Architects Singer Calls Out Toxic Gatekeeping In Metal

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While the genre has made great leaps forward in becoming more diverse and inclusive over the years, metal still has a gatekeeping problem.

Among the community, there are those with an elitist mindset (which sometimes is accompanied by some ignorant beliefs). One individual who is tired of the gatekeeping taking place in metal is Architects singer Sam Carter.

At one point during a recent fan Q&A hosted by Metal Hammer, Carter was asked if he agrees with Willow Smith‘s point about metal being “gatekept by old white men for too long.” Spoiler alert: He agrees with Smith. Here is what Carter had to say in his reply:

“Yes. For years I wanted to wear a little bit of make-up, express myself and put on a show. But I didn’t do it for ages because I was like, ‘People are gonna take the piss out of me and I don’t want that.’ And then they did.

“Not only were people horrible, they were using homophobic slurs as an insult. I felt like this scene when I was growing up and when I was in school was such an inclusive scene for the outcasts.

“How did it become this world where it’s like, ‘You can’t do that if you’re a woman… You can’t do that if you’re gay’. Like, what the fuck? There’s a lot of gatekeeping around artistic freedom.”

Prior to this conversation, Carter has been vocal about how much he is against toxicity and bigotry in the world, whether speaking out against public figures who use racial slurs or speaking about how “annoying” stereotypes about queer culture in the metal community have impacted him.

In the past, Carter has spoken about the level of entitlement he feels is present online and how there can be so much negativity. What do you make of Carter’s points?

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