What do you think of when heavy metal music is brought up? Most people probably think of loud guitars and drums, screaming vocals, and non-talented musicians. Over the roughly 50 years of metal’s existence, it and its fans have oftentimes been labeled as demonic and dangerous. Due to these stereotypes, metal has received very little mainstream and commercial success Most people just can’t get past the extreme sound, content, and imagery that the genre often depicts to really appreciate the music for what it is. But every once in a while, a song with heavy guitars, loud drums, and piercing vocals slips through the cracks of the music industry and becomes a hit. You would think that metalheads would appreciate some publicity for their beloved genre that they so vigorously defend from the people who call their music satanic. But no. 

When Metallica released their self-titled album in 1991 (also known as “The Black Album”), a lot of fans were disappointed in the band for “going commercial” and “selling out.” Why is this? Shouldn’t fans of metal be happy when their favorite bands break through to the mainstream? Metalheads are very protective of their favorite bands. They have been known for accusing new fans of the genre of being “posers” for not liking the band before they received commercial success. Metal fans have become synonymous with this type of gate-keeping. A lot of what it comes down to is change. Fans want new content without straying away from what they already enjoy. Take Metallica: the difference and progression in sound between their first album (1983’s Kill Em All) and their second album (1984’s Ride the Lightning) is quite significant. The songs on Ride the Lightning were longer and most of the time “heavier,” both things that most metal fans can appreciate. However, Ride the Lightning uses acoustic and clean-sounding guitars on many of its tracks such as “Fight Fire with Fire” and “Fade to Black,” an addition that some fans greatly disliked. Metallica had been accused of “selling out” 7 years before their first huge commercial success. Similar things happened between Metallica’s fourth album (1989’s And Justice for All) and their aforementioned fifth album. While Justice had longer, heavier, and more progressive tracks, “The Black Album” had shorter, more “radio friendly” tracks which would be more beneficial for exposure, a disappointment to many fans. Metallica and many other acts have constantly received criticism like this for years.

So what is metal’s problem with mainstream? It’s the failure to accept it. A band hits the charts and they become resented and shunned from the community. The genre is never going to grow if fans aren’t able to accept new sounds and styles. Thankfully, the culture is changing. The genre has continued to grow in popularity outside of the mainstream and is becoming much more accepting of new fans and sub-genres. But will we see another heavy metal hit in the future? Will a band push through to the mainstream again?