Necrotic Nick- Well fuckin' put, bro. Metalheads and the LGBTQ are communities of outcasts that have rallied around each other and found that sense of belonging that we wanted. It only makes sense that that the both have a lot of intersecting lines. Actually I'm going to go see Cynic and Atheist up in Detroit tomorrow. Anyway, Thralls are always an ally on this issue. Awesome video and I especially love that Torche got a nod. Amazing band and I was super bummed to see them breakup but that last tour they did with Converge and Meshuggah was a great send off.
I actually saw a real shitstorm of caveman dumbass bike in a comment section under a video about alsemo seemingly apologising for previously flying the confederate flag, so many people giving him shit for it and actually using the phrase “make metal great again” 🤦♂️ to right wing people “great” means being able to openly racist and homophobic I guess, and “woke” means to them that if you can’t spew your hatred openly, that “liberals “ are taking away your freedom of speech 😂 bunch of idiots they really are..
Great video! I remember when Afsky made a band logo sticker in rainbow colours and added the text "no anti-lqbtq+ laws" before touring in Poland, and the comment section on that post was a cesspit. It's sad to see homophobia being on the rise in the west again, but I'm glad we have guys like you using your platform to spread love instead of hate
And to add to the above comment, it is sad to see bands like Dawn Ray’d dragged through the mud just because they support trans rights. Those guys have had several of their music videos mass disliked multiple times and have even had legitimate death threats toward them while they played in America.
It's hilarious that nowadays you have middle aged men rep 80s hair metal bands and simultaneously get their neon panties in a bunch over drag shows. Especially when way worse shit probably happened at those 80s glam concerts than any drag show.
The world is full of hypocrites across the cultural and political spectrum. Metal should be appreciated for what it is - both cisgender and others will appropriate whatever aspects they like about it and ignore the rest.
@@mrmanju6989 I mean people that are obviously two men or two women holding hands in this case. Maybe a bit of a generalization but I'm fairly confident two straight men aren't gonna be holding hands under most circumstances
In the 80s, metalheads were accused of being satanists and all that other shit. Bands were even being sued for subliminal messages and that crazy nonsense. So it's weird that a lot of people who were metalheads back then are being so judgemental of people different than them, in these modern times.
Saw Mina Caputo live with Life of Agony earlier this year when LoA did the final(?) show on their River Runs Red 30th anniversary tour, and she and the band sounded unbelievably good. They did the whole record from front to back plus some other tracks and it was just a really great experience. Really cool to see someone notable within the realm of online heavy music discourse like yourself being genuine and passionate about supporting LGBT+ people. Even though I barely talk about it online, I still get shit for being bisexual in metal/punk spaces for literally no reason lmao. I know there's tons of others that feel the same/have shared experiences. Metal and music in general is insanely queer, so it's great to see people with legitimate platforms recognize it. Great video, man! (also thank you for pointing out how Manowar were mega gay, crazy how a group of straight dudes made Elton John look hetero by comparison lol)
I remember watching the LoA documentary (The Sound Of Scars) and it's very revealing about Mina, but also how her close relationship with Joey Z and Alan Robert helped to revive and keep the band alive. When the news broke about her in 2011 it was very shocking for the metal and hardcore communities but for a lot of people was a chance to discover LoA. Looking back now, what Mina did was a massive milestone. Also, River Runs Red is truly one of the best metal and hardcore albums of the 90s.
As an openly gay man primary in the death metal community, I can say ive only experienced very postive reactions. However I think there are plently more in the death metal community that are still not comfortable sharing and I hope that changes. Other great modern acts with open LGBTQIA+ members in the band: -Lunar Blood -Escuela Grind -Sonja -Allegaeon Thanks for doing this dude! 🤘
I'd love for a lot of the conversatives to look at the Visual Kei scene in Japan.. They'd have a heart attack if they saw the amount of androgyny and ambiguity and cross dressing that existed.
@@themetalmeltdownofficialVisual Kei is more of an appearance type of thing, as the sound tends to vary from band to band. I learned that from watching a video on the band Malice Mizer by Graymads which I highly recommend.
The metal community absolutely should be LGBT allies. I'm part of both communities and we're both fighting the same battles. - Both communities have been labelled as "evil", "satanic", and "sexual deviants" by right wing religious groups - Both communities have had to fight for their right to exist in America (remember the PMRC hearings?) - Both communities have faced persecution... such as the West Memphis Three and all the laws slanted towards the LGBT community being passed in Florida right now - There are still places in the world where listening to metal can land you in jail, same as being gay or trans Metalheads have had to jump through the same hoops and fight the same battles that LGBT is fighting right now. I'll never understand the lack of empathy certain metal fans have for that community when we've both gone through the same shit.
There are parallels but it's not really the same thing. Metal music never told "cis" people that they were essentially evil for not wanting to date a drag queen or w/e, which is something trans people have gotten on TikTok and actually said. Satanic panic doesn't compare to the kind of backlash those sorts sentiments generate.
Can't believe I'm saying this BUT: the combined consequences of the Satanic Panic and the well documented dehumanization and discrimination of queer people is not in any similar to a cisgender person being cancelled on TikTok. Period.
@@themetalmeltdownofficial Nobody said it was. You are, as usual, conflating things that have nothing to do with eachother and missing the point being made. My point is that the metal and LGBTQ communities have similar struggles but the opposition against them are ultimately for different reasons. I was pointing out one example of why there is opposition (which is how 99% would see it), and you just pretend it isn't a thing because you can't actually address the implications.
