDP have newer material that people are still discovering. Although Slipknot are slowly releasing songs from their upcoming album, the majority of their work has been around for years, and being one of metals' most talked about bands, it's impossible not to have heard it.
In my opinion, the reason FFDP have done so well up to this point is that they have that explosiveness about them that we all love. They are heavy, yet they are melodic, and their live shows represent that perfectly.
Keep those horns up \m/
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Introducing Destination Metal
So lately I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, and my girlfriend suggested that I start a blog because I’m forever telling her random things about bands and their members! During Download Festival 2014 I decided I would go for it!
Rock and Metal are things that I am passionate about, I enjoy the culture, the unity, the music, and the people. Within the posts of this blog I aim to cover a number of different subjects, ranging from bands and their albums, tours, new releases and individual member news through to my own personal experiences and influences.
The perception of our family, the Metal community, from the inside and outside is another thing that I’m interested in visiting. There is a lot of discrimination and prejudice from both sides and it’s something that I feel should be looked at.
I’d like to share details of my own journey into Metal, how it started and where I’d like it to take me. I’ll be talking about bands and topics that I personally have an interest in rather than general Metal news, so I can’t promise that every band under the sun will be featured!
I hope you enjoy reading my blog.
Keep those horns up \m/
Rock and Metal are things that I am passionate about, I enjoy the culture, the unity, the music, and the people. Within the posts of this blog I aim to cover a number of different subjects, ranging from bands and their albums, tours, new releases and individual member news through to my own personal experiences and influences.
The perception of our family, the Metal community, from the inside and outside is another thing that I’m interested in visiting. There is a lot of discrimination and prejudice from both sides and it’s something that I feel should be looked at.
I’d like to share details of my own journey into Metal, how it started and where I’d like it to take me. I’ll be talking about bands and topics that I personally have an interest in rather than general Metal news, so I can’t promise that every band under the sun will be featured!
I hope you enjoy reading my blog.
Keep those horns up \m/
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