It’s a debate that every metalhead has had countless times – is metal too narrow-minded? Inside Metal Hammer issue 300 we gathered three boundary-pushing bands in a room to have it out once and for all.
Ben Weinman from The Dillinger Escape Plan, Eddie Hermida from Suicide Silence and Jami Morgan from Code Orange sat down with Metal Hammer to discuss the idea of breaking the mould, staying true to yourselves and why it’s important not to play the game.
Here’s what Dillinger’s Ben Weinman had to say about why taking risks in metal is vital.
“The day that metal becomes rules, it’s not metal. It’s not risky, it’s not dangerous, your parents actually listen to it, some asshole in your class who knows nothing about the subculture or did the research is listening to it.”
In fact, it was this no-boundaries approach to metal that attracted Suicide Silence’s Eddie Hermida in the first place.
“The reason I got into metal is because it has no rules,” he says. “You could have a band like Judas Priest and you could have a band like fucking Suffocation, and to me that’s a huge deal. The fact that I was never really accepted in school or life, I turned to music, and metal happened to be the one place where I could walk into a room and not feel judged.”
Do you agree? Is metal at its best when it’s not pigeonholed? Or should there be a clear-cut line between what isn’t or isn’t metal? Let us know in the comments below!
The 300th issue of Metal Hammer is out now, featuring the biggest bands in heavy music delivering the definitive state of the nation address. It’s available in stores now. Or you can order your copy from our online store.
All of issue 300 is also available to read on TeamRock+ right now.
The biggest bands go head to head in Metal Hammer's State Of The Nation
