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I play Metal 8 years ago Archived  I've got long hair and I love metal, but I was just thinking why did I grow it out? At the time it just felt right, but why is long hair so closely associated with metal? \m/ This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast level 1 The simple answer is that long hair was seen as a sign of noncomformity in the formative years of rock and metal (60s, 70s, and 80s). The tradition has continued to today, even though long hair is less taboo nowadays. level 2 · 8 yr. agohttp://www.last.fm/user/Sgt_Baker Even Sabbath had long hair. level 2 I'm sure there's a few people on here old enough to remember when it started to be a bigger deal in the 90s to have short hair and play metal. Like when Helmet came out I remember it being a comment on Headbanger's Ball. "They have such a heavy sound for guys with short hair" or some shit. Then James Hardfield from Mertallerca cut it an that was so crazy. Of course I was a punk and people having long hair was like the worst thing. Such a stupid bit of tribalist nonsense that has nothing to do with music. Like, are you Sampson and the hair give you shredding powers? No. level 2 · 8 yr. agolast.fm: thejackyl, RYM: sosmooth
TIL rock music was invented by white people in the 60s level 2 It astounds me that one would even have to ask this question. level 2 Amon Amarth concert feels like a bunch of Vikings with gorgeous hair getting ready to go pillage level 2 I've seen Opeth three times, every time it was weed and beer in the air. level 2 Ha that is hilarious, I have noticed lots of shiny hair at shows. level 2 You must not have been in the same crowd I was whenever I saw Opeth. The B.O. smell was overpowering. level 2 Did you all have similar shine, and bounce? level 2 Same thing happened to me when I went to Gojira. Some dude's long ass hair kept whipping me in the face - initially I was grossed out but when I moved out the way it created a nice waft of herbal essence to mask the greasy mosh pit sink! level 2 Lucky, just about any gig in Tuscon and Mesa smells terrible. Arizona sucks. level 2 Wow, I had another experience. I smelled booze and cigarettes all over the place in the last Opeth gig I went to. level 1
Shit looks sweet when you headbang brahh +11 Staybrite Kerrick BaleMaster outofstep alldatndensum eatbugs Pethead TZ75 WildWorld Constantine Contrarian Deist 15 posters Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?So, who here has long hair? And do you think having long hair is important for a metal head or not(how much do you think it is or isn't?). Does long hair make the metal head or does the metalhead make the long hair? Also metal clothing styles(same question)? I have had long hair(about half way down my back) for 20 or so years. During my teens I had semi long hair on and off(but sometimes my parents would force me to get it cut, lol!). I started growing it nonstop in around age 18 or 19, though it stopped growing after awhile cause I haven't taken very good care of it, lol! But I haven't had a cut in at least 20 years. When I was a youth I believed long hair and dressing metal was mondo importante for a metal head to have. Over the years I've come to the realization that it has some importance but isnt all important. For years I still believed either long hair or shaved bald was THE metal hair/head styles, I thought that short hair was just unacceptable and same with clothing style....that those metal fans who were like this
were sell outs or *posers*(when your young poser hunting attitudes abound but as you get older or if your a wise young person you realize poser hunting is stupid, hypocritical, juvenile, and usually the sign of an actual poser), lol! At least...if acceptable...certain styles of short hair were not for a *metalhead*..Now I'm perfectly ok with metal heads having short hair, any style really, though certain styles i still think are kinda unbecoming for a metalhead, but....who am I to judge? Metal
is in the heart(and the music box....routinely or almost constantly) not in the hair. You?
Posts : 1073 Join date : 2020-11-15 Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?I consider the hair, clothes, etc. to be unimportant and I'm very glad that we have moved past the attitude where you had to look a certain way to be accepted in the metal scene. That was the one thing I hated about the 80's metal scene (well, that and the fact that thrash and death metal became so favored that many worthy classic metal bands were ignored). BaleMaster and Contrarian Deist like this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
I don't think thrash and death metal becoming favored that it harmed the worthiness of classic metal at all, remember...thrash and death and most black metal too...the bands and fans are ALL MAJOR fans of the classic heavy metal bands....which is why the best and brightest of the heavy metal alumni are still around today in their late 50s/60s/early 70s and still beloved and most are multi millionaires, and there are still newer younger metal bands coming out to this day who are new waves of nwobm and other heavy metal, though glam for most part ...the biggest bands from the 80s and 90s are still around...a handful still making albums....all very rich, famous, and successful, though aside from that handful if bands glam mostly died with the rise of grunge and then nu-metal, etc, and there are few if any new wave of glam bands(aside from maybe Steel Panther), glam was killed(asude from the few bigger bands) but heavy metal is still going strong and most fans and bands of the more extreme subgenres still love and promote and find influence from them. I'm sure there are plenty of young teenage metalheads who still place such importance on it, and one can understand that mindset and fervor in the young, though I think as one grows older....and wiser, matures, one should evolve past that...and even spread the tolerance of such to the youths still stuck in that dogmatic mindset, because it is of some importance..just not extreme importance. Its like religious attire and symbols identification....important part of
it...just not a be all-end all and those brethren who break the mold....should be tolerated and accepted so long as its still in their hearts and lifestyle or value system.
