How To Be a Bad Asian: I’m a Metalhead

By Mike | Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | 41 Comments

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deathmetal How To Be a Bad Asian: Im a Metalhead

Life is hard enough as an Asian. Not all of us can get perfect SAT scores, graduate from medical school or trick out a Honda Civic. The pressure to embrace our culture remains but sometimes, we just don’t want to. How To Be A Bad Asian is an ongoing series of personal essays by the 8Asians writers about what sets us apart from the API community, how we deal with the stereotypes that we put upon ourselves and why we all can’t be that perfect Asian. It’s time to be bad.

Nothing scares little old Asian ladies as much as guttural growls and double-bass drum blasts. Except, perhaps, Tila Tequila. When my Mom first heard me playing a Metallica tape, she asked me if I was getting a headache. Then she asked how I could listen to people screaming and banging around furniture. This, as you can imagine, is not what she had in mind when she threw me into music to take violin lessons.

Asian Americans are not a common sight at heavy metal shows. I think I counted three at the last Slayer show and just one at All That Remains. Otherwise, it’s typically a sea of homogeneity.

(All bands are linked so you can check out some of their delectable tunes. I’m rocking out to Chimaira as I type this.)

I tell my Mom to blame it all on MTV. Faith No More’s video for “Epic” was on heavy rotation back in the day. The flopping fish was kinda sad, but the tunes were catchy and addictive. Then I discovered Headbanger’s Ball. HFS. What an awesome barrage of energy. Before all this, I didn’t have much of a musical taste. I listened to whatever pop song was on the radio. Madonna, Phil Collins, that sort of thing.

Now, I’m into a range of guitar artistry. From the psychedelic purrs of Pink Floyd to the pounding percussion of Pestilence, and most everything in between: Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Paradise Lost, Pain, Pantera, etc.

Most Asian Americans I meet are into pop, hip hop, or some kind of Asian-pop (J-pop, K-pop, C-pop, whatever-pop). I’m generally greeted with blank stares or, “Oh…” replies whenever I tell them what I like. A few will echo my Mom: “How can you listen to that noise?”

To be fair, there are those into hard rock and metal too. They’ll head-bang to a Megadeth song right alongside me. There’s always a fair number of Asian American fans at Linkin Park shows too, though they’re not as common at similar acts like Crazy Town or Stuck Mojo.

Rare as Asian American metalheads are, I know of a few and we’ve bonded over this fact. Even traded a few mix tapes (back in the day) and MP3s with them.

The extreme end of metal is remarkably empty of Asian Americans, however. I’m talking about sub-genres like death metal, black metal, grindcore, deathcore, etc. Understandably, this isn’t music for everyone. There are sub-genres in every form of music. Many thrive on their obscurity. They revel in being difficult to consume. And woe to the bands that go mainstream – they get labeled as sell outs.

Why are there so few Asian American fans? I don’t know, but maybe it has something to do with one’s childhood environment. I grew up in a mostly-white town. The popular genres of music here were rock and pop. No country or electronica. And hip hop was just emerging and considered to be too “black” by the popular kids.

Death metal wasn’t popular either. Metalheads, or “dirtbags,” as the other kids would call them, were the misfits and outcasts. Being a minority as one out of three Asian Americans in my school, I was also a misfit and outcast.

I started listening to death metal before falling into this crowd though. In many ways, I got along with this crowd because I listened to the same music. They were more into Black Sabbath than Bold Thrower though, more Led Zeppelin than Lamb of God but it was close enough. I liked Sabbath and Zeppelin, too. We got along with our shared tastes in killer riffs and catchy hooks.

Once I hit college, I stopped hanging out with that crowd. Gone were my heavy metal t-shirts and denim jackets. (I never had spiked leather pants though. I was into the music, not the fashion.) As a result, no one could tell I listened to death metal by my appearances – and hey, like Mom always said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” right?

