your parents thoughts on metal

Onhell

Onhell

Infinite Dreamer
In reading "thought's on the beatles" a few  people mentioned their parents' think/thought metal was "evil". So what about the rest of you? What are/were your parents opinion of heavy metal?

My dad doesn't get it, that simple, makes no sense to him, he likes traditional mexican music and 50s/60s rock. My mother considered it stupid, senseless noise, but neither of them thought it "evil".

One day when I was listening to Mago de Oz, my mom was intrigued by the cover of Jesus de Chamberi and gave it a spin. She LOVED it and soon after all mago de oz cds. Then I played her some Tierra Santa ballads and she said, "my god, it's thoughtful and comprehensible." She was hooked, and now she actually likes some and tolerates the rest, well except death metal.
 
My parents usually think of my music metal or not as "that crazy music".  That's how I like it, too.  :D
No accusations of Satanism.  I doubt they'd know the references anyway.  The only positive remark I've heard about my music has been in the mid 90s when the Division Bell by Pink Floyd came out and mom said she liked one of the mellow intros.  I can't recall which one though.  Other than that they don't pay attention as they "don't understand it".
 
Bearing in mind my parents may be a tad older than most, their thoughts may not be as "liberal" as most. In saying that, my mother is a teacher and will always have a fairly open mind to a lot of stuff that a teenager may be into (although I  passed this stage a "while" back) - but she did roll her eyes and look at me with a little dis-concern when she caught her eye on some of my Maiden stuff. My mother, though, was one of the sixties teenagers and a big Manfred Mann fan, so her view will be a little bit more "open" than, say, my father - who was a lot more conservative in his approach to it all. Classical music and swing was his forte and that is where it stopped (not that this is bad, it's just he saw little in music outside of this). I did ask him (as a very, very young child) what was his favourite pop band - "The Beatles" he said, I now know he had stated this in the hope to be seen as "trendy" and "youthful" to me, as he really did not care too much for them. Well, what should I have expected - The Sweet? T Rex? Mud?

But in all, they both have never stopped me from ever listening to anything that may be deemed (by some) as remotely satanic. They both (albeit in different households - they divorced when I was 8 ) in their own way, allowed me to pursue my love of my music and rarely intervened. As an example, my father meticulously planned my very first concert to ensure I got there, enjoyed it and got home without missing the last train - that concert was the Maiden concert at the Rainbow Theatre back in 1980. :D

Edit: after re-reading, the "8" followed by a ")" came out as "8)" - not how it was planned. A space has been added to try to eliminate the smiley popping up.
 
These replies are quite interesting. I thought there was going to be the usual fare where parents think that metal was for bloodthirsty, satanic monsters like these people pictured here, and that their only salvation was here.

189924941_l.jpg
173157167_l.jpg

Heil Wotan 666.


Looking back, my parents didn't mind it all. In fact, I remember my father praising Morbid Angel, Slayer and Dream Theater as excellent groups, and my mother displaying an interest in the Norwegian Black Metal scene. Then again, this isn't 1951, right? There's no need for Open-Mindedness(TM) gone semi-militant, right?
 
My parents never try to stop me from listening to metal music, and never voiced concern or anything about it (well aside from the usual complaints about volume, that is). They've done everything they can to ensure that I enjoy my own thing as much as I can, and I'm very thankful for it.

When I was younger, 13 or so, I was too young to get into big gigs by myself, so my dad volunteered to come along to ensure that I got in. This happened for a Maiden gig and a Metallica gig, and he sat down the back for both while I ventured into the crowd. He enjoyed both gigs, even though he wasn't wild on too much of the music. I had a blast at both of them, and I appreciate the sacrifices that he's made in the past.
 