Posts : 1073 Join date : 2020-11-15 Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
Well, because of guys like them and Kerry King and Phil Anselmo, amongst many others, bald heads has long been seen as equally as metal as long hair. But short hair not as much so, while it has been rightly tolerated and accepted...I think many who are fine with it...nonetheless do have a problem with
certain kinds of really trendy or overly *preppish* types of hairstyles in metal(or at least the more extreme/heavier subgenres)....its all accepted more for/in heavy metal...but in the more extreme subgenres...there's some tolerance of it...but its not as widely accepted...and perhaps for sound reasons(short hair yes, overly preppy or super trendy conservative styles of short...not so much)
Posts : 1073 Join date : 2020-11-15 Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?I currently have long hair, but I don't wear as many metal band shirts as I used to. I still almost exclusively wear black, though. Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?When I was younger and closed minded, I thought you had to look the part. I did actually grow my hair long (past my shoulders) in the early to mid 2k’s. But it was kind of annoying in the summer heat. I never even wore it down... it was always tied back. As we all know, some people are balding and have no choice but to shave their head unless they want that “skull-et” Gallagher/Devin Townsend/Rick Hunolt look. Lol Halford, Phil Anselmo, Kerry King and Scott Ian actually made bald look cool. So... I don’t think it matters. If you have the hair, then grow it. If you don’t, wear it short or bald. Things have changed. It’s fine either way! Constantine, BaleMaster and Contrarian Deist like this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
I'm not talking about the major bands. I'm talking about popular underground bands (non-thrash) that got signed when metal was hugely popular and growing. The bigger bands like Ozzy, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, etc. did just fine because they already had a large mainstream audience by then. But many of the the smaller underground bands that got signed to major labels or larger indies and weren't thrash ending up struggling. It was painfully obvious what was happening by 1984 and even the affected bands can tell you exactly how it was for them back then. Albums that are looked at fondly today (because of nostalgia) did not do nearly as well as they were hoping for back then because the thrash craze had kicked in and everything had to be harder and faster. Bands like Metal Church, Armored Saint, Malice, Black 'N Blue, Warlock, Hittman, Icon, Fifth Angel, Shok Paris, Oliver Magnum, Cerebus, etc. put out debut albums during this time and didn't achieve nearly the success they or their record companies were expecting because many of these worthy straight metal bands became lost in the shuffle as dozens of new bands began to pop up in the wake of Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, and the like. Subsequently, many of these bands got dropped by their labels due to poor sales. But since this is not the main point of this thread, I am going to leave it there. Last edited by Constantine on Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:34 am; edited 2 times in total Superjuice and Contrarian Deist like this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?When I was in high school I had a mullet. Nowadays I rock a buzz cut, because my hair has gotten painfully thin on top. I’d be open to shaving it but my wife is having none of it. I told her when there’s a full on bald spot up there I’m going chrome dome. I wear a good amount of band shirts with shorts or jeans. But I’m not real particular in terms of my style. If something fits, is comfortable, and looks ok, I’ll wear it. I’m a tall guy (6’4”), so that limits me a bit. BaleMaster likes this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
You have a valid point.
Posts : 1073 Join date : 2020-11-15 Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
Rainbow's second singer and the original vocalist for Impelliterri:
Posts : 2037 Join date : 2012-02-04 Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?I used to when I was in college. Now I just look like an aging middle-class "normal" guy. People are shocked when the find out what I listen to. I'm an example of Contrarian Deist's "short hair *well dressed* True metalhead." Does it matter? Maybe in certain situations it might. A metal band with a singer who looked like me wouldn't get the time of day. It also becomes part of "who you are" after a while too. Not in a shallow fashion sense, but pretty much what Contrarian Deist said at the top of the thread. In terms of style, it seems shaved head and beard are the fashion symbol for metal now. How many "teenage metalheads" exist? It seems their teenage rebellion against us aging rockers is to listen to pop and R&B.