I still try to catch a show or two though and I still enjoy discovering new bands. Old school death metal acts like Death and Obituary still grace my MP3 player just as much as rockers of the newer genres, like nu metal (Saliva) and metalcore (Killswitch Engage). Yes, I do love me some crunchy guitars and growly vocals.

This is all very far from the Bach and Beethoven that my Mom wanted me to play on my violin. That’s what you get for not forcing me to practice everyday, Mom!

P.S.

Didja know there is a metal scene in Asia? Check out these Asian rockers:

Sigh (Japanese)
Chthonic (Taiwanese)
Overload (Chinese)
Vyson (Japanese)
Moss (Chinese)
Shadow (Japanese)
Infernal Chaos (Taiwanese)
Lunar Eclipse (Chinese)
Hydrophobia (Japanese)
Suffocated (Chinese)
Disconformity (Japanese)
Purgatory (Chinese)

Rock on! For more headbanging, check out Popcast88′s interview with guys behind the documentary, GLOBAL METAL.

[Photo courtesy of here]

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How To Be A Bad AsianMusic

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duckwhisperer

Boris is an awesome heavy Japanese band too. Great post!
Xxxtine

Hey Mike, did you ever check out the 2 documentaries on the evolution of Heavy Metal? Headbanger’s Journey and Global Metal – check it out if you haven’t yet, very well done.
rockrobot

Well, there was Death Angel back in the 80s that was kinda big heh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Angel

The first Asian American rock group I ever heard back in the 80s in my younger days
BrianJian

Mike, you like metal??? Man, I started on Justice for All as a third grader (I still consider it my personal favorite Metallica album). But I’m a purist who actually likes the Black album yet appreciates “Puppets”, too. And you like Faith No More!?? Dude… That’s awesome. Angel Dust is one of THE most underrated rock/metal albums of all time. Love, love, love Living Colour, Sabbath (of course), etc. I remember every Saturday night as a kid watching Headbangers Ball, with Riki Rachtmen. Brotha, I’ll match you mullet-pic for mullet-pic!

Wow. This was a blast from the past…
http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org mikeleeorg

@BrianJian Riki Rachtmen! Oh yea!

I got introduced to Metallica with Ride the Lightning, so I still have a soft spot for Lightning. And Master of Puppets, of course. I remember trying to play Puppets on the guitar. Never got very good though.

Oh hells yea, FNM’s Angel Dust rocks. I hope those guys really do get back together.
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@rockrobot How could I forget! I never quite got into them though. I liked Overkill, Testament, and those other thrash guys, but never quite took to Death Angel. Not sure why. But they definitely deserve a mention for being Asian American rockers! Thanks for bringing them up.
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@Xxxtine I haven’t yet unfortunately.
http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org mikeleeorg

@duckwhisperer Thanks! Glad to see another metalhead out there!
http://tinabot.blogspot.com TinaTsai

Got room in your playlist for this LA rock band? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7xSf38ZtLs

You and APA metal head Full Metal Ninja would get along very well. There’s a reason why he goes by the name Full Metal Ninja ^O^

I wouldn’t say I’m a full on metal head, but I do like my rock music.

My fav bands are Random Ninjas, Linkin Park, Incubus, System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, Korn, Hoobastank, Slipnot, Pantera, Evanesence, Dream Theater, etc.

For foreign bands, I like Slapshock (Philippines), Uverworld (Japan), High and Mighty Color (Japan), and Jeremy (Korea). I think Chthonic (Taiwan) is pretty cool, but I haven’t given their albums a full listening yet.

At my high school (30% Asian Americans), there were the AsiaAms who were into hip hop and pop and all that, but there was a significant chunk that was into Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, RATM, etc.

I’ve never been in a real mosh pit, but I did almost get clawed to death by a horde of women who were trying to climb over me and get to Hoobastank’s lead singer Doug. *Sigh* I wish he would keep his shirt on when he performs.

Maybe you can placate your mom by letting her hear the mind-blowingly awesome Symphony & Metallica album m/
http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai Thanks for that suggestion! I love discovering new bands. Full Metal Ninja is also an awesome name. Wish I had thought of that. And these Random Ninjas are pretty damn cool!

