Smashing Down The Color Barrier

[NSL]

If you listen to rock or metal, and haven't had your head in the sand for about 5 years, you'd notice there's an influx of black and hispanic people into the metal culture. 3/4 of God Forbid, Howard Jones, Alexis Brown, and others, have all been grinding away, and are finally getting some of the love they deserve as true metal pioneers.

I know there were people before them. Cypress Hill, Living Colour, and others...But in today's world, I'm still impressed at the heightened level of talent. Not only are they taking to the stage and performing for the legions of fans, but there's also more and more in the crowd.

So...Do you think this is the beginning of a trend? Or, is it just a "phase" that will die out eventually? Is it good or bad for metal?

I personally think, or at least hope, that it's the beginning of a trend. There's no longer a taboo in place, and widening your market can never be a bad thing. These artists may not be household names along the lines of an Ozzy or KISS or Metallica, but they're certainly working their way towards it.

 

[X]

These are hardly the first all black rock bands, or metal. You won't find a more influential (or better) band than Bad Brains. Four guys that looked like Bob Marley playing some of the fastest most aggressive hardcore punk the world had ever seen (along with a good measure of dub reggae).

​

One of my favorite bands. In an incredibly white subculture like punk rock, these guys didn't just break down color barriers, they smashed them down and pissed on the rubble.

As for whether or not more and more black people getting into metal is a phase or not...it's not a phase, but it's not going to be exploding anytime soon. It's a societal thing. Black people often come from urban areas where hip-hop music dominates and they grow up listening to it. A few black metalheads isn't going to change that.

 

[NSL]

Bad Brains is the band I was thinking of when I started the thread, but wanted to keep it more modern. To everyone else reading this thread, check them out...It's really a must.

I know that the "new wave" of black people in rock and metal isn't the first, but there's finally a market out there willing to accept them as legit artists. There's too many media outlets for them to not get noticed, and not get their music heard.

I don't think it will explode anytime soon either. I do, however, think it'll be a slow climb, and eventually be recognized as a large movement(?).

 

[FromTheSouth]

I think that music and sports, more than any other facets of society, are resistant to racism, as well as being the catalysts for social change. Talent is universal. Look no further than the evolution of Rock n Roll. Chuck Berry and Little Richard were inspirations to a small southern white kid named Elvis Presley. Elvis was chastised in the court of public opinion for making "black" music, but his overwhelming talent and appeal turned social consciousness onto his side.

White people have had their moments in rap as well. Vanilla Ice, albeit a joke now, had one of the biggest hits in the history of the rap genre. He opened up an entirely new audience to the music. White kids now, and for 15 years, have bought more rap albums than black kids.

All that gets me to this one solitary point. It takes a band or artist, like Bad Brain,s or even Living Colour, to open up a new audience to a genre of music. While they might not be the most famous band, they are a catalyst for change in the industry. Hispanics have been big on the speed metal for a while, at least where I live. I live in an area of Texas where Hispanics comprise the majority of the population. Adding a black audience can only be good for the genre. Like I said, talent in universal, and an audience will appreciate a good show, no matter who performs is.

 

[Barbedwire Ropes]

Seriuosly, how in the hell could you possibly start a thread on influential African-Americans in metal and leave out Mike Smith!?!?!?!? That is just a cardinal sin first and foremost! You wont mention Mike Smith, but you'll mention that talentless hack in Alexis Brown?! Straight Line Stitch will be completely forgotten by this time next year. What a horrible, horrible band.

Mike Smith on the other hand, is a legend! An actual, 100% certified Legend. And Im not even basing this on taste, since I don't even listen to his band all that much. But there is no doubt that Suffocation is a band, worthy of being called Pioneers. Before they came onto the scene back in 1991 Death Metal had never heard a style like that of Suffocation before. Not to mention the fact that Mike Smith, Literally invented the drumming technique known as blast-beats, thus altering the history of metal as we know it. What has Straight Line Stitch, God Forbid or Killswitch Engage brought to the table that has altered the history of heavy metal as we know it? Without Mike Smith, without his pioneering of Blast-Beating, Black Metal would not exist, and Thrash Metal would not have been able to push their boundries of speed and agression. He is the definition of influence!

You know, its kind of pathetic naming God Forbid and Killswitch Engage as the pioneers of the African-American movement in heavy metal and it really only shows you swim in the shallow pools of the mainstream metal movement. The first thing that should have come to your mind, which someone touched on above, should have been Bad Brains. They are actually an influential band that will go down in history. I can pretty much gaurantee that God Forbid or Killswitch Engage will ever be seen as standard bearers. Howard Jones is talented though, can't knock him down for that. But God Forbid are just terrible. I dont know anyone who is anything more than just a casual or closet fan of that band.