@@Houlgravely Because it isn't. I know a lot of people like to pretend that being cancelled or called out on social media is this incredible and horrible thing, but it really isn't. There are no implications to this beyond 'you can get cancelled or called out on social media'. Feel free to pretend I'm making shit up or misinterpreting you if that makes you feel better though, at this point I don't care and I'm moving on with my life.
bills are being bassed in many parts of the country, not just florida, and practically every state in the US has had some bills proposed to add to that as well
I’m a gay metal musician myself so thank you for this video. You’re doing important work. I would just like to add that I have always personally felt very accepted by the metal community. So while the sentiment “metal is super gay” might be news to some, to me it’s been my real-life experience, having encountered nothing but allies and other queer folk in the community. That said this video is excellent education for those who might need it. Also as a big fan of yours I appreciate you making your stance known, even though I never doubted it🤘🏻
@@loz6445 you're approval is meaningless. No gives a shit about your sexuality in music unless you be singing about the LGBTQ flag and how you do weird shit to your partner.
This video really put a smile on my face. I'm pansexual and genderfluid, and finding out Rob Halford was openly gay really helped give me the courage to not be ashamed of my sexuality, and actually started to play into my onstage persona. Now I'm in a power metal band where all but one member is part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Kinda neat, if you ask me
Just fyi, Maynard James Keenan wasnt protesting anything. He talks about this in a recent interview with Rick Beato. Its just something he has always done. Edited to fix some spelling errors.
Bro I discovered you from the Burzum review joke video and before I looked at the length I thought I'd hate your content. Then I watched it and lost my shit laughing. Been binging your content since. I know this video's a month old but today I became a fan.
I wasn't familiar with Life of Agony, so I'm checking out some of their videos, and so far, they kick ass! Also, RIP Torche, they were such an awesome band.
I'm a straight moderate metalhead and I consider us all family regardless of sexual orientation . Metalheads of all sexualities need to stick together as one.
I found your channel just a couple days ago and found this video I subbed afterwards. I want to say thanks for being an ally everyone deserves rights and freedom keep up the great work you're very much appreciated
A thousand likes to this video, thanks Robert!! As a gay man I sometimes feel like I’m the only person in my community who loves rock and metal but it’s so heartening to see so many others here in the comments section ❤🤟🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
I really never paid attention growing up to the fact that musicians were gay or not. Now a days you apparently have to announce what you do behind closed doors after your name. As long as the music is good, who gives a crap what you are.
I'd say metal includes people from all ethnic and sexual backgrounds. We are just their to have a good time and listen to some brutal music 😂. I don't have anything against homosexuality but it's just not my preference. You do you!
As a gay man I was attracted to rock guys of the 90s/00s and their masculine primal energy. Yet the media narrative is we gay men are supposed to be into dance divas and broadway songs. I like all types of music yet the rock guys had my attention. Remember drummer for Korm did modeling? The lead singer of Ken Mode is the latest heavy metal hottie on my radar.
same here. Never got it why gay men apparently tend to like pop female singers when we have muscle manly hairy dudes screaming and handbanging lol that always caught my attention and made me into metal music lol plus, metalhead dudes are always nice to have as friends even they're straight
Revisiting this video for pride month. Came to say about Dee Snider: I absolutely loooooooove watching him basically trash talk Tipper Gore to her face in the most polite way possible. "she was looking for sadomaschocism, and she found it. People looking for surgical references would have found them as well" Like duuuude goin up in congress and saying Tipper Gore has a dirty mind right to her face is LEGENDARY
Plus it's neurodivergent. It's hard to find any metalhead who isn't in some way neurodivergent xD Well, and since neurodivergent people tend to be more queer than neurotypical people, it's also queer as fuck
This wave of hate over the last year strikes me as the last desperate swipes of a cornered animal. Their worthless worldview is fading into the pages of history, and I could not be happier
i hate to be the bearer of the bad news but authoritarianism, anti gay and lgbtq sentiment and right wing politics in general is gradually becoming more and popular across the world
@@brawlbaby4911 oh I agree it is absolutely not the time to be complacent. The people in power in most of these places largely belong to the old homophobic ideology. But the more I interact with normal people the more I realize that people are becoming more accepting as a whole
You can't tell the majority that the definitions of men and women don't matter and expect people to just roll over. This isn't just an America or Europe thing - we're talking Africa and tons of other places also. Saying we should let schizophrenics run the mental health clinics is not a compelling argument and it never will be. The truth is that our understanding of biology will eventually get to the point where gender dysphoria can be treated medically in the womb (which essentially means that the person will be born in complete alignment with their biological sex) long before the outcomes you are hoping for. It's gonna be way more cost-effective. That'll be the end of transgenderism, along with a whole host of rare diseases and conditions.
@@Houlgravely Tell me you support eugenics without telling me you support eugenics. Be sure not to get too big of a woody when you meet Heinrich Himmler in hell. Fucking bigot.
@@HoulgravelyTell me you're a Transphobic piece of Shit without telling me you're a Transphobic piece of Shit, Peoples like you are the reason why everyone looks at America as a joke, because peoples like you give it such a bad reputation, Freedom of speech doesn't equal freedom of consequences, i will happily welcome the LGBTQ+ Community into Metal because unlike you i don't give a fuck about someone's gender as long as they are cool peoples, hell i'll happily date and marry a Transgender man OR woman too because its 2023 and the fact you fucking cocksuckers still run around spewing hateful shit boils my blood, this isn't the 19th century to treat gay peoples like shit. Its 20 fucking 23, grow a fucking pair and learn how to be a decent human being you fucking failure of a goddamn human.
Videos like this always warm my big queer heart. Heavy Metal is a big part of my non-binary identity, as a lot of Heavy Metal culture tends to put masculinity at the forefront (not exclusively, but generally speaking). While I am more feminine leaning, I find Metal to be a big representation of my masculine side that's as much a part of me as femininity. So, when I went to my local pride event last week, I dressed in my jeans, denim battle vest, arm-length fingerless gloves and studded leather wristbands. I also wore a t-shirt that has a cutsey-style Grim Reaper riding a Unicorn, with the words "Death Metal" in big cartoonish letters above it. I adore that wild, semi-ironic mix of masculinity and femininity, and it's helped me understand myself and my gender identity so much better!