I love how mosh pits can be so crazy, and yet so civil. Every time someone falls down, I always see dozens of hands reach down to pick that guy up. Sure, you can end up with a bloody nose if you’re not careful, but you can usually count on other moshers watching out for you. At least, in my experience. Some shows have scary-assed mosh pits.

I used to play music like Metallica’s Symphony to my Mom all the time, saying to her, “See, not all heavy metal is crazy. Aren’t these nice violins?” Then Hetfield would start singing and she’d roll her eyes. Killswitch Engage’s Last Serenade has a nice “trick opening” like that too.

Always glad to hear from another rocker. And always glad to learn about a new band. Rock on!
ErikaHarada

@mikeleeorg @BrianJian I’m a young’n who got introduced to Metallica through the Black album and then went back and listened to everything. They helped me get through high school, and they’ve got a permanent spot on my ipod
RobChang

Wow this is super cool! I was an electric guitarist from middle school onwards and so Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Megadeth, AC/DC, and much more was pretty much course material for me. Since i grew up in Iowa and most of my friends were white, i didn’t realize until college that Asian kids were more into hip hop than rock music, so it’s cool i’m not the only one! I definitely think your point on the environment crafting what people listen to is valid. Most of my friends were into rock, and we really didn’t encounter much hip hop at all, while a lot of my asian friends were from California, where hip hop has a large presence.

I still enjoy crunchy, heavy guitars, and recently have been listening to metalcore bands like Underoath and Bring Me the Horizon. Something about the swing of the breakdowns and the ferocious double bass pedals… Lucky for me, my mom didn’t mind if i played this stuff in the car. I think she appreciated the technical skill of a lot of these bands, and we even discussed the emotional communication that screaming conveys.

And i was so happy when i saw Cthonic listed in your post! I actually saw them in Taiwan one time, and i was absolutely hooked! I’ll be sure to check out all of the other bands you listed!

I think you’ll also appreciate this link. I think she’s in a band in Taiwan, and it completely blew my mind. Talk about breaking stereotypes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFZOdAGd3cs

Thanks for the post man! Really interesting!
http://www.erniehsiung.com/ Ernie H.

@RobChang That YouTube video kinda sorta blew my mind.
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@RobChang I haven’t heard of Underoath or Bring Me the Horizon before, but I just checked them out. Good shit! You just earned them a new fan.

And for that link: O. M. G. I did NOT expect to hear that coming out of her mouth. I’ve never really enjoyed karaoke that much because they rarely have music I like, but if there was a karaoke place with the songs this girl was singing, then damn. My throat would probably be all sore though.

Rock on man!
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@ErikaHarada @BrianJian Fade to Black got me through many a school day.

And get this. My very first concert was Metallica. My high school actually got everyone tickets. Why Metallica? I have no idea. But it was damn awesome.
http://thylacine.livejournal.com/ ErikaHarada

@mikeleeorg @BrianJian I wish my high school was that cool. Wow.
http://tinabot.blogspot.com/ TinaTsai

@RobChang wow, thanks for sharing that video. Glad to know little girls from my heritage country can really growl. I’ve tried, like really tried to growl and sing like that, and I always immediately go hoarse right afterward. I don’t think I have the right technique, and I definitely don’t have the chops to post a youtube of me doing it like that girl.

I do a pretty good FlyLeaf on Rock Band, though ^_^ Minimal screamage.
http://tinabot.blogspot.com TinaTsai

@mikeleeorg lol guess not for your mom. Actually, in high school, I was a total Tori Amos and alternative rock girl with smatterings of pop fancies, so I used to think heavy metal was really just a lot of noise when I heard it. But later I realized it was because I had only heard the not-so-great bands. When I really gave Metallica a listen, I was blown away by the complexity and skill, and I’m not even a musician.

You play any instruments Mike?
http://tinabot.blogspot.com/ TinaTsai

@mikeleeorg @ErikaHarada @BrianJian Wow, what the hey? High School buying tickets for students to a Metallica concert?

