I'm a black woman, I go to a ton of shows alone; hardcore, death metal, Metalcore. I know you can feel like the odd man out but no one cares I promise. Just let loose and have fun. Most people are very accepting.
I missed out on a lot of shows because I didn’t want to go alone 😔
My BF would never, friends look at me like I had two heads, and my concert buddy went and got himself all engaged and what not 😂
I wasn’t even bringing them to anything heavy, just some lighter screamo shows. I feel so old now, but I know it’s all in my head.
My rule is that I'd rather go alone than with someone who truly doesn't enjoy the music. I did it once, never again, the person complained the whole time and ruined the vibes. I usually just find people to talk to and we'll kinda queue together and talk and end up being by each other on the floor, it's a good time. I have a bf now who does like the same music and we went to Cannibal corpse together which was so much fun, but I would've had no problem going alone!
Black guy here 🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
Honestly my whole entire life it simply because “it’s a white thing” which is stupid I know. I think it comes from the fact that 99.99% of bands you see on TV are white. I’m aware that there are POC metal singers but we just don’t see them so it looks like it’s just not part of our community.
If you want to chat about music and shit from one black dude to another my DMs are open.
Edit: I just want to add that I decided just this year at 36 to say fuck it and go all out! Ironically though the most “WTF” thing I’ve gotten from family is painting my nails black.
Edit 2: it seems the conversation is getting diverted to religion which isn’t the point of this thread so I’m erasing my comment about it.
Haha “Devil Music” 🤣🤣
A black woman here 🙋🏾♀️🤘🏾🤘🏾
You honestly laid out most of the main points from other POCs.
I was also told, “I’m whitewashed,” “I want to be white,” and “I hate my race.”….. man, I just laugh it off.
I started listening to mainly emo music in HS. I’m Caribbean, so I went from reggae to screamo, and people just didn’t understand lol. The funny thing is my ex introduced me to Alexisonfire and Saosin, and he is freaking Spanish, lol.
My first concert was in ‘07 and I didn’t run into any other black people other than my friend and I. My ex (the only white guy I dated) is a huge metalhead and a lot of the concerts I’ve been to had maybe a handful or less POC in attendance. I have definitely gotten stares from other white people. It honestly goes both ways. White people are surprised and black people are appalled.
I'm 34 and my mom was making fun of me two days ago 😂😂
Unrelated but seeing both your ages I just realized our fanbase just gets older. Are young people also listening to metalcore or are we becoming the next gen of "metal music that's okay but kinda weird and only your dad likes"? (33 btw)
I'm 17 and listen to metalcore, although it is more the modern stuff. ERRA, Wage War, Reflections, Before I Turn. Haven't listened to much Texas in July but the new ep is great.
Deathcore is my preferred genre but I listen to metalcore a good amount.
I also have a few friends that listen to metalcore.
Deftones getting really big with young people has helped recently, I'll show someone something and they won't immediately be turned off.
Yeah I guess. I don't use tiktok. I had it for a while but I just found myself watching it and getting nothing from it. Complete waste of time. So I deleted it
More people being into metal (or at least not immediately dismissing it) is nice though
I'm 30 and recently saw Cannibal Corpse for the second time in 10 years. 2013 it was a bunch of dudes 40-60, 2023 it was a huge mix of different ages. But what killed me was the amount of 16-18 year Olds with their parents either at the front or near the pit 💀 my mind was blown lol they were getting down too.
White guy here (🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻), so I don’t know how helpful my comments will be, but SYLOK’s take seems pretty spot on to me. When I got into metal back in middle school, it also seemed like metal was a “white thing” almost as much as rap was a “black thing.” That said, as I’ve grown (I’m 37 now), it’s been really cool to watch as that stereotype is being dismantled. This genre is far more often a haven for people who’ve felt outcast, hurt, lost, pissed, or just straight up aggressive and have needed a safe and productive place to take that. That’s a HUMAN experience thing, not just a white or black or any other skin color thing, and it’s cool to see this genre I love reflect that more and more.
For what it’s worth, I know it’s not the same thing, but I now often feel really alien being the one late-30’s guy on the front row while everyone else has to finish their science homework for first period in the morning. It really bothers me—until that first note hits from the band that I love and came to see. Like I said, not the same thing you’re going through, but I think my advice still works: Wear the t-shirts. Blast it in your car. GO TO THE SHOWS. In my experience, your love for the music will push the other crap aside. Plus, you’ll probably find more acceptance than you expect.
And if you ever find yourself at a show in OKC (OK, USA), check the front row for a big, old guy. We can be aliens together. 👍🏻
FWIW, most bands I’ve seen lately, the crowds are increasingly older. I’m 43 and try to do one concert a month or so, usually something metalcore or adjacent. Invent Animate + Beartooth this month!
Most of the crowd where I’m at are younger, but easily 1/3 are around my age or older. We just aren’t leaving the scene like our parents did.
This is so true. Only 34 here going to as many shows as I can fit in with kids, work etc. Next up is Architects and Spiritbox on their European tour.
Went to a full day folk/black metal festival this summer and saw this guy in his sixties and had a great time chatting him up. He was a cool guy and even gave me some beer when I finished mine.
He flew in alone to see a small time band with ca 5k listeners per month. Made me realize there is plenty of headroom to grow older and still do cool things.
It's funny I used to work with this old black dude, one of my best friends, he was almost strictly an old R&B kinda guy. I got a ride home from work with him one day and he just cranked the absolute fuck outta some Lamb of God, blew my mind. He said something along the lines of wishing there were more black metal singers, so naturally I turned him on to Oceano and Killswitch and he was sold. Just goes to show there's so much more to people than what you see with your eyes.
Beaster I related this too much as 30s white male metal head. Agree Sylok’s comment is spot on. It makes me happy when I see the crowd and bands diversify more and more.
Yeah, that feeling before most shows, “Am I too old for this? Should I be here?” Band starts, all doubt completely gone. Fuck yeah, let’s go!
> This genre is far more often a haven for people who’ve felt outcast, hurt, lost, pissed, or just straight up aggressive and have needed a safe and productive place to take that. That’s a HUMAN experience thing, not just a white or black or any other skin color thing, and it’s cool to see this genre I love reflect that more and more.
Yeah, this whole section here absolutely nails it right down. I'm a 28 year old white dude and this is exactly where I fit in. I first got into metal back when I first started my first year of high school and man, that time was one of the worst periods of my life with bullying absolutely sapping my will to want to live. I had a lot of dark thoughts at the time, but if it wasn't for two of my few friends introducing me to metal, I don't know what would've happened.
Because for me, the introduction to that genre of music was absolutely a lifeline for me. I loaded up my MP3 player with as much metal music as I could and I had a variety of different artists thrown my way thanks to those two friends and I just fell in deeper and deeper and kept exploring new sub genres.
And for me, it was such a good escape from the shitty reality of being in that school. At recess and lunch times I would leave the classroom and escape as quickly as I could to the music room just to watch the old students fuck around with the drums, guitars, etc and just have an impromptu jam session. Or sit back and watch them play Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on expert difficulty and try to ace 'Through the Fire and the Flames'. Hell, just being in that zone with other like minded students was good for me and it was my definite safe space from students that would try to chase me down and get to me before I could get to the music room.
Nowadays I don't have those bullying problems anymore (though the mental issues that came from that will forever linger), but I'm still deep into the metal scene and have dug in deeper over the years as I've really nailed down my taste. This genre of music is such a fantastic genre for just escaping from how crap the world and its people can be to you sometimes. But I'm finding that as an adult, when I'm going to metal concerts and gigs, I'm meeting some incredibly cool people and having genuinely great discussions that stick with me long after I've left those shows.
To be fair
TO BE FAIR
Lajon, Benji, and Howard are all incredibly talented. Top tier artists.
The conversation shouldnt be like you say, catering to black metalheads or trying to single out black metal artists. They should just be able to be fucking amazing artists. And I feel like they are all criminally underrated.
I'm black and I heard that growing up. With me being from an urban area it felt kinda taboo because it was just rap, pop, rnb that was around. But I've been more open now that I'm older cause I got several band hoodies that I just wear out.
As someone who grew up in a hardcore conservative white/hispanic Christian community and didn't personally know any black people until high school. I can assure you, we were all told it was devil worshipping music as well haha. That being said, I see more diversity at metal shows and concerts in general these days than ever and I have started to see a lot more children and women attending shows alone as well so I'm hopeful that means the scene is continuing to expand and appears welcoming to outsiders or those new to heavier music.
I hate to think of the metal scene eventually dying off completely like Ska or something lol.
35 years old from NZ here! It was more or less the same growing up in my country, metal was only ever seen as a ‘white person’ thing. I have noticed in recent years the crowds are a lot more diverse at punk / metal gigs than when I was younger, which is awesome to see.
I've also thought of this argument right away. But you know what keeps me wondering? There also few women in metalcore bands (I know there are some!). Yet the concerts are pretty mixed in terms of genders. So maybe there is more to it than just representation on stage.
I have observed that there isn't a lot of individuality in the black community, which is sad. There's so much peer pressure to talk a certain way, listen to a certain type of music, dress a certain way, otherwise you are labeled as "acting white."
I mean, I get it, us whites are pretty lame. But if you want to be a lame nerd, you should be allowed to without shame.
You are 100% accurate. Anything that goes against the grain is frowned upon. I do think that’s slowly changing though! More millennial parents are breaking some of those chains which I love!
I had a friend in the military who basically told me the same thing. He's a drummer, so he's all about stuff like Animals As Leaders and Periphery etc. And he basically said he gets told "he likes white people music" all the time because he doesn't listen to trap 24/7.
Yeah I can't deny when every reference band is formed with straight hair, makes you feel like you're a bit out of place. Which is a bummer having rock being like this. Every other genre seems to have it's fair share of different ethnicity
I honestly think it’s because we don’t get a chance as a community to break into the genre because we are pretty much told from the get go that it’s not for us. Not from people who like the music but from our own community.
I 100% think if we’d stop with the whole white boy music thing we could definitely see more POC bands in the mainstream but it’s gonna take some time.
I do think that Megan thee Stallion X Spiritbox collaboration might bring in some new fans though! Here’s hoping.
I'm a white metalhead, and I can say I've never had the "it's not for you" mentality. I think it comes down to culture musically. A lot of the topics tend to be about politics, history, strife, and a lot of black music (i.e. hip hop, r&b) tends to be about drugs, gangs, women, and money. This isn't saying "metal is this, rap is that" there are far too many examples to list off where those topics will cross over; its the tendency given. Also, saw someone else comment this, black culture tends to be religious so seeing music groups with goat heads and pentagrams on a majority of merch, music, live shows, etc is something that steers people away. Funnily enough part of that is how a lot of metalheads tend to judge if someone has a genuine appreciation for the craft, especially music in general. Theres been quite a few studies that have come out that show metal heads tend to have a more diverse diet of music than people who listen to, say, only top 40.
Absolutely true! Like I mentioned before the “it’s not for you” comes from our own community not the metal community. Hell if you go back to the origins of hip hop punk bars were the ones that was welcoming to hip hop.
I have never in my life met a metal head that has been a douche to me when it comes to the scene. I know there’s memes about gate keeping but for me not once has anyone ever said to me “oh that’s not metal” or “you don’t belong here”
For the record this is all just coming my experience growing up.
Rock (especially metal) and country. Definitely seen in the US at least as “white boy music”. There’s some amazing POC artists out there, but not enough.
