Dee Snider Sebastian Bach
[Photos via Sebastian Bach/@sebastianbach on Instagram, Dee Snider/@deesnider on Instagram]

Dee Snider and Sebastian Bach can’t agree on what heavy metal means

It’s a new day which means there’s definitely another debate getting started on Twitter. This time around, it looks like Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider and former Skid Row member Sebastian Bach are at the center of one.

This week, the two musicians engaged in a brief debate about whether or not heavy metal is actually a derogatory term. Spoiler alert: they don’t agree.

Read more: See Jack Black channel Boba Fett to reimagine ‘The Mandalorian’ theme

Dee Snider is known for being rather outspoken. Earlier this year, he called out anti-maskers who marched through a Target while blasting a Twisted Sister song. Now, it looks like Snider has a few more things to say online.

This week, the Twisted Sister singer sparked a debate on Twitter about what the term “metal” in music actually means. It all started when he shared a hair metal band feature Twisted Sister are included in. The tweet eventually earned a comment from @AndrewJHarriso4 who argued that “hair metal” wasn’t really a thing when Twisted Sister got their start.

“No one was ‘Hair Metal.’ The term did not exist at the time and it’s a stupid fucking label.”

Read more: Here’s the full list of guests at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve

This eventually earned a response from Snider who agreed and also noted that bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath hated being called “metal.” Snider credits “stupid” music labels for the popular term.

Agreed but virtually all music labels were stupid. Bands like Zepplin and Sabbath HATED being called metal. They considered it an insult. #fact”

Another fan, @SportzCoaster, chimed in and said that the media is also to blame for these genre labels becoming well-known.

Read more: Avenged Sevenfold’s next album is unlike anything they’ve done before

“Media types seem to feel the need to label & categorize music while also taking a thinly veiled cheapshot…. sometimes.”

This eventually led to Snider saying that genre names including metal are derogatory terms that critics often use to negatively critique a band.

“100%!! Punk, Grunge, Metal, Hair – all derogatory terms given to describe music forms by critics as a put down. And the bands HATED them. The bands inspired by those bands embraced the labels.”

Read more: Here’s where the newly restored ‘Good Burger’ car ended up

Shortly after sharing this tweet, Sebastian Bach joined in on the debate. He disagrees with Snider and believes that these genre terms were never derogatory. Bach notes that even though hair metal was never a term that existed during that time, metal is not a derogatory term.

“metal is not a derogatory term hair ia [is] a term that never existed would you please stop so we can maybe play festivals in the USA instead of state fairs.”

Snider then further supported his argument by sharing a tweet that asks if metal, punk, grunge, etc. are actually derogatory terms. This, of course, warranted yet another response from Bach. The former Skid Row singer argues that if metal was actually a derogatory term, Metallica wouldn’t be called Metallica and Snider wouldn’t have an album called For the Love of Metal.

“If the word metal is a derogatory term there would not be a band called Metallica and you would not have an album called For the Love of Metal please stop with the non-stop hair tweets we are begging of you.”

Read more: This R&B singer crushed Metallica songs after being mocked for her shirt

From there, the two continue to disagree. Snider flat out tells Bach he’s “wrong” in one tweet while Bach goes on to say that “metal has always been cool” while hair metal hasn’t been.

“You are wrong, Sebastian. But it is understandable, you are much younger than me and don’t know (No attack my friend, just a fact). And it’s just a conversation. People need to be edified.”

What am I wrong about Dee? Metal is a derogatory term but there is an album called ‘For the Love of Metal?’ So we all love a derogatory term? How does one please explain a band named @Metallica? You are wrong, Dee. Metal has always been cool. Hair metal will never be cool.”

One fan eventually steps in, asking the two music icons to stop arguing. The tweet caused Snider to express some appreciation for Bach.

Read more: You’ve never seen these photos from one of Nirvana’s early live shows

I love @sebastianbach! During the darkest period of my career he stood tall as a Dee Snider fan when few would. I will always be grateful to him for not caring what was “cool” at the moment and speaking our proudly for the things he loved. Thank you SMF #2!”

Bach also decided to take the high road and share some love for Snider. Although Bach says that Snider has always associated himself with hair metal, Snider clearly disagrees.

I love @deesnider. I will always love the music he has made. No matter how much Dee sees himself as ‘hair metal’, I will always see him on a much higher level than that implies. He is 1 of the greatest frontmen & vocalists of all time. Any corny label less than that is an insult.”

Read more: There’s only one way Rupert Grint would return for more ‘Harry Potter’ films

“I DON’T see myself as hair metal. Like being called a Sick Mutha Fucker I’ve decided to embrace the title rather than fight it. But I don’t like it.”

Snider closed out the debate by revealing the first time he heard metal being used to describe music.

“As one who was there, the first time I heard the term used to describe music was a review of the hard rock band Sir Lord Baltimore that said, ‘They use every heavy metal trick in the book.’ After that I heard the term used more and more.”

What are your reactions to Dee Snider and Sebastian Bach’s debate on metal? Who do you agree with? Let us know in the comments below.