We've all been there, you're blasting some of your favourite songs and someone will come along and comment upon it, often with hilarious consequences. Here are a few of my own experiences:

"If these guys can shred they certainly can hide it well", my older brother on Bathory's 'Massacre'. It should be noted that he likes Testament, a lot.

"What random hair metal band is this", older brother on Black Sabbath's 'Headless Cross'.

"THE CAT ON THE MAT!!!" my other brother on Sodom's 'The Saw is the Law'.

"Sounds like REM", same brother on Manilla Road's 'Necropolis'.

"I don't approve of this sort of thing", my mother on Manowar.

"No wonder you're single", my mother, again, on Manowar. I don't recall ever talking to girls about Manowar, hmmm.

"Who's this?" my father sounding interested by what he hears "Saxon", I replied. Father: "Ugh" *walks out of room*

Share your own experiences of this sort of thing.

"That devil music", many people.

"This screaming stuff is cool, who is it?" a random cheerleader at school commenting on Testament. It was an instrumental song...

"How come these guys don't cut their hair?" my friend Katie on the band Kittie.

"LEAVE THE HALL!" Diego, the bassist/vocalist for my band Xorcist, when hearing that I liked a few Motley Crue songs.

"Dude, this shit sounds like a fucking mountain lion being dragged by a tractor," my dad on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas [song].

I was hanging out with a friend and his girl the other day .. I've known him for years and he's mostly into folk rock stuff (his favourite performer is Gordon Lightfoot). He's seen me getting more into this metal stuff and so has heard me talk about a lot of bands, and I've even played some for him. Because of his music-listening habits, though he's a guitar player himself and likes tasteful and classy acoustic stuff, he tends to focus on lyrics a lot, and consequentially, vocals. He says a lot of the metal stuff makes him laugh and he can't take seriously stuff that's "just screaming". I was telling him about Demontage's upcoming album and that one of us does the sort of growling, bellowing vocals while I do another style .. and he asked if my contributions were more like "AAAAAAH!" in a high, shrieky falseto voice..

Edit: Hah, that "De Mysteriis" comment was awesome.

hahaha. Awesome stuff. Your brother's comments made me laugh too.

I probably had a ton of comments like this to share back in the day...I can't remember that far back.

That's a shame I was looking forward for some comments from some of the older board members, I'd hope there would be some really extreme reactions.

Funny thing is my mum had quite a metal youth. She's from Newcastle and she actually saw Venom back in the day! In addition to that she came in whilst I was watching a Motorhead video and commented "I've had a drink with him"... I'm actually rather jealous.

"...you know, death metal, like that Varg band" - a close friend... sigh. He knows WHO Varg is. But he gets the genre and the band name wrong. Always calling 'black metal' 'death metal'.

"We play death metal..you know..lamb of god, avenged sevenfold.."
- poser band in my locality

me - rotflmfao!

Not verbatim, as it was a while ago, but:

My cousin's husband (who I've only met a couple of times): I like to ride my motorbike whilst listening to music.

Me: Oh, cool - what bands do you like?

My cousin's husband: You know, really heavy shit. Metal.

Me: Oh, right...like who? I like a lot of death metal, black metal, heavy metal, who are you into?

My cousin's husband: Yeah, I like a lot of the death metal and hardcore parts on Korn's early stuff, they're really heavy. Disturbed, too, but they're sometimes too heavy, you know?

Me: Oh.

My dad on the solo in Angel of Death "sounds like someone scraping a fork across a dinner plate".

i always hear stuff like this said about bands like Slipknot..but the metal i like would probably blow these people's minds into another dimension with its extreme force or overtly satanic relevance.

"Sounds lovely, like a dentists drill." My uncle on Darkthrone.
"He's listening to static." Random guys at school on Goatmoon (through headphones though.)

"Horrible noise". My mother 25 years ago, when I was new to metal.

"Okay, they are talented and there's certainly much more musical talent and more ideas in this than in pop music." My mother some months ago on Epiclore (actually quite poppy power/prog).

"It's very melodic, but I'm sorry, I just dislike the volume and acoustic pressure of electric guitars. I feel sorry for the guy who has to sing against this racket." My mother on the same occasion (on some Manilla Road, I believe, either Mystification or Dragon Star).

"I just don't like whatever they do with their voices." A friend of mine on black and death metal generally (she likes, but doesn't actively seek out, trad and power).

"Funny, that grunting with that happy music." Same friend, on some melodeath.

"Just perfect, if it wasn't for the voice." Same friend, on Ensiferum's Tale of Revenge.