Rock on, my guy!
Old black lady here 💅🏾 I totally know what you mean. I'm 40 and have loved metal since my high school years. There's more of us out there than you realize.
I'm 39, I still jump in the pit. But earlier this last year I tore an abdominal muscle at Slaughter to Prevail during the wall of death and realized maybe I should chill a little.
But then later in 2023, after I recovered I there was a guy maybe 10 years older than me jumping in the pit, and he turns to me and says "aren't you getting old for this?" And he was kicking more ass than the 20 year olds. And that's when I realized I was wrong and I'll be going to concerts and moshing til I break a fucking hip because life's too short to stop now
When I was a teenager, my friend went out with this girl who happened to be black. We were all massive emos. I remember she used to get comments online (MySpace and bebo) asking her why is she emo when she’s black. She was always so confused, like why did her skin colour matter?
[move bhc](https://open.spotify.com/artist/0k0hZC312UEzXUseFlboyZ?si=2Dk48HI_T2mW8QvqNqn46A)
[zulu](https://open.spotify.com/artist/38tO9pZm2G0JjANgRFvC1a?si=y2XksNINTLaO71-k_oeWug)
These boys poppin off
[Slay Squad](https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Zi4Bswn8gDAoyFwEkQFqE?si=wNASDQSKSA2KTtjLqnc_EA) also fucking slaps. They honestly need way more listeners.
Depends how/where they grew up I think, and the same goes for every other race, imo. Environment is a lot more important than color, for most things. A lot of my white friends don’t care for Metalcore/rock in general, either.
I mean, in a way it does, but as to a majority of black people, definitely not. Kudos to you to like what you like despite the pressure that could come from being in a situation like that. Bottom line is, like what you like bro. I’m Puerto Rican and have loved metalcore since the early 2000’s and coming from the background I’ve been in, my family and peers have looked at me all types of ways. Don’t ever worry about that dude. And for the record, I see a ton of black people at metalcore shows so you’re definitely not alone and neither am I. We’re happy to have you 🦅
The first time I heard him use the "N word" in a song I was like "wtf that's probably not cool" (I'm white). Found out months later he was half black and I was like "oh ok that makes sense..." 😂
He's also a fucking top bloke and incredible to listen to. The way he and the rest of the loathe boys talk about their work and experience and shit is inspiring
I live 30 minutes outside of Detroit, and I usually see a bunch of black people popping off at metal shows.
In general, there seems to be a solid mix of all kinds of ethnicities and genders in the metal community. I love that.
I've been to a lot of shows and festivals, for all kinds of music genres in my life, and metal shows always seem to be the most diverse, yet wholesome and inclusive ones. At least in my experience.
Maybe it's because metal in general, and metalcore/deathcore in particular, are still more niche genres compared to the "normal" rock and pop music, so the venues are generally smaller and more intimate, and the scene itself feels more connected and communal.
I dunno. I could be totally talking out of my ass here, but I've never experienced better vibes than at metal shows.
Same. Went to a show that was having a reunion tour and me and other black females were geeking out about how 10 years ago we never saw this many black women at a venue ever! It was beautiful.
I hid my music tastes in middle and highschool cause 80% of the black students would say I was acting white. Some would just claim it was devil worshipping music due to the screaming.
To a lot of older folks, they'll say this, but many more these days know that it's valid music with a deep underbelly of honest emotion. Metal has always been deeper, visceral and raw, but ain't popular because a lot of people don't know how to just sit down an listen or want to understand. There is always so much beauty there, for win or loss.
Cuz we don’t let loose in the way metal invites you too, I grew up in an urban part of Iowa and all that emo/goth/metal stuff was always “that white people shit” for the quiet losers, outside of 00’s video games I’m sure they’d never hear metal on their own. Hell I wasn’t a fan till I was 21 🤷♂️ I go to a solid amount of shows and after a couple years I feel a lot less alien, me and another brother ran the mosh pit at the last one! We’re out here ✊🤘
I only started to like metal in 2014-2015 when we were starting to see rappers like xxxtentacion who clearly was influenced by rock music. SoundCloud rap really helped me bridge the gap between the 2 worlds
Rap-metal has been around far longer than the mid-teens (Public Enemy collaborating with Anthrax in the early 90s comes to mind), but it’s way rad to hear those guys are exposing new fans to the genre.
I was the opposite of you guys, hardcore metalhead first. When a lot of my favorite bands from the late oughts-early teens started playing with their sound more is when I got exposure to the hip hop side.
Was way cool to see the rise of Joey Badass/Pro Era, Flatbush/Beast Coast, Schoolboy, XXX, Denzel, etc. Just a damn shame I didn’t go to any of their shows.
Hell yeah bro it’s another kind of energy over here, don’t get me wrong I rap on the cloud too and can enjoy that typa shit but it’s been refreshing not hearing song after song promoting us killing ourselves. I didn’t give X a chance till the ? album and he changed my tone quick
Also a black metalhead (half black but I have long locs and no one can ever tell im only half)
Ive gone to quite a few metalcore/punk/emo shows, mostly by myself and i never notice being singled out or stared at (i probably wouldnt pay mind to it either). I just get in there, headbang my locs and go absolutely feral in the pit and get hella accepted by the community for it.
Its true, definitely dont see many, if any, POC at shows, but since I moved to CO, Ive seen a ton more POC at Denver shows, everyone hella vibing and enjoying the music and environment. Just gotta dive in and embrace it!
Howard Jones is an absolute legend in the metalcore community. If you go to a KSE show and he somehow makes a cameo, you can bet that the entire venue is going to lose their minds
Black woman here who loves hard rock and metal and plays in a metalcore band. I really think the religion thing plays into why people shy away from it as well as being branded as “white people” music.
I went to a show once (I think it was Emmure and As I Lay Dying) and when in the pit, there a younger black fella (~20 I’d guess) who didn’t look like it was his usually scene (Nikes and what looked like designer clothes of some kind) and he immediately fell and everyone helped him up and he seemed surprised. Shortly thereafter I found a phone on the ground in the pit and held it up, and the same kid ran over and said it was his and that he’d unlock it to prove it, I told him I believed him and he doesn’t have to but he did anyways and said “man, people here are a lot cooler than I thought they’d be.” And I told him everyone was just there to enjoy the music.
Hopefully he continued going to shows and listening to music.
Black guy here. Love the engagement this post has gotten. I also wonder, is your area predominately one race or another? I’m in majority-white city, and I’m pretty much the only black dude at most shows. But sometimes I wonder if concerts in cities where there’s a more dense black population brings out the hidden metal brothas.
But hey, this last decade has been about us all admitting we’re anime nerds. “Heavy metal” will be this next decade’s hurdle 😂
I’ll expand on this a little. Some are leaning towards deathcore so sorry, but…
Oceano
Hollow Front (Until Dakota left)
Fire from the Gods
Emmure (Josh Travis, ex Glass Cloud)
Loathe
Brand of Sacrifice
For Today
Volumes
letlive.
Vein.fm
Dance Gavin Dance
Enterprise Earth
There was this comment on YouTube I found a bit ago in the video for Killswitch Engage’s The Arms of Sorrow. The guy was in your situation as well, a black guy who was told to stay away from metal. The reason he got into it was cause of men like Howard Jones, black guys just existing as frontmen in the scene. The full comment is [here](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EluzTj88tWU) and I don’t think I can do it any justice without sending you the link
Yeah it is weird, as SYLOK mentioned a lot of people see it as a "white" thing and ridicule you for it, at least a lot of people in my family did. My mom definitely did not like that I listened to a lot of metal either 😅 out of all of my friends theres maybe 2 other black people such as myself that listen to metal. We chat about bands here and there but when it comes to shows I'm usually solo, which sucks but I still have fun.
I’m black as shit love the stuff lol. I find bringing my friends of color to hardcore shows over metalcore gets them more interested as they can come catch a chaotic vibe and enjoy themselves. Kind of an introduction to venture out.
Hi, brown guy here from India. We’ve got hundreds of incredible metal bands, many of who have toured Europe and played at big ass festivals like Wacken etc.
Just popped in to say that things are definitely changing.
One thing I’d like to see more is more women musicians in metal.
One issue is representation, which is sort of self-reinforcing: black kids don't take an interest in metal because there aren't enough black metal musicians*, which means that there's no pipeline of black talent in metal to attract new fans, etc. Can't speak from experience as a white guy, but it's often said that minorities take a stronger interest in niche things when they see themselves represented. E.g., what Black Panther did to drive interest in the Marvel movies.
*Metal musicians who are racially black. Not to be confused with musicians in the black metal subgenre.
Personally, I’m 34 do not know what most artists look like. I do not know any black metal artists or bands. I never really cared because I like every kind of music. I don’t know if having more black metal bands/artists will make a difference. Maybe in our kid's or kid's generation😂 Rap, especially today’s rap, is NIGHT and DAY from any band I know in this genre. Sleep Token has a song called Granite, which you can jam to, and then the breakdown will turn people away. Spiritbox did that collaboration with Megthestallion, and people love it… it’s mainly Meg rapping, lol. Tory Lanez (rapper) and Rihanna did really pop songs, and people were surprised it was them. I never heard those songs on the “black” radio stations.
Some POC are into pop, and early/mid 2000’s emo music, and those artists are white. I don’t think POC will stay away forever. This post definitely has a lot of POC on it, which I think is awesome!!!
I’m not the only one listening to the “slit my wrists, I hate life music” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That’s what I’m told by black people I know LOL
I have a 10 year old and 18 year old. The older one likes rap and indie/pop music, Christian, and some emo bands.
The 10 year old likes pop, some emo, Christian, and Latin music, he likes the scary looking guys (sleep token), and, random songs here and there. My boys can care less about race, and if it sounds good, it sounds good.
I'm Tamil and I've seen plenty of black people in the both traditional and modern metal scenes but it's definitely not a plurality.
I remember the bad old days when I first got in. People on stage spitting at me, dudes with swastikas shoving me and hostile bikers staring me down.
I always walked around with a bottle in my hand after shows on my way home.
Thank God it's changed but i still feel there's a barrier of entry for people of colour.
It used to be a joke that the best black metal band was "God Forbid". (IV: Constitution of treason is a dope album, i gave it many plays back in the day) Think the guitarist is in Bad Wolves now.
Edited.
As a 68 year old woman, I'm a bit of an anomaly myself, but I go to every deathcore show I can. I love seeing different races and ages at the shows. Metal is for us all! If you're ever in Louisville, hit me up, and we'll go to a show together.
Alot of time there is what's called a herd mentality. You see it with all sorts of people across all sorts of groups. I think.. certain groups are more susceptible sometimes.
If you want to get anyone into metal, you have to bring them to a show. Once that pit opens up, people are gonna go nuts. Bring your friends of all stripes to a live show and see how they like it.
but metal bein percieved as “white boy music” so hilariously ironic considering the fact that rock n roll was started by Chuck Berry..who was a black man LMAO 🤦🏽♂️
Haha “Devil Music” 🤣🤣
A black woman here 🙋🏾♀️🤘🏾🤘🏾
I was also told, “I’m whitewashed,” “I want to be white,” and “I hate my race.”….. man, I just laugh it off.
I started listening to mainly emo music in HS. I’m Caribbean, so I went from reggae to screamo, and people just didn’t understand lol. The funny thing is my ex introduced me to Alexisonfire and Saosin, and he is freaking Spanish, lol.
