Be thankful we're not discussing the Ohio metal scene...they shoot their guitarists there.

Just read that there, ex-member of Pantera shot down and a madman turning on the crowd aswell

"Metal has no real place in the world anymore. it's dated and very narrative. People are now capable of laying their heart open and writing more meaningful songs." This is complete nonsense. I realise that i'm posting a little bit after everyone else here (i was searching for that very fine band 'The State Pathologist Dr John Harbison' on Google). Metal means a lot lot of things to a lot of people, no less now than before. What it actually means may have changed but its impact hasn't. When you say 'meaningful songs' what do mean exactly? Neither meaning nor human emotions have changed over the past however may years you want to suggest that music has impacted upon peoples lives. One of the main (for me the most important) aspects of metal (i am speaking in terms of real metal, not modern commercialised, money-making metal lacking all passion) is the passion and fervour with which the proponents of it play and perform. Metal need not simply be about anger and destructiveness in an unintelligent way (although there are many of those within it who are musically very generic and such-like), it has come to be more about those who are capable of playing soul-inspring music (and who tend to reject the way modern civilisation works (this is difficult territory - a modern Metallica-like band aren't really going to be breaking boundaries, although their musical capability need not be in question, but their respectability may falter in terms of 'going forward' (to use horrible management-speak))), albeit in an extra-cirricular artform. It's about passion for the music. Ireland has had a few examples recently of metal bands who have been accepted with critical acclaim both in their homeland and abroad, namely Primordial and Mourning Beloveth. There are many more, check out http://www.metalireland.com. I hope that this has helped. (i am very sorry for the over-the-top use of brackets :-/

Hey...Where is Optimus these days??? OPtimus..are you out there?!!

Sorry lads, Heavy Metal in general is rubbish. Music for Fkg boneheads on bikes. Could'nt give a s**te about the metal scene in Ireland, or the planet for that matter.

hey off the post, with a sign off like that you must have heard of the phrase "horses for courses "

i take back telling you to shut up. express your - blinkered, reactionary, ignorant - opinion all you like.