"Ok, why not." Electronica and dancefloor-listening friend of mine on Emperor's Cosmic Keys To My Creation & Times.

"Let's go to a pub where they don't play supersonic music." Another friend of mine on metal/punk/grunge/all music with distorted guitars and someone screaming generally.

Well, growing up my dad used to tell me that "one day I'd grow out of it". A few years back, I went to buy the latest Kreator cd in a record shop (Violent Revolution, if I remember correctly) and when I asked the guy at the counter if they had it he said "aren't you a little old to be listening to that?"

He maintained that he was only joking after I gave him the "Fuck you" stare.

"LIFE IS SOO CRUUUUEL. I CUT MY WRISTS TO EASE MY EMOTIONAL PAAAAAAIN" when i played fear factory when i went camping.

There's loads more just can't think of 'em right now...

Well, now that someone's mentioned it... actually there ARE some similarities.

Just a little, yes. It's still funny, I must stress that my twin brother is a metalhead, too... he generally says tongue in cheek things about stuff I listen to.

@ogmetal, I call that the "you're a leper stare" it's a primary reason for buying metal albums for extortionate prices from mainstream outlets. Make sure you get your money's worth!

i actually can't see anyone else but older/mature people listening to extreme metal like Kreator. fuck that guy.

Well, there are always the simple, yet diehard classics, stuff like "that's devil music" (especially if it's early Trouble that's playing, which is a true tale on lumping everything into the same pile), "it's noise, man", and "it's total garbage" to the 'best-if-serious' one about Poison..."hey, they're kinda hot" and, of course, everyone's favorite "kill your mother, rape your sister".

"Devil music" also brought rise to endearing high school nicknames like 'devil man' and 'Satan'. My, weren't my classmates inventive?

My dad when I first bought Venom's Welcome to Hell and he was reading the back cover - "well, this is really lovely stuff". Then playing it or any other album - "will you lower that shit. Can't even hear myself on the goddamn phone."

My mother upon reading Exodus "A Lesson in Violence" lyrics - "he shouldn't be listening to this", further extrapolated in my Bonded by Blood review.

My uncle on every album I ever got for Christmas around the mid/late '80s - "they're all babies. Look at all the babies." To him, they were kiddies compared to Clapton, Hendrix, Santana, Townshend and other rock/blues guitarists, which isn't a statement wholly without merit.

My grandfather on anything he's ever heard me play - "all they ever do is scream. Whatever happened to singing? Jesus Christ!" and shakes his head as he leaves the room with a Jim Roselli or Dean Martin album in his hand.

My mother on the singer for Tristitia - "Um, is Hercules singing?".

My landlord speaking to his father around '97-'98 - "I thought you opened the garage door, but then I realized it was just Dave's music."

"It sounds like a baby on fire" - Cradle of Filth's Dani Filth when scrutinized during a drop-off by my then-UPS driver.

Any car ride going anywhere with friends, whether I'm there or not "...anything but Dave's music...please."

When an exceedingly '80s metal song is played at the bar -
"Dave, this is one of your songs, ain't it?".
"Yeah, how'd you know?", waiting for some stupid comment.
"It just sounds so...old. I was probably around two when this came out."

The DJ at said bar, Al, 40, is a total '80s glam/hair guy/drummer - "You can tell it's one of Dave's songs 'cause it's '80s metal and I'm not singing along to it."

My old boss in '86, upon hearing "Enter to the realm of Satan!" during Slayer's Altar of Sacrifice, turns and gives me a look like I just scraped my butt raw with a cheese grater and then sat in a bowl of gin, then leaves shaking his head (is it me or do a lot of people shake their head when faced with our stuff?).

"...sounds like a lawnmower" is another halfway decent, if not simplistic one.

And a final one from Al the DJ which is actually a compliment, whilst speaking to Dave Maestro a.k.a. Archives member Dreadnaught and myself - "The selection's good here for metal and stuff 'cause I bring the glam and hair crap, you (speaking to Dreadnaught) bring all the old hardcore and punk, and Dave brings...well, everything else."

Gawd, there are so many more. I'll have to think.

I sent the video of Gorgoroth's "Carving A Giant" to my friend / boss.

"While watching it, I think I felt Satan's pitchfork stabbing into my spine!"

He likes some metal, but had never heard black metal.

