Animosity by association I never looked down on allegedly "wanky" music, as my dad played guitar virtuosos such as Yngwie Malmsteen or Steve Vai in his car when I was young. That wasn't all he played, but shredders were a consistent part of my dad's catalogue, and so that sound was normal to me. It wasn't until later that I learned this type of music was (and still is) considered uncool. The musicians and their fans are even accused of being inauthentic, as if one needs an ulterior motive to make and/or (pretend to?) enjoy it. Of course, any remotely non-mainstream taste can be met with suspicion, but there's something about the ease of engaging with clean production, guitar spectacle and lack of any off-key notes or chords (which would give the impression of skillessness to a myopic listener) that lays virtuoso guitar music bare for judgment, fully transparent. "Non-technical" death metal can still be difficult to play, but if it obscures itself b...