r/PoursTea • u/Veshaad Timendi Causa Est Nescire • 23h ago
Stars Of Music š¶ A message to Metallica.
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u/hyphenssuck 22h ago
Metallica, only "political" when their paycheck is threatened. I'm old enough to remember.
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u/Ok_Government1587 22h ago
RIP Napster
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u/RyguyC2 21h ago edited 21h ago
Yeah this is also when I realized they were full of it.
"Fck the man! Unless the man is us...in which case, pay the man!"
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u/BigBananaBerries 18h ago
They're likely fine with being political but know their particular politics would tank them so chose to stay quiet.
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u/Angryatchairs 22h ago
To be fair, Metallica's political lyrics usually amount to "The bad thing is bad, and the good thing is good". They never really went that deep into the subjects.
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u/PlatypusOk8228 21h ago
To be fair they also did And Justice for all, a song about buying political power and how it corrupts justice.
Mind you, this makes their stance on not wanting to be political now look even stupider.
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u/MakesMyHeadHurt 22h ago
Still, if he really didn't want to take a side, he could have just not said anything. "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice"
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u/PlatypusOk8228 21h ago
I don't know if it was intentional, but I absolutely heard your quote in Geddy Lees voice.
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u/HmmmmGoodQuestion 21h ago
I did a project in eighth grade where we had to analyze a song for English class.
I picked Master of Puppets, and it was actually funny how transparent and obvious the lyrics were.
I was like: ā and this lyric also represents the harmful effects of drugs.ā for like 10 minutes straight.
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u/JellaFella01 22h ago
Metalheads will insist a song is a political magnum opus when the message is a verbose version of "system bad"
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u/Morguard 23h ago
Metallica are grifters, they don't believe in what they preach through their music.
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u/Regular-Judge-5651 22h ago
*preached. Past tense. They haven't taken a stand on anything since the 80s.
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u/skraptastic 22h ago
No, no they took a stand on Napster in the 90's.
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u/minizanz 16h ago
And illegally closing beach access easements after buying a house with a beach trail that was there for 50+ years before you bought it.
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u/Morguard 22h ago
They still perform their political songs.
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u/ohjeaa 22h ago
As it turns out, people like old Metallica songs.
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u/Regular-Judge-5651 22h ago
Yep. And going thru the motions for nostalgia's sake isn't the same as standing for something.
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u/Size---Queen 22h ago
I haven't heard anything good from them in over a decade.
I used to be really into them but it kinda drifted away.
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u/Size---Queen 22h ago
A large part of their fan base is probably on the MAGA side they don't want to lose them.
A lot of their older songs are anti war and stuff so this I don't want to participate BS isn't a good look at all.
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u/Servileslave 21h ago
thank you. The only solid dude in that band unfortunately died on the bus.Ā
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u/Dandroid009 22h ago
Metallica have been consistent since the 1980's in interviews on the subject of politics and music.
They only talk about politics through their music and don't believe in telling their fans what they should believe from the stage. They want their fans to think for themselves and draw their own conclusions. Hetfield has talked about how politics divides people and he'd rather bring them together through a mutual love of music. He's not wrong - politics does divide people as we see on this forum.
Activists often want to sort people into boxes, you're either with us or against us. It doesn't help resolve conflicts.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Metallica have helped more people than anyone complaining about them here with their foundation that's raised $29 million since 2017 for job training, ending hunger, and disaster relief.
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u/MangueTamer 19h ago
"i refuse to take a stance" is a political stance, though
it just means that you support the status quo, but in a cowardly way
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u/Phantom_Wolf52 16h ago
Thatās exactly why I live Metallica when it comes to politics in music, itās all in their music and is told through creative songwriting and peak music.
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u/unknownvariable69 20h ago
Im about to get down voted to oblivion. You nailed it. The presentation could have been better. With that said I've never seen a 60 year old white man give a fuck about presentation. The hungry people in the cities they play sure don't care where the meal comes from after they donate their cut of the gate to local food banks. But hey. Old guy said a thing.
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u/Sirius-Face 22h ago
I can't believe I'm living long enough to see the people I used to admire reveal themselves to be trash.
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u/MissSharkyShark Prefer Coffee But Fill My Cup š« 23h ago
I knew about them basically being sellouts in the Napster daysā¦ but cmon they have so many political songs! Itās so stupid
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u/succulentchinesemiel 21h ago
Metalilica used to be pretty outspoken about important issues such as how much they were victimized by napster.
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u/NextDoctorWho12 23h ago
How the fuck can people walk around claiming to be Christians and they have made saying genocide is bad is now controversial.
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u/Gingeronimoooo 22h ago
"I don't think children should be killed" is controversial
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u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 22h ago
From the very same people who claim terminating a fetus is legal murder and made it their pet cause for 50 years -- make it make sense?
