A Community behind the noise

It started with a class on Research Methods. The teacher in charge had some work to attend to and a substitute teacher was brought in. She happened to have a PhD in Ethnography and as she explained how ethnography could be used to study people, communities and the ways in which they interact with each other, it gave me an idea. Why not take this opportunity to explore something I’ve always been interested in music? More specifically, why not write about Heavy Metal, and what better place to look at it than my own hometown Shillong?

Before going any further, I should mention that this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive study of the musical culture in Shillong. This is simply me taking an interest in something I love and putting my thoughts into words. For this, I took reference from a single video I came across on YouTube. Just a small glimpse of a larger musical culture.
Shillong is known as the Rock Capital of India due to its deep-rooted passion for Western Music. With this there also exists that one section of people who are really into heavy riffs, fast solos, pounding drums and screaming vocals. These are the people who make up Shillong’s heavy metal community. Often misunderstood as “satanic”, “noise”, “chaotic”, “disturbing”, etc. heavy metal is something which is actually very different from what people say. For the listeners and the fans, it is something that is very deep and meaningful with the lyrics, the instruments playing an integral part of the song. It is also one of the ways which people who are like minded in the genre, connect and some even have gone to the point of making their very own band. This is what forms the very heart of the genre in Shillong. In the context of the video which I took reference from, it was said that the metal scene at the time had really declined compared to before and the youths of today’s generation i.e. the Gen Zs are not really into metal music. Although since the pandemic, the scene had gradually started growing again and by the ideas and efforts of the band Eternal Scorn (a thrash metal band in Shillong), the members had implemented their ideas of hosting a metal concert “SCORN FEST: FAST & LOUD” which gave the local bands and other bands coming from all over Northeast India an opportunity and a platform to showcase their talents and skills. The bands who were being interviewed in the video were all very dedicated to making music. The bands featured ranged from corporate workers who made time for music amid their busy lives to college students balancing music with academics. For some bands album making was special since pursuing a music career in India had its own set of challenges. From the younger generation, college seems to play an important role in bringing them together, as it is often where young people with shared interests meet and form connections. I also noticed the creativity that the bands had in songwriting. Some bands played the very extreme type of metal with songs filled with nothing but technical drums, fast guitar riffs breakdowns and aggressive vocals (death metal), yet there was still a sense of creativity in how all these elements were put together. The band Flesh Crave wrote about the manga “Berserk” and expressed that it really went hand in hand with death
metal. Another band Cosmic Conflagration described their music as “Experimental Modern Metal”. With each member being influenced by different subgenres of metal, the band was still finding its own sound while composing songs that carry deeper meanings.

Why did the metal scene go down?

This question was raised in the video and one explanation to this is technology. Back then people would usually go to concerts to enjoy listening to the bands they loved or maybe even just discovering some local bands playing the songs they enjoyed. With platforms such as Spotify making music instantly accessible from the comfort of home, the need to attend live shows has diminished for some listeners. In this view the convenience of streaming has made people less inclined to go out and experience music in a live setting. I would also like to add my opinion to this by saying that technology has also made people less social. Going to a live event isn’t just about enjoying the music but it is also about the social experience that comes with it. It will help in meeting friends, interact with new people and meeting with individuals who share the same interest. However, technology has taken away the positive social outcome that comes with this setting by making music easily accessible from the comfort of our homes.

As an encouragement note from all the bands who were featured in the video, all of them talked about hard work, dedication, perseverance, consistency, discipline and doing whatever it takes to go forward. The members of Eternal Scorn expressed that this was what they’re proud of and that, with these efforts soon the vibrant metal community in Shillong would soon be back. It will bring unity to the society and will uplift the scene, paving a way for the new generation to showcase their talents and their love for Heavy Metal. To make a living out of a music career can be extremely difficult in a place like Shillong where there are limited opportunities for musicians. Working alongside a regular job while pursuing a music career can therefore be a practical way for musicians to continue doing what they love.

As someone studying economics I see heavy metal as a positive externality to society. Beyond the music itself the scene creates opportunities for people to connect, build friendships, express themselves and provide platforms for local talent-benefits that extend beyond the individual listener. I would also like to add my casual theory i.e. the “Diminishing Marginal Utility of Technology”. Perhaps as people continue to consume music through technology and streaming platforms, the satisfaction they get from listening at home may gradually diminish. Maybe, eventually, the experience of attending a live event and enjoying music together with other people will become more valuable again.
Reference/Source
Lofi Evenings With Jones Podcast