“Is it metal? Or is it NOT metal?”

As metalheads, we’ve all heard some variation of this argument at least once in our lives, and the further down the rabbit hole we go, the more we truly reflect on what makes something obviously metal or obviously NOT metal. 

“Fish teeth is metal as fuck…”

What’s the lyrical content like? The darker the subject matter, the more metal it is. Lyrics about love and happiness might be considered less metal than lyrics about drugs and wizards, or other more doom and gloom topics.

“If it was distorted as fuck, then it would be metal. But it’s not, so it’s rock and roll…”

How about production? How does it sound? Is it distorted and heavy? Is it really fast or extremely aggressive? More distortion and more speed in the sound equals more metal. 

“He’s getting high with a wizard, dude…that’s pretty metal…”

Many of us who grew up with the likes of Ozzy, Dio, and Motley Crue in the early 80’s could easily tell when the boundaries started to shift between rock and metal. And of course, those are the easiest artists to reference as they each capture the majority of the traits that inherently make them metal artists: intensity and attitude, darkness and speed, distortion and heaviness.

“When I think of metal, I think of…Metal Church…”

There are some instances where it’s obvious whether or not something is metal (or not), and there are some where it’s not quite as cut and dry. So, if you’d like to get our take, be sure to JOIN US (along with our special guest for this episode, Mr. Bonerman) deep in The Bunkerpoon as we attempt to settle the great debate of METAL? OR NOT METAL? (because THAT is the question). 

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Show Notes:

(00:01): “I think that’s definitely metal…” / #Krokus / “I said come…you said back…”/ #onetake / Some Christmas movie leftovers…/ #ChristmasVacation #HomeAlone / “He was beating on your Ethan?” / “You’re about to be cross trained, dude…”/ ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised *** / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / “Possibly soon to be something else maybe…”/ #Bunkerpoon2026 / “The only thing useful that I’ve learned in 53 years…”/ #OneLineADay / #simulation / “I’ve got a lot to look forward to…”

(06:36): SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #Instagram #Facebook #YouTube and #TikTok / PATREON US at patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast / “We don’t show our tits or anything…(yet)”/ “Oh…The Metal Nerdery calendar…” / #ThrashOfTheTitans / “It’s the old Roxy…” / “Alright…you’re fired.”/ “Hell to the naw, naw, naw…”/ “That fits perfectly…”/ “It’s a Tuesday night…”/ “It’s Mr. Bonerman…”

(12:49): “Metal, or NOT Metal!? THAT is the question!!!” / #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PRESENTS:  METAL? OR NOT METAL? / “Is it on the edge? Is it metal? Is it not metal?

Is rock metal? Is light beer ‘beer’? Is nonalcoholic beer ‘beer’? / “Rock seems kinda like the lite beer of metal…”/ “Metal is heavier…and angrier…” / “If you dial it all the way back, it’s all blues, right?”/ “Think of songs you’re not sure of…like we don’t know their pronouns…”/ #BeavisASMR / “This song is definitely gonna get us flagged…”/ #MetalOrNotMetal / #DeepPurple SMOKE ON THE WATER (Machine Head – 1972) / “When I think of metal, I think of #MetalChurch …”/ #BlackSabbath DIRTY WOMEN (Technical Ecstasy – 1976) / “That’s more metal than what we just listened to…”

(22:49): #NIN TERRIBLE LIE (Pretty Hate Machine – 1989) / “If we’re using heaviness, and intensity, and darkness…”/ “It’s like Bob Ross coloring only in neons…”/ #FaceDownAssUp / #SugarRay MEAN MACHINE (Lemonade And Brownies – 1995) / #sixseven / “#Motorhead IS metal…”/ #Mountain MISSISSIPPI QUEEN (Climbing! – 1970) / “It’s gonna sound great in post…”/ #RamJam BLACK BETTY (Ram Jam – 1977) / NOTE: Black Betty was originally written by Huddie Lead Belly Ledbetter / “This is a little bit…just a touch heavier than rock ‘n’ roll…”/ “If you stroke broadly…”

(33:22): “I’m gonna go more modern…me and the wife argue about this…”/

#FallingInReverse POPULAR MONSTER (Popular Monster – 2024)

“Alright, play God is a Weapon…they got shit that is metal…” / #FallingInReverse GOD IS A WEAPON / “I saw the eyebrow raise…”/ “Hold on, play Bad Girls Club…”/ BAD GIRLS CLUB 

“That was not even close…”

(37:16): #UriahHeep THE WIZARD (Demons and Wizards – 1972) / NOTE:  Long Haired Country Boy by The Charlie Daniels Band came out in 1974 / “He’s getting high with a wizard, dude…that’s pretty metal…”/ “Hair metal bands…are those bands metal?”/ “Wait a minute…you just did 3 Falling in Reverse songs that were NOT metal…”/ “Fish teeth is metal as fuck…”/ #LedZeppelin ACHILLES LAST STAND (Presence – 1976) / “If it was distorted as fuck, then it would be metal. But it’s not, so it’s rock and roll…”/ “I’m sorry, what was that?”/  “Is it a monkey…or a chimpanzee?”/ “That and the breakdancer…”/ #AldoNova MONKEY ON YOUR BACK (Subject…Aldo Nova – 1983) / “You think THAT is more metal than Fantasy?”/ “Metal? Or NOT Metal?”/ #Weezer HASH PIPE (The Green Album – 2001) / 

“I got more thoughts now…” / “You’ve gotta have attitude…extremes is what we’re talking about…”/ #TheKinks YOU REALLY GOT ME (Kinks – 1964) / “They were shooting coke and heroin…and ropes…”/ #BlueCheer SUMMERTIME BLUES (Vincebus Eruptum – 1968) / “You add more distortion to that and they’re opening for #Sleep …”/ “Is Bon Jovi metal? You throw his voice on that, and that’s Bon Jovi…”

(54:44): #Heart BARRACUDA (Little Queen – 1977) / “It’s almost Achilles Last Stand…”/ 

“More metal than #KISS?”/ “You know Nancy was in Fast Times At Ridgemont High…”/ 

“That’s gotta be Joe Walsh in the background…”/ “OMG, her sweater reminds me of a great joke…what’s the difference between pink and purple?”/ “We’re gonna have to do a few episodes of this…”/ “It’s kinda like how death metal was…it wasn’t really thrash but it was something beyond thrash…”/ #BlueOysterCult GODZILLA (Spectres – 1977) / #Cream SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE (Disraeli Gears – 1967) / “He must have done all the acid…”/ “This is Vol. I…”/ #DefLeppard STAGEFRIGHT (Pyromania – 1983) / “Let’s pick the least metal Slayer song…”/ EMAIL US at [email protected] VOICEMAIL US at 980-666-8182!!! / #untilthenext #outroreel