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u/tasteMyRottenHoop 22h ago
The word doesnāt mean āgood personā. Millions of christians are the worst kind of human garbage, it doesnāt make them any less christian. The whole notion of āchristianā being a synonym of āgood personā is some PR bullshit peddled by scum who think the crusades were a good thing.
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u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 22h ago
Bad people hide behind religion -- especially evangelical and modern U.S. Christians because they believe in that "sin all week, saved every Sunday" brand of hate-filled religion-as-a-cloak and status symbol.
The truly pious and righteous among us would never tell you. It's obvious when around a genuinely good person. They don't have to outwardly show anything or use symbols. Just being themselves and helping the society around them speaks volumes.
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u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 23h ago
They believe Israel's necessary control of Jerusalem is their avenue to ascend to heaven in the afterlife -- just after they yell "Psyche!" at the Jews they plan to abandon at the last second and pull the ladder to heaven out of their grasp. I wish I was joking. That's literally the mentality of a religious right wing Christian in America.
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u/theboned1 22h ago
James is now an old rich successful white man. It's likely his red hat is at home hanging on a hook by the front door.
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u/spicy_feather 22h ago
Ms Rachel is the metalest
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u/hungry4nuns 15h ago
Sheās metal AF. Itās like punk rock. Itās more of an ideology, a way of living your life as authentically as possible, walking the walk. Metal is not simply an aesthetic or a specific sound. Itās not just a sharp tangy distortion pedal. You have to use your voice for more than just raspy vocals. The words have actual meaning, not just token platitudes. They have to be sang with conviction, both on and off the stage. Ms Rachel is metal AF
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u/mrcoffeeforever 22h ago
Metallica sold out more than 30 years ago.
Rachael not only is way more metal but she has incredibly bigger balls.
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u/DJteejay04 16h ago
Miss Rachelleās not even overly political. Sheās just like āhey how about we donāt bomb children?ā Hot take
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u/MisanthropicSim 13h ago
In 2026, this is a hot take actually. The amount of people(?) I've had argue with me about that statement has destroyed any remnant of faith I had left in humanity.
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u/rpolkcz 10h ago
She's political because she refuses to go against other groups that kill children.
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u/Donato_Romer0 22h ago
Metallica, especially James Hetfield toeing the corporate line doesn't surprise me one bit. The Napster hearings was the final stage in their sellout transformation.
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u/gin_and_soda 22h ago
Remember when they performed at a prison and told the prisoners they were the real heroes and then tried to jail children for downloading their music?
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u/New-Plenty3043 21h ago
"WE DON'T MAKE POLITICAL STATEMENTS" Is a political statement, especially after you go on Joe Rogan and bitch about progressives JAMES
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u/Due_Entrepreneur_382 22h ago
Iām a Slayer guy anyway
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u/Apprehensive_Door249 22h ago
Tom has been vocal about supporting trumpās policies in the past. Kerry and Dave seem to be genuine dudes though as far as I can tell
Listening to Divine Intervention lately and I canāt fathom how the guy singing Dittohead condemning Rush Limbaugh can support trump
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u/Due_Entrepreneur_382 22h ago
Didnāt know that about Tom. Very disappointing.
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u/Apprehensive_Door249 22h ago
Kerry has been outspoken against trump if that helps. I still listen to Slayer as they have been more consistent than Metallica but I still have my issues with Tom
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u/tasteMyRottenHoop 22h ago
Tom strikes me as completely out of touch, even with the lyrics he sings.
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u/penalty-venture 21h ago edited 20h ago
Iāve been to plenty of shows this year that have made zero political statements, and that didnāt bother me at all.
Now, getting up onstage to say that calling for basic human rights is ābullshit,ā well thatās a whole different thing. And, despite Metallicaās declaration to the contrary, highly political.
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u/Zev1985 19h ago
I guess I'm showing my age, I thought we all decided Metallica officially lost the rest of it's edge back when St. Anger released?
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u/-ParticleMan- 17h ago
I thought it was when they were crying about napster, or when they put out their therapy movie
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u/AFoxSmokingAPipe 13h ago
I get why people are disappointed, but why would i need the opinion of a bunch of multimillionaire uncs regarding current politics?
Everything sucks, i already am aware.
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u/TheChudWhisperer 19h ago
When someone say that they don't want to make things political what they really mean is that they don't want people to know how conservative they are.
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u/Beneficial-Lynx7336 10h ago
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u/Markspark80 9h ago
Hell yeah, those bitches whined so much about Napster to Congress, isn't that being political?
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u/pixelpionerd 22h ago
It's weird that they feel the need to tell us that they won't say anything political. Just... Don't.
