Misconceptions of the Heavy Metal Culture.
As what is quite possibly the most stereotypical genre of music in the world, Heavy Metal often comes under fire from people who do not understand it. Heavy Metal is often viewed as virtually devoid of intellect (the all noise and no brains' stereotype), but many artists are extremely intelligent. A surprisingly large number of musicians are compared to and inspired by great authors; in fact, Heavy Metal is quite possibly the type of music most closely connected to literature.
However, the stereotype is not entirely untrue. Some subgenres and musicians do focus mainly on noise and include little to no complex thought. This is limited to certain sections of the Metal culture which are generally dominated by young, angry people who play loud, angry music. While there is nothing wrong with this type of music (it can actually be quite entertaining), it is obviously not exceedingly intellectual. To avoid appearing biased, one must consider all aspects of the genre.
Grindcore, which derives its name from the guitar method of grinding up and down the strings rather than strumming across them, is one style that focuses heavily on noise and speed. Some Grindcore bands that defy the stereotype are Cryptopsy, Deicide and Skinlab, who are very different lyrically, but similar musically.
Cryptopsy's lyrics are vaguely reminiscent of the Transcendentalists, as they often depict nature's beauty. Unlike the Transcendentalists, however, their lyrics also display nature's fury and ruthlessness. For instance, the song " And Then it Passes- says "Biting bitterness Bitten, blizzard blowing Facial disfiguration Beaten red raw by the arctic fist- (And Then You'll Beg). Their intellect is clearly displayed throughout their albums. Cryptopsy is only one of the Grindcore bands who possess above average intelligence.
Another skilled Grindcore band is Deicide, whose lyrics are an attempt to promote Satanism.