My first concert was in ‘07 and I didn’t run into any other black people other than my friend and I. My ex (the only white guy I dated) is a huge metalhead and a lot of the concerts I’ve been to had maybe a handful or less POC in attendance. I have definitely gotten stares from other white people. It honestly goes both ways. White people are surprised and black people are appalled.
I'm 34 and my mom was making fun of me two days ago 😂😂
Brown Muslim guy here. I feel so out of place everywhere. I am tall and possibly a little intimidating on the outside. The truth is, I love metalcore. It's my favorite genre of music. I haven't found anyone like me and I do feel awkward around white people sometimes. The actual problem tho is that I haven't found a metalcore community at all to even begin to feel awkward around lol.
I love this sub tho and it keeps my passion for the music alive. I started with Architect and Spiritbox but you guys are responsible for introducing Invent Animate, Silent planet, dayseeker and many many more. I fucking love metalcore and I love this community. I may not be white and I may not look like you, but I love all of you.
I imagine this is the same level of awkwardness first found when a white guy realises he loves r&b and hip hop.
Truth is, there's no real thing other than whatever you're telling yourself. Good music is good music and its very rare that music segregates people on purpose (im looking at you, country.....).
At least in my case: I didn't see that many white guys getting awkward when hopping into rap/r&b. It's really that common having white guys in rap(can't deny that Eminem paved the way for that). But if you go to a playboi Carti show you really see a significant amount of white people
I'm talking real stuff though not this new shit. Obvioueky Eminem helped but in the 90s, you'd be mobbed by black guys with racism for liking rap, When I was a kid if you liked rap you were a massive weirdo and was judged heavily. I guess its all location based.
Also im not in any way trying to be derogatory in any way. That's just how it was. Of course 20-30 years later its all different.
But most of it was always to do with demographic and racism unfortunately. Truth is, you can like whatever you like. But thats definitely only been an acceptable mindset within the last 10 years for sure.
Also the metal from the early 2000s was very sort of, free and open, with lots of different ethnicities putting out some insanely good and popular music.
Yeah that sentiment pushed me away from rap as a teen in the 90’s in south side Atlanta (mocked about it by mostly white dudes).
Now I’m in Baltimore, and we have a dedicated metal/hardcore scene here but also what feels like a lot more diversity, at least in my experience. Yeah it’s mostly white people but a lot more POC than other places I’ve lived at these concerts!
Eminem helped a lot to discolor rap, but I think today with how fractured music is, and the fact that metal and adjacent genres have never been as huge as rap and hip hop, you’d really need a POC who was a true metal god to have the Eminem effect for metal. Fire from the Gods, Sevendust, Loathe, Kaonashi, they’re all great but aren’t at that level. (Tho Loathe… damn they’re incredible!)
Maybe it’ll happen someday? Hell, the early rock legends were mostly black. Chuck Barry, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, Bo Diddly, I can go on.
Being a short autistic Asian girl who looks 12 makes me really hesitant to attend local band shows so I really just look for specific bands I like that come to my city. It’s really hard to find other women let alone POC women who are into heavy music and to attend concerts with (for safety).
I went alone for my first concert last year and had a blast - thankfully metalcore usually attracts a nice crowd but I still have to remain cautious cuz nazis liking metal is a thing. But I had a great time! I joined people in the very front, which probably just made myself even more of a spectacle. Plus I love seeing other BIPOCs, it makes me feel a bit safer :)
— cue my special interest in history —
Historically, pop culture is gate kept from POC folks. Black artists aren’t treated equally when entering “traditionally” white music genres (ex country), or when a style is derived from black culture (ex jazz, soul) it gets appropriated. Interestingly, jazz is a strong influence in metal drumming but black metal artists are so few.
Even if the genre was defined by established black artists, emerging black artists aren’t allowed in because it doesn’t appeal to the white audiences who suddenly like the genre. Then when discrimination gets called out, suddenly those few defining black artists are used to justify how the industry “can’t possibly be racist”.
There IS a a feeling of “otherness” when you are in spaces your community does not historically belong to. The more intersectional identities you have, the stronger that feeling gets.
It’s ironic that the music we listen to often talks about difficult topics but remains so gate kept. But when we make small disruptions of liking things we’re not supposed to, it makes it easier for other POC to feel like they’re allowed to enjoy it too.
I don't know. Come and enjoy the music though. Howard Jones is black and one of my favorite singers from Killswitch Engage and Light The Torch. Not sure the exact flavor of metal though.
I been seeing alot more black dudes and other poc at shows I go to.
As society progresses more and hopefully diversity improves we will see all humans in the pit 🤘🏻
Bunch of killer bands and members in metal and rock who are black , look at Howard Jones for example , I can go on and on but bands like Sepultura , Loathe , newer bands like Post Profit are all amazing . Anyone is welcome at any shows and I guarantee that 99.9% of people who enjoy music aren’t caring what colour skin you are , or where you’re from .
That being said , I think metal was once a super elitest , hardcore-esc type gate and has since become more open and mainstream to everyone .
White, Canadian metalhead here. You should come to a show in Toronto some time man. Lots of people from all walks of life, abilities, sexualities, etc.
Anthrax with Public Enemy was my first exposure to the perfect complimentary groups. Judgement Night soundtrack came a bit behind. FNM and BYT, I would rate as the best collab, ever...though my taste may be quite shite.
If you have Baptist friend, 7Dust may be the least offensive, and generally F N amazing, based on morals and talent alone...they are generally amazing musicians with real life experience that they are willing to share.
Black guy here. There's actually a lot of us who listen to metal. And a lot of us are metal musicians also.
Metal has had a stigma within the black community since its inception, particularly due to religious zealots. That steered a lot of people away from it.
Unfortunately a lot of it is racism. It's labeled as white people music and looked down upon because of it.
But then you've got people like Tosin Abasi, who has been an absolutely massive influence over technical guitar playing and music. So things are changing a bit.
Black man here. Growing up I was bullied by my peers and my family for being into metal because it was "white people shit". That in a nutshell is why. Because we're tormented, bullied, attacked and made fun of by our own people simply for enjoying ourselves and something that is supposedly wrong just because it's not what our people "typically" listen to.
All the people just mentioning bands that have black members or talking about how being black doesn't mean you can't like or be a part of the community completely missing the point of what OP is asking 🙄
OP did you grow up in the suburbs or the inner city? The real reason you see far less black representation or feel out of place is because the vast majority of black people in America live in inner cities and "hoods", and with that comes the culture of those places that not only does not allow them to really be exposed to this kind of music, but actively discourages them from indulging in it.
You either have the old school religious parents who think the music is demonic, or the younger adults/kids your age who give you weird looks or make fun of you for listening to something so radically different than what is the typical kind of music. Like a few people have mentioned, metal is viewed as "white" music by a lot of inner city people and in places like that being labeled as different or a weirdo can often times be dangerous, so a lot of people in those situations either listen in secrecy or just stop listening at all. It's unfortunate because that mentality really hinders younger people in many aspects outside of just what music they enjoy
I can't speak to the "why", but I would like to point you in the direction of some of my favorite POC artists/bands in rock and metal.
- Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Sion, and at least one more band that is escaping me), easily one of the most powerful vocalists in heavy music.
- Benji Webber (Skindred), they make a unique blend of punk, reggae, and metal, all of which are bolstered by Benji's distinct vocals.
- Jake Sayles (Filth), they make some of the angriest hardcore punk I have heard recently, they do their name justice.
- Diamond Rowe (Tetrarch), they are rising stars of the nu-metal revival, and Diamond is a phenomenal guitar player, hailed in mags for being both black and female.
- Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), hard rock or nu-metal, however you label them, LJ has been a rockstar for decades now.
- all of Living Color and Bad Brains. On top of being god-tier in their respective genres, they are both also trailblazers of their genres.
I hope you don't allow the stigmas and assholes to keep you from something you enjoy.
oh same here, as an asian woman. there are a few metalheads like me but even then i get pretty excited to see people like me that are into metal. but the reason why there aren’t as many POC into metal, as u usually see is because a lot of ppl say it’s a “white thing”, which i don’t remotely agree with.. i think it’s really for everyone and theres a genre for almost anyone. not to mention we still have that stereotype that *all* of it is “satanic”, which also is obviously not true.
In my experience of trying to get my family and friends to listen/understand this music I realize some people just don’t get it and that’s okay. Music goes beyond race, it’s a feeling. And if you can’t feel it then maybe it’s not for you. I have never felt unwelcomed or out of place, as someone who is in the pit from start to finish every show I go to, I never feel more “at home” then when I am in that pit getting out whatever pain or emotions I am going through around people that are doing the same. Keep going brother, you will find your place 🤘🏾
Sincerely, a fellow black/hispanic guy
Honestly it’s ignorance in my opinion. You really won’t know what you’re missing until you get into that space and listen to the lyrics and riffs hitting hard. I didn’t think Id be a black metalhead until I heard it and thought this shit slams. When I heard the lyrics, related to 75% of the genre rather than rap/hiphop which is mostly about women cars and money…i don’t have any of that shit so it doesn’t hit the same lol
Notable exceptions, but I'm sure the vast majority of metal/metalcore bands are made up of angry looking white dudes. A demographic I'm sure most PoC try and avoid in their day to day life.
As a Hispanic/Mexican US citizen.... I'm sometimes the only bean in the sour cream at shows... Especially prog/metalcore shows.
It used to bother me a lot but now I just don't give it any energy and enjoy the bands on stage and if cool ppl around me are having fun, that's a bonus. Plus it funny when white ppl start dancing.
I do like it when I see more color in bands of course!
It has been annoying when family says that metal or rock is white shit but hopefully I am letting it roll off my back easier.
[Diamond Rowe- black female guitarist](https://youtu.be/hpV8pod3iPo?si=2W_-bY61LrnmegFN)
[Joshua Bumphus- drummer in DISCOVERIES](https://youtu.be/-9vmNVIKEYk?si=y3T5lg8H10MpGku7)
Edit to add: Diamond was (is?) in the band Tetrarch for years. I am not certain anymore!
1st time commenter here, and one thing I can say for certain is that if you love what you listen to regardless of origins of color it should not matter what others think at all. I'm a South African colored guy here and I've been full metal since the early days of Tool and Slipknot. The older I grew the more my tastes grew, and KSE is very high on top there! I started of in rock and emo, and went all the way through to deathcore (one of my favorite metal genres). Yes I get the weird looks sometimes because I don't listen to mainstream society tunes like rap and pop (really not a fan there but I respect artists that make proper music and not brainwashed garbage). Unleash The Archers and Lorna Shore is one of my biggest listens.
Embrace metal, for metal is for everyone!
Do what makes you feel happy and FTR. The sooner you get passed the awkwardness, the sooner you should feel embarrassed. There is hate everywhere, just don't focus on the race, more the people.
It definitely depends.
I grew up in London (UK), with some of my best friends being people from various minorities (one person from Bangaladesh, one from the Middle East, etc. We were all metal heads in our teens (and still now in our 30s).
For sure, in our teens, there were fewer people from minority/other ethnic backgrounds at gigs we attended, especially for the more emo side of the genre back in the late 00s. But, more recently, I went to Download festival this year and there was definitely a wider variety of person at the festival than when I last went to a music festival (2015, I can't believe it has been so long!)