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u/SuccessfulGap5922 21h ago
Remember the Seinfeld finale where they watch someone being mugged, but instead of arresting the theif the police arrest the innocent bystanders for not intervening. That's where we are as a society.
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u/soupandsaladshadows 20h ago
They're basically a redneck band that plays metal at this point.
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u/Extreme_Passion_3081 19h ago
You know, it's funny. People say "YOU SHOULD BE POLITICAL. IT'S METAL TO BE POLITICAL", when someone establishes a clear boundary they do not want to cross. Consent is a thing. Trying to push people into taking a side is a dick move.
You don't want to push them to be political. You want to push them into pushing YOUR narrative. And that's some cult behavior. If you're violating a person's boundaries and consent just to try and demand they either get on their knees for your cause or prostrate themselves for your flaggelation when you find out they don't agree with everything you say, Congratulations. You're the baddies now. I don't care what your cause was, it could be "Pay for orphanages and cuddle puppies", YOU are now the asshole.
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u/Loggersalienplants 16h ago
Shout it from the rooftops brother, it doesn't matter what he said on stage these people are just looking to be mad. They wouldn't be satisfied with any answer. He could go up and say "Israel is committing genocide against Palestine" and these people would still find a way to pick apart what he said. It's a wild thing to watch.
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u/CharlemagneTheDeer 19h ago
what actual intelligent person cares if a musician goes out of their way to make political speeches. I'm a musician, does that mean someone is gonna pay for me to hold some kind of event?
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u/oilcantommy 18h ago
Lame. Its not that they dont have opinions. They choose not to pollute the shows with it. You will be offended by everything.
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u/ItsAllBotsAndShills 18h ago
Woke 1 never ended. Y'all are still out here trying to cancel people for not getting in line with whatever dumb shit you think this month.
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u/Ra_X_1979 17h ago
I agree with Metallica, you go to concerts to listen to music, if you want politics, go to a rally
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u/Oaklandish_TheTown 17h ago
I love when bands play their music and make their point.Ā It's awesome,Ā they are artists.Ā
I hate when other people police artists.Ā It's lame,Ā yo.
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u/Psychological_Bag943 13h ago
Not a fan of Metallica and also not a fan of everyone wanting celebrities to have political opinions all the time. It's already shoved in our face 24/7 last thing I want is to go to a concert and some asshat making millions a year telling me what stances I should take on things.
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u/Commercial_Piano94 11h ago
Shit like this is why we have Trump twice and probably never have a Democrat president ever again. Y'all are so ready to pounce on every person not perfectly aligning with what you believe that you push everyone away.
And just in case you didn't know, you need people on your side, to get your way.
But all your doing is making people pretend they agree with you to avoid repercussion and that shit won't last, eventually they find other people who agrees with them and their facade of caring goes away and the pendulum swings HARD to the other side
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u/Repulsive-Cow-7651 10h ago
I go to a concert to hear music. I have never gone to a rally to hear politics. Why would I want to hear politics at a concert? STFU! And Play!
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u/Glittering_Nobody402 23h ago
Most Politically Charged Metallica Songs
Song
Political/Social Theme
The Core Message
...And Justice for All
Judicial & Political Corruption
Explores how money, greed, and power corrupt the legal system, allowing the wealthy to buy "justice" while choice is choked.
"Eye of the Beholder"
Freedom of Speech & Censorship
Attacks political correctness, limitations on personal freedom, and the government imposing its own version of "truth" on citizens.
"The Shortest Straw"
Blacklisting & McCarthyism
Focuses on political witch hunts, Liberty being stripped away by suspicion, and the historical blacklisting of citizens for their beliefs.
"Disposable Heroes"
The Military-Industrial Complex
Formulates a critique of how governments view young soldiers as expendable, treating them like mindless puppets bred only to kill and die for war.
"Blackened"
Environmental Destruction
Explores eco-politics, painting a grim picture of humanity killing the Earth through nuclear fallout, pollution, and corporate greed.
"Don't Tread on Me"
Libertarian Patriotism
Written for the 1991 Black Album, its title and lyrics pull directly from the historic American Gadsden flag, serving as a pro-independence, anti-tyranny anthem.
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u/BagelFactory1134 23h ago
lol they were fine with criticizing greed and injustice for the poor until they got rich.
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u/Infinite_Respect_ 22h ago
Landmine has taken my sight, taken my speech, taken my hearing.
Taken my arms, taken my legs, taken my soul.
Left me w life in hell.
Proceeds to have nothing to say when current admin treats active and veteran service members worse than anything weāve seen in our time
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u/drippysoap 22h ago
Ride the lighting is about capital punishment ādeath in the air. Strapped in the electric chair ā
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u/Ok_Comfortable252 22h ago
They were sellouts decades ago. Desperately reaching for some sort of edge to become relevant again.