[off topic]I seriously think the guy on the right of Blackie's duo needs to change his diet. A white coated tongue is not a good sign of health.[/off topic]

However, I was round my sisters a short while back and we were watching some video satellite channel. Lo and behold, up popped Slipknot. From a personal view, I have no problem with these guys (this is not to sound tr00 - or whatever - it is just that what I have heard of their music is not as bad as what some folk say), but asked my brother-in-law what he would do if his newly born boy turned up as an 15 year old dressed as these guys. "Well", he said, "I would have a little word with him and steer him away from this." However, my brother-in-law is also a ravid Chelski fan and he gave a very similar answer when I suggested he may turn into a Man Utd fan.

What this does show is that parent's (no matter how liberal) will never ever (as a whole) fully accept their teenage child's whims - although we would like to think we probably would, or at least just go along with it.
 
I cannot recall a single instance of my parents either praising or condemning my tastes in music.

No wait, there was one, sort of. Back when I was about 16 and first learning "Stairway To Heaven" on guitar, my father heard me playing it and said "Ooh, Stairway. That's a good song." Since my father isn't into any rock that came out after about 1967, I was shocked that he even knew the song. Then he asked me for a copy of the lyrics to Stairway, because he thought they were interesting. That's about it.

And now that I think about it, this is kind of odd. I have always played my music loud. Thus, my parents were exposed to all the hard rock of the 1980s. When I was playing Live After Death three times a day in 1986 - and I mean playing it LOUD, intentionally loud enough that I could hear it anywhere in the house - they only asked me to turn it down once (when friends were visiting, and the loud music was interfering with conversation). They never once complained about any lyrics, albums covers or concerts I went to - in fact, they drove me to some of my first shows (including, like Albie, my first Maiden show).

The only person who ever complained about my music was my grandfather. I was playing a Kiss record once, and he said the music was no good. Then "Hard Luck Woman" came on, and he said he liked that song. One other time was the summer of 1986, when I had moved on to playing Master Of Puppets 3 times a day. After a few days of that, he finally said he was getting sick of it. Admittedly, maybe hearing any album 3 times a day would make some people sick of it. But then again, it could just be that he was already old then (71 years old).
 
well, my parents never said something like "evil music" when I was living with them
but they allways said that it's a silly music without melodie and with too much noise

...it's been 13 years that I don't live with them, I think they don't even imagine that I'm still listening to that "teen kind of music"

now the problem is my woman that she hates Iron Maiden (exept Legacy and Nomad) but she don't have problem with Cradle of Filth (!!), Metallica and she loves System of a Down
I think she can't support Bruce's voice -and she prefer more modern sound -riff based
 
____no5 said:
and she prefer more modern sound -riff based
Click to expand...

I don't want to get off topic, but how in green hell is modern (Nu-metal) more riff based.  It is basically one guy just holding a guitar and letting one long, very loud, note play over you.  I'm not trying to insult anyone's music, but you need to set your woman straight, tell her she doesn't know a riff from riff-raff.  :)  Now, old Metallica, that is riff based.
 
Genghis Khan said:
...you need to set your woman straight, tell her she doesn't know a riff from riff-raff.  :)  Now, old Metallica, that is riff based.
Click to expand...

even if I tell her, she will not give a toss !
...my conclusions are (generally -exeptions exist allways ) :
1) parents don't like metal at all 
2) younger people can like metal, but rarely Maiden because of Bruce's voice and the lack of riffs
 
____no5 said:
...my conclusions are (generally -exeptions exist allways ) :
1) parents don't like metal at all   
Click to expand...
:huh: Have you not read any of the other posts in this topic? Most people seem to say that their parent's have had no problem and actually liked what they have heard.

____no5 said:
2) younger people can like metal, but rarely Maiden because of Bruce's voice and the lack of riffs
Click to expand...
I'm younger, I love Maiden, and I know plenty more people of my own age that like them also. Where are these conclusions of yours coming from? 
 
Hunlord said:
:huh: Have you not read any of the other posts in this topic? Most people seem to say that their parent's have had no problem and actually liked what they have heard.
I'm younger, I love Maiden, and I know plenty more people of my own age that like them also. Where are these conclusions of yours coming from? 
Click to expand...

from what I see with my own eyes, of course !!
Have you not read my post that you quoted ?

