Censorship Of Heavy Metal Essay, Research Paper

CENSORSHIP OF HEAVY METAL

Heavy Metal?s popularity is and has been on the rise due to its many bands and increased

guitar technology. Since the mid 1960?s, when heavy metal spread to the U.S. from England, it

has grown in popularity. Many of the first bands that came from Europe came with two

intentions; to spread heavy metal to other parts of the world, and to make it grow in popularity.

Heavy metal is a form of rock ?n? roll music played on electric guitars and amplified to unnatural

volume levels. Such effects as feedback, distortion, reverb, and Wah Wah pedals are commonly

added to the music. These effects create completely new sounds, exploiting the possibilities of

electric guitars. Most heavy metal music is based on death, god, youth, and teenage rebellion, but

not all. There are some very good and talented bands that fit the genre of metal because some

?panty waste? said it has too much distortion! It is broken into four sub categories; speedcore,

thrash metal, death metal, and the talented few. Heavy metal is the general term for these four

categories combined. It is often just called metal. Most heavy metal music is based around the

electric guitar.

Guitar technology has changed a lot since the beginning of the rock era. In the early

1950?s electric guitars were very expensive and had few capabilities. Inventions such as wah

wah pedals, fuzz boxes, distortion, reverb, and amplifiers have increased the electric guitar’s

capabilities of making new sounds and music. The new devices have also made rock music more

popular. More among the heavy metal population than the many other branches of rock ?n? roll.

Heavy metal music grabs a hold of rock?s most rudimentary elements; youth, rebellion, sex,

fantasy, and a good time at all costs. It is directed towards the alienation and trauma that plagues

adolescent life, particularly among the lives if teenage boys. They tend to see their lives as

controlled by parents and teachers. For many others, it is a way to release frustration and anger.

For instance, a heavy metal concert to those who like heavy metal, is not just a musical

performance, full of elaborate costumes and settings. It is a community of teenagers who

participate in a shared celebration of youth. Heavy metal tends to be male-oriented, but metal is

not exclusive to the male population. Its basic audiences are dominate by white, male teenagers

with no criminal backgrounds, unlike ?Thugs? or white black men.

Heavy metal emerged in the late 1960?s and the early 1970?s. Rock music had begun to lose

its popularity. It became less persuasive, and more boring than ever. The youth of America had

lost its interest in the rock era. This was due to lack of technology and style in music. In the

early 70?s, bands started to emerge to America from Britain and some other parts of Europe.

They focused on the electric guitar?s central position in popular music. Bands such as The

Beetles, The Rolling Stones, and Cream, became very popular in the U.S. Thanks to these bands,

a rediscovery of the influence of the blues guitar style led to more advanced gadgets made for

the guitar (Reverb, Fuzz Boxes, Echo), and a deeper emphasis on exploration and improvisation.

The Who, a band from Britain who came to the U.S. in the mid 1960?s, helped create the Hard

rock era. Lead guitar player, Pete Townshend, would assault his guitar in a circular motion, thus

producing an ear-splitting, teeth grinding power chord. Lead vocalist Roger Daltry darted like a

madman across the stage while throwing his microphone in the air. The group assaulted its

audiences with volume and distortion, but never any violence. The high decipal volume, and

distortion of hard rock darkened the imagery of the vocalists. Black Sabbath was one of the very

first bands to evolve from hard rock, to heavy metal. Their satanic and doom-like imagery

virtually sold the group to millions of young fans. Death, and black magic were brought to the

youth of the mid 1970?s, new behaviors towards music. The style that Black Sabbath had

created, brought fourth new bands, such as Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer. The style that Black

Sabbath had created, was Heavy Metal. Later in time, new metal bands such as Judas Priest and

Iron Maiden added more of a background to heavy metal. They wore leather jackets, and brought

motorcycles on stage. They made the metal background more gloomy and mystical than ever.