''ahaha this is satanic rock music!'' my friend on Inzest - Shut da Fuck Up

''what do you find appealing about this shit?'' another friend on Kreator - Enemy of God

''you like Iron Maiden, eh? they're an old band...'' the examiner at my Trinity oral exam yesterday (I was like ''WTF'' and it turns out she's a fan of Bruce Springsteen, her husband sells metal shirts and has toured with Metallica, and she has a Metallica shirt signed by all band members. now I was like ''OMG super cool!!'')

''good music, but I don't like the voice, it's too grunting'' my dad on Ancient Rites after i filled with metal music his mp3 player

me: ''dad, you've heard nothing...'' and then I put on Venom - Burn in Hell and start headbanging

dad: '' don't shake your head like that, or your brain hits the walls of your skull and you'll feel sick!''

''can you recommend me some death metal band? like Suicide Silence or Linkin Park...'' a poser girl

''Children of Bodom aren't melodic death metal! the're heavy metal, i read it on Wikipedia!'' same poser girl

"Nothing but total noise" - a coworker when hearing some melodic hard rock/AOR on the radio

"Is this Megadeth?" My parents on Metallica

"Sounds like Prog." My Dad on South of Heaven

"Is this My Bloody Valentine? I like them, whoever it is" My Mum on Alcest

"I can see the merit in this" My dad on Reign in Blood

"Aww, I was getting into that!" My Dad, without a hint of sarcasm, after my Mum turns off Cannibal Corpse's Make the Suffer (though he was drunk at the time).

"That dude has a cool beard" - Som guy from my school on Johan Hegg

"Do you have any Chopin?" My Gran on Amon Amarth

"This Dave Mustaine guy sounds like a Dick." My non-metal friend after I talk about Dave Mustaine for a while

"Hail Satan"- Random dude at school on Kreator

"Is that actually a human?" Some girl on Cannibal Corpse

EDIT: Remmeberd some more

"Sounds like Slade" - Friends mum on Evisceration Pluage

"Nu-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuhnuhnuh, Yes, thats a popular one."- Same mum on Raining Blod's Main Riff,

"Are these guys really singing in Latin?" My dad in the middle of a Therion song.

"I wasn't aware you could have an opera singer/choirs and still be considered metal, much less sing about dragons and shit," Mom after listening to The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight.

"Doesn't that hurt?" My sister while listening to Windir.

"Ouch," Friend during the opening of Ildjarn's Stength and Anger.

Probably my favorite, though there's no real comedic value: "No wonder people everywhere think so negatively on metal. This isn't anything like what we're lead to believe on MTV and VH1; this is actually good!" My dad, again, after the conclusion of a compilation CD containing songs from Therion, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Blind Guardian, and Death.

In high school I was really into grindcore, and upon exposing my black hiphop/pop liking friend to some Assuck, he commented that it sounded like "a bunch of guys throwing garbage cans around." Other friends of this similar type were actually intrigued/amazed that this sort of music existed when I played for them some old Carcass and other gore-grindy type stuff that I listened to in high school, although none of them went so far as to express actual interest in listening to it. Admittedly, grind tends to be less palatable even to metalheads, but I bet they would've had the same opinion if I'd thrown on any death or black metal track.

In general it seems most people simply dismiss any kind of extreme metal as outright "noise" right off the bat, giving it only a rudimentary and half-assed once-over listen. Others who are actually willing to accept it isn't just 'garbage cans' being tossed around and who may actually like some of the music, seem to draw the line at the vocals. This is something I simply can't understand, because for me growling/screaming vocals were one of the primary attractors drawing me in to this stuff, and I am extremely picky about 'clean' vocals in any context.

lol Thats actually not terribly far off. Big shoegaze influence in Alcest, good reaction for a mom, I'd say.

"Sounds like he's raping the guitar." my stepbro about the solo of Concatination by Meshuggah

"This stuff is only good when you're smoking weed." roommate to Agoraphobic Nosebleed

"How can you listen to this stuff? Please, I can't concentrate or think. It needs to go off." - my mom to Anaal Nathrah

this one is right, that's exactly what they do!

My parents actually have a very diverse music taste, so they don't have a problem at all with me lsitening to any kind of metal.

introduce him to ICS Vortex's clean vocals in Dimmu Borgir, or even Ihsahn. get your grandpa to start going around chanting "INNO A SATANA!"

I get that one a lot, but that's why I always like to drive everywhere so I'm in control.

Others:

"Why do you guys hit your heads on the walls? Doesn't that hurt??" - My mom after I said I was headbanging hard at a show the previous night.

"How does they do that??" My dad after me showing him Amon Amarth's "Runes to my Memory" video talking about the windmilling.

"So that's a machine right?" My friend after showing him the intro to "Silence Calls the Storm" by Quo Vadis.