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u/TTheJourneyed 22h ago
Metallica has never been hardcore and they have always been garbage
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u/DeathsStarEclipse 21h ago
You guys are so lame. It a band. Go see them if you like the music. Why does everything need to be a political statement?
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u/Quick_Lingonberry935 20h ago
The left thinks that every celebrity must have political statements.Ā
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u/mmametalguy 22h ago
I almost bought tickets to a show in may at arrowhead stadium in kansas city. Glad i didnt. They were kind of a "bucket list" live band for me but yeah i dont care anymore. Ill never see a metallica concert and im cool wit it lol.
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u/thefoulnakr 22h ago
Iāve seen him a bunch of times. And they were good back in the 90s but fuck these guys now good on you for not going.
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u/JadeDragonMeli 20h ago
Me too. They were a bucket list band for me, they came to Maryland last year and I kinda just didn't want to go. Glad I didn't.
I knew they sold out a long time ago, I just didn't think the band that wrote One, Blackened, and Disposal Heroes would outright abandon the principles that they at one time had. Or maybe they never really did, maybe it was all Cliff.
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u/Owww_My_Ovaries 17h ago
"I would have spent 200 per ticket if they made me feel warm and fuzzy in my echo chamber "
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u/ledzppln6 16h ago
Canāt imagine 20 years ago deciding on what entertainment venue Iād attend because of politics.
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u/Shut_It_Donny 22h ago
Sucks for you.
Imagine needing your entertainment to tell you about politics.
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u/HEELGPT 21h ago
If this tiny thing is enough for you to crash out like that, you need help
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u/bodybuilderguitarer 20h ago
Iāve stopped going to classic rock shows after seeing zz top. Every classic rock show Iāve been to recently theyāve been disappointing and I was only going for bucket list too. The first time I saw AC/DC in 09 they were insane, the last time they were good. That sucked to see.
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u/Loggersalienplants 16h ago
C'mon bro don't let the opinions of a 60 year old white dude decide on your bucket list items. Thats YOUR life and you are letting it be warped by the internet. You could go to a Metallica concert sometime, enjoy the music, knock an item off your bucket list. Or you can just be with this miserable group of people on the internet. Don't let the echo chambers on the internet decide your life! Go enjoy yourself homie, go see something you've always wanted to.
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u/kamel_k 21h ago
I'm confused. Why are we mad at them? What happened
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u/Medicmanii 16h ago
Everyone wants everyone else to spew the same stuff or get dunked on.
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u/Meatbot-v20 8h ago
Nothing. They didn't get on stage draped in a Palestinian flag and didn't give us some Third Reich anti-Jewish rhetoric. So that makes them awful.
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u/Fragrant-Western882 20h ago
Well, they said they weren't there to talk about politics, and people understood that they're about to bomb P4lestĀ”ne (Reddit is threatening me that they could delete this comment xD)
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u/Chimp_Force_One 22h ago
Nobody seemed to give Dolly Parton shit for not expressing political views. Metallica donates tons of money to homeless shelters at every city they tour in, have given tons of money to schools in competitions for their marching bands to use their music, allow as much usage of their music in cover songs/bands that they legally can while still holding right to their IP.
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u/PraisingEastward 22h ago
By that logic, is Seinfeld also āmore metalā than Metallica, because he took a stance as well?
Or does the state of being āmetalā only involve the āproperā stance, according to Leftist orthodoxy?
What about Burzum? lol.
https://giphy.com/gifs/K9xXlcMA6aw3S
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u/Excellent-Fact-7449 22h ago
This is what I don't understand. How does the stance that Metallica takes change anything? You guys seem like you want them to say what you are all saying and if they don't comply then cancel them. Is that right? Maybe focus yours attention on the people that actually make the decisions and not music artists that don't echo your sentiments.Ā
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u/Gingeronimoooo 23h ago
You wouldn't download a genocide would you?
It's an old meme but it checks out sir
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u/Realistic_Being_2038 22h ago
What would be "metal" is if all the people speaking out about "genocide" picked up a rifle and went did something about it. There's nothing "metal" about any musician, entertainer, whatever pushing their political opinion and then going back home to their mansion. Good for Metallica for keeping their shows about the music and letting people take whatever message they want from the songs.
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u/ourmondayriot 22h ago
When I go to a concert i go to forget about whatās going on. I donāt wanna hear about politics. Im 38 and I remember being a kid and never hearing about politics, we didnāt sit around the table and talk about it. Fuck trump, fuck Biden, Fuck all of them.
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u/You_need_a_drink 19h ago
I actually agree with Metallica on this one. I'm there for the music, not to be lectured on politics.
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u/[deleted] 23h ago
I mean... This is gonna be unpopular, but you can literally hear when Metallica sold out. Its called the black album and it was a reeeeeeaaally long time ago.