My roots in music were three fold. The Beatles, (and I think of them as a category rather than a band), 70's progressive rock (Yes, ELP, Queen, Rush, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd), and then acoustic singer/songwriters, both piano and guitar (Janis Ian, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, and so on).

I have an on and off affection for horn based classical jazz, but limited pretty much to John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, and Miles Davis.

Eastern influenced surf rock like Secret Chiefs 3 is quite interesting to me. They are an offshoot from Mr. Bungle which was an offshoot of the guys who did the song "Epic", (their name escapes me at the moment.)

I wish I shared your love of metal, so we'd have a common language, sometimes. I've given it a whirl several times in my life, even to the point of going to Ozzfest and such. I liked it for a while, but can't say I ever loved it. Certainly not the way you describe it. It just doesn't inspire anything of a positive nature in me. I know that sounds really stereotypical, but I can't help it. I find it all a little thick and dark. I lived in nearly a 1/2 century of darkness, and I am finally all about light. Not that I didn't need re-inforcing darkness at times in my life. And maybe I just take it all too seriously to begin with. But music is made as expression of the soul, I believe, (except modern pop). The soul of the metalists tends to sound angry. Anger accomplishes not much of anything in my experience, and when exposed to angry music, and angry musicians, then a person is prone to become angry themselves. But not really constructively.

Hey....I'm probably way off base with all this. Like I said, I overthink stuff. But I can safely say it doesn't move me as it moves you. When I leave a Yes show, I'm filled with joy. My mind is smiling. When I left Ozzfest, and Seether shows, I was pumped with some kind of angry ugliness that was as far from either my original Buddhist soul as I could find, and would be even farther from my finally Christian soul.

And of course, I'm thrilled that you have something that moves you, and helps your time pass in whatever kind of peace it is you find in metal. I'm not criticizing. Seriously. We like what we like. You describe your feeling as positive. I'll believe you. Rock on.

Love,

Dad

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