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/
