The last few weeks has made me think about what we actually mean by inclusion and equality. In our music genre we view ourselves as open, inclusive and non-judgemental. The whole mantra of everyone being welcome is central to all that is Metal and Hard Rock. So why then, are there so few BAME faces in our world? Why (at least in Europe and America) are we a predominantly white genre with BAME artists and fans being the exception …
Read MoreOur universe is vast. It is full of melodic mountains made up of euphoric life-affirming anthems. Music that makes you feel invigorated. There are also dark recesses where the pain and anguish run as torrents of harrowing human misery. Music that speaks to the broken and down-trodden. Yet, both exist side by side. Both are Metal. Metal started as Sabbath. Sabbath was Metal, Metal was Sabbath. Simple. But then like any virus it started mutating. And that's the point. There is no blueprint or grand plan for this music. It is not built to some preordained structure, it creeps, it develops and it evolves. Which begs the question “What actually is Metal?”.
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