Perky goth, mopey goth, glitter goth – we’ve all heard these names for the subsets of gothic culture. I’m quite sceptical about the latest one – metal goths.
If punks listen to punk rock, and ravers listen to rave music, then wouldn’t one draw the conclusion that goths would listen to goth? General consensus does say that goth is primarily a lifestyle and way of thinking, and a too many people think it’s all about fashion, but what about the music? Isn’t that important too? Although there are many arguements over whether the culture predated the music genre or vice versa, I think most would admit that music is an intregal part of gothic culture. And the metal-goth crossover bands are so few and far between that I see no reason to confuse one for the other. So then why do heavy metal fans get gothed up and claim to be one of us? I respect people who have an appreciation for the fashion and dress that way for fun, but to go as far as to claim membership without a functional knowledge of our music seems a bit ignorant to me. I’m not a big fan of snobbery but there is a certain level of elitism in the scene, and I think that is simply because while we accept everyone, we have standards for those who want to be accepted as goth. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t meet the standards – I love Siouxsie, Bauhaus, the Cure, and Dead Can Dance, and I can tell you not to buy any Christian Death albums after Valor’s takeover, but if you ask me the lineup of Current 93 or the Birthday Party’s original name I’m apt to grin sheepishly and shrug. However I am dedicated to expanding my musical knowledge, and I know it’s going to take time and effort to succesfully do so. I’m like a little kid discovering for the first time that I have toes – it’s great and I want to know more but it’ll be a while before I have the whole anatomy down. I just don’t want to see my considerable efforts mocked by those who feel that they can declare themselves something and automatically be it. Wouldn’t a surgeon be offended and annoyed if someone with no medical training infiltrated their operating room and insisted on assisting them? Maybe I’m taking this all too seriously, but goth is very dear to me and the though of it becoming even more misunderstood than it already is is disenheartening. What do all of you think about the metal goths?