And this here is the problem. Extremists on either side of the fence who dont know how to behave themselves. The musicians themselves dont take themselves nearly as seriously as some of their fans. Metal musicians arent murderers, necrophiliacs, or rapists. They dont eat children, worship satan*, or run amok leaving chaos in there wake. They are just creating art. Metal is supposed to be scary in theme, it's the musical version of a horror movie.
In the 8 years I gigged, I shared the stage and hung out with numerous different national metal acts. They are just people like the rest of us. I've hung out with Glen Benton, he didnt do any satanic rituals. I've hung out with Chris Barnes, he is a peace loving hippie, not a murderer. It's just an act. At the end of the day, all these folks want to do is play music just like the rest of us.
*Most arent. While satan is a giant topic in metal, again it's just an act.