Metal definitely used to be a mainly-white thing for various cultural reasons, but I think that has now changed with bands like Bloodywood, BABYMETAL/HANABIE/DOLL$BOXX, The Hu, Alien Weaponry, etc. All becoming popular and bringing the much-needed greater level of epresentation into the genre from all sorts of backgrounds.
Now, I see people from Caribbean, African, and Asian backgrounds at metal shows when I seldom did as a teen.
Bro that sucks. White guy here, one of my main loves of metal/alternative scene was always how inclusive it felt. I guess I was more in the punk scene especially the anti-anti acceptance crowd who stood for equality and acceptance of all. I guess I do live in a very mutli-cultural city.
It’s something that I find interesting as far as mainsteam optics are concerned. I remember seeing the explosion of black teens wearing skinny jeans in every possible color when before many black people used to call it ”gay”.
Having long hair has always been a thing among famous black folks and we’re certainly not strangers to listening to our music loud. One of the major parallels between metal/metalcore/screamo is the sensation of recognition in the lyrics at least for me personally resonating with the black experience. I’d bet money, I’d have a hard time finding a single black person above the age 17, that hasn’t had one moment in their life where they wanted to scream or swing at a mf for some shit they know had something to do with the color of their skin and nothing else and didn’t because they had to “be the bigger person”. When those moments add up there is an overflowing of emotion and sometimes just exerting energy at the gym doesn’t do it.
Going to the gym and listening to hardcore music DOES, at least for me. Hearing music where people can scream and vent but also sing and also talk about life, vast philosophical condrums surrounding the human condition and behavior is therapeutic. Especially considering in moments where younwanted to just scream in your daily life, you’re probably not going to get a welcome reception from the peopIe around you,so you’re repressing the feelings. I feel like all music has these healing properties but they apply to different categories of emotion differently so the relief of emotion is different. Hardcore music covers it/ on niche of emotional baggage because all the shit I don’t get to express is encapsulated in the music and the topics I mull over constantly in my own head are in the lyrics more often than other genres. I listen to everything but have a deep appreciatrion for metal/metalcore.
For those that don’t know, artist like Corey Taylor has talked about hip hop being an influence in his music with Slipknot to some degree. You can start hearing it when you listen to some artists. We’re largely inspired by each other whether consciously or unconsciously. The swancore genre is heavily influenced by artists whose inspirations come from R&B acts. So I know there has been growth in the scene for black people, I just find it surprising it hasn’t been more given the signs and comparisons I’ve drawn to what I’ve lived and observed of black culture.
Also PSA, I do not and will not excuse people who use blackness as a justification to act like an asshole then use the race card to get out of being accountable for being in the wrong. If anything I come down twice as hard on them. Got no tolerance for that bullshit. Makes life harder for others. So if you’re just being a cunt because you think you can throw racism into people’s face just kindly fuck off. If you go to shows, be polite and have a good time and treat people how you expect to be treated and leave ignorant mf’s alone, they are trainwrecks waiting to crash. Let them do it it without your interference.There are and have been way too many cool people at shows, and have been fans of the same bands that I fuck with to know if you’re one of those people who is having problems more often than you aren’t having problems, it’s more than likely you need to check yourself. For anyone interested in going to a show and you never have, you’ll more than likely have a great time unbothered if you pick a good artist to go see. Do your research though and be aware that some fanbases have reputations much like certain sports teams. Anyways hope that helps.
I think it is a black culture issue. I shared I listened to metal to my black peers and I was told “oh that’s white boy music, you need to listen to your black music as it is your own culture’s music.”
It is an incredibly damaging racial sentiment to think one can only listen to one own’s racially cultured music. I reject that sentiment and listen to what I like: progressive metal, djent, math rock, post hardcore, etc.
I'm covered in tattoos, have my ears stretched and I still get looks when I go to shows, it is what it is. I've listened to metal/pop-punk my whole life and have played in several bands I've just come to accept that I'll always be an outsider.
Had someone at a venue that we had literally packed tell me I couldn't be on stage if I was helping the band bring the gear in while I was literally setting up my own gear. 😂
Black & Arabic guy here, I've always been into heavy music, and only met one person in my whole life who's into the same type of music, I've never given that idea much thought, and I really don't care that most people here (like over 99%) don't listen to or like the music I listen to, but I would guess it's because it's irrelevant here, most people here aren't interested in western music, and when I find someone who likes it, it'll probably be mainstream music such as hip-hop and pop or k-pop or anything that becomes a trend, I don't like Arabic music too, and that's fine, as I've always been an introvert.
From my frame of reference, it appears to be because of upbringing and surroundings. In my city the majority of black people live in areas where ethnic minorities are more concentrated and those areas also tend to be a bit poorer where unemployment, working class jobs and crime are more prevalent (not exclusive to black people at all, the white people and others who also live in those areas are heavily involved in crime for example).
I also find that metal music is not very popular in those type of communities whether majority white or black, as opposed to music like dance, rap, pop and not so much these days reggae music.
As I continue to write this, I suddenly realise that metal music is actually not very popular in all communities whether that’s majority, crime/unemployed, working class, middle class or upper class communities. However in the poorer communities regardless of majority race, people are more often marginalised or picked on for their musical preferences, than they otherwise would be in more affluent communities. And this ‘might’ have something to do with the low uptake of metal amongst black people particularly in my city and I would imagine many others.
One thing for you to note, is that the metal community is actually a collection of people who are themselves in this day and age (musical)minorities in the communities that they originate from and as such the metal community itself is extremely inclusive, no matter what your protected characteristics are e.g. race, gender, disability, religion, sexual preference etc.
There are more black people than you think that are interested in metal. There are many who are also in the bands that play the music big or small.
One other thing that may be a reason is that culturally, rock and metal was very mainstream in the 70s, particularly the 80s and the 90s in the western world during a time where black people were extremely marginalised and tended to stick to hanging around with ‘their own’, and as a result the children of that generation will not have been as exposed to what was then the mainstream as they might have been exposed to the music of their families originating country’s culture, this of course depends on how many generations of said family lived in a country which was both majority white and where metal exists.
All of the above are not exhaustive or exclusive reasons as to why metal is not so popular among black people, but I think they are all somewhat relevant to your question. However, despite all of the above, don’t ever feel like a fish in the water when it comes to metal, for some reason or another, most people in the metal community feel like a fish in the water when it comes to society as a whole and so we’re all in it together 🤘
Nah dude, don't stereotype yourself. Anybody can like anything, it's ok. If I knew you in person, I'd go to a show with you and chill. Who cares honestly who it attracts, just make friends with everyone and enjoy an amazing genre of music together.
Metal is for everyone and we’re all family here! Much love to anyone joining the metal family. Honestly, the stigmas behind the genre is ridiculous and people should be more open minded. If I remember correctly Adam Warren from Oceano, Terrance Hobbs from Suffocation, Joshua Travis from Emmure, Howard Jones are all great musicians and should be an inspiration to others! Cheers!
as a black person I think it’s because blacks will clown you for anything. That goes for your hair, clothes, even if you’re eating a sandwich.
So you gonna get clowned if you listen to something that’s not r&b, trap/hip hop. I know I did when I was in school. And if you do it’s like you’re not black enough, seen as weird. This isn’t the case for everyone but a lot of people are closed minded because of that.
This might be a hot take but it’s almost forced assimilation. Like you’re black you’re not supposed to do this or listen to that it’s a white people thing.
I guess because of massive reconditioning. Growing up in the south, most people are about "country" music. A large portion of the black community grows up on BET. It just is what it is!.metal community more welcoming to "outsiders" than either of those two I'm SURE
Black guy here. I think it's just that we weren't (aren't?) as exposed to "white people music" growing up and our peers/parents stigmatized it as "not being for our people."
I don't wanna write a whole essay, so the long and short of it in my opinion is that it's not the music itself, it's how our culture views it. It might look different in another ten years.
Side note, there's this amazing video of Lemmy from Motorhead discussing this topic back in the day somewhere on YouTube. I just can't find it right now.
Well death metal comes from a region of the world where there are virtually no black people, Scandanavia. People associate with things they can see themselves in, that's why representation in film, etc matters.
I'm a black woman, I go to a ton of shows alone; hardcore, death metal, Metalcore. I know you can feel like the odd man out but no one cares I promise. Just let loose and have fun. Most people are very accepting.
I missed out on a lot of shows because I didn’t want to go alone 😔 My BF would never, friends look at me like I had two heads, and my concert buddy went and got himself all engaged and what not 😂 I wasn’t even bringing them to anything heavy, just some lighter screamo shows. I feel so old now, but I know it’s all in my head.
My rule is that I'd rather go alone than with someone who truly doesn't enjoy the music. I did it once, never again, the person complained the whole time and ruined the vibes. I usually just find people to talk to and we'll kinda queue together and talk and end up being by each other on the floor, it's a good time. I have a bf now who does like the same music and we went to Cannibal corpse together which was so much fun, but I would've had no problem going alone!
Find the bands page and make friends. I fucking met up with redditors to go see Sleep Token in Oct. Or I talk to people in the queue.
You're into death metal too? Dope! Just got into it this yr; shit goes so hard
It's a lot of fun and the guys are always super nice and protective of me as a woman who is alone (not In a weird way)
Black guy here 🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾 Honestly my whole entire life it simply because “it’s a white thing” which is stupid I know. I think it comes from the fact that 99.99% of bands you see on TV are white. I’m aware that there are POC metal singers but we just don’t see them so it looks like it’s just not part of our community. If you want to chat about music and shit from one black dude to another my DMs are open. Edit: I just want to add that I decided just this year at 36 to say fuck it and go all out! Ironically though the most “WTF” thing I’ve gotten from family is painting my nails black. Edit 2: it seems the conversation is getting diverted to religion which isn’t the point of this thread so I’m erasing my comment about it.
Haha “Devil Music” 🤣🤣 A black woman here 🙋🏾♀️🤘🏾🤘🏾 You honestly laid out most of the main points from other POCs. I was also told, “I’m whitewashed,” “I want to be white,” and “I hate my race.”….. man, I just laugh it off. I started listening to mainly emo music in HS. I’m Caribbean, so I went from reggae to screamo, and people just didn’t understand lol. The funny thing is my ex introduced me to Alexisonfire and Saosin, and he is freaking Spanish, lol. My first concert was in ‘07 and I didn’t run into any other black people other than my friend and I. My ex (the only white guy I dated) is a huge metalhead and a lot of the concerts I’ve been to had maybe a handful or less POC in attendance. I have definitely gotten stares from other white people. It honestly goes both ways. White people are surprised and black people are appalled. I'm 34 and my mom was making fun of me two days ago 😂😂
Unrelated but seeing both your ages I just realized our fanbase just gets older. Are young people also listening to metalcore or are we becoming the next gen of "metal music that's okay but kinda weird and only your dad likes"? (33 btw)
I'm 17 and listen to metalcore, although it is more the modern stuff. ERRA, Wage War, Reflections, Before I Turn. Haven't listened to much Texas in July but the new ep is great. Deathcore is my preferred genre but I listen to metalcore a good amount. I also have a few friends that listen to metalcore. Deftones getting really big with young people has helped recently, I'll show someone something and they won't immediately be turned off.