____no5 said:
even if I tell her, she will not give a toss !
...my conclusions are (generally -exeptions exist allways ) :
1) parents don't like metal at all 
2) younger people can like metal, but rarely Maiden because of Bruce's voice and the lack of riffs
Click to expand...

as for "youngers" excuse me, I was not enough clear; when I say "younger" I don't mean you, but people between 30 -40 (my friends) that are younger than my parents but older than you
...and of course I mean people that never were in metal

I don't have feed back from the new generation (aged 12-22 now)
 
____no5 said:
I don't have feed back from the new generation (aged 12-22 now)
Click to expand...
That would be a fair percentage of folk on this forum - but only Hunlord and Onhell have given the feedback.
 
Well,  my parents didn't have a problem with my music.  They never tried to persuade me to stop listening to metal.  In fact,  they understood it was actually good for me.  Of course,  my father who is not much into rock music (he thinks the Beatles are a little heavy!),  and usually goes "it's just bababooba noise" and "who are those dogs" etc. :P  Although he does like some songs.  My mother comments less.
 
I can't recall my parents ever being upset by anything I listen to, and I have no reason to complain about their tastes - I discovered some of my favourite music (Zappa, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Genesis and some more) partly through their old vinyl collections. Both of them enjoy Maiden and the lighter side of the metal spectrum, although not so much the death metal stuff I listen to.

In fact, I can't say I've ever encountered a situation where my music tastes were a problem for me.
 
Albie said:
That would be a fair percentage of folk on this forum - but only Hunlord and Onhell have given the feedback.
Click to expand...
I'll add my feedback. My Dad used to be a Sabbath and Zeppelin fan (growing up in Birmingham, he experienced them both first hand from the beginning), so even if he's mellowed out a bit since, he doesn't care whatsoever if I listen to Metal or not. Anyway, both my parents are extremely grateful that I don't listen to dance music like my older brother does. :D
 
Well, my mom actually loves Enter Sandman, hell, sometimes she even sings the "EEEEEEEEExxxxit light..." hahaha, which I find so cool and hilarious.  And my dad tolerates it, but he is into old reggae music, I mean, Bob Marley.  But whenever I translate them some lyrics, usually Maidne lyrics.  They like them.
 
wellm, my mum's definition od meal music is something like "pointless srcreaming :D" - everything but Beatles to her is screaming :D
but dad is more cool, he's some kind of light version of Ozzy Osbourne, huge Led Zepp and Maiden fan, though, I 'hooked' on Iron Maiden thanks to him  :yey: :yey: :yey:
 
Well, my mom is one of those people who doesn't tolerate metal (or pop, or hard rock) AT ALL. While I agree with her opinion that pop is rubbish, I don't agree with her ideas on metal (obviously :P). I was brought up to think that metal (or anything screamy like it) was music for 'bad', aggressive, scary people (like rapists, bullies, drugies, etc). So I was skeptical when a friend of mine asked me to listen to an Iron Maiden track. I'd only heard of them vaguely and knew they were 'evil' metal. But I listened to it anyway because my friend certainly wasn't one of the people I had been led to believe listened to this kind of music (see the above). The track was 'Blood Brothers', and the rest, as they say, is history :bigsmile:. Still to this day my mom doesn't know I listen to metal because I know she thinks its 'bad' (in the sense of evil) music. I mean, she already had a fit when I told her I like Pink Floyd (she said its music for people who take drugs), so imagine if I told her about Maiden... :ninja:
 
When I was growing up in the late 70's and early 80's, in the time of Punk and followed on by NWOBHM, my parents were a bit disgusted by my tastes in The Stranglers and SLF, but Motorhead was always tutted at  :uhm:

But now as a parent of a 12 and 7 year old I encourage them to listen to what they want. They get bouts of Floyd/Stranglers/Madness/Maiden/AcDc etc and they love it.

I even took out 12 year old daughter to see The Stranglers in 2006, and she loved it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top