Why is Metal the dominant music genre on internet gaming forums?

[RagnorakTres]

BECUZ METAL IZ DA BOBOMB!!

Kidding, kidding. I do like Metal a great deal (I went through a phase of about five years where that was all I listened to.), but I consider it less musically compelling than, say, the post-grunge (I don't really know what to call it...) scene (They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, R.E.M., Jonathon Coulton, etc.) and straight rock 'n' roll (Van Halen, Aerosmith, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc.). However, sometimes there's nothing I like more than a little headbangin' from Metallica, Megadeth or AC/DC. (Even (and this is kind of embarrassing to admit for some reason...) a little Mindless Self Indulgence once in a while.)

 

[Xyphon]

Certain music genre's, including metal, have the ability to release pent up anger more than any other music genre. Would it feel better killing in prototype to this song ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRy5uLItG_w ), or this one? ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5HCFRhtmgc&feature=related )

Edit: Sorry, had a few typos in there.

 

[Low Key]

EDIT: BAH NINJA! I'll get you yet!!!

Haha sorry, I couldn't help it. I'm an unofficial rap expert.

 

[Lyri]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SECAssN8iwg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCD24VQhGW4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxhlpZJOpNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ihraCCCrpk&feature=PlayList&p=C1DAE83A6065AE1D&index=5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxrWpl_iedo

Cypress Hill, Nate Dogg, 213 and Warren G are commonly associated with G-Funk, they would be your ticket.

That's some awesome tunes, thanks homie.
G-Funk up in the house right now xD

 

[MangaVally]

The Metal persona sits along side the Gamer persona very well. Both have heavily anti-mainstream followers despite the companies involved in each group trying there best to make them more popular. Also metal singer are medically noted for being very sexually frustrated, I don't think its a stretch to assume game designers would be similar. Both sub-cultures are used by people as a means to vent all the frustration and repression that they build up during every day life.
And, speaking as a huge RTS fan, nothing beats leading an army of blood crazed soldiers or horrible alien abominations to the violent throbs of heavy guitars

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

EDIT: BAH NINJA! I'll get you yet!!!

Haha sorry, I couldn't help it. I'm an unofficial rap expert.

Expert you say? I like you already. ;¬)

I asked for a Hip Hop group, maybe you and Wizzie would like to join when it get's processed by the admins (I asked for another group beforehand, so I don't know when it will happen, I can let you know when it's available if you like)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SECAssN8iwg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCD24VQhGW4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxhlpZJOpNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ihraCCCrpk&feature=PlayList&p=C1DAE83A6065AE1D&index=5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxrWpl_iedo

Cypress Hill, Nate Dogg, 213 and Warren G are commonly associated with G-Funk, they would be your ticket.

That's some awesome tunes, thanks homie.
G-Funk up in the house right now xD

No problem! If you want anything from any other subgenres, feel free to ask.

 

[Lyri]

Crikey alot of text.

I'll join, I'll even take photos of me with a tea towel around my head, pulling a hand sign and a plastic gun in my loose hanging pants.
I am Gangsta IRL.

 

[TyphoidMary]

I prefer Power Metal to most of the metal you hear on the radio here or the stuff a lot of my friends listen to for gaming. That said, I don't generally listen to music while gaming, (I play at night, radio and speakers are in different rooms, and the walls of my apartment complex are thin), but when I get to it's usually something like Ayreon, Kamelot, Nightwish, Epica, or Emilie Autumn, something with more of an opera feel than an angry feel. I find myself yelling at the screen less that way...

 

[superbleeder12]

because most gamers are white suburbanite kids, in their late teens, and frustrated with their lives. so they listen to music that "speaks to them.

 

[Low Key]

EDIT: BAH NINJA! I'll get you yet!!!

Haha sorry, I couldn't help it. I'm an unofficial rap expert.

Expert you say? I like you already. ;¬)

I asked for a Hip Hop group, maybe you and Wizzie would like to join when it get's processed by the admins (I asked for another group beforehand, so I don't know when it will happen, I can let you know when it's available if you like)

Yeah, for sure. Give me a holler when it's ready.

 

[TyphoidMary]

BECUZ METAL IZ DA BOBOMB!!

Kidding, kidding. I do like Metal a great deal (I went through a phase of about five years where that was all I listened to.), but I consider it less musically compelling than, say, the post-grunge (I don't really know what to call it...) scene (They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, R.E.M., Jonathon Coulton, etc.) and straight rock 'n' roll (Van Halen, Aerosmith, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc.). However, sometimes there's nothing I like more than a little headbangin' from Metallica, Megadeth or AC/DC. (Even (and this is kind of embarrassing to admit for some reason...) a little Mindless Self Indulgence once in a while.)

Don't be embarrassed to admit to listening to MSI once in awhile... I listened to them on my way to, from, and through school for the first year of college, before I got a car without a tape deck for my converter.