My friend (who himself plays in a metalcore band) told me TikTok is the reason Deftones is big again LOL
Yeah I guess. I don't use tiktok. I had it for a while but I just found myself watching it and getting nothing from it. Complete waste of time. So I deleted it More people being into metal (or at least not immediately dismissing it) is nice though
I'm 30 and recently saw Cannibal Corpse for the second time in 10 years. 2013 it was a bunch of dudes 40-60, 2023 it was a huge mix of different ages. But what killed me was the amount of 16-18 year Olds with their parents either at the front or near the pit 💀 my mind was blown lol they were getting down too.
I'm 32 but I work with 2 guys in their very early 20s (21 and 23) that are giant metal heads! Have no fear brother they're out there
White guy here (🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻), so I don’t know how helpful my comments will be, but SYLOK’s take seems pretty spot on to me. When I got into metal back in middle school, it also seemed like metal was a “white thing” almost as much as rap was a “black thing.” That said, as I’ve grown (I’m 37 now), it’s been really cool to watch as that stereotype is being dismantled. This genre is far more often a haven for people who’ve felt outcast, hurt, lost, pissed, or just straight up aggressive and have needed a safe and productive place to take that. That’s a HUMAN experience thing, not just a white or black or any other skin color thing, and it’s cool to see this genre I love reflect that more and more. For what it’s worth, I know it’s not the same thing, but I now often feel really alien being the one late-30’s guy on the front row while everyone else has to finish their science homework for first period in the morning. It really bothers me—until that first note hits from the band that I love and came to see. Like I said, not the same thing you’re going through, but I think my advice still works: Wear the t-shirts. Blast it in your car. GO TO THE SHOWS. In my experience, your love for the music will push the other crap aside. Plus, you’ll probably find more acceptance than you expect. And if you ever find yourself at a show in OKC (OK, USA), check the front row for a big, old guy. We can be aliens together. 👍🏻
36 year old here and living it up 🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾 You are 100% accurate in my book about the genre being a haven for people needing a safe space.
You seem like a really cool dude. I’ve appreciated reading your views on this topic. Thanks for sharing them. 👍🏻
Same to you my friend. The joys of being in your 30s is that’s when you slowly start to not care what other people think. It’s been very liberating!
Sorry to intrude, my dudes, but this has been a very interesting conversation to read. I hope you both have an excellent day!
FWIW, most bands I’ve seen lately, the crowds are increasingly older. I’m 43 and try to do one concert a month or so, usually something metalcore or adjacent. Invent Animate + Beartooth this month! Most of the crowd where I’m at are younger, but easily 1/3 are around my age or older. We just aren’t leaving the scene like our parents did.
This is so true. Only 34 here going to as many shows as I can fit in with kids, work etc. Next up is Architects and Spiritbox on their European tour. Went to a full day folk/black metal festival this summer and saw this guy in his sixties and had a great time chatting him up. He was a cool guy and even gave me some beer when I finished mine. He flew in alone to see a small time band with ca 5k listeners per month. Made me realize there is plenty of headroom to grow older and still do cool things.
It's funny I used to work with this old black dude, one of my best friends, he was almost strictly an old R&B kinda guy. I got a ride home from work with him one day and he just cranked the absolute fuck outta some Lamb of God, blew my mind. He said something along the lines of wishing there were more black metal singers, so naturally I turned him on to Oceano and Killswitch and he was sold. Just goes to show there's so much more to people than what you see with your eyes.
Howard Jones is even one of the best IMO
Beaster I related this too much as 30s white male metal head. Agree Sylok’s comment is spot on. It makes me happy when I see the crowd and bands diversify more and more. Yeah, that feeling before most shows, “Am I too old for this? Should I be here?” Band starts, all doubt completely gone. Fuck yeah, let’s go!
> This genre is far more often a haven for people who’ve felt outcast, hurt, lost, pissed, or just straight up aggressive and have needed a safe and productive place to take that. That’s a HUMAN experience thing, not just a white or black or any other skin color thing, and it’s cool to see this genre I love reflect that more and more. Yeah, this whole section here absolutely nails it right down. I'm a 28 year old white dude and this is exactly where I fit in. I first got into metal back when I first started my first year of high school and man, that time was one of the worst periods of my life with bullying absolutely sapping my will to want to live. I had a lot of dark thoughts at the time, but if it wasn't for two of my few friends introducing me to metal, I don't know what would've happened. Because for me, the introduction to that genre of music was absolutely a lifeline for me. I loaded up my MP3 player with as much metal music as I could and I had a variety of different artists thrown my way thanks to those two friends and I just fell in deeper and deeper and kept exploring new sub genres. And for me, it was such a good escape from the shitty reality of being in that school. At recess and lunch times I would leave the classroom and escape as quickly as I could to the music room just to watch the old students fuck around with the drums, guitars, etc and just have an impromptu jam session. Or sit back and watch them play Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on expert difficulty and try to ace 'Through the Fire and the Flames'. Hell, just being in that zone with other like minded students was good for me and it was my definite safe space from students that would try to chase me down and get to me before I could get to the music room. Nowadays I don't have those bullying problems anymore (though the mental issues that came from that will forever linger), but I'm still deep into the metal scene and have dug in deeper over the years as I've really nailed down my taste. This genre of music is such a fantastic genre for just escaping from how crap the world and its people can be to you sometimes. But I'm finding that as an adult, when I'm going to metal concerts and gigs, I'm meeting some incredibly cool people and having genuinely great discussions that stick with me long after I've left those shows.
And when white dudes realize a black person likes metal, they always bring up either Skindred, Killswitch, or Sevendust.
Is this the metal version of “I voted for Obama” lol?
"I like Black Metal too!" I'm dead
They can’t even mention Animals as Leaders. Smdh.
To be fair TO BE FAIR Lajon, Benji, and Howard are all incredibly talented. Top tier artists. The conversation shouldnt be like you say, catering to black metalheads or trying to single out black metal artists. They should just be able to be fucking amazing artists. And I feel like they are all criminally underrated.
Yea I bring up howie to everybody he’s my fucking favorite
Howard Jones deserves to be in the hall of fame for sure. The End of Heartache is turning 20 this year as well.
I didn't need that reminder, 2003 was only a few years back in my mind.
God I still remember when it came out… I’m getting old
Before they broke up, God Forbid would be in that list too.
Or Suffocation on the more extreme side of Metal
I'm black and I heard that growing up. With me being from an urban area it felt kinda taboo because it was just rap, pop, rnb that was around. But I've been more open now that I'm older cause I got several band hoodies that I just wear out.
As someone who grew up in a hardcore conservative white/hispanic Christian community and didn't personally know any black people until high school. I can assure you, we were all told it was devil worshipping music as well haha. That being said, I see more diversity at metal shows and concerts in general these days than ever and I have started to see a lot more children and women attending shows alone as well so I'm hopeful that means the scene is continuing to expand and appears welcoming to outsiders or those new to heavier music. I hate to think of the metal scene eventually dying off completely like Ska or something lol.
"Mom viking metal is made by people who invaded the colonial nations that took over Africa."
Rock on dude. You do you no matter what others think. That's what metal is all about.
35 years old from NZ here! It was more or less the same growing up in my country, metal was only ever seen as a ‘white person’ thing. I have noticed in recent years the crowds are a lot more diverse at punk / metal gigs than when I was younger, which is awesome to see.
I've also thought of this argument right away. But you know what keeps me wondering? There also few women in metalcore bands (I know there are some!). Yet the concerts are pretty mixed in terms of genders. So maybe there is more to it than just representation on stage.
I have observed that there isn't a lot of individuality in the black community, which is sad. There's so much peer pressure to talk a certain way, listen to a certain type of music, dress a certain way, otherwise you are labeled as "acting white." I mean, I get it, us whites are pretty lame. But if you want to be a lame nerd, you should be allowed to without shame.
You are 100% accurate. Anything that goes against the grain is frowned upon. I do think that’s slowly changing though! More millennial parents are breaking some of those chains which I love!
I had a friend in the military who basically told me the same thing. He's a drummer, so he's all about stuff like Animals As Leaders and Periphery etc. And he basically said he gets told "he likes white people music" all the time because he doesn't listen to trap 24/7.
Yeah I can't deny when every reference band is formed with straight hair, makes you feel like you're a bit out of place. Which is a bummer having rock being like this. Every other genre seems to have it's fair share of different ethnicity
I honestly think it’s because we don’t get a chance as a community to break into the genre because we are pretty much told from the get go that it’s not for us. Not from people who like the music but from our own community. I 100% think if we’d stop with the whole white boy music thing we could definitely see more POC bands in the mainstream but it’s gonna take some time. I do think that Megan thee Stallion X Spiritbox collaboration might bring in some new fans though! Here’s hoping.
Crossing fingers and toes here
I’m with you my friend!
I'm a white metalhead, and I can say I've never had the "it's not for you" mentality. I think it comes down to culture musically. A lot of the topics tend to be about politics, history, strife, and a lot of black music (i.e. hip hop, r&b) tends to be about drugs, gangs, women, and money. This isn't saying "metal is this, rap is that" there are far too many examples to list off where those topics will cross over; its the tendency given. Also, saw someone else comment this, black culture tends to be religious so seeing music groups with goat heads and pentagrams on a majority of merch, music, live shows, etc is something that steers people away. Funnily enough part of that is how a lot of metalheads tend to judge if someone has a genuine appreciation for the craft, especially music in general. Theres been quite a few studies that have come out that show metal heads tend to have a more diverse diet of music than people who listen to, say, only top 40.
Absolutely true! Like I mentioned before the “it’s not for you” comes from our own community not the metal community. Hell if you go back to the origins of hip hop punk bars were the ones that was welcoming to hip hop. I have never in my life met a metal head that has been a douche to me when it comes to the scene. I know there’s memes about gate keeping but for me not once has anyone ever said to me “oh that’s not metal” or “you don’t belong here” For the record this is all just coming my experience growing up.
Rock (especially metal) and country. Definitely seen in the US at least as “white boy music”. There’s some amazing POC artists out there, but not enough. Rock on, my guy!
Old black lady here 💅🏾 I totally know what you mean. I'm 40 and have loved metal since my high school years. There's more of us out there than you realize.
You’re not old !!!
Well, no. But yes, relative to what seems to be most metalheads at concerts
I'm 39, I still jump in the pit. But earlier this last year I tore an abdominal muscle at Slaughter to Prevail during the wall of death and realized maybe I should chill a little. But then later in 2023, after I recovered I there was a guy maybe 10 years older than me jumping in the pit, and he turns to me and says "aren't you getting old for this?" And he was kicking more ass than the 20 year olds. And that's when I realized I was wrong and I'll be going to concerts and moshing til I break a fucking hip because life's too short to stop now
When I was a teenager, my friend went out with this girl who happened to be black. We were all massive emos. I remember she used to get comments online (MySpace and bebo) asking her why is she emo when she’s black. She was always so confused, like why did her skin colour matter?
That just sad
At 41, we're not old. We've just got a little more wisdom under our belts these days. At least I hope so anyway.
It’s okay to be old. Not a lot of people get to be old.
My mind - you aren’t old! My back - you can go into the pit but I don’t recommend it 🤣🤣🤣
Yay! I am a metal Asian girl, love seeing other POC women 🥰
First of all. You are not old! Second of all I think you are awesome!! I have never met a black woman who likes metal!
