Header illustration courtesy of Ava O’Connor.

There are real physical war zones, and then there are TikTok comment sections. There are real parasites that destroy your brain tissue, and then there’s the brain-rotting absurdity of a TikTok comment section under a video about metal music. Maybe that’s a bit harsh. But there’s no denying that the app has a reputation for turning subculture definitions on their heads, causing newbies to have a warped idea of what it means to be a goth or a metalhead or a punk. There’s been a rupture in the values reflected in those communities, and an uproar of cyber-arguments within their respective subcultures. And if there’s any subculture that loves to argue, it’s the metalheads.

Let me ask you this: what do you think of when you think of heavy metal? Loud guitars, beer cans, battle vests and long hair, maybe. Well, if you scroll through the metal hashtag on TikTok, you’d be surprised to see that a lot of those things are absent. You would find people having a “heaviest music taste competition” with an audio of an obscure grindcore song behind it. Thirst traps to Deftones. The biggest glam metal hater you have ever encountered, except for that one guy in the comments. He hates it more. Most commonly, there’s the miscategorization of certain bands and the unbridled callouts of nu-metal and metalcore fans for not being “metal enough.” While metalcore is notoriously disliked by most metalheads, you can’t argue that it isn’t technically under the metal umbrella. It’s just different from the metal you might enjoy.

Nu metal, unfortunately, has been watered down the most. If you were to ask any internet-savvy metal fan what bands they would consider “TikTok Metal,” they would probably mention bands like Slipknot, Korn, and Limp Bizkit, all unrightfully associated with the app as opposed to the movements they were apart of, and wrongly linked to the term “poser.”

And whether you like nu metal or not, arguing that nu metal isn’t “real metal” is nonsensical. In terms of sound, countercultural aspects and direct contributions to the evolution of the genre, it is undoubtedly metal. We live in a day and age where, since the day Black Sabbath dropped their first album, we have over 50 years of niche microgenres of metal to listen to, and many decades for the term “poser” to evolve with the times. Considering TikTok and its chronic trendiness, there’s inevitably going to be a clash of fans that enjoy more than just one type of metal, eventually resulting in an argument over what makes you a poser and what doesn’t.

For example, in 2022, Interceptor frontman Blake “Bulldozer” Arendell posted a TikTok saying the biggest posers in metal are the ones “listening to nu metal, and going straight to black metal.” The frontman has been a subject of heavy metal controversy since before the inception of his speed metal band, posting videos slamming certain genres and explaining his idea of a poser, which, from what I’ve gathered, is defined by someone that only listens to the mainstream bands, and does not adhere to one subgenre. Interestingly, Interceptor has since released a statement about removing their platform from TikTok in order to promote their band in a more authentic manner.

In January 2024, TikTok content creators @opalinsky posted a video dissecting what it really means to be a poser in metal. Their definition differs from Arendell’s, saying, “The term ‘poser’ has become so unhinged in the metal scene [that] you get called a poser for just liking or not liking certain bands, or simply giving your opinion on anything metal related.” TikTok loves their buzzwords, and poser is no exception, so what does—rather, what should—the term really stand for in this day and age?

The Oxford definition of poser is literally “a person who behaves or dresses in a way that is intended to impress other people and is not sincere.” If that is the case, TikTok is an abhorrent amalgamation of posers. It is a place where people attach their blemish-erasing filters, put on the most internet-friendly persona they can muster, and press “record.” There is no mercy in its comment sections, and allows for plenty of opportunities to argue behind the safety of a screen. This is a generalization, of course, because there are tons of great metal and rock creators that put their well thought-out opinions, music recommendations, and other related content out there. 

But in the grand scheme of things, it’s hard to post a TikTok video that is truly authentic. TikTok metal is not real. It only exists within the realm of the app. If you go to a local metal show or a gigantic thrash festival, where there are metal lovers young and old, appreciators of all genres, and music lovers that are just there to support the acts, every insignificant argument that has ever been brought up on the internet disappears into thin air. The metal subculture has, and always will be, about sticking it to the man, making a statement, loving the music truly, loudly, and proudly, and being unapologetically yourself. If you can do those things, it doesn’t matter that your favorite metal band is “mainstream,” or that you also happen to like a couple of speed metal bands as well as glam or doom or sludge. As long as you’re doing it authentically—not because someone on TikTok told you to—you’re a worthy metalhead. 

…Or if you can name five songs by the band on your tee shirt.