Posts : 1982 Join date : 2012-08-28 Location : Michigan BaleMaster and Contrarian Deist like this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?I don't have long hair and haven't since I was 25. The look doesn't matter. I listen to what I listen to and don't care what anyone thinks. I primarily wear jeans and a t-shirt as I always have on my time and slacks and a polo to work/church. Maybe if I were trying to be a professional musician looking the part would matter. As it is, I don't feel I have to prove myself to anyone. BaleMaster and Contrarian Deist like this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
I buzzed mine in 2004 for some foot surgery where I needed to bathe in the sink. I had to have the other foot done in 2006, so I did it again. I grew it back out some (it has never been long again) and finally started buzzing it all the time back in 2008. My hair was getting so thin that I felt like people would start laughing at me for doing a comb-over. So, I buzzed it and embraced not having hair. BaleMaster likes this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
Same here. I started loosing my hair in my early twenties, by the time I was 24 I just went with the buzz cut and never looked back. I have a pair of clippers and haven't paid for a haircut in nearly 30 years. I only had long hair from about 16 to 19 years of age. I joined the military at 19 and had to cut it all off. Never stopped me from enjoying hard rock and metal. Even if I wasn't balding I probably wouldn't grow it back. I remember it being kind of a pain to keep clean and conditioned. Now I only wash what hair stubble I have twice a week. BaleMaster likes this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?I have natural dreadlocks down to my waist, and last cut them off in 2002. I've mostly worn my hair long (brushed and also dreaded 4x) since i was 15yrs.
I've always found long hair comfortable, with dreads much easier to deal with. I still wear black jeans and steel cap boots as thats what i'm used too. My metal shirts are old and well worn i don't wear them much anymore heh. I live in a small town where sighting a metal head is rare, 3 years ago i saw this teen chick dressed up like an 80's thrash metaler complete with a fully patched up battle jacket. eatbugs and BaleMaster like this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
Love this post. And this needs to be discussed more often. What killed trad heavy metal? Paul Gilbert said he left Racer X because straight up metal just wasn't getting supported anymore. Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot couldn't be anymore uncool by 1988 and their decline started at least by '86. Meanwhile, Vicious Rumors is dropping killer albums and nobody knew who they were. Metal went in two directions and it was either extreme or pop. This hurt a lot of bands and the movement as a whole IMO. Leading up to its eventual death. However, the Christian market still seemed to thrive with heavy metal with bands like Barren Cross and Recon. Maybe due to naivete'. Had hybrid metal like Saigon Kick or Galactic Cowboys got a better run it woulda changed things. Perhaps they were too sophisticated for the general public though? BaleMaster likes this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?Saigon Kick actually did get a moderately big hit with Love is on the Way, but that also hurt them, since it made people assume they were a pop metal band which led to either cries of "another one?" or people would buy the album, assuming they were getting lighter pop metal, then get bombarded with tunes like Hostile Youth, Peppermint Tribe, and My Dog (to be fair, there WERE lighter tunes on the album, but their work as a whole couldnt really be pigeonholed into one subgenre).
Posts : 2037 Join date : 2012-02-04 Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?I had long hair from about 17 to 21 and not since. Now that I'm back into Metal I'm contemplating growing it out again (and my wife wants to see what I look like with longer hair). I'm in that weird in-between phase where I really don't have any idea what to do with it. It's really a matter if I can stand this awkwardness long enough for it to get long. BaleMaster likes this post Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?I used to have long hair until I was 22. My hair is pretty curly so it took time to grow in length but it was very full. It may have played a role in courting the lady who is now my wife Anyway, I was operated for a bone tumor and although it was successfully removed, the surgical wound started to get very infected over the next few weeks. At some point the doctors gave me the heaviest antibiotics treatment possible, namely four pills per day for 42 days. It is during this treatment that at a few places my hair started falling out and my wife said that long hair made me look like a clown. After a while I looked into the mirror and realized that... she was not wrong. Nowadays I'm going for a less wild and more civilized look, but there are times when I look back at those times with a certain degree of nostalgia Andreas89Resident Power Metal Aficionado Posts : 1756 Join date : 2016-03-09 Age : 33 Location : Potsdam, Germany Re: Do you have long hair? Is long hair important? And clothing styles?
Your hair was probably like Peter Baltes from Accept.
Permissions in this forum: You cannot reply to topics in this forum Why do metalheads have long hair?From the Greek gods to the Bourbons: in many eras, long hair on a man meant virility, power and nobility. In today's western world, short hairstyles are a sign of discipline and authority.
Do you have to dress a certain way to be a metalhead?Like other musical genres, metal has its own unique image, and metalheads usually dress the part. A typical metalhead outfit involves a black band T-shirt, tight black pants, and sneakers. Then you can add a variety of accessories like denim jackets, jewelry, hats, and belts.
How do you grow a metalhead in your hair?just wait and don't cut it, really nothing more to it, and wash it of course. then you headbang and it gets a more metal look. Just grow it...isn't that kind of obvious? Though, I advise to trim split ends, not brush too hard (get a pick instead), and don't straighten it or blowdry too much.
Why do rockstars have long hair?Musicians tend to be ahead of the cultural curve and to shape it. Because it came of age in the 60's, rock music became strongly associated with long hair. Even newer rock musicians in the older sub-genres (classic rock, heavy metal) tend to keep to this convention. Conversely, punk rockers tend to have short haircuts.
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Do you have to have long hair to be a metalhead?
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