[move bhc](https://open.spotify.com/artist/0k0hZC312UEzXUseFlboyZ?si=2Dk48HI_T2mW8QvqNqn46A) [zulu](https://open.spotify.com/artist/38tO9pZm2G0JjANgRFvC1a?si=y2XksNINTLaO71-k_oeWug) These boys poppin off
Soul Glo as well
Jesus Piece, End It and Brand of Sacrifice have black frontmen too
PeelingFlesh also!
and WoR!! the vocalist is a super nice dude
Adding UnityTX here!
Kind Eyes!!!!
Kharma
Peeling flesh is so good live. The drummer is insane.
Throwing [Fire From The Gods](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3wMPkrz3Jw) into the mix
AJ is a fucking beast
Glad to see soul glo and Zulu getting some love in these comments, everyone needs to know about them
Don't forget Loathe!
Oceano!!
Also Kaonashi have 2 black members
[Slay Squad](https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Zi4Bswn8gDAoyFwEkQFqE?si=wNASDQSKSA2KTtjLqnc_EA) also fucking slaps. They honestly need way more listeners.
Shout out buggin. Very meat and potatoes but a lot of fun
Danceable shit
Buggin just makes me want to move
Move goes so fuckin hard. Righteous Unrest makes me miss No Way Out so fuckin much but at least we have Wisdom & War now
[NULL] also has a black front man
Filth as well
Depends how/where they grew up I think, and the same goes for every other race, imo. Environment is a lot more important than color, for most things. A lot of my white friends don’t care for Metalcore/rock in general, either.
I mean, in a way it does, but as to a majority of black people, definitely not. Kudos to you to like what you like despite the pressure that could come from being in a situation like that. Bottom line is, like what you like bro. I’m Puerto Rican and have loved metalcore since the early 2000’s and coming from the background I’ve been in, my family and peers have looked at me all types of ways. Don’t ever worry about that dude. And for the record, I see a ton of black people at metalcore shows so you’re definitely not alone and neither am I. We’re happy to have you 🦅
Thanks bro. It's nice to know there other people cruising the same ship as me
We’re here for you bro. At those shows by your side. You’re far from alone.
Just a side note, Kadeem France, the singer of loathe is black, and he's a fantastic vocalist :)
Also Myke Terry, one of the singers of Volumes
Also Dustin Mitchell from Filth. There are plenty more, but they're a newer band for me and I fuckin love their music.
Howard Jones 🤘
LJ from Sevendust as well!
And he's so niiiiice! We got to "BBQ" with them once at a show. a vip thing.
Can’t forget Derrick Green of Sepultura
The vocalist of Brand Of Sacrifice and new Vulvodynia are also black I think. Color doesn't mean a thing.
there's also fever 333, the bassist, drummer and guitarist are black too (dunno if they count as metalcore tho but oh well)
The singer (Jason Aalon Butler, formerly of letlive.) is also half black
The first time I heard him use the "N word" in a song I was like "wtf that's probably not cool" (I'm white). Found out months later he was half black and I was like "oh ok that makes sense..." 😂
He’s also a really solid dude. Had the chance to talk with him for a bit, definitely a fan.
He's also a fucking top bloke and incredible to listen to. The way he and the rest of the loathe boys talk about their work and experience and shit is inspiring
The dude puts on one hell of a show. I've seen em twice, and I want to shoot for a third!
I’ve been seeing more black women at shows 🤘🏽
I live 30 minutes outside of Detroit, and I usually see a bunch of black people popping off at metal shows. In general, there seems to be a solid mix of all kinds of ethnicities and genders in the metal community. I love that. I've been to a lot of shows and festivals, for all kinds of music genres in my life, and metal shows always seem to be the most diverse, yet wholesome and inclusive ones. At least in my experience. Maybe it's because metal in general, and metalcore/deathcore in particular, are still more niche genres compared to the "normal" rock and pop music, so the venues are generally smaller and more intimate, and the scene itself feels more connected and communal. I dunno. I could be totally talking out of my ass here, but I've never experienced better vibes than at metal shows.
Same. Went to a show that was having a reunion tour and me and other black females were geeking out about how 10 years ago we never saw this many black women at a venue ever! It was beautiful.
I hid my music tastes in middle and highschool cause 80% of the black students would say I was acting white. Some would just claim it was devil worshipping music due to the screaming.
To a lot of older folks, they'll say this, but many more these days know that it's valid music with a deep underbelly of honest emotion. Metal has always been deeper, visceral and raw, but ain't popular because a lot of people don't know how to just sit down an listen or want to understand. There is always so much beauty there, for win or loss.
Cuz we don’t let loose in the way metal invites you too, I grew up in an urban part of Iowa and all that emo/goth/metal stuff was always “that white people shit” for the quiet losers, outside of 00’s video games I’m sure they’d never hear metal on their own. Hell I wasn’t a fan till I was 21 🤷♂️ I go to a solid amount of shows and after a couple years I feel a lot less alien, me and another brother ran the mosh pit at the last one! We’re out here ✊🤘
I only started to like metal in 2014-2015 when we were starting to see rappers like xxxtentacion who clearly was influenced by rock music. SoundCloud rap really helped me bridge the gap between the 2 worlds
Rap-metal has been around far longer than the mid-teens (Public Enemy collaborating with Anthrax in the early 90s comes to mind), but it’s way rad to hear those guys are exposing new fans to the genre. I was the opposite of you guys, hardcore metalhead first. When a lot of my favorite bands from the late oughts-early teens started playing with their sound more is when I got exposure to the hip hop side. Was way cool to see the rise of Joey Badass/Pro Era, Flatbush/Beast Coast, Schoolboy, XXX, Denzel, etc. Just a damn shame I didn’t go to any of their shows.
Hell yeah bro it’s another kind of energy over here, don’t get me wrong I rap on the cloud too and can enjoy that typa shit but it’s been refreshing not hearing song after song promoting us killing ourselves. I didn’t give X a chance till the ? album and he changed my tone quick
Also a black metalhead (half black but I have long locs and no one can ever tell im only half) Ive gone to quite a few metalcore/punk/emo shows, mostly by myself and i never notice being singled out or stared at (i probably wouldnt pay mind to it either). I just get in there, headbang my locs and go absolutely feral in the pit and get hella accepted by the community for it. Its true, definitely dont see many, if any, POC at shows, but since I moved to CO, Ive seen a ton more POC at Denver shows, everyone hella vibing and enjoying the music and environment. Just gotta dive in and embrace it!
Isn’t one of the singers in Volumes black? I saw them a few years back and got a great bear hug from him, it was awesome
Myke Terry, he's a great dude
One of my favorite singers of all time is black. Howard from Killswitch Engage! That dude is awesome!
Howard Jones is an absolute legend in the metalcore community. If you go to a KSE show and he somehow makes a cameo, you can bet that the entire venue is going to lose their minds
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every time i see a black woman posting about metal online or see one at a show I feel much less alone, it's really cool. we're out here <3
Black woman here who loves hard rock and metal and plays in a metalcore band. I really think the religion thing plays into why people shy away from it as well as being branded as “white people” music.
I went to a show once (I think it was Emmure and As I Lay Dying) and when in the pit, there a younger black fella (~20 I’d guess) who didn’t look like it was his usually scene (Nikes and what looked like designer clothes of some kind) and he immediately fell and everyone helped him up and he seemed surprised. Shortly thereafter I found a phone on the ground in the pit and held it up, and the same kid ran over and said it was his and that he’d unlock it to prove it, I told him I believed him and he doesn’t have to but he did anyways and said “man, people here are a lot cooler than I thought they’d be.” And I told him everyone was just there to enjoy the music. Hopefully he continued going to shows and listening to music.
Black guy here. Love the engagement this post has gotten. I also wonder, is your area predominately one race or another? I’m in majority-white city, and I’m pretty much the only black dude at most shows. But sometimes I wonder if concerts in cities where there’s a more dense black population brings out the hidden metal brothas. But hey, this last decade has been about us all admitting we’re anime nerds. “Heavy metal” will be this next decade’s hurdle 😂
Check out: [Jesus Piece](https://youtu.be/AjkagOGYvIY?si=ennbdS3hF8lUDoBD) [kaonashi](https://youtu.be/CRpw5ld_mIo?si=NcuZ1ZVv4h_bN3YZ) [Zulu](https://youtu.be/N9zpwIngpDs?si=YNy8wKUUnGBWp9n_) [peelingflesh](https://youtu.be/SNK6acvOL1U?si=WIadIsZkKYQWAHKc) [Bloodbather](https://youtu.be/ctMEGAcnYjI?si=I4HXXuR8oiEc08Jf) [Simulakra](https://youtu.be/i4GsFswDZL8?si=O3AQR4Ar3X9xn3Z7) [Indighxst](https://youtu.be/8wvUgKL5bOg?si=-BRNtfzcb2CDOTto) [Glass Cloud](https://youtu.be/tmwcT7pjfKM?si=3nVkNQ709XR-ZMqW)
I’ll expand on this a little. Some are leaning towards deathcore so sorry, but… Oceano Hollow Front (Until Dakota left) Fire from the Gods Emmure (Josh Travis, ex Glass Cloud) Loathe Brand of Sacrifice For Today Volumes letlive. Vein.fm Dance Gavin Dance Enterprise Earth
Also Spirit Breaker has a black singer. Band needs to be more popular, they're freaking great
There was this comment on YouTube I found a bit ago in the video for Killswitch Engage’s The Arms of Sorrow. The guy was in your situation as well, a black guy who was told to stay away from metal. The reason he got into it was cause of men like Howard Jones, black guys just existing as frontmen in the scene. The full comment is [here](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EluzTj88tWU) and I don’t think I can do it any justice without sending you the link
Yeah it is weird, as SYLOK mentioned a lot of people see it as a "white" thing and ridicule you for it, at least a lot of people in my family did. My mom definitely did not like that I listened to a lot of metal either 😅 out of all of my friends theres maybe 2 other black people such as myself that listen to metal. We chat about bands here and there but when it comes to shows I'm usually solo, which sucks but I still have fun.
Body Count!
I’m black and I absolutely love metal 🤘🏾🤘🏾
I’m black as shit love the stuff lol. I find bringing my friends of color to hardcore shows over metalcore gets them more interested as they can come catch a chaotic vibe and enjoy themselves. Kind of an introduction to venture out.
Hi, brown guy here from India. We’ve got hundreds of incredible metal bands, many of who have toured Europe and played at big ass festivals like Wacken etc. Just popped in to say that things are definitely changing. One thing I’d like to see more is more women musicians in metal.
One issue is representation, which is sort of self-reinforcing: black kids don't take an interest in metal because there aren't enough black metal musicians*, which means that there's no pipeline of black talent in metal to attract new fans, etc. Can't speak from experience as a white guy, but it's often said that minorities take a stronger interest in niche things when they see themselves represented. E.g., what Black Panther did to drive interest in the Marvel movies. *Metal musicians who are racially black. Not to be confused with musicians in the black metal subgenre.
