--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You gotta look beyond the mainstream…" description: "\"You gotta look beyond the mainstream... the mainstream'll drown you, you know? There's always a pulse in the underground that I love. And the pulse in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/phil-anselmo-11690_alive_you-gotta-look-beyond-the-mainstream-the_2169608.jpg" --- # You gotta look beyond the mainstream... the mainstream'll… ![“You gotta look beyond the mainstream... the mainstream'll drown you, you know? There's always a pulse in the underground that I love. And the pulse in the underground is what keeps heavy metal alive.” quote by Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/phil-anselmo-11690_alive_you-gotta-look-beyond-the-mainstream-the_2169608.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/phil-anselmo-11690_alive_you-gotta-look-beyond-the-mainstream-the_2169608.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/phil-anselmo-11690_alive_you-gotta-look-beyond-the-mainstream-the_2169608.jpg) > “You gotta look beyond the mainstream... the mainstream'll drown you, you know? There's always a pulse in the underground that I love. And the pulse in the underground is what keeps heavy metal alive.” [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mainstream trends can stifle creativity; underground movements sustain heavy metal’s vitality, offering alternative energy and authenticity. **In simple terms:** Underground keeps metal alive against mainstream conformity. Key Takeaway Support and explore underground music scenes. Themes music culture creativity mainstream underground Mood passionate defiant Type inspirational critical When to use this quote - concerts - music festivals - online forums - record stores Key Concepts subcultural theory authenticity artistic resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance mainstream success with underground roots? - What role does community play in preserving niche genres? A Different Perspective Underground may lack resources and exposure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy/) [Heavy metal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy-metal/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mainstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream/) [Mainstream Mainstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream-mainstream-2149948/) [Metals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metals/) [Pulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulse/) [Pulse Underground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulse-underground-4640404/) [Underground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underground/) [Underground Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underground-love-606236/) ## Related quotes > [You never say never, but I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with 'Lucha Underground.' I love their schedule, I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rey-mysterio/you-never-say-never-but-i-am-very-very-comfortable-in-the-position-i/) [Rey Mysterio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rey-mysterio/) > [I don't really give a f\*\*k about the mainstream. The mainstream doesn't offer me anything. Why would I offer it anything? I love the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dirnt/i-don-t-really-give-a-f-k-about-the-mainstream-the-mainstream-doesn-t/) [Mike Dirnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dirnt/) > [The mainstream is not the mainstream anymore. We're a lot more niched in our media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-seder/the-mainstream-is-not-the-mainstream-anymore-we-re-a-lot-more-niched/) [Sam Seder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-seder/) > [I agree with Ru that it'll never be mainstream, because mainstream means everybody knows it, everybody loves it, everybody accepts it. That's never gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-visage/i-agree-with-ru-that-it-ll-never-be-mainstream-because-mainstream/) [Michelle Visage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-visage/) > [What I've become good at is bringing things that aren't necessarily mainstream to the mainstream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/what-i-ve-become-good-at-is-bringing-things-that-aren-t-necessarily/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [Be out of the mainstream. I'm out of the mainstream. I enjoy it, who wants to be in the mainstream?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/be-out-of-the-mainstream-i-m-out-of-the-mainstream-i-enjoy-it-who/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I like Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Common. But I like the underground stuff like Young Jeezy, Black Rob and Shine. I also love heavy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/i-like-jay-z-50-cent-and-common-but-i-like-the-underground-stuff-like/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) > [I tried to take heavy metal... and balled it up and chopped it in half and really tried to create a new form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-tried-to-take-heavy-metal-and-balled-it-up-and-chopped-it-in-half/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [Pantera revolutionized the sound and the approach to heavy metal. It's been regurgitated. Once you up the production on a product and not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/pantera-revolutionized-the-sound-and-the-approach-to-heavy-metal-it-s/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [With Pantera, we lived through so many trend-of-the-day situations - when grunge was huge, we were still a heavy metal band; when hip-hop started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/with-pantera-we-lived-through-so-many-trend-of-the-day-situations/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [I wasn't that wild about that. I told them basically if they were really going to want to bring back heavy metal to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-wasn-t-that-wild-about-that-i-told-them-basically-if-they-were/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [“Fucking Hallmark never wrote anything for how I felt then. When Metallica and the rest of the metal community pitched in to pay for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-juby/fucking-hallmark-never-wrote-anything-for-how-i-felt-then-when/) [Susan Juby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-juby/) > [She's the quiet type who's into heavy metal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/she-s-the-quiet-type-who-s-into-heavy-metal/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) ## More by Phil Anselmo > [I am the type that cannot stay put in living in the past and solely in the past. It's not healthy and it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-am-the-type-that-cannot-stay-put-in-living-in-the-past-and-solely/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [There's always something going on, but thank goodness these days it's with a clear head, which helps me massively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/there-s-always-something-going-on-but-thank-goodness-these-days-it-s/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [Everyone's gonna have their opinion, everyone's gonna have their favorite bands. The best way I can describe it is music is like food, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/everyone-s-gonna-have-their-opinion-everyone-s-gonna-have-their/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [Music is there for us to explore. To intentionally limit yourself to one, two, or three genres is limitation at its worst. Music is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/music-is-there-for-us-to-explore-to-intentionally-limit-yourself-to/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [It seems like if you are not painted up special way or have some tailor made outfit to put on to go out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/it-seems-like-if-you-are-not-painted-up-special-way-or-have-some/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [I've heard too many times where people say that I'm this ultra-serious guy. In truth, I've got an extremely absurd sense of humor. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-ve-heard-too-many-times-where-people-say-that-i-m-this-ultra/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [Honestly, I got the best of both worlds: groove of New Orleans meets the intensity of Texas. That's the best education I could have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/honestly-i-got-the-best-of-both-worlds-groove-of-new-orleans-meets/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [I think anyone who suffers from chronic pain can agree with this - you feel this great significance. What I wanted to capture was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-think-anyone-who-suffers-from-chronic-pain-can-agree-with-this-you/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [I don't care at all about the mainstream; I don't care about popularity contests; I don't care about who's got the biggest-selling album; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-don-t-care-at-all-about-the-mainstream-i-don-t-care-about/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [I tried to take heavy metal... and balled it up and chopped it in half and really tried to create a new form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-tried-to-take-heavy-metal-and-balled-it-up-and-chopped-it-in-half/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [The lead guitar work is a bit repetitious, but when a song is under two minutes long, I don't have much room anyway. Thank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/the-lead-guitar-work-is-a-bit-repetitious-but-when-a-song-is-under/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [Knowing what you're up against is part of the strength of writing something that is even, I guess, considered halfway original, knowing what's out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/knowing-what-you-re-up-against-is-part-of-the-strength-of-writing/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [With this LP we were all very clear on the approach we wanted to take, which was to do something heavy, but also experiment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/with-this-lp-we-were-all-very-clear-on-the-approach-we-wanted-to-take/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [I love the Beatles, and when I was very young, I had young parents, so Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/i-love-the-beatles-and-when-i-was-very-young-i-had-young-parents-so/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [There has got to be a lot of unreleased video out there, live footage and whatnot. There's always going to be something extra for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/there-has-got-to-be-a-lot-of-unreleased-video-out-there-live-footage/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) [Explore all 58 Phil Anselmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You gotta look beyond the mainstream... the mainstream'll drown you, you know? There's always a pulse in the underground that I love. 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