Dee Snider and Sebastian Bach can’t agree on what heavy metal means
It’s a new day which means there’s definitely another debate getting started on Twitter. This time around, it looks like Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider and former Skid Row member Sebastian Bach are at the center of one. This week, the two musicians engaged in a brief debate about whether or not heavy metal is actually […]
This week, the two musicians engaged in a brief debate about whether or not heavy metal is actually a derogatory term. Spoiler alert: they don’t agree.
Dee Snider is known for being rather outspoken. Earlier this year, he called out anti-maskers who marched through a Target while blasting a Twisted Sister song. Now, it looks like Snider has a few more things to say online.
This week, the Twisted Sister singer sparked a debate on Twitter about what the term “metal” in music actually means. It all started when he shared a hair metal band feature Twisted Sister are included in. The tweet eventually earned a comment from @AndrewJHarriso4 who argued that “hair metal” wasn’t really a thing when Twisted Sister got their start.
“No one was ‘Hair Metal.’ The term did not exist at the time and it’s a stupid fucking label.”
No one was “Hair Metal” . The term did not exist at the time and it’s a stupid fucking label.
This eventually earned a response from Snider who agreed and also noted that bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbathhated being called “metal.” Snider credits “stupid” music labels for the popular term.
“Agreed but virtually all music labels were stupid. Bands like Zepplin and Sabbath HATED being called metal. They considered it an insult. #fact”
Agreed but virtually all music labels were stupid. Bands like Zepplin and Sabbath HATED being called metal. They considered it an insult. #facthttps://t.co/dwLQArGRsl
“Media types seem to feel the need to label & categorize music while also taking a thinly veiled cheapshot…. sometimes.”
This eventually led to Snider saying that genre names including metal are derogatory terms that critics often use to negatively critique a band.
“100%!! Punk, Grunge, Metal, Hair – all derogatory terms given to describe music forms by critics as a put down. And the bands HATED them. The bands inspired by those bands embraced the labels.”
100%!! Punk, Grunge, Metal, Hair – all derogatory terms given to describe music forms by critics as a put down. And the bands HATED them. The bands inspired by those bands embraced the labels. https://t.co/l1PEbuRO4Z
Shortly after sharing this tweet, Sebastian Bach joined in on the debate. He disagrees with Snider and believes that these genre terms were never derogatory. Bach notes that even though hair metal was never a term that existed during that time, metal is not a derogatory term.
“metal is not a derogatory term hair ia [is] a term that never existed would you please stop so we can maybe play festivals in the USA instead of state fairs.”
metal is not a derogatory term hair ia a term that never existed would you please stop so we can maybe play festivals in the USA instead of state fairs
Snider then further supported his argument by sharing a tweet that asks if metal, punk, grunge, etc. are actually derogatory terms. This, of course, warranted yet another response from Bach. The former Skid Row singer argues that if metal was actually a derogatory term, Metallicawouldn’t be called Metallica and Snider wouldn’t have an album called For the Love of Metal.
“If the word metal is a derogatory term there would not be a band called Metallica and you would not have an album called For the Love of Metal please stop with the non-stop hair tweets we are begging of you.”
If the word metal is a derogatory term there would not be a band called Metallica and you would not have an album called for the love of metal please stop with the non-stop hair tweets we are begging of you
From there, the two continue to disagree. Snider flat out tells Bach he’s “wrong” in one tweet while Bach goes on to say that “metal has always been cool” while hair metal hasn’t been.
“You are wrong, Sebastian. But it is understandable, you are much younger than me and don’t know (No attack my friend, just a fact). And it’s just a conversation. People need to be edified.”
“What am I wrong about Dee? Metal is a derogatory term but there is an album called ‘For the Love of Metal?’ So we all love a derogatory term? How does one please explain a band named @Metallica? You are wrong, Dee. Metal has always been cool. Hair metal will never be cool.”
What am I wrong about Dee? Metal is a derogatory term but there is an album called ‘For the Love of Metal?’ So we all love a derogatory term? How does one please explain a band named @Metallica ? You are wrong, Dee. Metal has always been cool. Hair metal will never be cool.
“I love @sebastianbach! During the darkest period of my career he stood tall as a Dee Snider fan when few would. I will always be grateful to him for not caring what was “cool” at the moment and speaking our proudly for the things he loved. Thank you SMF #2!”
I love @sebastianbach! During the darkest period of my career he stood tall as a Dee Snider fan when few would. I will always be grateful to him for not caring what was “cool” at the moment and speaking our proudly for the things he loved. Thank you SMF #2! https://t.co/VjnG7xFHlx
Bach also decided to take the high road and share some love for Snider. Although Bach says that Snider has always associated himself with hair metal, Snider clearly disagrees.
“I love @deesnider. I will always love the music he has made. No matter how much Dee sees himself as ‘hair metal’, I will always see him on a much higher level than that implies. He is 1 of the greatest frontmen & vocalists of all time. Any corny label less than that is an insult.”
“I DON’T see myself as hair metal. Like being called a Sick Mutha Fucker I’ve decided to embrace the title rather than fight it. But I don’t like it.”
I DON’T see myself as hair metal. Like being called a Sick Mutha Fucker I’ve decided to embrace the title rather than fight it. But I don’t like it. https://t.co/1DC6MWUV3R
Snider closed out the debate by revealing the first time he heard metal being used to describe music.
“As one who was there, the first time I heard the term used to describe music was a review of the hard rock band Sir Lord Baltimore that said, ‘They use every heavy metal trick in the book.’ After that I heard the term used more and more.”
As one who was there, the first time I heard the term used to describe music was a review of the hard rock band Sir Lord Baltimore that said, “They use every heavy metal trick in the book.” After that I heard the term used more and more. https://t.co/NiJhDl7FzG