Renowned guitarist Nita Strauss has voiced her thoughts on the rock and metal community, urging fans to be more accepting of artists exploring new musical directions. Strauss described metal fans as passionate yet often resistant to change, labeling them as a “bunch of whiny, complainy babies” when it comes to artistic evolution.
Strauss recently toured with pop star Demi Lovato during her Holy Fvck era, a venture that gave her a fresh perspective on genre flexibility. Speaking about the experience, she said, “Demi made a really cool rock album, so they hired a rock band to do a rock show. Demi’s a metalhead at heart—I’d walk past her dressing room and hear her listening to Megadeth. She even turned me onto this great deathcore band called Bodysnatcher. She’s the real deal.”
Addressing the frequent criticism metal fans direct at artists who shift their sound, Strauss cited Metallica as a prime example. “They’re the biggest band in the world, and people still s**t on their new stuff. If a band makes a slight departure from what they’ve done before, the fanbase cries about it: ‘Everything they’re doing is terrible now!’”
Strauss attributes this resistance to a gatekeeping mentality within the rock and metal scene. She explained, “Everybody feels like they have to protect our scene and keep it safe—no external people can get in, which I think is crazy. If a pop artist wants to make a rock album, great. If a rock artist wants to make an R’n’B album, great. Music is for everyone.”
Her message is clear: rather than clinging to traditional boundaries, the metal community should embrace creativity and diversity in music.
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