If you were a fan of heavy metal or hard rock in the 70’s and 80’s, there was a system of persecution at play from unsupportive teachers, clueless leaders, government agencies and an out of touch mainstream. For every society to thrive there needs to be an enemy and there was no greater enemy once upon a time than hard rock and heavy metal music.

It’s lifestyle was provocative. If you sat on the side of law and order and the schooling system, you saw rock and metal music as disobedient. If you sat on the side of religion, you saw rock and metal music as the devils music, however each rocker and metal head are surrounded by crucifixes. Even Elvis Presley was labelled the devil, while Graceland, was littered with his Christian beliefs. If you sat on the side of government, you saw rock and metal music as protest music.

And people/organisations tried to suppress it. But the music survived and thrived and maintained a fan base for over 50 years. And it’s not just oldies who support it. Each year, a new generation of youngsters take up arms in the name of rock and metal.

Of course, the same hate for metal and rock music doesn’t exist today as it did in the past, so metal and rock is seeing more as a lifestyle than a musical style. Have you ever rocked the look?

And people said that rock will never die, but according to Gene Simmons and other rockers who made coin during the recording industry control of the distribution chain, rock and roll is dead because the distribution chain is open and everyone can participate.