What is the most offputting barrier to you listening to and enjoying certain types of music

never listen to extreme metal at home, but always enjoy it at concerts

barrier for me is that some genres don't have a venue where I'm at (or only very expensive venues)

I must be one of the few people who loves the sound of classical soprano while generally hating opera itself - so much of the culture around it seems to be this hideous self-serious pseudo-aristocratic posturing and gatekeeping while the plots are infuriatingly ridiculous and bathetic - opera queens love that tension and more power to them but I can't stand it

a relatively recent development afaik, used to be a popular (as in vulgar) art form until they got rid of the cheap seats (part of an intentional attempt at turning it into hideous self-serious pseudo-aristocratic posturing and gatekeeping)

I've been told it's less like that in Italy, idk how true that still is

it's a shame and mirrors what's happened to theatre and classical music in general. In the case of opera I blame wagner for a lot of it

xps to Neanderthal

let a death man growl
it’s meant to be percussive
let a death man growl
although he ain’t exactly Twista

Lolol

I can get into a lot of weird/annoying/"bad" vocal styles, but still I have never found a way past the belting emo vocal style. I spent the past two years dating someone who was really into MCR and I know a lot of people around here rate them highly. But I just couldn't do it, man. I like a lot of the other stuff Gerard Way does with his voice! But as soon as he starts with the "I'M NOT WHOA-KAAYYAAY" shit, I'm in for a bad time :(

And as for "cookie monster" vocals, these usually sound goofy as hell rather than bleak or atmospheric to me. But I can appreciate what they're going for.

I was just about to mention, coincidentally, that I only can't stand singers who sing entirely through their nose.

Also admittedly a lot of the mainstream rap in the last five years, I just don't get. And I love hip hop.

But I can appreciate what they're going for.

I guess I'm still trying to figure out what that is.

We hosted an exchange student from northern Germany about 15 years ago. He was devoted to the really scary-sounding Scandinavian stuff. It struck me as an affirmative act of nonconformity.

Strangely enough, I can really appreciate the sound of an operatic soprano. The Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute is sublime. I do prefer lieder, though, whether sung by a soprano or sung by an alto.