Heavy metal-fast achieving cult status among Indian youth

Besides love, joy and happiness there are these darker emotions called rage, anger, pain and disappointment. Sadly, there is no one ring that rules them all, no one genre that expresses them all.

“Heavy Metal” is that sip of energy drink that helps metal heads get out of that situation. Its heavy sound and fantasy, passion in pain, lyrics inspired from with-in creates such an infinite energy illusion which makes the metal-heads head bang the frustration off. To say it again , this is “Heavy Metal”, a genre that has with-stood the storms of time and inspired the metal heads to withstand those of life.

“Heavy Metal” is the language of the disappointed, the depressed, the deprived, the agonized, the pained who dare not express in public, but want their voice reach the crowds. Heavy Metal bands find their inspiration from pain and struggle, they are people who experienced misery and fought with circumstances more certainly. To strive, to seek, and not to yield; this genre of music is all about indomitable human spirit. The fans adulate them for the music, which is pure, straight and passionate.

Why am I talking about all this? There is a pertinent, for some, a perturbed question- Why heavy metal in India? Heavy Metal being one of most distinctly non-Indian form of music questioning the softness of Indian music, burgeoned into the most popular among the youth. Any college cultural fest wouldn’t do with out the rock bands performing. The growing popularity has to do with the incessant academic pressure Indian youth has.

“Heavy Metal” makes a getaway from the hectic lifestyle, since in India average means bad and lack of successful academic life leads to frustration, Heavy Metal acts as a respite from the triteness that creeps into and takes hold of college lifestyle.

“Heavy Metal” is attitude. The rebellious aggression of rock stars earns youngsters’ adulation. The spirit and energy of youth is defined this way. It’s the victory of freedom over authority.

With the best of world bands flooding to India, It is obvious Indian youth would have in mind the emulation of these stars. One of my friends Kalyan, an IIT student, a guitarist himself reacts after watching the IRON MAIDEN’S show in India, “They are GODS!”. Bruce Dickinson must hear this. Am sure his address as a mortal would invite derisive laughter of thousands. To the 20,000 people in Bangalore watching IRON MAIDEN play that night, He was nothing short of divine, inspiration for another generation.

The other international bands are following. The local bands like death incarnate, rudra, parikrama and the likes are flourishing. The youngsters realize they can make money out of their passion. A well paid job is not a fantasy anymore. Some four or five lads combine and form a band, express their frustration, write their pain.

We see in the coming years, Indian youth clad in black T-shirts, sporting long hair, moving with passion, aggression and attitude imitating their rock heroes. In the coming years, we see the “Indian ness” in the Heavy Metal which was already experimented by the linkin park and the other bands.

Now where do we stand, Do you hear “Heavy Metal”?

Written by: Bonzo
(bhanu_jovi@yahoo.co.in)
Source: Times of India
Picture: Columbia Pictures