 

[Aux]

Personally I think there is good music in every genera, the problem is that it is surrounded by crap. It is hard to come across a good metal band, cause most of them suck but that is my opinion. As I have aged I have started to get away from metal and more into electionica/techno music. I still love metal don't get me wrong but I like to spice it up here and there. I don't get how anyone can listen to only one type of music and not get bored.

 

[FrossetMareritt]

I'm fine with the metal that actually resembles music. Black metal with some deep roaring and just random beating of the instruments annoys me.

Actually, it's been my experience that Black Metal is on the other end of the vocal spectrum - i.e. Cradle of Filth. I think you're thinking of Death Metal.

As far as metal and gaming goes the only think I can say is pretty much what's already been said by a couple of people; loners and social outcasts (some more than others) find solitude in gaming and feel that metal can express their feelings on the inside and/or help release pent up anger (or at least get in touch with the side of themselves that they would not allow to be expressed in normal social world). However, I think a nice chunk of why gaming and metal coexist is for the big metal era push from the radio stations in the late '90s during the turn of the millennium; and now most of those same people who liked that music back then are now making games or at least still playing them. And when done properly, metal can really get your blood pumping when you're playing some games... but I don't think it belongs in every game.


As for me I always loved gaming and it's only gotten more refined over the years. While metal grew on me when I was growing up and my tastes for it as well have been refined into the few sub-genres of metal that I like (since metal in and of itself I cannot stand), now my favorite band is Captain Pancake's current picture.

 

[Zinras]

Easy, most gamers share at least some points with the angry and lonely basement dweller who obsesses about his miniatures or D&D campaign. Where they obsess about WH40K or character builds and roleplaying, gamers obsess about getting levels, shiny items or beating the high score.

It's nerd competition at its finest and just like D&D and miniature games, not many "regulars" understand the appeal of it. And metal music probably does a lot of the screaming and shouting you can't really do by yourself.

Of course, this is stereotyping at its finest but also a little true if you think about it. There's also the fact that metal is something that requires a good bit of talent to play properly, so the quality is often fairly high. I listen to everything, including some metal, but I don't really have a fave genre

 

[A big red rooster]

For some reason, it's this forum that has the most "metal is only for white kids" arguments, and nobody's bothered to point out the massive South American Metal Scene.

Hello? Nobody here's even heard of Sepultura?

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Crikey alot of text.

I'll join, I'll even take photos of me with a tea towel around my head, pulling a hand sign and a plastic gun in my loose hanging pants.
I am Gangsta IRL.

You do that, and it'll be our group avatar (at least for a short while)!

 

[quiet_samurai]

2 reasons:

1. Because it's fucking awesome
2. Lots of people say they like it to look tough.

Also because there are so many variations of metal you will get quite alot of people who listen to it.

 

[Saskwach]

Metal is a genre obsessed with being "different" and "unpopular" (with the implication of "special" and "better"). It actually makes these things a virtue rather than self-indulgent. While watching Metal: A Headbanger's Journey I was shocked by the number of white people who felt they needed to say "fuck you" to 'society', as if society gives a damn what they do. This is seen as some sort of grand statement when it's really quite asinine.
Now not all, but an important segment, of geeks feel essentially the same. They are "different", "unpopular" ("special" and "better") than all those normal people with their low IQs and crass hobbies. As such, metal appeals in that sense.
But this doesn't explain everything. I would suggest that another important part of geekitude is that geeks generally are more interested in subjects like history, war, religion, that sorta thing. Metal is also quite interested in these subjects - far more than most other popular genres (I include metal in that phrase - anything more popular than jazz or classical is 'popular' in my eyes). Thus, metal again appeals to geeks. For example, Iron Maiden is my favourite band by far. I love that their songs are less about me, myself and I going through a hard time, or falling in love, or shootin' up homies (silly stereotype, but work with me) but are almost invariably about something, someone or some issue historic. In other words, they're not so goddamn self-centred. For example, in A Matter of Life and Death, there's a song about the atom bomb, one about the Normandy landings, one about WW1 and another about both WW1 and WW2. Then there's one about religion, one about demagoguery (during WW1, though mostly general) - and one about birth. Hmmm, let me think about that.
...
Hmmm
...
OK!
So another thing about metal: it's interested in phases and aspects of life that most other genres don't spend much time on. Death, pain, suffering (and birth, but only in that song as far as I can tell). Another Iron Maiden song (Hallowed be thy Name) is about a man's thoughts before his hanging. Now, in general geeks are probably a bit more depressed than the average (pop psychology ahoy!) and so are probably more interested in those phases of life, because wallowing is fun. What's more, many would be attracted to a genre that spends time on the forgotten sides of life. Pop songs sing enough about love (and a specific kind of love) that I could puke. Some change is nice.
And finally, the songs are a bit more complex. I didn't say better, just more complex. That's appealing after rap songs with their monotonous beats (note: rap isn't all bad) for example. Can't say why/that geeks as a whole might like this, but I certainly do.

 

[Lyri]

You do that, and it'll be our group avatar (at least for a short while)!

Like you'll find anything better ;D