Part 6/10:
Drawing from a 2000 article in EQ magazine featuring producer Terry Date, the cyclical nature of heavy music’s popularity is evident. Date predicted that heavy sounds would surge for about seven years, then fade before making a comeback roughly seven years later. Given his experience since the late 1990s, this pattern has repeated multiple times in metal’s history.
Date believed that the genre’s appeal is strongly tied to male youth, spanning from 15 to 25 years old. As long as this demographic exists, there will be a desire for aggressive music. However, recent trends suggest a shift in how younger audiences engage with music. The decline in instrument playing among youth and changing social behaviors have affected metal’s cultural standing.