The problem with heavy metal, Malcolm says, is that the mainstream media misrepresented it for years.
“Every time the mainstream media used to cover it in the 70s and 80s, it was done from the point of view that ‘this is weird, we don’t understand it, we’re going to go away not understanding it but we’re going to present it to you anyway,'” he says.
Heavy metal was painted as the dark preserve of working class men who wore denim and leather and were, for the most part, sexist. That’s even before you take into account accusations of devil worship and Satanism leveled at the genre by Christian activists in the 80s.
Our modern society is spotless and clean, technology and fair, even and balanced. We don’t need this insurgent rush of naturalistic emotions and this affirmation of power. We want no power! We want no imbalance! We want everything to exactly the same, so we can control it and keep it away from us. Heavy metal… that’s dirty, it must be for losers.