A few years ago I was listening to Opeth's "Morningrise," and upon hearing the first few minutes of "Advent" my 'all-knowing' friend commented: "You know those vocals aren't real, right?" I just laughed and turned it up.

Hehe, I get pretty much the same thing.

"You know, this is your typical headbanging music." -My mom (after doing a caricatured 'headbanging pose'), hearing me play Kalmah's "For my Nation."

"...um......yeah......O kaaaaaayyyy.....just a little too spooky for me....
I just can't believe singing like that is good for the vocal cords. Has anyone done any follow-ups on former viking metal band members??!?!?!?" -My mom via email, after I sent her a link to Borknagar's "The Eye of Oden" and ranting about how good it was.

"Trust me, it doesn't take that much to dress up in black, borrow some money from your parents and sing about mythology."-My friend Ross on metal in general, although he later admitted that he liked Finntroll's "Ur Jordens Djup."

"I should cut you for making me listen to this."-Ross as I was playing some Bal-Sagoth in my car (the whole "I'll cut you" thing is a long inside joke between us.)

"This would be much better without the growling."-My dad on Turisas.

Excellent thread, keep 'em coming.

The brother of a friend of mine (who obviously never REALLY listened to anything metal related), he always gives the following comment when I walk in listening to music (whether this is Iron Maiden, Marduk or Suffocation): 'What the fuck is this shit, just some peoply screaming and slamming on a drumkit like a retard, goddamn'.

I was showing a good friend (and room mate), who's favorite type of music is honest to god 90s alt-rock, my new Master's Hammer vinyl because I was so proud of it. I explained to him how rare the cd versions are and blah blah blah. Upon folding out the small poster that comes with it all he could muster is "Uh...wow...these guys look...weird.". I asked what exactly he meant by weird, and he referenced the pentagram and the face paint. I told him the word he was looking for was satanic, not weird. He then explained that satanism is weird.

He has admitted that he got high and went looking around for some of my Manilla Road albums once because he wanted to hear more of them...I had to be proud of him then.

Awesome.

Other than the its just noise i havent heared any comments really.

My sister however found Septic Flesh's Communion really extreme interestingly enough, despite me having much harsher music.

Oh, I forgot the best one:

"That sounds like Barry Manilow." - My mom on Garm as I was listening to La Masquerade Infernale.

"Now that's a funny band!" - one of my classmates on Ahab

"Sounds like there's an exorcism going on in here." - my father entering the room while I was listening to Khanate

"Motorhead suck because Lemmy is ugly." - a friend of mine

"There's no heavyness in Doom at all." - the same friend

"What, like depressive but somehow funny?" - one of my bandmates as I expressed to him my intention to play Doom Metal with some faster parts

Is your speaker broke? - my dad in serveral occations.

While listening to Earth 2.
My friend: Does this go anywhere?
Me: No....why?

Also kind of funny. Most of my friends listen to Guus Meeuwis fanatically, (dutch people will know him, think party music etc)
So obviously the entire week when we were camping songs of beer were being sung. On return we were on the highway when I suddenly put in Electric Wizard's Return Trip. I am sure I will never forget the next five minutes. When they realised what happenend they covered their ears, began screaming (of course they think its only screaming), tried to put it off, and some of them hang half outside the window reaching for the others cars.

"Your Emo-Screamo stuffs annoying" - My friend on every metal band I listen to.

"All I heard is RAWR RAWR" - My mom on Deicide.

And I have tons more that are similar to that.

I was in a car with a trancehead friend and I got frustrated with all the boring trance music pouring out, so I pulled out a CD I made which had a Szron type logo that I drew on it.
Friend: "Hey man, what's this CD you have?"
Me: "A bunch of Metal songs. Wanna hear?"
Friend: "Cool, I like Hard Rock stuff! Put it in."
*CD goes in player, Immortal's "At the Hear of Winter" starts to play*
Friend: "Nice!"
Me: "Yep, this is Black Metal. I can get you more if you like it."
Friend: "Sure thing! Am I a metalhead now?"

Seeing that he liked it, I decided to leave the CD in his car in hopes of him getting out of trance and more into Metal. A few days later, his sister (who likes soft music) was going to take the car for a ride. Few minutes passed after she left, then she came back to the house again looking scared shitless and trembling, and she was saying "THERE ARE EVIL SPIRITS IN THE CAR! IT'S POSSESSED!"

It turns out my CD was still in the player and the track was Anaal Nathrakh - Lama Sabachthani.
She also said the logo gave her nightmares