Release your inner head banger

So far blog readers know that I am a Pakistani-American living abroad, that I am working on my thesis to complete my masters, that I am a sci-fi geek and that I love to write stories. But I haven’t mentioned enough times that I am also a metal head. I first talked about this part of my personality in this post. I tried introducing rock music to my friends in Pakistan. For the most part guys appreciate the earthy tones of the music. That is something that transcends race and appeals to the head banger inside us all.

However the influence travels two ways. I also got in touch with the Pakistani music scene and let me tell you it’s kicking. The grand daddy of all Desi (this word is derived from dhase meaning homeland) rock bands is Junoon. These guys kicked off their music careers by giving us a unique blend of Eastern and Western music. They get their inspiration from mystical Islam otherwise known as Sufism. However they’re far from being pacifist. They exploded onto the political scene with a mesmerizing guitar solo that mimicked the melody of the national anthem. Also their hit single Azadi (freedom) tells of the trails and tribulations faced during the Migration. Take a sip…

This trend-setting band has inspired others. However I am not familiar with them. Keeping up with the music biz is not a priority for me. Plus I find that these other bands, when compared to western heavy metal bands such as Metallica, don’t have enough oomph. I suppose that has to do with cultural differences. After all rock music is a foreign entity. I didn’t know how foreign until I demonstrated the finer points of head banging at a basant festival (this is the Hindi term for the spring festival) only to be greeted with curious stares.

So what do you think about rock music? Are you into it? If not what kind of music do you like? Share!