 

[NSL]

The first thing that should have come to your mind, which someone touched on above, should have been Bad Brains. They are actually an influential band that will go down in history. I can pretty much gaurantee that God Forbid or Killswitch Engage will ever be seen as standard bearers. Howard Jones is talented though, can't knock him down for that. But God Forbid are just terrible. I dont know anyone who is anything more than just a casual or closet fan of that band.

Did you actually read my post? I said that Bad Brains was the band I had in mind when I made this, but I was trying to stay modern. So, how are they modern? And how is 1991 modern?

For modern black metal fans, the people they're looking up to are bands like God Forbid and Killswitch Engage. Alexis Brown is one of the first black female metal singers, and I know of more than a few people that look up to her. You may think they'll be gone by next year, and for you, maybe they will be But, for their fans, they'll always be around.

Your personal opinion on metal and rock is not going to alter the future of metal; it's the artists and fans as a whole that will alter it. You may not know any die-hard God Forbid fans, but I can safely assume you never went to a show of theirs and saw hundreds/thousands of people moving to themusic, moshing, dancing , and just going insane.

Snce when has metal been about bashing someone for their likes or dislikes? I thought metal was about coming together as a people...

 

[The Dewbliners]

I know for me, the first African- American metal artist (I say African-American, because I listen to, and advocate, "black metal" and didn't want to confuse anyone.), was LaJon Witherspoon (sp?) from Sevendust. This of course excludes Bad Brains, Living Colour, and Cypress Hill. Anyway, at the time I started listening to the band, I was hopeful for a change in metal. It took a few years, but it's finally catching on. I for one couldn't be happier, as it dissipates the stereotype of metal and metal heads being racist mother fuckers. Hopefully this isn't just a fad, and has a lasting impact on the genre.

 

[NSL]

I know for me, the first African- American metal artist (I say African-American, because I listen to, and advocate, "black metal" and didn't want to confuse anyone.), was LaJon Witherspoon (sp?) from Sevendust. This of course excludes Bad Brains, Living Colour, and Cypress Hill.

This is why I'm keeping it modern...For most of the posters here, the oldest bands they know of with anyone that isn't white in the band is Korn and Sevendust, and maybe some remnants of Cypress Hill. We all know of other bands that have broken down color barriers, but they don't have a direct effect on our life and musical tastes. The bands that will most effect us are the ones that are active at the time, and are getting radioplay and media coverage. Sevendust is a great example. They straddled the line between metal and rock, and reaped the benefits of getting fans from both sides.

Lke you, Dewey, I hpe it's not a fad, and hope to see more and more diverse crowds turn out for metal shows. You bring up an interesting point as well. A lot of "outsiders" look at metalheads as racists and punks, and they can;t do that anymore...Not with more and more blacks and latinos sprinkling in.

 

[Barbedwire Ropes]

Did you actually read my post? I said that Bad Brains was the band I had in mind when I made this, but I was trying to stay modern. So, how are they modern? And how is 1991 modern?

Your personal opinion on metal and rock is not going to alter the future of metal;

The real question is, how arent Bad Brains modern? I cant see how releasing an album in 2007 does not count by your definition as being "modern". Just because a band isnt played on MTV every week does make them any less relevant.

As for Suffocation, they have been steadily releasing Demos/EPs/LPs since their inception in 1989 (first demo released in 1991). They even released a record this year (2009) called 'Blood Oath' and its more intense than anything the bands you mentioned have put out. So how is 2009 not seen as "modern" to you? Is it also because they do not have any MTV or radio play?

Im not here to debate about popularity of a band. Im here to debate the fact of relevance to influence for African-American rockers/metalheads. There is not denying that Mike Smith literally changed the world of metal. Anyone with a bit of knowledge knows this. He invented blast-beat drumming. Thusfore, he gave birth to black metal. (And by Black Metal I do not mean, "blacks in metal" im actually talking about the genre of 'black metal' which consists of legendary bands like DarkThrone, Burzum, Agalloch, Dimmu Borgir, Blut Aus Nord....) He also paved the way for Thrash Metal's evolution in style through the 90's. Ask any musician in a touring metal band, they will tell you, Mike Smith changed the world of metal forever. Thats simply something Alexis Brown or Howard Jones could never lay claim to. Its not opinion, its fact.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Smith_(musician))

Also, I have had the extreme displeasure of sitting through a God Forbid set. Sure, people were moshing and so was I, but its because theres no substance to the music. I didn't hear anyone singing/chanting along with the lyrics or screaming out song titles for them to play, but I sure heard alot of that going on for Lamb of God and Municipal Waste.

 

[NSL]

I didn't hear anyone singing/chanting along with the lyrics or screaming out song titles for them to play, but I sure heard alot of that going on for Lamb of God and Municipal Waste.