I feel an underappreciated component about the queeriness of metal in general is just how "macho" it is (or rather, tends to be), and how, somewhat counterintuitively, that feeds an inherent homerotic hunger. I, as a cisgender straight-man, can't help but acknowledge how gay it is for me to fawn over something like death metal, that's mostly about manly men being as manly as possible. I think there's an similarly underappreciated queerness in things like sports and weightlifting: it's a lot of men fawning over other men and their physical capabilities. 🏳️🌈 🤘
You could have mentioned the song "Invisible" by Dio. Ronnie claimed that the second verse refers to a gay teenager, but it fits more with a trans teenager.
Peer-oh-wet, it's a rapid twirling, usually on one foot, meaning that guy at the shop probably did a bit of ballet. One of my favourite stories is, on TikTok someone stitched a video about punk being queer, saying that one of their first gigs they wore a discarded wedding dress they found. Needless to say, that video is one of my favs. Also, one of the most influential metal bands was called Rainbow, enough said.
I say, keep fighting the good fight, yes it is tough to be apart of the LGBTQ right now but we must not let hate win, don’t give up, we will persevere and in the end Love will win I really do believe that. I love this community, I love Metal, rock, music forever.
But the rainbow fits pretty well with power metal. Rainbow was one of the first metal bands, and Ronnie James Dio sang about the rainbow in many of his songs (of course, it is not a symbol of LGBT people in his songs).
Just turned 42 and did my nails... Struggled for ages to find somebody who would accept me... And I hope everybody can find what I did. It ain't easy, but it's great!
I've been told repeatedly that men and women are whatever they feel like they happen to be at any given moment. In truth, we are head-banging omnisexuals. 🤘
I was watching a bunch of live shows on TH-cam recently and realised there were a lot of bands I’d watched that were a real mix of all kinds of people and decided I wanted to put together a festival of metal, hardcore, punk etc and invite the most diverse gender/sexuality/race bands possible and call it “MAGA-Bait fest” 😂
The fact that some people were angry about the idea of helping gay HOMELESS YOUTH really says something about how insane and heartless those hateful people are.
@seethransom I was a gay teen in the 80s. I loved metal. I had posters all over my wall. The behavior and fashion of Metal, and LBGT have Parrells. I know that threatens people. I expect assholey comments. Whatever. "I knew he was different in his sexuality. I went to his parties as a straight minority..." Rush is an ally. Rush is top tier, and that's good enough for me. Be like Rush.
A few years back I sent Thy Art Is Murder a DM to thank them for posting in support of LGBTQ+ people (which I'd never seen any deathcore band do before) and they replied with a really lovely message, which as a queer metal fan was a huge deal. ❤ I've also seen positive messages out there from Napalm Death, Knocked Loose, Protest the Hero, Pupil Slicer and others. I get why this kind of thing might not seem that significant to non-LGBTQ+ people, but honestly from personal experience it's super affirming to go nuts at a hxc or metal show in the knowledge that the people on stage either know what it's like, or at least have your back regarding the struggles that come with being an LGBTQ+ person.
Thank you so much for making this video! It was so validating for me as a transfem metalhead, as I’ve often been self-conscious about listening to “cis straight guy music,” especially when people like Varg and the hateful portion of the community unfortunately give a lot of people a bad impression of us. You could not be more right, metal is SUPER gay! Another queer metal icon that you didn’t mention is Melissa Moore from Absu and Sonja, an openly trans woman and a guitar goddess. She’s one of the people who inspired me to learn guitar and start a band with some friends. Cheers!
Crossspitter!! I also like her take on the controversial BM bands that she can separate the art from.. that was pretty cool to hear in one of her interviews. It was on HornThrowers' podcast.
I’m a Gay man who loves Metal and always felt alone. I actually had a Queer group of friends that went to punk & Metal shows together. Idk tho Metal hates acknowledging that we exist in the scene. We’ve always been here and we ain’t go’n anywhere. I listen to extreme music more than any other genre, and as a Gay man it’s a very lonely road.
I have to add, i'm friend with a trans girl that emigrated from Colombia (i live in Mexico) and she used to be a sexual worker on her home country She told me the clients that were metalhead were the only ones who wanted to be in the "passive/penetrated" side.
I will say, that I think it goes even further in a way, and that I believe a lot of musicians in "the scene" haven't officially come out. I've been around since the 90s and got really into all sorts of classic metal, talked to people from all over, and have heard a lot of things. I don't want to name names because sometimes it's just hearsay and maybe these people have reasons for not wanting their sexuality to be very out-in-the-open, and we should probably respect taht, but I'm thinking of people in some pretty well known and classic bands who haven't *officially8 been designated as lgbtq, but may very well be. Also as a fun aside, there is an Elton John metal connection. he was a guest on a couple of Saxon albums in I think the late 80s/early 90s.
I don't think metal is "super gay", I think we just don't care as much if someone is gay. Think about metal's origins: Around 1985 you had a guy with a big boobed girlfriend, a denim jacket and a beer. His dad probably told him he was never going to make anything out of his life but he just wants to sit down and enjoy music. Rob Halford came out 25 years ago (in 1998!), most of us didn't care and even fewer gave a shit 5 minutes afterwards because they just wanted to hear metal. It'd be different if Rob Halford would fuck a guy on stage, that might have been much, but he's actually a very cordial person who loves metal globally, and that's the way you need to be
Those guys are one of my favourite depressive black metal bands! I can’t wait for the album to come out tomorrow. Who knows; I might be talking about that album later this year on my channel!
It has been cool to see trans people gradually beginning to show up in black metal, from Liturgy to Victory Over The Sun to Feminazgul to Genital Shame. I hope that trend continues.
@@HamaChanCutter yup. And all of them have a lot of untapped potential, musically speaking. In my honest opinion (take my words with a big grain of salt here), the only two out of those groups that have realized their true potential are Liturgy and Victory Over The Sun. The two you mentioned I haven’t heard yet, and the other two I’ve mentioned I am keeping a close eye on because what they have done so far haven’t really grabbed me.
