Metal has, from the beginning of the first year for me in kgp, has held a unique position to the people who?re around me. There are under 5 people in my batch who?ve heard of the likes of Megadeth and Maiden. But this led to some supreme form of exclusivity, branded by most people who wouldn?t understand metal and who don?t want to understand it. When I used to play FFF(megadeth – fight for freedom) loud in MMM(which has closed wings, so anything played resonates annoyingly), people never complained.
Instead they retaliated by playing some real annoying hindi ?numbers?, on exceedingly more powerful speakers, to which i went and complained, and they stopped (docile wingies).
The point I?m trying to explain is that people who listen to metal and appreciate it are considered so rebellious, it?s almost enticing. The aggression, the power, the sheer energy of the music and the inability of most people to withstand it, makes it so wonderfully special that I increased my base of metal from following 4 bands to following over 10 now(including pantera, slayer, and my more recent arch enemy). The very fact we listen to songs over 20 years old is a debasement of the very philosophy that governs the way most kgpians listen to music.
- It?s the happening song that?s supposed to be listening to.
- Listen to only one or two songs from the album.
- The most happening songs must also be present as ringtones.
- Always have a select repertoire of common English music handy to save yourself in a conversation.(more on this later)
Take what?s playing now on my comp for an example, it?s whiplash by metallica. It?s about 25 years old, it?s a practically unknown song from the first album, I?ve heard the whole album and loved it, and no, it?s not my ringtone(for those who want to know, my ringtone is “Ring 2″)
The thing that annoys me most is when people play Linkin Park?s in the end. This was the first rock song I ever heard, and probably is the only rock song many of my batch mates have heard. Though I outgrew linkin park soon, and i haven?t heard a single song in the past two years, it?s still my most fundamental musical roots, and people don?t move beyond that one song, I did and this is where I am today. I listen to all sorts of metal; death metal, heavy metal, hair metal, trash metal, nu metal, black metal, gothic metal, and so on.
Then it strikes me, the fact that music is just entertainment for everyone else. It?s not a way of life. For me if I go two days without listening to Judas Priest?s Painkiller I start feeling weak and tired. So I guess it?s just that way things work. For some people, it?s cigarettes, for some, it?s drugs, for some, it?s sports, for some, it?s sex. For me, it?s music. I haven?t gone a single day with less than an hour of music. Maybe that?s the answer to my irritation. Music is my addiction. Take it away and you kill me.
Painkiller takes away my pain. Stairway to Heaven Fills me up with energy. Breaking Benjamin?s Forever is like a breath of fresh air. Sum 41?s The hell song can lift me up whenever I am down. Enya?s May it be fills me with hope when there is none, and The Prophecy reminds me of one of my closest friends.
Breaking Benjamin?s Rain makes me feel that things will get better. Hoobastank?s Born to lead fills me with the desire to do something and make my presence felt. In the morning light makes me remember happier memories. and so many more.
And however, one of the most significant songs, which I haven?t listened to for very long, Linkin Park?s In the end Which reminds me that me, someone who used to think that rock was useless, profane, and violent, decided to give it a try and now have listen religiously to about five hours of rock everyday. Someone who just barely managed to pass the ninth standard was able to clear the toughest exam in the world. This one song reminds me that anything is possible, worlds can change over in an instant, never to give up hope and to put my heart into what I do, something i haven?t been doing for a while. Well, time to pull out my special edition hybrid theory cd.
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