"No, I have to really focus, especially when I'm writing because I wanna be good at it"
About this Quote
It’s almost funny hearing Tom Araya - a frontman synonymous with velocity, volume, and controlled chaos - talk like a craft-first student in a quiet room. “No” lands first: a quick refusal of the myth that writing comes from pure instinct or backstage adrenaline. He’s drawing a boundary against the romantic idea of the musician as a natural-born conduit. What follows is a small manifesto for workmanlike creativity: focus isn’t optional, it’s the price of being taken seriously.
The phrasing matters. “Really focus” and “especially” signal that writing is the high-stakes zone, the part of the job that can’t be faked with charisma or chops. In metal, riffs can hit on brute force; lyrics live longer. They’re scrutinized, quoted, misread, weaponized. For an artist in Slayer’s lane, writing also carries extra cultural baggage: extreme imagery, moral panic, censorship debates, and the constant charge of being “irresponsible.” Araya’s insistence on focus reads as self-defense and professionalism. He’s not saying the material is harmless; he’s saying it’s deliberate.
“I wanna be good at it” is almost disarmingly plain, and that’s the point. It shifts the conversation from shock value to standards. Subtext: this is not edgelord improvisation. It’s craft, revision, and intent - the unglamorous discipline behind music that often gets mislabeled as mindless aggression.
The phrasing matters. “Really focus” and “especially” signal that writing is the high-stakes zone, the part of the job that can’t be faked with charisma or chops. In metal, riffs can hit on brute force; lyrics live longer. They’re scrutinized, quoted, misread, weaponized. For an artist in Slayer’s lane, writing also carries extra cultural baggage: extreme imagery, moral panic, censorship debates, and the constant charge of being “irresponsible.” Araya’s insistence on focus reads as self-defense and professionalism. He’s not saying the material is harmless; he’s saying it’s deliberate.
“I wanna be good at it” is almost disarmingly plain, and that’s the point. It shifts the conversation from shock value to standards. Subtext: this is not edgelord improvisation. It’s craft, revision, and intent - the unglamorous discipline behind music that often gets mislabeled as mindless aggression.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|
More Quotes by Tom
Add to List