Dude, amazing video! Everyone should remember that the metal community are supposed to be a group of outcasts, always accepting and welcoming those who feel they're in the same spot as us. Fuck anyone who comes here trying to say "WAAAAH! METAL ISN'T GAY! IT ISN'T!" they have no idea what it is to be a true metalhead.
I saw blink-182 and turnstile and destroy boys and apparently the lead singer destory boys said that she was bisexual or gay I forgot just wanted to mention that can you possibly release a punk and hardcore punk series
No fucking way. All music has gay and no metal being gay ain't good especially if they are moving us to be so. Bands like Memphis May Fire Asking Alexandria, the Devil's Wears Parada, and shit like that. And people have always been gay but never sang gay shit nor supported it. Became a trend and now everyone want to be gay especially now since it's one of the only ways to reach a bigger Audience.
Im gay for metal as a trans woman I idolize LGBTQ+ metal musicians. Fun fact I actually got a Rob Halford signature and Gaahl got me into black metal many years ago. Fun fact I chose my name from a Death song.
Ain't nothing more gay than screaming about gore or Satan. I'll be sure to blast some Liturgy at my local pride parade next year while spreading all the love of being a bisexual man (I'd do it this year but our parade is like three weeks behind us) Also RuPaul has connections to Hardcore? You learn something new everyday.
This video is Super Gay. 🏳️🌈🤘 Robert, you should try and do an interview with Halford, Dee Snider or Mina Caputo. Why not? I'm sure many would like to see it.
Mixing up sexual orientation and transexuality is wrong. Because transexuality contradicts the fucking sexual orientation people have so why tf do u put them in the same bag. It's not dividing people when you're the ones dividing them by giving them a different name just because they like what they like. Or because they are what they are. Hold your shit private or change it to make sense but don't come and talk bullshit over bullshit and teach that to kids for example, like what this ideology has made this shit happen. What a waste of time and waste of life.
Well in ancient greece .. there was allot of gayness, so it's just a piece of biology ...as simple as that, and Metal music is metal music , i dont have to say how accepting the genre is ;) That said, homophobia is a perfect indicator to indicate how unsecure and stupid a person can be !
Don't forget Little Richard, right back to the roots of rock! As a hetero man who grew up on metal in the late 80s, I remember when homophobia was common in the scene, given its macho blue-collar listener base, but when Rob Halford came out in '98, nobody was surpised, and most of that same scene said, "Ok, cool!" Metal has always celebrated non-normativity, and been a refuge for those who never quite fit the dominant social narrative.
Wearing spikes, leather and make up? Idk sounds pretty gay to me XD. Also if you just happen to get a ton of dislikes for this video and it ends up outweighing the likes. Just wanna let you know that it means so much more that you're speaking up and posting this video at all.
As a 50 year old white heterosexual long time heavy metal fan, I strongly support heavy metal for all, including the lgbtq community. So tired of people my age that keep mentioning ‘their heavy metal’ or defining what heavy metal is or isn’t. Music should be inclusive. No one should feel ostracized for their race or gender or romantic preferences. Let’s bury bro metal forever.
Necrotic Nick- Well fuckin' put, bro. Metalheads and the LGBTQ are communities of outcasts that have rallied around each other and found that sense of belonging that we wanted. It only makes sense that that the both have a lot of intersecting lines. Actually I'm going to go see Cynic and Atheist up in Detroit tomorrow. Anyway, Thralls are always an ally on this issue. Awesome video and I especially love that Torche got a nod. Amazing band and I was super bummed to see them breakup but that last tour they did with Converge and Meshuggah was a great send off.
Common Thralls W
As a gay and metalhead,and to tell the truth in my family I was accept as a metalhead,I'm glad to read your message!
Dude I was at that show! Would have said hi if I'd seen you!!
If you want to make a conversative metal head mad just tell them that Pantera used to be a glam metal band before Phil joined.
I actually saw a real shitstorm of caveman dumbass bike in a comment section under a video about alsemo seemingly apologising for previously flying the confederate flag, so many people giving him shit for it and actually using the phrase “make metal great again” 🤦♂️ to right wing people “great” means being able to openly racist and homophobic I guess, and “woke” means to them that if you can’t spew your hatred openly, that “liberals “ are taking away your freedom of speech 😂 bunch of idiots they really are..
I'm a moderate conservative and I have nothing against glam bands or any gay musicians. I'm probably Rob Halford's biggest fan
Great video! I remember when Afsky made a band logo sticker in rainbow colours and added the text "no anti-lqbtq+ laws" before touring in Poland, and the comment section on that post was a cesspit. It's sad to see homophobia being on the rise in the west again, but I'm glad we have guys like you using your platform to spread love instead of hate
And to add to the above comment, it is sad to see bands like Dawn Ray’d dragged through the mud just because they support trans rights. Those guys have had several of their music videos mass disliked multiple times and have even had legitimate death threats toward them while they played in America.
It's hilarious that nowadays you have middle aged men rep 80s hair metal bands and simultaneously get their neon panties in a bunch over drag shows. Especially when way worse shit probably happened at those 80s glam concerts than any drag show.
The world is full of hypocrites across the cultural and political spectrum. Metal should be appreciated for what it is - both cisgender and others will appropriate whatever aspects they like about it and ignore the rest.
I saw Cradle of Filth last year, that show had tons of LGBTQ+ people in the audience. It was super cool and uplifting
Maybe its because of the poetry in their lyrics. Tends to attract the artsy people.
how can you tell who is lgbtwia just by looking? is it THAT obvious? haha They do tend to crave attention
@@mrmanju6989 I mean people that are obviously two men or two women holding hands in this case. Maybe a bit of a generalization but I'm fairly confident two straight men aren't gonna be holding hands under most circumstances
@@aubreyravenl lol its true... im gay, and artist and pianist.. and love Cradle haha
Not really uplifting to those married to a woman
i love watching big oily men on stage performing music
In the 80s, metalheads were accused of being satanists and all that other shit. Bands were even being sued for subliminal messages and that crazy nonsense. So it's weird that a lot of people who were metalheads back then are being so judgemental of people different than them, in these modern times.
