She’s a Bit of Heavy, and I’m a Bit of Thrash: Three Sub-Genre Combos That Work in Real Life
There’s more to metal culture than some would like to admit. Not only is our fave genre incredibly versatile, but there are also a lot of aspects of the metal lifestyle we can engage in, from clothing and playing instruments to literature and heavy metal dating site.
Speaking of metal-loving couples, we can’t help but notice that most of them seem as if they were cast in the same mold. Differently put, fans of a certain metal sub-genre usually end up with fans of another specific style of metal music. However, in the true spirit of metal, we ain’t here to judge – we’re just observing. That said, let’s take a look at which sub-genre combos usually work in relationships.
1. Gothic and Black
We’ll start things off with the obvious – gothic chicks will go for black metal guys in 99% of cases! Moreover, these match-ups have become so frequent that it’s continually resulting in new benevolent jokes.
However, these two sub-genres do have a lot in common. Gothic metal is all about dark romance and tragedy while black metal (especially the melodic variation) incorporates a good deal of romanticized suffering into its essence. For instance, when Tiamat sing about angel wings and being together in life and death, Cradle of Filth follow with lyrics telling about a stolen bride and a desire for vengeance, but with more grim to it, of course.
Finally, die-hard fans of black and gothic metal have similar tastes in fashion too, making it even easier to spot each other in a crowded room.
2. Power and Speed
It might sound like a commercial for a brand new car, but power and speed also make a great recipe for real-life metalhead couples. And we can put all the blame on the fact that both of these sub-genres are heavy with similar themes and motives. Even though power metal isn’t quite as fast-paced as speed metal and has more in common with thrash or traditional heavy metal, it still focuses on epic stories and characters, which is exactly what speed metal does – only faster!
Just imagine a dude with an Iced Earth t-shirt holding hands with a chick that likes to blast Blind Guardian every night before going to bed. It’s not that hard to picture, is it?
3. Folk and Pirate
Pirate metal is something that will leave most normies scratching their heads in confusion, especially if they’ve had a chance to hear Alestorm’s cover of the popular “You Are A Pirate” song from that kids’ show Lazytown.
Furthermore, this sub-genre is something of an acquired taste. You have to really be into the whole swashbucklin’ deal in order to develop a liking for it, but once you’re in, you’re pretty much there to stay. On the other hand, we have folk metal, which nods to tradition and folklore instead of modern sounds and headbanging (think Finland’s Korpiklaani).
Now, probably due to the peculiarity of both sub-genres, it’s not that uncommon for a pirate metal headbanger to get together with a girl that enjoys nothing more than listening to awesome guitar riffs accompanied by a flute or a bagpipe. And you know what? It appears to be working perfectly fine.
Which other sub-genre fans do you think would make for a compatible couple? Do you think we missed something? Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
