Mr. Grim, 

I just finished reading your article concerning the murder of Dimebag Darrell Abbott at http://www.iconoclast.ca/MainPage.asp?page=/newPage6.asp and felt a need to respond to you.  First off, let me introduce myself to you.  My name is Rob Kern and I am the editor/photographer for From Out Of Nowhere, a music and photography website.  I’m married and have two wonderful children, a house, a college degree and a career that supports my passions, which happen to include photography and heavy metal. 

Yes, Mr. Grim, heavy metal.  I’ve been a fan of the genre since the age of nine when I discovered the band KISS in 1976.  I’m sad to say KISS was a gateway band that led me to Alice Cooper which led me to Iron Maiden which begat Metallica which lead to much harder bands such as gasp Slayer and shudder Pantera among others.  Once these minions of evil had their claws in me you can only imagine what happened as an impressionable teenager… 

I had a normal, relatively happy, productive and fun life. 

What?  Say it isn’t so true believers?  The music you say is a “soul-deadening culture of death, ugliness, depravity and inhumanity…” didn’t turn me into a filthy demon capable of soulless acts of immorality?  Sure, I did some dumb things along the way, it’s called rebellion.  But the music I listened to never made me want to commit inhuman or violent acts upon humanity.  Sure, I’ve sung the lyrics to Judas Priest’s “Breaking The Law” hundreds of times but that didn’t make me want to actually break the law.  Unless you count doing 45 mph in a 25 mph zone, if so then I picture Judas Priest sitting in a recording studio somewhere, rubbing their hands together demonically while saying, “Yes! Mission accomplished!” 

For 99.9% of its fans, heavy metal is a celebration, not an excuse for mayhem.  What happened at the Al Rosa Villa last week was a tragedy, a seriously damaged individual took human lives and whether you approve of their taste in music or not, you should treat the victims lives with respect.  I do agree with you on one point; I applaud the officer for taking the life of the shooter (I won’t say the name of the killer, in no way do I want to immortalize that slug of a human being), the officer saved countless other innocent people from being injured.  But to call Darrell Abbott “a semi-human barbarian” is sickening. 

I never had the chance to meet Mr. Abbott but from all I’ve read from those that did know him spoke of his character and good nature.  The people that were killed that evening died trying to rescue a man in trouble, these people were also fans of heavy metal.  From where I sit these are not “an assemblage of ignorant, semi-human barbarians who were filthy in attire and manner, intellectually incoherent and above all else, hideously ugly to the point of physical deformity” as you classify the fans of Mr. Abbott.  I call these people: heroic, caring, selfless, brave; people I would want at my side, individuals I would want as a friend.  Mr. Grim, don’t lump we heavy metal fans in with the twisted mind that committed this horrific crime, fans of this genre can be found in every profession in the world. 

You speak of wanting the best in education, literature and medicine.  Maybe we should screen these positions and weed out those you might consider being a “turd encased in Lucite.”  I know teachers that have inspired me that listen to heavy metal.  I’ve been to a Slayer concert with not one but two Doctors, both of who knew the lyrics to nearly every song that night.  Maybe publishing companies should peruse the cd collections of new authors before committing to publishing their book. 

You speak of being amused while watching the vigil at the Al Rosa Villa.  I’m sure Mr. Abbott (looking from above) had a chuckle when an unnamed individual streaked across the area, I’m guessing he would have found that amusing.  As far as your descriptions of the mourners at the site, I’m sure he felt nothing for you but pity.  If you think physical beauty is a measure of what is inside a person, Mr. Grim, I feel sorry for you.  Not everyone can be beautiful on the outside, I’m sure that there are some unattractive Beethoven fans out there somewhere.  Does that make them “a definite case in which the outer appearance of these "fans" accurately represented the hideousness of their souls?” 

Your vision of society scares me the hell out of me, Mr. Grim.  I think I’ll stick with my metal brothers and sisters.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go put on a Pantera cd and think some happy thoughts.  R.I.P. Dimebag, we are so sorry that you were silenced so soon.