Saw Mina Caputo live with Life of Agony earlier this year when LoA did the final(?) show on their River Runs Red 30th anniversary tour, and she and the band sounded unbelievably good. They did the whole record from front to back plus some other tracks and it was just a really great experience. Really cool to see someone notable within the realm of online heavy music discourse like yourself being genuine and passionate about supporting LGBT+ people. Even though I barely talk about it online, I still get shit for being bisexual in metal/punk spaces for literally no reason lmao. I know there's tons of others that feel the same/have shared experiences. Metal and music in general is insanely queer, so it's great to see people with legitimate platforms recognize it. Great video, man! (also thank you for pointing out how Manowar were mega gay, crazy how a group of straight dudes made Elton John look hetero by comparison lol)
I remember watching the LoA documentary (The Sound Of Scars) and it's very revealing about Mina, but also how her close relationship with Joey Z and Alan Robert helped to revive and keep the band alive. When the news broke about her in 2011 it was very shocking for the metal and hardcore communities but for a lot of people was a chance to discover LoA. Looking back now, what Mina did was a massive milestone.
Also, River Runs Red is truly one of the best metal and hardcore albums of the 90s.
@@the_infinite_jukebox you a cat.
As an openly gay man primary in the death metal community, I can say ive only experienced very postive reactions. However I think there are plently more in the death metal community that are still not comfortable sharing and I hope that changes.
Other great modern acts with open LGBTQIA+ members in the band:
-Lunar Blood
-Escuela Grind
-Sonja
-Allegaeon
Thanks for doing this dude! 🤘
I'd love for a lot of the conversatives to look at the Visual Kei scene in Japan.. They'd have a heart attack if they saw the amount of androgyny and ambiguity and cross dressing that existed.
Damn somehow forgot to mention Visual Kei, basically glam metal but on drugs and obsessed with anime lmao
@@themetalmeltdownofficial A lot of people do. Maybe a third video is in order lol
@@themetalmeltdownofficial I could even help with it lol
@@themetalmeltdownofficialVisual Kei is more of an appearance type of thing, as the sound tends to vary from band to band. I learned that from watching a video on the band Malice Mizer by Graymads which I highly recommend.
Visual Kei acknowledges both feminine and masculine energy. Conflating it with political arguments is probably the wrong approach.
The metal community absolutely should be LGBT allies. I'm part of both communities and we're both fighting the same battles.
- Both communities have been labelled as "evil", "satanic", and "sexual deviants" by right wing religious groups
- Both communities have had to fight for their right to exist in America (remember the PMRC hearings?)
- Both communities have faced persecution... such as the West Memphis Three and all the laws slanted towards the LGBT community being passed in Florida right now
- There are still places in the world where listening to metal can land you in jail, same as being gay or trans
Metalheads have had to jump through the same hoops and fight the same battles that LGBT is fighting right now. I'll never understand the lack of empathy certain metal fans have for that community when we've both gone through the same shit.
There are parallels but it's not really the same thing. Metal music never told "cis" people that they were essentially evil for not wanting to date a drag queen or w/e, which is something trans people have gotten on TikTok and actually said. Satanic panic doesn't compare to the kind of backlash those sorts sentiments generate.
Can't believe I'm saying this BUT: the combined consequences of the Satanic Panic and the well documented dehumanization and discrimination of queer people is not in any similar to a cisgender person being cancelled on TikTok. Period.
@@themetalmeltdownofficial Nobody said it was. You are, as usual, conflating things that have nothing to do with eachother and missing the point being made. My point is that the metal and LGBTQ communities have similar struggles but the opposition against them are ultimately for different reasons. I was pointing out one example of why there is opposition (which is how 99% would see it), and you just pretend it isn't a thing because you can't actually address the implications.
@@Houlgravely Because it isn't. I know a lot of people like to pretend that being cancelled or called out on social media is this incredible and horrible thing, but it really isn't. There are no implications to this beyond 'you can get cancelled or called out on social media'. Feel free to pretend I'm making shit up or misinterpreting you if that makes you feel better though, at this point I don't care and I'm moving on with my life.
bills are being bassed in many parts of the country, not just florida, and practically every state in the US has had some bills proposed to add to that as well
Metal music has gay people and artist. Who would have thought!?
I’m a gay metal musician myself so thank you for this video. You’re doing important work.
I would just like to add that I have always personally felt very accepted by the metal community. So while the sentiment “metal is super gay” might be news to some, to me it’s been my real-life experience, having encountered nothing but allies and other queer folk in the community.
That said this video is excellent education for those who might need it. Also as a big fan of yours I appreciate you making your stance known, even though I never doubted it🤘🏻
Metal has always been music for the misfits, the outcasts, the rebels. Why is being gay any different? Rock on all my fellow queers!
As a bisexual man that gave you a new intro song for your vids, I approve 👍
@@loz6445 you're approval is meaningless. No gives a shit about your sexuality in music unless you be singing about the LGBTQ flag and how you do weird shit to your partner.
This video really put a smile on my face. I'm pansexual and genderfluid, and finding out Rob Halford was openly gay really helped give me the courage to not be ashamed of my sexuality, and actually started to play into my onstage persona. Now I'm in a power metal band where all but one member is part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Kinda neat, if you ask me
That's awesome 😊
Just fyi, Maynard James Keenan wasnt protesting anything. He talks about this in a recent interview with Rick Beato. Its just something he has always done.
Edited to fix some spelling errors.
Thank you. Cheers from Melbourne Australia
I went to a Laura Jane Grace show last week and it was awesome! Love the video.
Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains did a drag skit, titled "The Nona Tapes" to promote their album. Good times!
Bro I discovered you from the Burzum review joke video and before I looked at the length I thought I'd hate your content.
Then I watched it and lost my shit laughing. Been binging your content since. I know this video's a month old but today I became a fan.
I wasn't familiar with Life of Agony, so I'm checking out some of their videos, and so far, they kick ass! Also, RIP Torche, they were such an awesome band.