I went Summer Sanitarium 2003 concert at the LA Coliseum. Mudvayne, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park played, too, but the place didn’t get REALLY packed until Metallica went on. The Coliseum is massive and seriously every seat in the house was filled to the brim. I was definitely wowed by Metallica’s performance, but what blew me away was seeing a massive ocean of fists pumping up and down in complete unison. Amazing.

Metallica and LP are both on tour right now. Sadly, I can’t make either shows because of time and funds, but I hope some of y’all get to go.
RobChang

@TinaTsai @RobChang Yea, i’m not gonna lie, i tried too. It’s hard, and i have so much respect for people that can do that! No matter how many youtube tutorials, i still can’t get it quite right. I just end up hoarse. But i still keep trying… because the day i can really do it, it’s going to be soooo satisfying!!!
http://tinabot.blogspot.com/ TinaTsai

@RobChang haha seriously skilled to be able to bust out those vocals. ^O^

So you play electric guitar and you sing. You got a band? Favorite guitarist?
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai Played the guitar a bit back in high school, but unfortunately didn’t stick with it. My younger brother played lead guitar for a local band for a while. I jammed with him a few times, but that was it.

I always wanted to get back into the guitar, but could never quite find the time. Although… I seem to have found time for Guitar Hero… heh.
http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai @ErikaHarada @BrianJian That same high school also brought in these group of guys that none of us had ever heard of back then. The girls went crazy for them though. After they sang and performed, they told us they were called the New Kids on the Block.

Dude, I caught the Summer Sanitarium tour too! It was awesome!
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai @RobChang Speaking of Rock Band, you guys seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrRvLLyBOPs
http://tinabot.blogspot.com TinaTsai

@mikeleeorg @ErikaHarada @BrianJian lol wow, your high school had connections O_O NKOB? Wow, that was middle school for me. I was the girl who sat quietly amongst the screaming girls wondering what all the fuss was about LOL

Yes, it was a pretty sweet concert ^_^ Oh, what’s his name, Quentin Tarantino showed up, high-fived a bunch of people, and then got escorted out because he didn’t have a ticket. LOL wow.
RobChang

@mikeleeorg @TinaTsai Holy Cow!!!!! I didn’t even realize you could get a double bass pedal on Rock Band! I really think they should graduate to real instruments soon here. Especially the drummer. That’s pretty awesome!
RobChang

@mikeleeorg @TinaTsai Holy Cow!!!!! I didn’t even realize you could get a double bass pedal on Rock Band! I really think they should graduate to real instruments soon here. Especially the drummer. That’s pretty awesome!
RobChang

@TinaTsai I was in a band in highschool! Haha! It’s been a while, but i still play a lot. And i try to sing, though i could use some practice!

For guitarists, i grew up on shredders like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen. They were pretty much gods to me, along with Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Nowadays, i approach music more holistically so i don’t really have a favorite guitarist. If all the parts fit together perfectly, even if they’re simple, then that is pretty glorious to me. I’ve been much more into that recently then the crazy guitar solos, though i still enjoy face melting solos every now and again, that’s for sure!
http://tinabot.blogspot.com/ TinaTsai

@RobChang @mikeleeorg crazy! drums is my favorite on rockband, but my friends always fear for their lives (or their Rock Band drum set) when I play.

My favorite live drum performance would have to be this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ns4F4WjViE
http://tinabot.blogspot.com TinaTsai

@RobChang I’ve listened to a lot of Vai and Satriani. My favorite Satriani song is probably the most skillfully unremarkable and sappy one in his collection–Love Thing from the Crystal Planet album http://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Love+Thing/2XO1QF?src=5

We need more API rockers on stage in LA! Start a band! ^O^
http://tinabot.blogspot.com/ TinaTsai

@RobChang I’ve listened to a lot of Vai and Satriani. My favorite Satriani song is probably the most skillfully unremarkable and sappy one in his collection–Love Thing from the Crystal Planet album http://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Love+Thing/2XO1QF?src=5

