Heavy metal, or not metal at all.

Metalheads. We cop a lot of criticism for being satanists, neo-nazis, agressive, misogynistic, facist, racist, dole-bludging, greasy, messy wastes-of-space and pieces of proverbial feces. And at times, we foster our own stereotypes by the way we dress and act.

Steff Metal is a blog about the positive side of metal – the side anyone can relate to, even if you liken Slayer to four burly oxen pumped full of ecstasy charging through an antique shop.

So, you’ve arrived on this site, and you can see it’s about heavy metal. More specifically, it’s about the heavy metal lifestyle, how to embrace it, and why it’s awesome. And you’re wondering “who is this mad blind metal chick talking all this shit? I want to find out who she is so I can send her flowers/send her hate mail/send her a Darkthrone tshirt/send her to church.”

That crazy blind chick is me, Steff. Born in New Zealand, raised on a steady diet of metal and out-of-print archaeology books, I’m now a freelance writer, accessible formats producer, and iron maiden.

Loves: music, adventure, sausage rolls and ducks.

Hates: black jellybeans, the NZ postal service, and enemies of metal.

I have a rare genetic condition known as Achromotopsia. The retina of my eye has no cone cells. I’m completely colour blind, photophobic, and legally blind.

I also blog about small business for creative bad-asses over at Grymm & Epic, and alternative weddings at Gothic Wedding Planner.

Steff Metal in the Media:

Heavy Metal bands even super-intelligent non-metalheads will enjoy – The Secret Society of List Addicts.

That’s Metal, but it’s not music! – No Clean Singing

Black Metal Naval Gazing, part 2 – No Clean Singing

Some of my recent publications in print and online. You can read more of my work on the publications page.

12 Tips for Surviving Your First European Metal Festival, Matador Nights, May 2009

Elven Lays and Powerchords: Chaos, Revelry and Community in Tolkine-themed Heavy Metal, Strange Horizons, 12 Jan 2009

City of the Beast: A Heavy Metal Tour of London, Go NOMAD, Nov 2008

Disclaimer

Steff Metal is a personal blog. I didn’t intend to make money from it when I started, and that isn’t going to change. However, you will see a few ads in the sidebar – I make a bit from those. Sometimes, I might blog about an advertiser, but I’ll tell you when I do. I only accept advertisement from companies I personally use and support.

I use this money to keep Steff Metal up and running, and occasionally I buy another metal shirt.

… Okay, I often buy another metal shirt. A girl can never have too many metal shirts.

No links to outside sources in my posts give me any additional income. I don’t use affiliate links in my content on this site. I don’t endorse products unless I personally use and adore them.

Sometimes, products mentioned on my blog might have been given to me as gifts. Only suitably krieg products and releases get mentioned on the blog.

If you buy one of my books or artwork, I get all that money, too, Mwahahaha.

Commenting Policy

Steff Metal is a blog of positivity. I know that may seem at odds with the style of music we love (metal naturally leaning towards anger) but it’s my blog and I make the rules.

Most metalheads I know are the happiest people on earth – and who wouldn’t be happy when you’re surrounded by beer, beef, boobs and blastbeats? Metal makes people happy, and I want my blog to make people happy, too.

You’re welcome to disagree with any of my opinions (as everything on this blog IS an opinion) and I really want you to do so. Share your experiences, correct my blatent factual errors and debate my choice of favourite sausage roll. Bring it on, I’m a big girl – I can handle it! I love to hear suggestions, new ideas, and be exposed to all you amazing people out there.

I want to read comments that treat others with the respect, love and dignity they deserve. If you can’t write something nice, please don’t write at all. Bad mouthing any band, artist, writer or guest on this blog will result in your comment being deleted. If you make a comment just to tell me how ugly/stupid/crappy/fat I am, then I may or may not delete it, depending on how much it makes me giggle.

I don’t like deleting comments, so don’t be stupid, and I won’t have to. We’re all friends here. We’re all crew on the same Viking boat.

Before you press the comment button, ask yourself:

• Am I krieg enough to comment on this blog? (an extremely important question)
• Am I adding something constructive to the discussion?
• Will my comment inform or help others?
• Are my words pleasant?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, please rephrase your post in lyrical form and share it with your black metal band. Don’t bring it here.