Heavy Metal and Hardcore Music is a Universal Language

Watch "Snapcase - Caboose" on YouTube

The above link goes to a YouTube posting to a favorite song of mine from way back in the 1990's. (I can't believe the '90s now count as "way back" - by Ganesha I feel old...) It's also my current jam on "This is My Jam." The lyrics are in the video description, and I suggest you read them, and not just because it's hard to understand the hardcore punk/metal screaming in the song. ;-)

Some people have wondered why I listen to heavy metal and hardcore music, given my leaning towards Hinduism culture and beliefs, including the Indian classical music which obviously sounds completely different! These people haven't suggested I stop listening to my heavy metal/hardcore music, no way, but they are curious how I can like two completely different styles. Well, I believe the above song demonstrates why. Sure, lyrics can go to any song in any genre, but when you put them to the sounds of hardcore and metal...they inspire one to get up and do something! And while there are a few metal/hardcore songs with objectionable lyrics, when you put inspirational lyrics to this same genre of music, it suddenly gets powerful.

This goes into another reason I love metal and hardcore - these songs can inspire anyone regardless of race, nationality, creed, or social status. The raw, earth-shaking sounds of this music can rile up anyone to move, to simply convert themselves into kinetic energy. It's for this reason that metal and hardcore have found footing in almost every corner of the globe. I know fans of these genres from literally halfway across the world (such as Indonesia). I know a documentary on the popularity of heavy metal in Baghdad, Iraq exists somewhere...I haven't watched it yet, but I want to. Regardless, when you see people of all skin colors thrashing about in unison to the performance of a metal or hardcore band...it's nothing short of beautiful.

Sometimes I consider such music to be an expression of bhakti yoga...perhaps not to a specific Hindu God, but to life itself.