No adjective is more vapid than “nice”, yet this is the very word used in 95% of all interactions between Metal folk when acknowledging each others’ torso ads for our favorite bands. Especially between guys.
This struck me the other night, as my girlfriend and I walked back through Burlington, after our evening of amazing pizza and beer at American Flatbread for our three-year anniversary. Since it was the end of August in a college town, there were shit-tons of students swarming on the city streets. As I internally grumbled in half-jest at the U-Haul next to our house, a guy comes out from behind it, sporting a classic Voivod shirt (my memory recalls the cover of Killing Technology).
I almost didn’t say anything. But you know that when we see someone clearly down with a band that we enjoy, it does a disservice to the Metalverse as a whole to not give a tr00 nod. And so it went:
“Nice Voivod shirt, dude.”
(half surprised) “Oh… thanks, man!”
In my buzzed state with anniversary sex on the horizon, now was not the time to engage. There would be time to explain that I am a Metal Music Director with a radio show and website (which, incidentally, prominently features our slogan “Document The Metalverse” in Away‘s ‘Probot’ font). Sometimes it’s all about timing with Metal peeps; too much too soon, and you’ll scare many off. Near as I can tell, this is why the otherwise-hollow descriptor “nice” works when appreciating Metal shirts (alternately, saying it is “cool” or that you “like” it also applies). Despite their often-intricate nature, they are meant as symbols, above all else; if you are in the know, you understand at a glance. Rare it is for someone to closely inspect your threads, lavishing high praise on its levels of metaphor (if, say, it was designed by John Baizley) or utter brutality (like most by Cannibal Corpse).
For what it’s worth, I think I was wearing this Frank Zappa shirt:
PS: I was prompted to finish this post, after initially starting six weeks ago, when shouting out to another dude that’s new to my street…
"That's a nice Genghis Tron hoodie, dude!"
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