METAL IN MUSIC| מטאל במוזיקה

By Diane Rafizadeh, JE’19

ORIGINAL

TRANSLATION

Pop culture is a fascinating subject all around the world, but especially so in the state of Israel, a country that is only 69 years old and has had a relatively short amount of time to develop its popular culture from scratch. Even more complex is the subject of heavy metal music, at the fringes of pop culture. Few people are familiar with this style of music, but the people who love it are undoubtedly passionate about it. Metal is especially popular in the United States, Scandinavia, England, Latin America, Israel, and in the Middle East in general, among other countries.

Metal is an important part of my life, and lately I’ve become more familiar with this style in Hebrew and in Israel. For example, I think the band Orphaned Land is a great example of what metal stands for. Many people enjoy listening to Orphaned Land because their music is diverse and their ideology attracts people of various backgrounds and interests. Fans from a number of Arab countries also appreciate the band’s music, and one day the band hopes to visit countries like Iran. Whether this is possible in the near future is uncertain, but the message of metal is clear: it brings people together. It’s funny to me that, despite this, so many people are wary or even afraid of metal. Metalheads might come on a little strong, but we love peace, I promise!