Into Black

 I'll start with how I got to the point of worshiping at the altar of metal.

 I grew up in a strict religious home. My parents (really my father who dictated what the entire family did for most of my young life) listened almost exclusively to Christian music and oldies. I'm talking Amy Grant and The Temptations were "heavy". I guess I liked it at first. As one would if it was all they were ever exposed to. I was exposed to some country when I was with my grandparents and some pop when I was around my cousins. That was really about it though. Around the time my youngest cousin started listening to his dad's music, my dad started to listen to the classic rock station in the car with me around. (Honestly am sure my dads work truck was full of the melodies of Van Halen and AC/DC. But I have no way to prove that.) So I got my first taste of hard rock between those two scenarios. The "heavier" it was the better.

 The first moment I remember metal really grabbing me was ironically in the car with my dad. Rainbow In The Dark by Dio just happened to come on while he was in the midst of a fight with radio a.d.d.. He stated that we (myself, my brother and if I am not mistaken a friend) had to hear this. He cranked the damn minivan stereo up and we listened in silence. That was when I knew I needed more metal in my life. I started exploring more.

 The catalyst to my exploring heavy music was around the start of high school. As was expected of me I got a summer job at the county fairgrounds. Working all day with dudes my age, all of whom listened to rock, one who listened to almost nothing but rock. High school for me was 2000-2004. So Nu-Metal, Pop Punk and Emo were the flavors of the day. That's right! I got into metal through these 3 genres along with a sprinkling of Grunge. Bands like Korn, Rage Against The Machine, Saliva, and Deftones were my jam. Most importantly however was Linkin Park. I once said during these years that they were the best band of all time. This is of course is objectively false. But for me, despite the fact I wouldn't say it now, they probably are. The albums Hybrid Theory and Meteora spoke to me on a level nothing else ever had. I'll risk sounding cliche here. But only because it's true. I was angry and frequently depressed and so were they. It was the first time I had heard something that I related to on a regular basis. It changed my life. R.I.P. Chester.

 I had a friend my age in a similar situation as far as the religious aspect went. Fortunately his parents were far less concerned with the genre of music he listened to. He still listened almost exclusively to Christian music. But it was Skillet, Project 86 and Goatee Hook. So my taste, combined with the fact I knew there were Christian bands who could get pretty heavy took me on a search for music I thought wouldn't get me grief from my parents (I was wrong but whatever). The first album I bought that really pushed the boundaries of what I had heard before was A Chorus Of Obliteration by The Showdown. I picked it up because the album art was pretty fucking cool and it meant it had to be heavy. That was my thought process anyway. Turns out I was right. That was my first exposure to truly heavy music. I wore it out because for years, stuck in my "at least it's Christian" mentality I couldn't find anything heavier.

 I eventually enlisted in the Army. It didn't go well. But hey I have a broken heart (literally) and a monthly check I never really asked for. Fuck it! This eventually lead to deep depressions for which I likely owe nothing but metal for getting me through. I may get to that someday but for now back to my journey into metal.

 When I got back from the military expiriment my brother and cousin were listening to shit I had never heard before. Silverstein and Atreyu became a staple of time spent in the car. We cruised back then so it was frequent. Victory records (opinions aside) did a really cool thing where almost every cd had a DVD full of their artists' music videos on it. This is how I got into Between The Buried And Me and Sinai Beach. This was the shit I had been looking for my whole life. I thought so anyway.

 Now an adult and giving zero fucks what my parents thought of my music or life choices I started buying CDs like they were 5 cent candy.

 During a trip to an FYE, or some store similar to it with my brother and cousin I used my "this album art looks cool" method of picking out a disk to purchase. The one I chose was Trivium's Ascendancy. Now when I say this was a life changing moment I mean it. It blew my mind. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. It was fast. It was heavy. It was masterfully composed. It made me headbang, and cry and, laugh with joy.

 I haven't looked back since. I explored deeper into metal. I got heavily into metalcore and thrash metal. Which eventually lead to the many variations on death metal. I have gone back in time and come to appreciate bands Like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and FUCKING SLAYER for the masters they are. I continue to this day to explore new bands and go back and find that lesser known diamond in the rough from the 80s or 90s. I just can't get enough and I doubt I ever will.

So that's the simplified genesis of my journey to becoming an obsessed metalhead.

Please forgive my poor english and lack of proper grammar. I'm a metalhead not a professor.

 For the record I now discuss metal to a degree with my father. Although his knowledge doesn't expand beyond 1991. I also lump my mother in with the parents comments but in hindsight I believe she was really just towing the line.