It only seems that way because the highly advanced thought processes of superintelligent beings like myself are incomprehensible to normal humans.

Incomprehensible to normal humans? That explains why I can indeed comprehend them. And the comprehension of them is....

they are incorrect.

I am no idea why you two are bickering over this. But it is sure as hell stupid.
I think what VoR was trying to say is that most people, in this thread at least, find the idea of metal as a religion stupid. I wholeheartedly agree with that (as I've said many times), metal does not need to be a religion and I'm pretty sure that if it was, the only people putting it down on a consensus form would be those ironic nobends who like to brag about shit things like that.
You might as well make rap a religion or pop, classical, rock etc. In short it's retarded.

I love this guy.

The two lil' bitches will stop it now or else they get the hose.

Are you people serious about being this serious about this? "No way, it will make metal hipster laughing stock", "no, don't you insult my metal" etc... If you indeed are that serious about metal, have your head checked by a skilled trepanator with a lot of diplomas on the wall, please.

It's a joke, and if it indeed gets a few hundred answers like that, it's a rather good joke. Funnier than voting for Mickey Mouse, anyway.

Metal shouldn't be a religion. Metal makes sense.

Well, I know you told me to stop bickering, but since you're genuinely asking a question I suppose I'm not out of line for answering it maturely.

Yes I take this seriously. What Biff Byford is doing brings a lot of spirit to the community, and I think it's very disrespectful to try and kill that spirit. That's just how I honestly feel about what's happening here, and as you're someone who's been into metal many years, I think you can understand what I mean, right?

For example, here in the U.S., you wouldn't go to an Independence Day cookout to celebrate your country and then begin ranting about how Americans are so full of themselves and should be ashamed for slavery and mistreatment of Indigenous American tribes. You go along with the patriotism, or you don't attend at all.

I'd like to think on a metal forum the same would hold true. If there's something about metal subculture that you think is overblown, it's best to keep it to yourself and stay out of a thread where the metalheads who enjoy that aspect of the subculture have united to celebrate it.

Just wanted to clear up why I was bickering with Voice of Reason.

/thread.

Self-flagellation is a major theme or undercurrent in the metal scene now, heavymetalbackwards. That is, many are consciously striving to find the "proper" level of seriousness with which to treat the artform and its attendant miscellany, and the present intellectual/social climate amongst the beautiful people, and the new people, tends to mandate that one recoil in horror and revulsion at the mere prospect of being seen as taking it "too seriously." It's just not very worldly, you see. Hence, there are times when it is necessary to publicly and conspicuously disavow certain of metal's idiosyncracies, great or small, real or perceived.

I am surprised you would expect otherwise, as you seem fairly perceptive, and I have seen you yourself partake in this sort of social ritual in other places.

Oh, I knew there would be some detractors to this idea. I just thought maybe we'd land a few more people who could raise their fists and enjoy this for what it is, and maybe take some pride in the fact that our subculture is so proud of itself that it would actually do something like this.

Anyway, I'm not sure what you mean by myself taking place in this social ritual in other places. Can't think of a time when I've ever expressed any sort of shame or embarrassment for perceived lack of intellectualism in metal. In my opinion, sometimes it's the straight-up rockers who might not have the highest IQ's but can get the message across about how to live life who are worth listening to, and that's why I don't feel my brain rotting at all when I listen to Quiet Riot or Ozzy Osbourne. There's a deep message in there, it's just very subtle, more subtle and deep than any of the cryptic ideas grungers and hipsters will search for in Kurt Kobain lyrics.

Thanks for the honest assessment, though.