Introduction
Heavy metal music has been an ever-enduring genre since its inception in 1968 with the band Black Sabbath (Grow, 2016). Since its humble beginnings, heavy metal has branched into a multitude of genres and subgenres that allows anyone to find a tribe belong to. Through communications with the t-shirts they wear and the patches they have on their vests, metalheads have created an unspoken universal language that allows other metalheads to know what tribe they belong to instantly. This essay will start with a brief history of heavy metal, then explain how metalheads identify themselves by their clothes and finally discuss how the unspoken communication of band t-shirts has become a universal language.
Brief History of Heavy Metal
As the genre of metal evolved over the years, many other genres and subgenres have branched out on the metal family tree. Ranging from traditional metal (with bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest) to black metal (with bands like Mayhem, Immortal, and Dimmu Borgir) to Power metal, Nu Metal, and so many more, heavy metal provides a plethora of choices, sounds, and styles that speak to a metalheads likes and dislikes and for them to find a tribe or tribes to belong to.
The genre of heavy metal began in 1968 with the band Black Sabbath hailing from Birmingham, England. The working-class roots and an opposite pendulum swing from the peace and love of the 60s era saw a heavier sound that one review likened to that of “a bunch of heavy metal being smashed together” (Childers, 2022. para 3). This was one of the first mentions of the term heavy metal in a musical setting, and while the band initially did not enjoy the moniker, they did eventually embrace it.
Other metal bands, such as Deep Purple, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, came with Black Sabbath. These bands took what Black Sabbath was doing and began experimenting and creating unique, heavy, and melodic sounds (A Brief History of Metal, n.d. para 4). The genre continually grew, which lead to the creation of thrash metal with the bands Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Slayer (Metallica Makes Comeback, 2016).
Branching even further into more genres saw the creation of the black metal subgenre. Marked by their corpse paint, shrieking vocal styles, anti-Christian, Norse mythology and Satanic lyrical themes, and powerful auditory instrumentation (Black Metal Music Guide, 2021. para 2), black metal was an extreme pendulum shift away from the overproduced sounds of earlier heavy metal bands. Some notable black metal bands include Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, and Cradle of Filth.
The subgenre of nu-metal fused heavy metal with other musical genres such as hip-hop, grunge, and industrial metal (Nu Metal Guide, 2021. para 2). Some of the most recognizable bands in this subgenre include Korn, Static-X, Soulfly, and Linkin Park. Including other musical genres, nu-metal created a unique mix of sounds and introduced a broader audience to the heavy metal genre.
Fast forward to the 2010s and the new wave of traditional heavy metal, also seen as NWOTHM (Cram, 2021. para 2). Bands like Visigoth, Eternal Champion, and Spirit Adrift are a few under this heavy metal genre. This genre’s sound harkens to the heavy metal bands of the 70s and 80s, like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
Identity
A quick and visual way to identify as a member of a particular genre or subgenre tribe is by wearing a metal band t-shirt. Wearing a specific band shirt to a concert lets other concertgoers know what genre of metal you are interested in and allows them to decide if they want to engage with you. With heavy metal, a person can belong to many different tribes; they are not restricted to a single genre of heavy metal.
By wearing a specific band t-shirt, you tell everyone at a concert or in everyday life what metal tribe you belong to. As well as providing a representation of which tribe you would belong to, the metal band t-shirt gives the wearer a sense of community (Berg, A. et al. 2015. para 6). Identifying yourself in the metal community brings a sense of belonging, which is essential in the counter-culture of heavy metal.
When asked, do you make assumptions about people based on their band t-shirt? Member of the metal community and digital marketer Jonathan Schieman said, “The T-shirt chosen to be worn at the concert is like the person’s flag in the air, saying I represent this metal tribe” (personal conversation, November 24, 2022). Being able to represent multiple metal tribes you belong to quickly and visually makes the band t-shirt a vital part of the metalhead’s outfit.
In addition to creating an identity for a person, the metal band t-shirt collection can also be a visual, wearable diary and a reminder of past concerts the person has been to (Cornwell, 1990. para 9). Having physical, wearable memories of past shows provides the wearer with a visual identity marker of which metal tribe they belong to.
Communicating
When it comes to communicating without talking, the choice of t-shirt lets other concertgoers know which metal tribe you belong to. At a metal concert, it can be tough to talk to those around you, so having the visual of a band t-shirt lets those around you know instantly what metal tribe you belong to.
Communicating through band t-shirts has become a universal language for metalheads worldwide. How would you start a conversation with someone wearing a familiar band t-shirt? CJSR Heavy Metal Lunch Box host Brian Surgeon said, “I’ve often gotten help in foreign places when travelling by talking to people in metal shirts and have made some steadfast friends who like the same stuff as me. It’s almost like a universal language or a bit of a beacon and is usually a decent icebreaker.” (Personal conversation, November 24, 2022). When at festivals like Wacken Open Air in Germany, there are people from all over the world, and if they don’t speak the same language, they can still connect by belonging to the same metal tribe.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when it comes to letting other concertgoers know what metal tribe you belong to, choosing the right band shirt is a quick and visual way to do so. Identifying with specific metal genres helps create a sense of belonging within the community. With the vast number of genres and subgenres in metal, there are multiple tribes for everyone’s taste. Even if you don’t belong to the same tribe as another metalhead, the community is welcoming to all. Even though they look mean and scary, metalheads are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.
References
A Brief History of Metal. (n.d). Metal MIT.
https://metal.mit.edu/brief-history-metal
Berg, A., Gulden, T., Ornais, V. H., Pavel, N., Sjøvoll, V. (2015 June, 8-12). The Metal T-Shirt Transmedia Storytelling in Products. https://oda.oslomet.no/oda-xmlui/handle/10642/4785
Cornwell, T.B. (1990). T-Shirts As Wearable Diary: an Examination of Artifact Consumption and Garnering Related to Life Events. Advances in Consumer Research Volume 17, Pages 375-379. https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/7036
Black Metal Music Guide: A Brief History of Black Metal. (2021 August, 3). Masterclass.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/black-metal-music-guide
Childers, C. (2022 May, 29). Geezer Butler Reveals How Black Sabbath Initially Got their ‘Sarcastic’ ‘Heavy Metal’ Label. Loudwire. https://loudwire.com/geezer-butler-how-black-sabbath-initially-got-sarcastic-heavy-metal-label/
Cram, P. (2021 March, 25). What Is NWOTHM? 12 Must-Hear Bands from the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal. https://www.prestoncram.com/post/what-is-nwothm-12-must-hear-bands-from-the-new-wave-of-traditional-heavy-metal
Grow, K. (2016, February 25). Black Sabbath on Sixties Origins: ‘We Were rejected Again and Again.’ Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/black-sabbath-on-sixties-origins-we-were-rejected-again-and-again-192645/
Nu Metal Guide: Explore the Genre’s History and Characteristics. (2021 June, 7). Masterclass.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/nu-metal-guide
Metallica Makes Comeback in Thrash Metal With New Album. (2016 August, 19). TRTWorld.
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