"Everybody's Metal!" (part II in a series)

1) Full name, age (if you're comfortable revealing), and location.

Jonathan R. Goodman, 34, Cleveland Heights, OH


2) Describe yourself. What do you do?

I'm an attorney and an executive recruiter. I'm licensed to practice law in Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Ohio, and New Jersey. Outside of my legal experience, I currently recruit C-level executives for Fortune 500 companies.

3) Any previous occupations, education, etc...

I got my undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Michigan in 1995 and my law degree from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 1998. I served as a Navy JAG attorney and have practiced commercial and business litigation in the private sector.

4) What first got you into metal?

I loved Kiss as early as the second grade, then a friend of mine introduced me to Iron Maiden, the Scorpions, Metallica, and Anthrax when I was in Junior High School (1986)

5) What is it about metal that is meaningful to you ?

I love the sophistication of the music and its aggressiveness. It's an ideal and safe outlet for stress relief. Metal also was the conduit to my true love, which is playing metal and rock guitar. Without metal, I never would have been inspired to play guitar, which is a source of pride that I carry with me in my personal and professional life.

6) Who are some of your favorite metal bands? Favorite albums? Or favorite song and why? Favorite concerts?

Testament (of course!), Iron Maiden, Anthrax, pre-Black album Metallica, Helloween, Queensryche, Edguy/Avantasia, Yngwie, Racer X, Kiss, Megadeth, Scorpions, Van Halen, Dokken, Ozzy, Dio

Favorite Albums- Maiden: Live after Death; Metallica: Master of Puppets; Queensryche: Mindcrime; Testament: The Legacy; Ozzy: Blizzard; Racer X: Second Heat

Favorite Concerts- Monsters of Rock (Meadowlands, June 26, 1988) (Kingdom Come, Dokken, Scorpions, Metallica, Van Halen); Clash of the Titans at MSG (Alice in Chains, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax); Kiss Reunion in 1996 in D.C.; G3 Tour in 2003 (Yngwie, Vai, Satch)

7)How do you feel being into metal affects you as a person? Does it give you a different outlook and perspective? How?

I think metal provides me with an outlet for the rigors of everyday life and access to a community of passionate fans.

8) If you had to tell someone else about why you love metal what would you say?

As I try to explain to my wife, I love the musical complexity, I love the passion, and I love the gamut of topics that songs cover, from topical politics (e.g. Megadeth) to literary references (Iron Maiden) to fantasy escapism (Dio)

9) How has being metal changed your outlook or perspective on day to day living?

Its expanded my interests and made me a more well-rounded person. Hearing Churchill's speech on the intro to "Aces High" got me interested in Churchill's life and writings, which I still rely on as sources of inspiration. Hearing Yngwie made me want to learn more about classical music.

10) Did you ever look like a typical metal fan? If so, how old were you and what made you change? If not, did you ever consider it and what changed your mind?

Oh yeah...I tried to grow my hair out in High School. The problem is that my Judaic roots interfered and I wound up with a funky Jew-fro with two tufts of hair growing in the back that my Mom referred to as "wings." I wanted to look like Nick Bowcott from Grim Reaper. Instead, I looked like Dr. J. Besides that, I had a denim jacket with the patches, a leather jacket, and enough metal t-shirts to clothe a small Third World country. For me, it just seemed like the right thing to do and a way to fit in to the metal clique.


11) Does being into metal affect your career in any way? In other words, do you bring a metal quality to your work?

Absolutely. I think that the two elements of metal that I find most prevalent- patent aggression and musical sophistication--are good principles in the business world. Controlled aggression and professional sophistication go hand-in-hand. Go after your goals, but be smart about it. Also, as I said above, metal inspired me to play guitar, which I have been involved in for 20 years now. Whatever proficiency I had obtained is a source of great pride for me, and is something I carry with me personally and professionally.

12) Do you ever feel a conflict between your inner metalhead and your non metal surroundings?
Not at all. I think everyone has a little metal in them.

13) Are your peers and co-workers aware of your metal side? What do they think about it?

They are aware of my love for metal. I certainly don't hide it. I think they find the apparent inconsistency of a metalhead lawyer to be endearingly quirky. In fact, my partner is a metal fan as well (although to a far lesser extent!)

14) Describe your family. What did they think about your metal interests when you were younger? How about now? If you have a family of your own, please describe them and their views on metal and your interest in it.

My family was unbelievably supportive of me during my formative metal years. My parents never made any comments about my t-shirts, jackets, etc. and even bought me gear when they saw stuff they thought I would like. Also, I was doubly fortunate because I have an older brother (12 years older), who went above and beyond the call of duty to take me to concerts when I was too young to drive, despite the fact that he could not care less about metal or music in general.

Now, I am married and my wife, who is a saint, also completely supports my musical tastes, even though she makes no qualms about disliking the music. She understands my love and passion for the music, and dutifully listens to me whenever I spout off about it.

(If you or someone you know would like to be profiled for 'Everybody's Metal!" please send an e-mail to alex@alexskolnick.com, with 'Everybody's Metal' in the subject. Part I is a few posts below)