As a queer metalhead, I really want to thank you for making this! There's no place for bigotry in the metal community 🏳🌈🤘
I'm a straight moderate metalhead and I consider us all family regardless of sexual orientation . Metalheads of all sexualities need to stick together as one.
I found your channel just a couple days ago and found this video I subbed afterwards. I want to say thanks for being an ally everyone deserves rights and freedom keep up the great work you're very much appreciated
Get ready for the drinking game show to follow this one!
Excellent video. Well said!
And that’s why I love it
A thousand likes to this video, thanks Robert!! As a gay man I sometimes feel like I’m the only person in my community who loves rock and metal but it’s so heartening to see so many others here in the comments section ❤🤟🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
@@lucus55 whatever. That is weird you say that considering how many people were trying to be bisexual during Marlyn Manson and Rob Zombie days.
I really never paid attention growing up to the fact that musicians were gay or not. Now a days you apparently have to announce what you do behind closed doors after your name. As long as the music is good, who gives a crap what you are.
Exactly
Agree
@@ROBERTHYATT-y7o 💯
I'd say metal includes people from all ethnic and sexual backgrounds. We are just their to have a good time and listen to some brutal music 😂.
I don't have anything against homosexuality but it's just not my preference. You do you!
I'm part of both communities, I appreciate the recognition of us, metal is open for all regardless of gender, sexuality, race, age, etc..
Disappointed that Dee Snider recently engaged in transphobia when he took a stance against gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
That’s not transphobia
Good
Nice to see somebody bring up the topic. Nice work!
As a gay man I was attracted to rock guys of the 90s/00s and their masculine primal energy. Yet the media narrative is we gay men are supposed to be into dance divas and broadway songs. I like all types of music yet the rock guys had my attention. Remember drummer for Korm did modeling? The lead singer of Ken Mode is the latest heavy metal hottie on my radar.
same here. Never got it why gay men apparently tend to like pop female singers when we have muscle manly hairy dudes screaming and handbanging lol that always caught my attention and made me into metal music lol plus, metalhead dudes are always nice to have as friends even they're straight
@@MarlonEnglemam Agreed. Also you're good looking 😉
like: "Metal an outsider culture... I mean... NO, not that outside."
STFU! Everyone is welcome in the metal culture
Love it cause a HUGE majority of musicians are in the LBGTQIA+ COMUNITY lol
Don't bother me at all really 😂
Great video!! I grew up 1 hr south of toronto!
Revisiting this video for pride month. Came to say about Dee Snider: I absolutely loooooooove watching him basically trash talk Tipper Gore to her face in the most polite way possible. "she was looking for sadomaschocism, and she found it. People looking for surgical references would have found them as well" Like duuuude goin up in congress and saying Tipper Gore has a dirty mind right to her face is LEGENDARY
Damn right it is, but that's part of the reason we love metal so much :)
Good vid
Plus it's neurodivergent. It's hard to find any metalhead who isn't in some way neurodivergent xD
Well, and since neurodivergent people tend to be more queer than neurotypical people, it's also queer as fuck
If anyone is criticizes you for helping others than they're not worth your time
This wave of hate over the last year strikes me as the last desperate swipes of a cornered animal. Their worthless worldview is fading into the pages of history, and I could not be happier
i hate to be the bearer of the bad news but authoritarianism, anti gay and lgbtq sentiment and right wing politics in general is gradually becoming more and popular across the world
@@brawlbaby4911 oh I agree it is absolutely not the time to be complacent. The people in power in most of these places largely belong to the old homophobic ideology. But the more I interact with normal people the more I realize that people are becoming more accepting as a whole
You can't tell the majority that the definitions of men and women don't matter and expect people to just roll over. This isn't just an America or Europe thing - we're talking Africa and tons of other places also. Saying we should let schizophrenics run the mental health clinics is not a compelling argument and it never will be. The truth is that our understanding of biology will eventually get to the point where gender dysphoria can be treated medically in the womb (which essentially means that the person will be born in complete alignment with their biological sex) long before the outcomes you are hoping for. It's gonna be way more cost-effective. That'll be the end of transgenderism, along with a whole host of rare diseases and conditions.
@@Houlgravely Tell me you support eugenics without telling me you support eugenics.
Be sure not to get too big of a woody when you meet Heinrich Himmler in hell. Fucking bigot.
@@HoulgravelyTell me you're a Transphobic piece of Shit without telling me you're a Transphobic piece of Shit, Peoples like you are the reason why everyone looks at America as a joke, because peoples like you give it such a bad reputation, Freedom of speech doesn't equal freedom of consequences, i will happily welcome the LGBTQ+ Community into Metal because unlike you i don't give a fuck about someone's gender as long as they are cool peoples, hell i'll happily date and marry a Transgender man OR woman too because its 2023 and the fact you fucking cocksuckers still run around spewing hateful shit boils my blood, this isn't the 19th century to treat gay peoples like shit. Its 20 fucking 23, grow a fucking pair and learn how to be a decent human being you fucking failure of a goddamn human.
I can not seem to locate the lie
23 years listening to metal,23 my parents accept me as a metalhead...0 years about accepting ym sexuality
Videos like this always warm my big queer heart. Heavy Metal is a big part of my non-binary identity, as a lot of Heavy Metal culture tends to put masculinity at the forefront (not exclusively, but generally speaking). While I am more feminine leaning, I find Metal to be a big representation of my masculine side that's as much a part of me as femininity.
So, when I went to my local pride event last week, I dressed in my jeans, denim battle vest, arm-length fingerless gloves and studded leather wristbands. I also wore a t-shirt that has a cutsey-style Grim Reaper riding a Unicorn, with the words "Death Metal" in big cartoonish letters above it.
I adore that wild, semi-ironic mix of masculinity and femininity, and it's helped me understand myself and my gender identity so much better!
