Condescending Rant

For some reason, people who do not listen to the metal genre would like me to believe that the only reason they dislike this type of music is because of the death growl vocals, associated primarily with death metal and it's associated subgenres. I beg to differ, dear Fool.

From Death Metal,

"However, death growls are just as much an aesthetic to death metal as an instrument, particularly due to the percussive nature of this kind of singing; its harsh and very bad, brutal nature is in keeping with death metal's often dark and disturbing subject matter." (Sharpe-Young, 2008)

So people are trying to tell me that out of all the 'harsh' instruments, they have the musical sophistication to single one out for critique? Or are they unhappy because they can't understand the lyrics (poetic though they are in many cases), which would then have completely changed their attitude towards the genre, though all other instruments play the same thing? The voice is an instrument, Mouth-Breathers, and the fact that it is informed by the music means that it's actually following rules of rhythm, harmony, structure and texture integral to making something sound 'good'.

I'd like this band, except for that guy on the left

APPENDIX

Scene from Metal Has No Good PR

Layperson: What's so great about heavy metal?
Me: I just like the speed and power of sound created, I connect with it at some basic level... Layperson: Play a song for me, like a good song...
Me: Okay, here, check this one out, it's called 'Master's Apprentices' by a band called Opeth, they're from Sweden.
*Click*(Music starts playing) (I smile, layperson looks a little shocked like as if this speed and volume were not expected, when in fact it was. I pretend not to recognise that fact)
Layperson: (Hesitantly, smiling) It's damn loud, man! How do you listen to this? (Insert other appropriate clichés)
Me: (Smiling a little smugly) Wait for the vocals to start!
(Growling death metal vocals begin. Layperson makes a pitying smiling face at me, like as if I'm a star on the ground. Head shakes to indicate that this is the ONLY thing preventing her/him from becoming a metal fan)
Me: Okay, the next verse has the same riffs, so lemme just fast-forward to the next part.(Music is fast-forwarded to next part, chords change, but growling continues. Layperson continues pitying smile, increasingly annoying me)
Me: (Talking faster) Wait, after this part, it suddenly becomes slow. These guys are masters of this kind of transition, it happens so smoothly, it's amazing, just check it out...
(After four cycles, drumming becomes slow, no distortion on guitars)
Layperson: (Looking at me like I finally did something right) Wow, this is good. (insert other not entirely sincere clichés) The first part was - er - not my type, but this is cool, like Pink Floyd or something.
Me: Now check it out, the vocals become clean, no more growling.
(Clean vocals start, still accompanied by slow music. I look at layperson and make 'Huh? Huh?" kind of eyebrow movements)
Layperson: Wow, this is good, man. It sounds like *Generic soft rock band*. Have you heard their song *Generic soft rock song*?
Me: Nope. Check out this part.
Layperson: (After a few seconds of silence) Yeah, cool.
Me: Wait, wait, wait. Not that. There's a slow solo here, it's damn cool...
(Guitar solo)
Layperson: Hmmm...
Me: And now it gets fast again, they're damn good at this, merging the fast part with the slow one.
(Music speeds up, guitar distortion resumes, drums revert to double bass)
Layperson: Wow, okay, okay. How much longer is this song?
Me: About 3 minutes more, it's a ten and a half minute song.
Layperson: What? So long? Even 'Stairway To Heaven' is, like, some seven and a half minutes long... Led Zepp?
Me: Yeah, yeah, i know.