Issue 15 2009

“Metal connects with people regardless of their cultural, political or religious backgrounds, creating a new outlet they can’t find in their traditional cultures, a voice to express their discontent with the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds them in their rapidly changing societies. Metal is freedom.”
On the surface it would appear that the metal scene is dominated by Europe and America, but metal is very diverse and has infiltrated all corners of the globe. From Asia to the Middle East to South America, metal is everywhere.
Let’s start by looking at somewhere like Japan. For someone not familiar with modern Japanese culture you might think metal and Japan is a strange mix, but you would be very wrong. In the metal world the Japanese are known as being some of the most insane fans around, just picture business men in suits throwing their briefcases in the air and head banging like crazy and you’ll get the idea. If you want to film a live DVD or record a live CD, Japan is the place to do it.
The only place where the passion of the fans rival that of Japan is South America. In Brazil, heavy metal is associated with the arrival of democracy, as after the fall of the dictatorship in 1985, Brazil hosted the biggest rock festival in the world, Rock in Rio. Over the 10 days of the festival over 1.4 million people attended. In Brazil there is also an entire shopping mall dedicated to everything to do with metal. Many musicians use the saying, “The further South you get, the crazier the fans are”, with some fans in South America showing not only the good side of passion but also the bad. Bands have found themselves followed every second of the day by adoring fans, and Nightwish main man Tuomas Holopainen and new singer Anette Olzon received death threats from fans in Argentina angry at the firing of their last singer. Needless to say, tight security at all times is a must.
Finally I’m going to look at the Middle East, one of the last places you would expect to find a metal following. The more relaxed areas of the United Arab Emirates has become a haven for metal fans from across the area, migrating to Dubai once a year for Desert Rock, the only metal festival in the Middle East. There you can find fans from places such as Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, where simply listening to metal music, having long hair or wearing a band t-shirt could result in you being thrown in jail.
Metal is undoubtedly a unifier. Whether you’re from China, Brazil, Israel or Germany you instantly have something that connects you with millions of people worldwide who don’t care about you’re culture or religion, so long as you like metal.

The quote at the beginning was from Sam Dunn, summing up his film ‘Global Metal’. If you’re a fan and haven’t already, I highly suggest you check it out, as well as its predecessor ‘Metal: A Headbangers Journey’. Even if you’re not a fan of metal they’re worth a look.