Every musician and celebrity is given a script and an agenda to push, when you sign that blood contract it's all part of the deal😊
I feel an underappreciated component about the queeriness of metal in general is just how "macho" it is (or rather, tends to be), and how, somewhat counterintuitively, that feeds an inherent homerotic hunger. I, as a cisgender straight-man, can't help but acknowledge how gay it is for me to fawn over something like death metal, that's mostly about manly men being as manly as possible. I think there's an similarly underappreciated queerness in things like sports and weightlifting: it's a lot of men fawning over other men and their physical capabilities. 🏳️🌈 🤘
Goated channel
You could have mentioned the song "Invisible" by Dio. Ronnie claimed that the second verse refers to a gay teenager, but it fits more with a trans teenager.
Peer-oh-wet, it's a rapid twirling, usually on one foot, meaning that guy at the shop probably did a bit of ballet.
One of my favourite stories is, on TikTok someone stitched a video about punk being queer, saying that one of their first gigs they wore a discarded wedding dress they found. Needless to say, that video is one of my favs.
Also, one of the most influential metal bands was called Rainbow, enough said.
Remember folks, The Daily Wire is not metal and they hate your guts
You’re brainwashed. It’s the mainstream media that are the ones who hate your guts.
Im metal and listen to a lot of the daily wire...
Can’t wait for the comments on this one
I say, keep fighting the good fight, yes it is tough to be apart of the LGBTQ right now but we must not let hate win, don’t give up, we will persevere and in the end Love will win I really do believe that. I love this community, I love Metal, rock, music forever.
"Tulips and The Mushroom Welts"
Can’t imagine Burzum logo with rainbow lol
But the rainbow fits pretty well with power metal. Rainbow was one of the first metal bands, and Ronnie James Dio sang about the rainbow in many of his songs (of course, it is not a symbol of LGBT people in his songs).
I've been a big Gay-Mo since like...
1996?
Just turned 42 and did my nails...
Struggled for ages to find somebody who would accept me...
And I hope everybody can find what I did.
It ain't easy, but it's great!
Congrats bud, cheers 🍺
Heheheheh.....
I also got the same BMO pop-up.
Apparently Queerish Rock Folk run a venue...
Simply Sheak Your Heads Headbangers!!!
⚡🔥🥁🎤🎸⚡🔥🥁🎸🎤⚡🔥🎤🥁🎸🤘
Hail From Brazil 🇧🇷... We Are Together!!!
Simultaneously
For I too enjoy metal and male parts
While I don't listen to most extreme metal music, I do listen to Metal music and I'm a proud bisexual.
I've been told repeatedly that men and women are whatever they feel like they happen to be at any given moment. In truth, we are head-banging omnisexuals. 🤘
lol proud bisexual? good lawd. just be, dude. just be
@@Houlgravely I feel like a pixel. Am I really?
@@InkAndPoet don't be proud of something mental you have. Just live with it.
Who cares what other people, I am not boinking, does with their boinker?
I was watching a bunch of live shows on TH-cam recently and realised there were a lot of bands I’d watched that were a real mix of all kinds of people and decided I wanted to put together a festival of metal, hardcore, punk etc and invite the most diverse gender/sexuality/race bands possible and call it “MAGA-Bait fest” 😂
Hell yes, love it
The fact that some people were angry about the idea of helping gay HOMELESS YOUTH really says something about how insane and heartless those hateful people are.
GAY MAID program metal
Rob Halford would be proud to see this video.
@seethransom
I was a gay teen in the 80s. I loved metal. I had posters all over my wall. The behavior and fashion of Metal, and LBGT have Parrells. I know that threatens people. I expect assholey comments. Whatever.
"I knew he was different in his sexuality. I went to his parties as a straight minority..." Rush is an ally. Rush is top tier, and that's good enough for me. Be like Rush.
As bisexual/gunosexual I like metal aesthetic with androgynity
metal is about fantasy
Metal Macaroni
A few years back I sent Thy Art Is Murder a DM to thank them for posting in support of LGBTQ+ people (which I'd never seen any deathcore band do before) and they replied with a really lovely message, which as a queer metal fan was a huge deal. ❤ I've also seen positive messages out there from Napalm Death, Knocked Loose, Protest the Hero, Pupil Slicer and others.
I get why this kind of thing might not seem that significant to non-LGBTQ+ people, but honestly from personal experience it's super affirming to go nuts at a hxc or metal show in the knowledge that the people on stage either know what it's like, or at least have your back regarding the struggles that come with being an LGBTQ+ person.
Also shout out to Death Goals, a fucking brilliant queer mathcore/screamo-influenced duo - they recently dropped their second album.
Thank you so much for making this video! It was so validating for me as a transfem metalhead, as I’ve often been self-conscious about listening to “cis straight guy music,” especially when people like Varg and the hateful portion of the community unfortunately give a lot of people a bad impression of us. You could not be more right, metal is SUPER gay!
Another queer metal icon that you didn’t mention is Melissa Moore from Absu and Sonja, an openly trans woman and a guitar goddess. She’s one of the people who inspired me to learn guitar and start a band with some friends. Cheers!
Crossspitter!! I also like her take on the controversial BM bands that she can separate the art from.. that was pretty cool to hear in one of her interviews. It was on HornThrowers' podcast.
Commenting for the obligatory fuck Absu for kicking her out.
I’m a Gay man who loves Metal and always felt alone. I actually had a Queer group of friends that went to punk & Metal shows together. Idk tho Metal hates acknowledging that we exist in the scene. We’ve always been here and we ain’t go’n anywhere. I listen to extreme music more than any other genre, and as a Gay man it’s a very lonely road.
I have to add, i'm friend with a trans girl that emigrated from Colombia (i live in Mexico) and she used to be a sexual worker on her home country
She told me the clients that were metalhead were the only ones who wanted to be in the "passive/penetrated" side.
There have been queer, trans and drag queens since the beginning of time. This idea that its something new is laughable.
Who said metal is not about fashion?
