Written by a devout member of the Metal Archives forum.
Oh hello, metalheads of the internet! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there behind my giant wall of CDs, cassettes, and vinyls which I use to make myself feel vaguely superior to everyone else. It has come to my attention that more and more metalheads are downloading music with every passing day. Well, I'm here to tell you that's not because we're now in the digital era and physical entertainment is as obsolete as the telephone booth and the typewriter, it's because you have entitlement issues. You feel entitled to listen to good metal even if you live in an oppressive Middle Eastern country where metal is against the law or a small rural town where the closest thing you have to a record store is Wal-Mart and their metal section is almost non-existent. You don't deserve to listen to metal because you're just a whiny baby who only wants free stuff.
It's not the metal scene's problem that they can't get physical copies of their music to these far-flung places, it's your problem. It's also your fault that metal bands feel the need to print up only a tiny number of copies of each album because they don't want filthy, internet-loving plebeians like you to listen to it. Speaking of which, if you can't find or afford a physical copy of the album you want, then you should just go without. That's the only logical solution to this problem. You shouldn't be mad at the labels or the distributors for refusing to meet this unmet demand or adapting to a changing marketplace, it's your fault that you wanted the album in the first place, and also because the owners of these companies are incredibly fragile people who can't take criticism.
And let's not forget that these record labels can do whatever they want. You shouldn't be allowed to complain, voice your opinion, or try to get anything changed, because record labels are bigger than people and they don't have to print up more copies or provide digital versions of the album you want. Let's also ignore the fact that obscurity is a far bigger problem than piracy and just delude ourselves into thinking that if you download music, then indie bands will starve. It doesn't matter that most indie bands are now abandoning the old music industry paradigm by turning to digital-only releases and letting their fans pay what they want instead of paying top dollar for an album that might be complete shit. If these indie bands let their fans download their music, then that means they're part of the problem and are contributing to the death of metal. Yes, I'm fully aware that the evidence clearly shows that the metal scene is many magnitudes larger now than it ever was in the 80s, but those facts don't matter. If you download music, then indie bands will starve. Simple as that.
Finally, let's not forget that downloading music is stealing, and if you download music, then that means you're a dirty thief. I don't care that copying is not theft because nothing physical is missing if people download an album. I don't care that the main reason why people download music in the first place is because they either can't afford the album they want or they live in an area where legal options don't exist. Downloading is stealing, and if you download, then that means you're a dirty thief who only wants free stuff.
In conclusion, go buy that CD like you know that you should. Don't download music. If you can't afford to buy physical music, then just go without, because if you download music, then you're a whiny, entitled baby who just wants free stuff. I am a devout member of Metal Archives, and if you have a problem with anything I've just said, then I'll strawman all of your arguments and just call you entitled over and over again.
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