I want to know how screaming out song titles makes a band any better than another? Every single show I've been to, there's at least 3 different people that shout out "Play Freebird!" in the middle of a set. Requesting a song means absolutely nothing.

It's also unfair to compare any metal band to Lamb Of God, since even casual rock fans know of them, and know more than a handful of songs. They're a very well known band, so of course their fanbase is going to be more vocal.

My whole point of the thread is to prove that the barriers have not been broken down yet. No matter how much Bad Brains, or any other band, have worked to do so, there's still a lot of shocked people when they see someone who isn't white in a band. The barriers still stand, and won't be gone for good until an all-black band can take the stage, and no one is shocked.

 

[Barbedwire Ropes]

there's still a lot of shocked people when they see someone who isn't white in a band. The barriers still stand, and won't be gone for good until an all-black band can take the stage, and no one is shocked.

Well then, thats just the sad pathethic reality of living in the United States of America. Up here in Canada, and especially where I live here in Vancouver, the local metal scene is so diverse and accepting. We have young bands here like Masquerade of Silence, Fetus Grinder and Sinned that are all fronted by asian-canadian guitarist/vocalists. They have been mainstays in the Vancouver metal scene for quite a few years and can draw a massive crowd. Not to mention they have opened/toured with many signed metal bands as well. There are also a few bands either fronted by, or having african-canadian musicians and they are also widely embraced.

Then, you have metal hangouts like The Cobalt(R.I.P), Scrape, Pub 340 and The Astoria where there is always a diverse crowd of people from all different nationalities. Black, White, Brown, Spanish, Asian.....

So I guess your percieved "Racist White Majority" just does not exist here in our metal scene so I have never experienced the "shock and disgust" you are trying to convey.

 

[NSL]

So I guess your percieved "Racist White Majority" just does not exist here in our metal scene so I have never experienced the "shock and disgust" you are trying to convey.

I'm not saying "...and disgust". No one is disgusted, they're just amazed that there's someone who isn't white on stage at a metal show. For instance:

Just last night I was at a concert, and the first band up was a local semi-known band, but the 2 vocalists are both Asian. Half the crowd gave up on them without giving them a chance, and then they got the crowd whipped up, and they were like "Holy shit...They're good!".

When a band like that can take the stage, and less than 2% of the crowd is surprised, I'd say the color barrier is successfully gone.

 

[X]

Well that sounds like a pretty racist fucking crowd to me NSL. They see Asians and automatically tune out? Yeah, that's pretty damn racist.

Frankly though, no offense, but the bands you mention are not breaking down jackshit. Asians and blacks have been a part of the metal scene for decades now, and no, those mediocre bands you mentioned are not causing big spikes in minorities listening to metal.

 

[NSL]

Well that sounds like a pretty racist fucking crowd to me NSL. They see Asians and automatically tune out? Yeah, that's pretty damn racist.

I guess it can be called racist, but it's not a hatred, it's just an assumption. I don't know how to classify it, but I don't think it's intentional racism...Fuck, I give up, I don't know how to explain it

Frankly though, no offense, but the bands you mention are not breaking down jackshit. Asians and blacks have been a part of the metal scene for decades now, and no, those mediocre bands you mentioned are not causing big spikes in minorities listening to metal.

I'm not saying each individual band is breaking down walls and setting examples. as a whole though, they're showing that they can gain some success, and that they have a place on the metal scene. The more bands that pop up with minority members, the better. It won't happen overnight, and it won't be any one instance that changes the face of music, but eventually people will be able to go to a show, and not be surprised that there's a black guy on stage that isn't a roadie.

 

[Barbedwire Ropes]

Where do you live NSL? Because I have honestly never experienced any level of racism at any metal show I've been to here in my hometown of Vancouver, B.C, Canada or when I have traveled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada or down into Seattle, Washington. Im not saying it doesnt exist elsewhere and im honestly not trying to flame on you, but I have never experienced what your trying to describe. In my opinon, with every genre except for the ironically named 'Black Metal' there is a wide acceptance of all races and religions.

 

[NSL]

Where do you live NSL? Because I have honestly never experienced any level of racism at any metal show I've been to here in my hometown of Vancouver, B.C, Canada or when I have traveled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada or down into Seattle, Washington.

It says near my name where I'm from. I live in northeastern Pennsylvania, and frequently venture into NY, Philly, and NJ for shows. I don't think the area really makes a difference.

If a band like God Forbid (for instance) is a shock to the people in the crowd here, I don't see how they wouldn't be a shock to people in a crowd in LA or Seattle. NY and NJ are basically the melting pot of the USA now, and there's still a sense of surprise when people see bands that aren't all-white.