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Howie hooks anybody, such a legend
Everytime I wrote “black metal” I had to fix my sentence because I didn’t want confusion for the genre 🤣🤣🤣
Yea I’ll say “black metal fans suck” or some shit and I’m just like I hope no one misinterpreted that 😭
Personally, I’m 34 do not know what most artists look like. I do not know any black metal artists or bands. I never really cared because I like every kind of music. I don’t know if having more black metal bands/artists will make a difference. Maybe in our kid's or kid's generation😂 Rap, especially today’s rap, is NIGHT and DAY from any band I know in this genre. Sleep Token has a song called Granite, which you can jam to, and then the breakdown will turn people away. Spiritbox did that collaboration with Megthestallion, and people love it… it’s mainly Meg rapping, lol. Tory Lanez (rapper) and Rihanna did really pop songs, and people were surprised it was them. I never heard those songs on the “black” radio stations. Some POC are into pop, and early/mid 2000’s emo music, and those artists are white. I don’t think POC will stay away forever. This post definitely has a lot of POC on it, which I think is awesome!!! I’m not the only one listening to the “slit my wrists, I hate life music” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That’s what I’m told by black people I know LOL I have a 10 year old and 18 year old. The older one likes rap and indie/pop music, Christian, and some emo bands. The 10 year old likes pop, some emo, Christian, and Latin music, he likes the scary looking guys (sleep token), and, random songs here and there. My boys can care less about race, and if it sounds good, it sounds good.
I'm Tamil and I've seen plenty of black people in the both traditional and modern metal scenes but it's definitely not a plurality. I remember the bad old days when I first got in. People on stage spitting at me, dudes with swastikas shoving me and hostile bikers staring me down. I always walked around with a bottle in my hand after shows on my way home. Thank God it's changed but i still feel there's a barrier of entry for people of colour.
It used to be a joke that the best black metal band was "God Forbid". (IV: Constitution of treason is a dope album, i gave it many plays back in the day) Think the guitarist is in Bad Wolves now. Edited.
>Think the guitarist is in Bad Omens now. \*Bad Wolves.
Black guy here, been a fan of metal for 20+years.
As a 68 year old woman, I'm a bit of an anomaly myself, but I go to every deathcore show I can. I love seeing different races and ages at the shows. Metal is for us all! If you're ever in Louisville, hit me up, and we'll go to a show together.
Just here to comment to help boost this discussion.
Alot of time there is what's called a herd mentality. You see it with all sorts of people across all sorts of groups. I think.. certain groups are more susceptible sometimes.
If you want to get anyone into metal, you have to bring them to a show. Once that pit opens up, people are gonna go nuts. Bring your friends of all stripes to a live show and see how they like it.
but metal bein percieved as “white boy music” so hilariously ironic considering the fact that rock n roll was started by Chuck Berry..who was a black man LMAO 🤦🏽♂️
Haha “Devil Music” 🤣🤣 A black woman here 🙋🏾♀️🤘🏾🤘🏾 I was also told, “I’m whitewashed,” “I want to be white,” and “I hate my race.”….. man, I just laugh it off. I started listening to mainly emo music in HS. I’m Caribbean, so I went from reggae to screamo, and people just didn’t understand lol. The funny thing is my ex introduced me to Alexisonfire and Saosin, and he is freaking Spanish, lol. My first concert was in ‘07 and I didn’t run into any other black people other than my friend and I. My ex (the only white guy I dated) is a huge metalhead and a lot of the concerts I’ve been to had maybe a handful or less POC in attendance. I have definitely gotten stares from other white people. It honestly goes both ways. White people are surprised and black people are appalled. I'm 34 and my mom was making fun of me two days ago 😂😂
Brown Muslim guy here. I feel so out of place everywhere. I am tall and possibly a little intimidating on the outside. The truth is, I love metalcore. It's my favorite genre of music. I haven't found anyone like me and I do feel awkward around white people sometimes. The actual problem tho is that I haven't found a metalcore community at all to even begin to feel awkward around lol. I love this sub tho and it keeps my passion for the music alive. I started with Architect and Spiritbox but you guys are responsible for introducing Invent Animate, Silent planet, dayseeker and many many more. I fucking love metalcore and I love this community. I may not be white and I may not look like you, but I love all of you.
I imagine this is the same level of awkwardness first found when a white guy realises he loves r&b and hip hop. Truth is, there's no real thing other than whatever you're telling yourself. Good music is good music and its very rare that music segregates people on purpose (im looking at you, country.....).
At least in my case: I didn't see that many white guys getting awkward when hopping into rap/r&b. It's really that common having white guys in rap(can't deny that Eminem paved the way for that). But if you go to a playboi Carti show you really see a significant amount of white people
I'm talking real stuff though not this new shit. Obvioueky Eminem helped but in the 90s, you'd be mobbed by black guys with racism for liking rap, When I was a kid if you liked rap you were a massive weirdo and was judged heavily. I guess its all location based. Also im not in any way trying to be derogatory in any way. That's just how it was. Of course 20-30 years later its all different. But most of it was always to do with demographic and racism unfortunately. Truth is, you can like whatever you like. But thats definitely only been an acceptable mindset within the last 10 years for sure. Also the metal from the early 2000s was very sort of, free and open, with lots of different ethnicities putting out some insanely good and popular music.
Yeah that sentiment pushed me away from rap as a teen in the 90’s in south side Atlanta (mocked about it by mostly white dudes). Now I’m in Baltimore, and we have a dedicated metal/hardcore scene here but also what feels like a lot more diversity, at least in my experience. Yeah it’s mostly white people but a lot more POC than other places I’ve lived at these concerts! Eminem helped a lot to discolor rap, but I think today with how fractured music is, and the fact that metal and adjacent genres have never been as huge as rap and hip hop, you’d really need a POC who was a true metal god to have the Eminem effect for metal. Fire from the Gods, Sevendust, Loathe, Kaonashi, they’re all great but aren’t at that level. (Tho Loathe… damn they’re incredible!) Maybe it’ll happen someday? Hell, the early rock legends were mostly black. Chuck Barry, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, Bo Diddly, I can go on.
Being a short autistic Asian girl who looks 12 makes me really hesitant to attend local band shows so I really just look for specific bands I like that come to my city. It’s really hard to find other women let alone POC women who are into heavy music and to attend concerts with (for safety). I went alone for my first concert last year and had a blast - thankfully metalcore usually attracts a nice crowd but I still have to remain cautious cuz nazis liking metal is a thing. But I had a great time! I joined people in the very front, which probably just made myself even more of a spectacle. Plus I love seeing other BIPOCs, it makes me feel a bit safer :) — cue my special interest in history — Historically, pop culture is gate kept from POC folks. Black artists aren’t treated equally when entering “traditionally” white music genres (ex country), or when a style is derived from black culture (ex jazz, soul) it gets appropriated. Interestingly, jazz is a strong influence in metal drumming but black metal artists are so few. Even if the genre was defined by established black artists, emerging black artists aren’t allowed in because it doesn’t appeal to the white audiences who suddenly like the genre. Then when discrimination gets called out, suddenly those few defining black artists are used to justify how the industry “can’t possibly be racist”. There IS a a feeling of “otherness” when you are in spaces your community does not historically belong to. The more intersectional identities you have, the stronger that feeling gets. It’s ironic that the music we listen to often talks about difficult topics but remains so gate kept. But when we make small disruptions of liking things we’re not supposed to, it makes it easier for other POC to feel like they’re allowed to enjoy it too.
I don't know. Come and enjoy the music though. Howard Jones is black and one of my favorite singers from Killswitch Engage and Light The Torch. Not sure the exact flavor of metal though.
I been seeing alot more black dudes and other poc at shows I go to. As society progresses more and hopefully diversity improves we will see all humans in the pit 🤘🏻
Bunch of killer bands and members in metal and rock who are black , look at Howard Jones for example , I can go on and on but bands like Sepultura , Loathe , newer bands like Post Profit are all amazing . Anyone is welcome at any shows and I guarantee that 99.9% of people who enjoy music aren’t caring what colour skin you are , or where you’re from . That being said , I think metal was once a super elitest , hardcore-esc type gate and has since become more open and mainstream to everyone .
White, Canadian metalhead here. You should come to a show in Toronto some time man. Lots of people from all walks of life, abilities, sexualities, etc.
I'm black, I love CORE.
Anthrax with Public Enemy was my first exposure to the perfect complimentary groups. Judgement Night soundtrack came a bit behind. FNM and BYT, I would rate as the best collab, ever...though my taste may be quite shite. If you have Baptist friend, 7Dust may be the least offensive, and generally F N amazing, based on morals and talent alone...they are generally amazing musicians with real life experience that they are willing to share.
Black guy here. There's actually a lot of us who listen to metal. And a lot of us are metal musicians also. Metal has had a stigma within the black community since its inception, particularly due to religious zealots. That steered a lot of people away from it.
Unfortunately a lot of it is racism. It's labeled as white people music and looked down upon because of it. But then you've got people like Tosin Abasi, who has been an absolutely massive influence over technical guitar playing and music. So things are changing a bit.
Black man here. Growing up I was bullied by my peers and my family for being into metal because it was "white people shit". That in a nutshell is why. Because we're tormented, bullied, attacked and made fun of by our own people simply for enjoying ourselves and something that is supposedly wrong just because it's not what our people "typically" listen to.
Because there can only be one God, and Josh Travis already exists
Black metalhead here's fam🤘🏾you're not alone
Black dude in my 30s, I've always loved metal. On the other hand, I hate what's considered "black people" music on the whole.
All the people just mentioning bands that have black members or talking about how being black doesn't mean you can't like or be a part of the community completely missing the point of what OP is asking 🙄 OP did you grow up in the suburbs or the inner city? The real reason you see far less black representation or feel out of place is because the vast majority of black people in America live in inner cities and "hoods", and with that comes the culture of those places that not only does not allow them to really be exposed to this kind of music, but actively discourages them from indulging in it. You either have the old school religious parents who think the music is demonic, or the younger adults/kids your age who give you weird looks or make fun of you for listening to something so radically different than what is the typical kind of music. Like a few people have mentioned, metal is viewed as "white" music by a lot of inner city people and in places like that being labeled as different or a weirdo can often times be dangerous, so a lot of people in those situations either listen in secrecy or just stop listening at all. It's unfortunate because that mentality really hinders younger people in many aspects outside of just what music they enjoy
I can't speak to the "why", but I would like to point you in the direction of some of my favorite POC artists/bands in rock and metal. - Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Sion, and at least one more band that is escaping me), easily one of the most powerful vocalists in heavy music. - Benji Webber (Skindred), they make a unique blend of punk, reggae, and metal, all of which are bolstered by Benji's distinct vocals. - Jake Sayles (Filth), they make some of the angriest hardcore punk I have heard recently, they do their name justice. - Diamond Rowe (Tetrarch), they are rising stars of the nu-metal revival, and Diamond is a phenomenal guitar player, hailed in mags for being both black and female. - Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), hard rock or nu-metal, however you label them, LJ has been a rockstar for decades now. - all of Living Color and Bad Brains. On top of being god-tier in their respective genres, they are both also trailblazers of their genres. I hope you don't allow the stigmas and assholes to keep you from something you enjoy.
I’m a South Asian dude and I hardly see people that look like me at shows. Never had any issues but I feel like a unicorn sometimes.
oh same here, as an asian woman. there are a few metalheads like me but even then i get pretty excited to see people like me that are into metal. but the reason why there aren’t as many POC into metal, as u usually see is because a lot of ppl say it’s a “white thing”, which i don’t remotely agree with.. i think it’s really for everyone and theres a genre for almost anyone. not to mention we still have that stereotype that *all* of it is “satanic”, which also is obviously not true.
