CMV: Listening to metal music is a coping mechanism used to avoid attempting to address the uncomfortable reality that our world is built upon the backs of the most vulnerable for the benefit of the least vulnerable.

I'm an ex metal head who listened to metal music for over 20 years and actively played in multiple bands in my youth. I've seen a metal bands grow from small, edgy bands with meaningful themes into huge money machines that are idolized and cater to people who are so self absorbed that they don't realize how selfish their perspective is. Metal has gone from a revolution and an accurate representation of reality to an aggressive coping mechanism used to avoid thinking about the state of the world. <br><br>The largest metal bands like Sabaton, Iron Maiden, or Judas Priest have never been bigger. Rather than listening to bands that catered to small groups of people, who sang songs that were meant to represent metal as a culture, metal bands now write songs that will cater to the largest possible audience and create an international community that spans across the globe.<br><br>Metal bands used to be small and were often times an outlet for people to express how they felt about metal as a culture and how they felt about the world around them. Bands like Sepultura (the OG Sepultura with Max), Napalm Death, 1349, Skinless, Incantation, Krisiun, Gojira, Atheist, or Compsinke are bands that I believe truly measured up to the metal bands of the 80's. There isn't anything inherently wrong with the existence of metal and the idolization of metal bands, but the obsessive culture that surrounds metal creates a false sense of meaning and purpose. <br><br>Humans have a tendency to rationalize metal and idolize bands as a way to avoid confronting the harsh reality of the world we live in. When we idolize metal bands as objects of defiance, resilience, and strength, we are avoiding our reality. We're leaning on the unhealthy habit of escapism rather than confronting reality. Metal is a temporary escape from reality, and it creates a false sense of purpose. <br><br>For example, the obsessive culture that surrounds bands like Iron Maiden. They're one of the largest bands of all time and have been for decades. There is a huge idolization of bands like Maiden where selling out arena after arena can result in millions of dollars in profit. They're a multi million dollar capitalist machine, and these bands consistently sell out the largest and most prominent venues in the world without fail. Iron Maiden is a huge and successful band, and they are a financial machine that serves the marketability and financial gain of the band rather than what the spirit of metal is supposed to be. <br><br>However, metal is often a coping mechanism used to avoid reality. Most metal bands are attempting to create music with complex arrangements and lyrics that often times don't have any meaning or context behind them. Most metal bands create aggressive sounds and music that isn't meant to be interpreted as anything tangible. <br><br>For example, bands like Between the Buried and Me. With songs that have complex and intricate instrumentation that are meant to be the pinnacle of what music can be, these bands are often times equated with classical music for their complexity and depth. However, these bands use what I'd call a smoke screen approach that lacks substance but has complexity. After a certain point, complexity just becomes complexity. <br><br>There is no concrete representation of reality. There is no attempt at making a statement. There is no interpretation of the world. There is simply music created for the sake of music. Composing songs that are attempting to create long form compositions that are meant to be interpreted as art is a representation of the bands that are often idolized and obsessively followed. This complex instrumentation is often times enough to justify the bands and its fans for the existance of the band. <br><br>However, music is increasingly becoming idolized and obsessively followed at larger and more prominent scales. Metal bands are getting bigger and bigger and more idolized. Metal bands are often seen as much more than just a band, but rather as an existential entity that is meant to be interpreted as much more than just music. These bands are often equated as a way of thinking or a culture with complex social and cultural norms, standards, and customs. <br><br>This "culture" surrounding metal will always be just a temporary escape from reality. It's a temporary escape to avoid confrontation and avoid attempting to address reality. <br><br>For example, how metal bands are often equated with nature. Bands like Gojira, Sabaton, or In Flames are bands that use the existence of their band as a way to raise awareness to the importance of nature. These bands often times use the platform they have to spread a message about how we must preserve our planet and our world, but bands that talk about nature aren't doing much to help preserve our planet and spread awareness. <br><br>What bands like Gojira actively do is create music that is meant to be interpreted as a way of thinking. They create a message that is meant to represent the "culture" surrounding metal, but in the end, it's just a collection of people idolizing and obsessively following bands. <br><br>There is no attempt at confronting reality. There is no effort to actively create change. There is no attempt to spread awareness. There is no interpretation of reality. <br><br>There is no attempt to address that our world is built upon the backs of the most vulnerable for the benefit of the least vulnerable. <br><br>Metal music and the culture surrounding metal only serves as a temporary escape from reality and a coping mechanism to avoid confronting the uncomfortable reality that we live in a world where the most vulnerable are exploited for the benefit of the least vulnerable. <br><br>When we idolize metal bands as objects of defiance, resilience, and strength, we are avoiding our reality. We're leaning on the unhealthy habit of escapism rather than confronting reality.<br><br>You can change my view if you can show me that there is a concrete attempt by metal bands to actively create change, spread awareness, or challenge the status quo of our current world.