 

[X]

Well to be fair Barbedwireropes, there's actually quite a history of racism in the metal scene. It's not like the punk scene where everything is about ideals and equality, the metal scene has always been more masculine and "macho" if you will. Shit, one of my favorite metal bands ever in Slayer took what was once a punk anthem and call for equality in the song "Guilty of Being White" by Minor Threat, and they the song to this almost white nationalist kind of anthem. That pisses me off royally, though I highly doubt they hold any white supremacist views as a band.

Look nor further than the Southern metal scene and their use of the Confederate flag for the issue of racism in metal music.

 

[The Dewbliners]

Where do you live NSL? Because I have honestly never experienced any level of racism at any metal show I've been to here in my hometown of Vancouver, B.C, Canada or when I have traveled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada or down into Seattle, Washington. Im not saying it doesnt exist elsewhere and im honestly not trying to flame on you, but I have never experienced what your trying to describe. In my opinon, with every genre except for the ironically named 'Black Metal' there is a wide acceptance of all races and religions.

NSL lives in the PA. I can't speak for his area, but I know we get the racist stigma in Cincinnati. Seriously, I can't even go to a Dimmu show, or even Slayer or Metallica shows, without listening to people spout shit about how we're all racists. Seriously, my last girlfriend and I went to a Powerman 5000 concert a few years ago, and she was accosted outside the venue, because she (as a black chick) was going to what some dumbass decided was a "racist/intolerant" event. And, that happens anytime she and I go to a concert. I think it's probably just a regional thing. It's really a shame people can't be as accepting as most metal fans.

 

[Barbedwire Ropes]

Well to be fair Barbedwireropes, there's actually quite a history of racism in the metal scene. It's not like the punk scene where everything is about ideals and equality

I know about the history of racism in the metal scene and you pointed it out quite well so I have no reason to further elobarate on it. Its just, where im from, nothing of that sort has ever happened in the local scene for as long as I've been a part of it. Im in a progressive band with a person of Filipino decent and when we have toured (on our own dollar to boot) the general areas including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and even down into the U.S to include Seattle, Portland and some shit small towns in Nevada and Arizona we have never come across any level of threat or discomfort brought on by concertgoers due to race issues. I know it happens and I know that NY still has a, unfortunately, thriving underground "race-core" scene which is a white supremicist style of Hardcore reminicent of bands like Madball and Hatebreed. Its just, I thought more places on the broader mainstream scale were more open minded to other races being involved in what can be, a very welcoming and friendly invironment.

NSL lives in the PA. I can't speak for his area, but I know we get the racist stigma in Cincinnati. Seriously, I can't even go to a Dimmu show, or even Slayer or Metallica shows, without listening to people spout shit about how we're all racists. Seriously, my last girlfriend and I went to a Powerman 5000 concert a few years ago, and she was accosted outside the venue, because she (as a black chick) was going to what some dumbass decided was a "racist/intolerant" event. And, that happens anytime she and I go to a concert. I think it's probably just a regional thing. It's really a shame people can't be as accepting as most metal fans.

Well, it is a known fact that Dimmu Borgir are not to fond of people from other races and religions, at least as far as thier earlier material in concerned. So I can see why some people could come to that assumption of thier fans. Slayer, well, not alot of people like or understand Slayer so again I cannot hold it against anyone who will jump to those conclusions seeing as they have said and done very many controversial things in the past. Metallica on the other hand, I do not get. Seeing as they have been very good on donating millions to variuos charites. But the fact of the matter will always remain, people on the outside looking in do not understand us. The thing I've been saying the whole time is, I thought everyone on the inside in this day and age were a friendly and accepting group of people. All I know is what I have experienced myself and where I have experienced it. At the shows here in Vancouver, you can walk upto anyone regardless of race and strike up a conversation. Half of the friends I know now I've met at metal gigs. I just wish everyone around North America could experience this type of metal hospitality, including your girlfriend/ex-girlfriend (you didnt really clarify to which it is). There are a few skinheads that show up at random shows every now and then, I wont lie, but as anyone who lives here knows...they dont last to long in the moshpits and they are usually gone halfway through the night.

I don't think the area really makes a difference.
If a band like God Forbid (for instance) is a shock to the people in the crowd here, I don't see how they wouldn't be a shock to people in a crowd in LA or Seattle. NY and NJ are basically the melting pot of the USA now, and there's still a sense of surprise when people see bands that aren't all-white.

They werent a shock here in Vancouver when they performed on the Lamb of God/As I Lay Dying/Municipal Waste tour. Its just, people didn't really care for thier stale, one-dimentional sound. But no one was saying anything racist about them. Also, everytime Suffocation comes here they sell out their tickets come show time. The reason why most people buy tickets is to see thier drummer in the flesh, who is african american. Killswitch Engage also do very well here, playing to well sold hockey arenas.

I think area does play into a bands reaction from the fans, based on race. A more liberal/progressive city will have much more open-minded reactions to change and diversity.