We need more API rockers on stage in LA! Start a band! ^O^
http://tinabot.blogspot.com/ TinaTsai

@mikeleeorg @RobChang Oh funny story about rock band. So I’m walking in to work at the Summer Writing camp I teach out in API suburbia, and I hear the sounds of Pearl Jam drifting through the halls. I’m thinking “Did I just walk into a wormhole and end up back in the early 90′s?” Then I see a bunch of API kids playing on Rock Band, and suddenly they’re all talking about Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins and Metallica like it’s contemporary to them. O_O

Anyways, so a Dragonforce song comes on, and the kids are like “Oh, this one is the hardest one.”

I comment on the side, “Cool, I saw these guys in concert one time in LA.”

One little boy turns to me and rolls his eyes with disdain. “It’s just a game Tina. They’re not real.”

“Uh…Dragonforce is a real band. All of these bands are. I’m not talking about the CG avatars.”

“Oh.”
http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai @RobChang I love how this discussion took a turn into Rock Band

> We need more API rockers on stage in LA! Start a band! ^O^

Hells yea!

That Random Ninjas drum battle is awesome. Reminds me of taiko drumming. I’m guessing they integrate that style into their music, yea?

And for ax gods, the three you mentioned, plus Alex Skolnick and James Murphy totally make up my list.
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai @RobChang I love how this discussion took a turn into Rock Band

> We need more API rockers on stage in LA! Start a band! ^O^

Hells yea!

That Random Ninjas drum battle is awesome. Reminds me of taiko drumming. I’m guessing they integrate that style into their music, yea?

And for ax gods, the three you mentioned, plus Alex Skolnick and James Murphy totally make up my list.
http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai @RobChang I love how this discussion took a turn into Rock Band

> We need more API rockers on stage in LA! Start a band! ^O^

Hells yea!

That Random Ninjas drum battle is awesome. Reminds me of taiko drumming. I’m guessing they integrate that style into their music, yea?

And for ax gods, the three you mentioned, plus Alex Skolnick and James Murphy totally make up my list.
http://me.mikelee.org/ mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai @RobChang Oh, or – if you both are in LA, you should start an API Rock Band band!
http://bizthoughts.mikelee.org mikeleeorg

@TinaTsai @RobChang Oh, or – if you both are in LA, you should start an API Rock Band band!
RobChang

@mikeleeorg @TinaTsai Haha! Yea, I would like to play in a band. There’s something about coming together and having all the parts fit, it is definitely a “sum > the parts” thing.

And a Rock Band band, haha! I’ll need to find a part to play! I’m usually the singer since none of my friends are as willing to embarrass themselves as me! I’m in SD, so not too far!
RobChang

@mikeleeorg @TinaTsai Haha! Yea, I would like to play in a band. There’s something about coming together and having all the parts fit, it is definitely a “sum > the parts” thing.

And a Rock Band band, haha! I’ll need to find a part to play! I’m usually the singer since none of my friends are as willing to embarrass themselves as me! I’m in SD, so not too far!
http://tinabot.blogspot.com/ TinaTsai

@mikeleeorg @RobChang yeah, I love taiko drums and I love rock, so put them together and that’s a whole lotta awesome ^O^ btw, the taiko player who yells at the beginning of that drum battle is the same guy who yells in the Battlestar Galactica theme song (right before all the drumming). I geek out sometimes ^O^

Speaking of ax gods…personally, I like Ninja Annihilate setting on the Boss GT10 ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta2tFbdok8M
http://tinabot.blogspot.com TinaTsai

@RobChang @mikeleeorg You’re in SD? Nice! That isn’t far. I know some bands who traveled long distances to make it to practice (I think Kurt Cobain used to go pick up his drummer an hour away for every practice and then take him back home). ^O^

I’ve got no musical talent, but I’m always surrounded by very talented and passionate musicians. What kind of band are you interested in being in?

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