Today, there are hundreds of popular heavy metal bands. The most popular are bands such as

Metallica, Nine inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Deftones, Silverchair

and Megadeth. Some of these bands, such as Iron Maiden and Metallica have been around since

the early 80?s, and before. Other bands, such as Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails are fairly

new. Metallica is one of the most popular heavy metal bands in the world. They formed in 1981,

in California. Over the years, they have release 5 successful full-length albums. Their most

successful album, Metallica (Commonly called the Black Album) sold over 7 million copies in

the U.S. alone. In all, it sold a little over twelve million copies worldwide. It remained on the top

100 albums chart for over four years. It has proved to be one of the most popular albums in the

history of rock ?n? roll. (Sunnerstan). Metallica was the first heavy metal band to win in the

Grammy Awards. They won a Grammy for best metal performance from 1989 – 1992. Then at

the next Grammy Awards, they won the best metal performance from 1992 – 1994. They helped

change the style of heavy metal in 1996 with their release of Load. It brought more of an

alternative look to heavy metal. Instead of playing very loudly, and grunting, they used more of a

melodic approach to creating their songs. (Sunnerstan). Iron Maiden was one of the first heavy

metal bands to come to the U.S. They formed in London England, in 1976. They named their

band after a medieval torture device. Their first album, Iron Maiden, made it to fourth on the

charts in Britain. One of their later albums, Piece Of Mind (early 1980?s), was very popular in

the U.S. It hit number fourteen on the charts. After their tour of FEAR OF THE DARK, they

became #1 on the charts in the UK.. Iron Maiden is one of the most popular metal bands. Their

albums still battle on the top 100 charts, and they are still gaining popularity. They are one of the

most respected bands in the United Kingdom, and U.S. Marilyn Manson is one of the most

popular heavy metal bands to date. They formed in 1990 with the intentions of ?exploring the

limits of censorship.? Their songs are based on anarchy, hate, cruelty, racism, discrimination, and

sex. Their first album, “Portrait of An American Family,” sold over five million copied

worldwide, and 3 million copies in the U.S. alone. Nine Inch Nails is another band with the

intentions of exploring the limits of censorship. They formed in 1988, by Trent Reznor, a

multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and creative force behind the band. In 1991, Nine Inch Nails

released “Broken,” which hit the U.S. top ten, winning a Grammy for best Wish. Their album

“Downward Spiral” made it to number ten on the U.S. top ten charts. They were asked to make

the soundtrack for Oliver Stone?s film, “Natural Born Killers.” Nine Inch Nails is one of the new

heavy metal bands to succeed in the music business. (Nine Inch Nails). All of these heavy metal

bands are a big reason why heavy metal is so popular today. They helped shape the style, and set

the musical boundaries. If it were not for popular bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden, heavy

metal would probably not be as popular as it is right now. The heavy metal population has grown

signifigantly due to its many bands and increased electric guitar technology. Without either of

the two, heavy metal would be what it is today. Even without the two it would not be lacking its

popularity.

Great Expectations is the perfect example of what money can do. Money is one

of the most powerful things in life. It can make distinctions in class, pervert virtue,

sweeten manners, and open up new fields of enjoyment and suspicion. “Money is what

makes the world turn round.” Although that is just a saying, it is somewhat quite true. It

brings happiness and misery into peoples lives. In Great Expectations, Pip proves to the

reader that money can really make a difference in a person’s life. In the beginning of the

story Pip was not wealthy, he was living in poverty. His manners were not as great as a

rich person’s, he did not own much of anything, and he was treated poorly because of

that. Joe was not wealthy, and nor was Mrs. Joe. They treated Pip like they would

anyone else, as an equal. When he went to Estella?s house, she treated him like he was

a laboring boy. Just by looking at him, she concluded that she was better than him

because he looked poor, and she looked rich. That was the first time Pip didn?t look at

everyone as an equal. He looked at Estella as being rich, and him being poor. As Pip

gets older, he becomes wealthy. He took this for granted and treated the poor as he was

once treated so many years ago. He believed that money was power. Estella and Ms

Havisham were powerful people through his eyes. He wanted to be more like them. As

he became a gentleman, he became more like them.

Money isn?t everything, although heavy metal make?s pleanty of it. It is not about Satanism, At

all, if anyone would get off their rocker and listen they would actually hear about God. Not in a

bad way ether, in all his glory. ?How can you hear anything with all that screaming??. Well

because it is a form of expression, and that is why so many teens listen to it. The form of

expression in it relates to what the feel and express. Heavy Metal is better for kids, teen?s, than

any other genre. For example, Rap, If they could be understood an American would hear how a

man killed this many people, robbed this many banks, drives 16 lexuses, dose all these drug?s

and pushes them, and has sex like a jackrabbit. The point being, Heavy metal should not be

censored to the point of extinction. Music is a form of expression, and any genre of music could

be put down for what it stands for. No one forced anyone to listen to it in the old days and no one

is forcing any one now. Listen to the form of music in your expression and not be put down for

it, or have it censored by the government, would be a perfect society.

339