Metal will always have two distinct classes of listener: mainstream fans and underground fans. The former argue that music should be fun and catchy, and that underground fans are whiny elitists; the latter believe that music is more interesting when it’s technical and esoteric, and that mainstream fans are yuppie assholes who play at something they’ll never understand. But does either school of thought have more merit than the other, and more importantly: does any of this fuckin’ matter?
On this week’s episode of our heavy metal talk show Last Words, hosts Jordan Olds (Two Minutes To Late Night), Katy Irizarry (Season Of Mist), and Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves/Ex Man Podcast) throw down with the frontman of one of underground metal’s more rabidly-extreme bands, Ethan Lee McCarthy of Denver scum-metallers Primitive Man. So it should be no surprise than Ethan is happy to expound on the beauty of underground metal — but to also understand the silliness that comes with drawing such hard lines, given that his band cracked the Billboard charts, thus alienating some of their more entrenched fans.
“I can speak on it from our experience — it’s like yeah, we cracked the Billboard, but we only cracked it because they bought it, and checked it out, and listened to it,” says Ethan. “So the only people you have to blame are yourselves for supporting us. Also, it isn’t like we’re any less heavy or have compromised our music at all, so I’m just like, why are you mad at your favorite band for getting more recognition?
“I’m more amazed that people like it than I am when people don’t,” says Ethan when Doc admits he didn’t care for the record. “It’s fucked up. It’s harsh on purpose.”
Check out Ethan’s episode below:
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