So… I gave up metal for Lent. Metal was/is such an important part of me, in terms of how I think, react, destress, etc… I love metal, the sound, the scene, the people, the ridiculousness of it all. I'd been noticing more and more, though, that I really needed to branch out in my musical tastes. Listening to just straight metal all the time was getting to feel stale and I was making some halfhearted attempts into getting into some other genres but it wasn't working that well, I'd just find some more metal that I was more interested in…

Almost in chronological order. Do I still care about all of these bands? No. But they're still there.

Newsboys
Superchic
Toby Mac
Jars of Clay
Blindside
Throwdown
Showbread
Scar Symmetry
Into Eternity
Dark Tranquility
Stolen Babies
Within Temptation
Paradise Lost
Leaves' Eyes
Kamelot
Nightwish
Arch Enemy
Dillinger Escape Plan
Killswitch Engage
Keep of Kalessin
Behemoth
Dimmu Borgir
Living Sacrifice
Demon Hunter
Soilent Green
Chimaira
Dethklok
Black Dahlia Murder
Between the Buried and Me
Children of Bodom
Virgin Black
Samael
Amorphis
Epicurean
Mantic Ritual
Rotting Christ

to be edited as I attend more concerts

1. How did you get into 31? AFTER FOREVER
Natural progression from Nightwish -> Sirenia & Tristania -> AF

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22? WINTERSUN
Starchild by Wintersun

3. What's your favourite lyric by 29? DAATH
"From the Blind":

This ovulation, eager for divulsion
Thrust on limitless livestock, our battle waged
From the mist of diversion, our force shall further
The reign of blood, for ages to come…

…eh, you don't really listen to DAATH for the lyrics.
…or the music. Why do I listen to DAATH? Why are they 29?

4. What is…