I will say, that I think it goes even further in a way, and that I believe a lot of musicians in "the scene" haven't officially come out. I've been around since the 90s and got really into all sorts of classic metal, talked to people from all over, and have heard a lot of things. I don't want to name names because sometimes it's just hearsay and maybe these people have reasons for not wanting their sexuality to be very out-in-the-open, and we should probably respect taht, but I'm thinking of people in some pretty well known and classic bands who haven't *officially8 been designated as lgbtq, but may very well be.
Also as a fun aside, there is an Elton John metal connection. he was a guest on a couple of Saxon albums in I think the late 80s/early 90s.
Also the singer/guitarist from sonja. Been killing it for ages in that as well as rumplestiltskin grinder and abzu until she was booted for coming out
coming out ? lol
I don't think metal is "super gay", I think we just don't care as much if someone is gay.
Think about metal's origins: Around 1985 you had a guy with a big boobed girlfriend, a denim jacket and a beer. His dad probably told him he was never going to make anything out of his life but he just wants to sit down and enjoy music.
Rob Halford came out 25 years ago (in 1998!), most of us didn't care and even fewer gave a shit 5 minutes afterwards because they just wanted to hear metal. It'd be different if Rob Halford would fuck a guy on stage, that might have been much, but he's actually a very cordial person who loves metal globally, and that's the way you need to be
But will you review None!??!
Those guys are one of my favourite depressive black metal bands! I can’t wait for the album to come out tomorrow. Who knows; I might be talking about that album later this year on my channel!
I love that band because, unlike some depressive black metal bands I know, they do not use triggering imagery on their album covers
It has been cool to see trans people gradually beginning to show up in black metal, from Liturgy to Victory Over The Sun to Feminazgul to Genital Shame. I hope that trend continues.
Bury Them and Keep Quiet and Feminizer, too!
@@HamaChanCutter yup. And all of them have a lot of untapped potential, musically speaking. In my honest opinion (take my words with a big grain of salt here), the only two out of those groups that have realized their true potential are Liturgy and Victory Over The Sun. The two you mentioned I haven’t heard yet, and the other two I’ve mentioned I am keeping a close eye on because what they have done so far haven’t really grabbed me.
Dude, amazing video! Everyone should remember that the metal community are supposed to be a group of outcasts, always accepting and welcoming those who feel they're in the same spot as us. Fuck anyone who comes here trying to say "WAAAAH! METAL ISN'T GAY! IT ISN'T!" they have no idea what it is to be a true metalhead.
I saw blink-182 and turnstile and destroy boys and apparently the lead singer destory boys said that she was bisexual or gay I forgot just wanted to mention that can you possibly release a punk and hardcore punk series
No fucking way. All music has gay and no metal being gay ain't good especially if they are moving us to be so. Bands like Memphis May Fire Asking Alexandria, the Devil's Wears Parada, and shit like that. And people have always been gay but never sang gay shit nor supported it. Became a trend and now everyone want to be gay especially now since it's one of the only ways to reach a bigger Audience.
Cool video, and if anyone is a true metal fan none of this should be the least bit surprising.
We hate no one except…..posers!!!!!🤘
Im gay for metal as a trans woman I idolize LGBTQ+ metal musicians. Fun fact I actually got a Rob Halford signature and Gaahl got me into black metal many years ago. Fun fact I chose my name from a Death song.
Trans girl and total metal punk...
Ain't nothing more gay than screaming about gore or Satan. I'll be sure to blast some Liturgy at my local pride parade next year while spreading all the love of being a bisexual man (I'd do it this year but our parade is like three weeks behind us)
Also RuPaul has connections to Hardcore? You learn something new everyday.
Henry Rollins was even a guest judge on RuPauls Drag Race lmao
Thanks for this one meltdown. Metal is gay and thats good!
No it's a stain for normal metalheads like me
The only stain here is you Ryan.
This video is Super Gay. 🏳️🌈🤘
Robert, you should try and do an interview with Halford, Dee Snider or Mina Caputo. Why not? I'm sure many would like to see it.
I happily would if given the oppurtunity.
I like Mina: th-cam.com/video/k9Rr2vJorEg/w-d-xo.html
through and through
“gay porn parody of interview with the vampire” you mean interview with the vampire?
Thank you for standing alongside all of us LGBTQA+ brothers & sisters.
Mixing up sexual orientation and transexuality is wrong. Because transexuality contradicts the fucking sexual orientation people have so why tf do u put them in the same bag. It's not dividing people when you're the ones dividing them by giving them a different name just because they like what they like. Or because they are what they are. Hold your shit private or change it to make sense but don't come and talk bullshit over bullshit and teach that to kids for example, like what this ideology has made this shit happen. What a waste of time and waste of life.
Great video. Is it worth mentioning Balls to the Wall? Which at the very least is a conflicted album.
Metal is appreciated by all. No surprise there.
Well in ancient greece .. there was allot of gayness, so it's just a piece of biology ...as simple as that, and Metal music is metal music , i dont have to say how accepting the genre is ;)
That said, homophobia is a perfect indicator to indicate how unsecure and stupid a person can be !
Don't forget Little Richard, right back to the roots of rock! As a hetero man who grew up on metal in the late 80s, I remember when homophobia was common in the scene, given its macho blue-collar listener base, but when Rob Halford came out in '98, nobody was surpised, and most of that same scene said, "Ok, cool!" Metal has always celebrated non-normativity, and been a refuge for those who never quite fit the dominant social narrative.
Rob Halford is a pedo
Wearing spikes, leather and make up? Idk sounds pretty gay to me XD. Also if you just happen to get a ton of dislikes for this video and it ends up outweighing the likes. Just wanna let you know that it means so much more that you're speaking up and posting this video at all.
As a 50 year old white heterosexual long time heavy metal fan, I strongly support heavy metal for all, including the lgbtq community. So tired of people my age that keep mentioning ‘their heavy metal’ or defining what heavy metal is or isn’t. Music should be inclusive. No one should feel ostracized for their race or gender or romantic preferences. Let’s bury bro metal forever.
Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinhart are/were gay. Sean is no longer with us