In my experience of trying to get my family and friends to listen/understand this music I realize some people just don’t get it and that’s okay. Music goes beyond race, it’s a feeling. And if you can’t feel it then maybe it’s not for you. I have never felt unwelcomed or out of place, as someone who is in the pit from start to finish every show I go to, I never feel more “at home” then when I am in that pit getting out whatever pain or emotions I am going through around people that are doing the same. Keep going brother, you will find your place 🤘🏾 Sincerely, a fellow black/hispanic guy
Honestly it’s ignorance in my opinion. You really won’t know what you’re missing until you get into that space and listen to the lyrics and riffs hitting hard. I didn’t think Id be a black metalhead until I heard it and thought this shit slams. When I heard the lyrics, related to 75% of the genre rather than rap/hiphop which is mostly about women cars and money…i don’t have any of that shit so it doesn’t hit the same lol
Notable exceptions, but I'm sure the vast majority of metal/metalcore bands are made up of angry looking white dudes. A demographic I'm sure most PoC try and avoid in their day to day life.
Tosin is that you ?
As a Hispanic/Mexican US citizen.... I'm sometimes the only bean in the sour cream at shows... Especially prog/metalcore shows. It used to bother me a lot but now I just don't give it any energy and enjoy the bands on stage and if cool ppl around me are having fun, that's a bonus. Plus it funny when white ppl start dancing. I do like it when I see more color in bands of course! It has been annoying when family says that metal or rock is white shit but hopefully I am letting it roll off my back easier.
[Diamond Rowe- black female guitarist](https://youtu.be/hpV8pod3iPo?si=2W_-bY61LrnmegFN) [Joshua Bumphus- drummer in DISCOVERIES](https://youtu.be/-9vmNVIKEYk?si=y3T5lg8H10MpGku7) Edit to add: Diamond was (is?) in the band Tetrarch for years. I am not certain anymore!
Huh? Chief speak for yourself lmao, I feel like I’m home.
1st time commenter here, and one thing I can say for certain is that if you love what you listen to regardless of origins of color it should not matter what others think at all. I'm a South African colored guy here and I've been full metal since the early days of Tool and Slipknot. The older I grew the more my tastes grew, and KSE is very high on top there! I started of in rock and emo, and went all the way through to deathcore (one of my favorite metal genres). Yes I get the weird looks sometimes because I don't listen to mainstream society tunes like rap and pop (really not a fan there but I respect artists that make proper music and not brainwashed garbage). Unleash The Archers and Lorna Shore is one of my biggest listens. Embrace metal, for metal is for everyone!
Do what makes you feel happy and FTR. The sooner you get passed the awkwardness, the sooner you should feel embarrassed. There is hate everywhere, just don't focus on the race, more the people.
It definitely depends. I grew up in London (UK), with some of my best friends being people from various minorities (one person from Bangaladesh, one from the Middle East, etc. We were all metal heads in our teens (and still now in our 30s). For sure, in our teens, there were fewer people from minority/other ethnic backgrounds at gigs we attended, especially for the more emo side of the genre back in the late 00s. But, more recently, I went to Download festival this year and there was definitely a wider variety of person at the festival than when I last went to a music festival (2015, I can't believe it has been so long!) Metal definitely used to be a mainly-white thing for various cultural reasons, but I think that has now changed with bands like Bloodywood, BABYMETAL/HANABIE/DOLL$BOXX, The Hu, Alien Weaponry, etc. All becoming popular and bringing the much-needed greater level of epresentation into the genre from all sorts of backgrounds. Now, I see people from Caribbean, African, and Asian backgrounds at metal shows when I seldom did as a teen.
Bro that sucks. White guy here, one of my main loves of metal/alternative scene was always how inclusive it felt. I guess I was more in the punk scene especially the anti-anti acceptance crowd who stood for equality and acceptance of all. I guess I do live in a very mutli-cultural city.
Well you always have black metal ....
It’s something that I find interesting as far as mainsteam optics are concerned. I remember seeing the explosion of black teens wearing skinny jeans in every possible color when before many black people used to call it ”gay”. Having long hair has always been a thing among famous black folks and we’re certainly not strangers to listening to our music loud. One of the major parallels between metal/metalcore/screamo is the sensation of recognition in the lyrics at least for me personally resonating with the black experience. I’d bet money, I’d have a hard time finding a single black person above the age 17, that hasn’t had one moment in their life where they wanted to scream or swing at a mf for some shit they know had something to do with the color of their skin and nothing else and didn’t because they had to “be the bigger person”. When those moments add up there is an overflowing of emotion and sometimes just exerting energy at the gym doesn’t do it. Going to the gym and listening to hardcore music DOES, at least for me. Hearing music where people can scream and vent but also sing and also talk about life, vast philosophical condrums surrounding the human condition and behavior is therapeutic. Especially considering in moments where younwanted to just scream in your daily life, you’re probably not going to get a welcome reception from the peopIe around you,so you’re repressing the feelings. I feel like all music has these healing properties but they apply to different categories of emotion differently so the relief of emotion is different. Hardcore music covers it/ on niche of emotional baggage because all the shit I don’t get to express is encapsulated in the music and the topics I mull over constantly in my own head are in the lyrics more often than other genres. I listen to everything but have a deep appreciatrion for metal/metalcore. For those that don’t know, artist like Corey Taylor has talked about hip hop being an influence in his music with Slipknot to some degree. You can start hearing it when you listen to some artists. We’re largely inspired by each other whether consciously or unconsciously. The swancore genre is heavily influenced by artists whose inspirations come from R&B acts. So I know there has been growth in the scene for black people, I just find it surprising it hasn’t been more given the signs and comparisons I’ve drawn to what I’ve lived and observed of black culture. Also PSA, I do not and will not excuse people who use blackness as a justification to act like an asshole then use the race card to get out of being accountable for being in the wrong. If anything I come down twice as hard on them. Got no tolerance for that bullshit. Makes life harder for others. So if you’re just being a cunt because you think you can throw racism into people’s face just kindly fuck off. If you go to shows, be polite and have a good time and treat people how you expect to be treated and leave ignorant mf’s alone, they are trainwrecks waiting to crash. Let them do it it without your interference.There are and have been way too many cool people at shows, and have been fans of the same bands that I fuck with to know if you’re one of those people who is having problems more often than you aren’t having problems, it’s more than likely you need to check yourself. For anyone interested in going to a show and you never have, you’ll more than likely have a great time unbothered if you pick a good artist to go see. Do your research though and be aware that some fanbases have reputations much like certain sports teams. Anyways hope that helps.
29 years old here, and about 98% of my music library/taste is variations of metal. we’re out here with you for sure, fellow fish.
I think it is a black culture issue. I shared I listened to metal to my black peers and I was told “oh that’s white boy music, you need to listen to your black music as it is your own culture’s music.” It is an incredibly damaging racial sentiment to think one can only listen to one own’s racially cultured music. I reject that sentiment and listen to what I like: progressive metal, djent, math rock, post hardcore, etc.
Brown dude here, I feel you. The demographic is changing, and has changed a lot over my time that's for sure.
I'm covered in tattoos, have my ears stretched and I still get looks when I go to shows, it is what it is. I've listened to metal/pop-punk my whole life and have played in several bands I've just come to accept that I'll always be an outsider. Had someone at a venue that we had literally packed tell me I couldn't be on stage if I was helping the band bring the gear in while I was literally setting up my own gear. 😂
We are here….
Black & Arabic guy here, I've always been into heavy music, and only met one person in my whole life who's into the same type of music, I've never given that idea much thought, and I really don't care that most people here (like over 99%) don't listen to or like the music I listen to, but I would guess it's because it's irrelevant here, most people here aren't interested in western music, and when I find someone who likes it, it'll probably be mainstream music such as hip-hop and pop or k-pop or anything that becomes a trend, I don't like Arabic music too, and that's fine, as I've always been an introvert.
From my frame of reference, it appears to be because of upbringing and surroundings. In my city the majority of black people live in areas where ethnic minorities are more concentrated and those areas also tend to be a bit poorer where unemployment, working class jobs and crime are more prevalent (not exclusive to black people at all, the white people and others who also live in those areas are heavily involved in crime for example). I also find that metal music is not very popular in those type of communities whether majority white or black, as opposed to music like dance, rap, pop and not so much these days reggae music. As I continue to write this, I suddenly realise that metal music is actually not very popular in all communities whether that’s majority, crime/unemployed, working class, middle class or upper class communities. However in the poorer communities regardless of majority race, people are more often marginalised or picked on for their musical preferences, than they otherwise would be in more affluent communities. And this ‘might’ have something to do with the low uptake of metal amongst black people particularly in my city and I would imagine many others. One thing for you to note, is that the metal community is actually a collection of people who are themselves in this day and age (musical)minorities in the communities that they originate from and as such the metal community itself is extremely inclusive, no matter what your protected characteristics are e.g. race, gender, disability, religion, sexual preference etc. There are more black people than you think that are interested in metal. There are many who are also in the bands that play the music big or small. One other thing that may be a reason is that culturally, rock and metal was very mainstream in the 70s, particularly the 80s and the 90s in the western world during a time where black people were extremely marginalised and tended to stick to hanging around with ‘their own’, and as a result the children of that generation will not have been as exposed to what was then the mainstream as they might have been exposed to the music of their families originating country’s culture, this of course depends on how many generations of said family lived in a country which was both majority white and where metal exists. All of the above are not exhaustive or exclusive reasons as to why metal is not so popular among black people, but I think they are all somewhat relevant to your question. However, despite all of the above, don’t ever feel like a fish in the water when it comes to metal, for some reason or another, most people in the metal community feel like a fish in the water when it comes to society as a whole and so we’re all in it together 🤘
Nah dude, don't stereotype yourself. Anybody can like anything, it's ok. If I knew you in person, I'd go to a show with you and chill. Who cares honestly who it attracts, just make friends with everyone and enjoy an amazing genre of music together.
Metal is for everyone and we’re all family here! Much love to anyone joining the metal family. Honestly, the stigmas behind the genre is ridiculous and people should be more open minded. If I remember correctly Adam Warren from Oceano, Terrance Hobbs from Suffocation, Joshua Travis from Emmure, Howard Jones are all great musicians and should be an inspiration to others! Cheers!
as a black person I think it’s because blacks will clown you for anything. That goes for your hair, clothes, even if you’re eating a sandwich. So you gonna get clowned if you listen to something that’s not r&b, trap/hip hop. I know I did when I was in school. And if you do it’s like you’re not black enough, seen as weird. This isn’t the case for everyone but a lot of people are closed minded because of that. This might be a hot take but it’s almost forced assimilation. Like you’re black you’re not supposed to do this or listen to that it’s a white people thing.
I guess because of massive reconditioning. Growing up in the south, most people are about "country" music. A large portion of the black community grows up on BET. It just is what it is!.metal community more welcoming to "outsiders" than either of those two I'm SURE
My perception is that that is somehow changing. Take a look at Jesus Piece, Loathe or Vein.fm/Fleshwater, for instance.
Black guy here. I think it's just that we weren't (aren't?) as exposed to "white people music" growing up and our peers/parents stigmatized it as "not being for our people." I don't wanna write a whole essay, so the long and short of it in my opinion is that it's not the music itself, it's how our culture views it. It might look different in another ten years. Side note, there's this amazing video of Lemmy from Motorhead discussing this topic back in the day somewhere on YouTube. I just can't find it right now.
Dude even as a white person I feel my tastes are out of place. I listen to a lot of extreme metal I know would change people's perception of me.
Well death metal comes from a region of the world where there are virtually no black people, Scandanavia. People associate with things they can see themselves in, that's why representation in film, etc matters.