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Metalhead Suffering From Severe Tinnitus And Hyperacusis Commits Suicide


Sad news in the Belgian newspapers today. Dietrich Hectors, a 29-year old Belgian metalhead (and a doctor of engineering) killed himself last Friday because he was suffering from a severe form of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Tinnitus is an incurable condition, where the ear is permanently damaged, resulting in an over-sensitivity to certain frequency ranges of sound. Despite taking some sort of medication, in the end, every single sound hurted his ears, especially his own voice. "This disease controls my life: every word hurts."

His ears got damaged permanently after a Sepultura concert in 1996. From then on, he used ear plugs for almost every loud activity. After a rehearsel with his metal band - where he forgot his plugs because he was in a hurry - his condition got worse. Eventually, Dietrich Hectors was forced to quit the band in 2003. He also gave up most of his social life - avoiding pubs etc. - locking himself up in total loneliness and silence. After visiting a small, local music festival in 2006, he took off his ear plugs, just when people started firing fireworks right next to him. When he got his plugs back in, already a few explosions had passed. The next few days, his ears started hurting like never before.

In his goodbye letter, Hectors wrote: "For the first time in my life, the ringing noise in my ears is totally unbearable. It goes beyond anything. Despite the heavier medication, EVERYTHING is hurting my ears, especially my own voice. I can no longer communicate - just when I really needed to talk with the people around me the most. A hundred times, I tried to fight back, kept myself in silence, involved in antisocial behaviour - waiting for some sort of improvement. But there is a line somewhere. That line is reached. Please respect my choice, my life has become a living hell."

He also added he now regrets his switch in musical preferences from hard-rock to heavy metal...

Dutch-speaking people can read the whole letter at this location.



May you rest in Peace and Silence, Dietrich.

Source: gva.be
Posted: 22.07.2009 by Thryce


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Comments: 64   [ 4 ignored ]   Visited by: 317 users
25.07.2009 - 23:00
Lord_Regnier

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 25.07.2009 at 21:37

I only go to a big concert once a year (namely Hellfest) precisely due to the reasons you stated. All the preconceptions the general have about metalheads come true there (obnoxious, druk, drugged etc i.e. generally being braindead morons) Biggest gigs I go to are where a max of 1000 can attend (accept for Roadburn which has a max of 2000 but spread over three halls, and of those 2000 500 are band members and crew) Most gigs I attend are 500 max gigs and loads of time only around 200 show up. Last week friday I went to a 120 max gig where only 40 were present)


On the very rare occasions I went to gigs in the last 4-5 years, it was always only a few hundred people.
I can't stand big crowds because too many metalheads are braindead morons, like you said, and I don't want to be labeled as part of their gang + I want to punch them in the face because they get on my nerves dangerously. Lots of metalheads are so hopelessly retarded they make you feel ashamed of being a metal fan sometimes.
And certain things are total nonsense. How can you enjoy the view when people push you in all directions so, in fact, you don't even see what happens on the stage? And what fun can you have when you're squeezed like a canned sardine, so you can barely breathe? Fuck, I would pay to be elsewhere, not to be there at the gig.
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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26.07.2009 - 03:03
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Lord_Regnier on 25.07.2009 at 23:00

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 25.07.2009 at 21:37

I only go to a big concert once a year (namely Hellfest) precisely due to the reasons you stated. All the preconceptions the general have about metalheads come true there (obnoxious, druk, drugged etc i.e. generally being braindead morons) Biggest gigs I go to are where a max of 1000 can attend (accept for Roadburn which has a max of 2000 but spread over three halls, and of those 2000 500 are band members and crew) Most gigs I attend are 500 max gigs and loads of time only around 200 show up. Last week friday I went to a 120 max gig where only 40 were present)


On the very rare occasions I went to gigs in the last 4-5 years, it was always only a few hundred people.
I can't stand big crowds because too many metalheads are braindead morons, like you said, and I don't want to be labeled as part of their gang + I want to punch them in the face because they get on my nerves dangerously. Lots of metalheads are so hopelessly retarded they make you feel ashamed of being a metal fan sometimes.
And certain things are total nonsense. How can you enjoy the view when people push you in all directions so, in fact, you don't even see what happens on the stage? And what fun can you have when you're squeezed like a canned sardine, so you can barely breathe? Fuck, I would pay to be elsewhere, not to be there at the gig.


For a real good laugh check out the thread that think metalheads are smarter than your average every day person

As for the pushing and shuffing part... my God do I hate those morons that think the only good gig is a gig where ne moshes and bumps into people that actually want to enjoy a show. People that mosh and do stuff like that think they enjoy a show whereas in fact a band can play total crap and they don't even notice cause they were moshing... MORONS.
The only people that can really enjoy a show and judge it on its merits are the people standing back with a beer, or soda, in their hands watching the show from a distance... btw when I was young I used to be one of the morns as well.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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26.07.2009 - 03:59
Lord_Regnier

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 26.07.2009 at 03:03


For a real good laugh check out the thread that think metalheads are smarter than your average every day person



I've read it but prefered to avoid commenting on that thread.

Only thing I'll tell on the matter is that I encounter much more retards on metal forums than on any other kind of website. Even on videogame forums, people are less dumb than the average metalhead.

What is so ironic is I'm often labeled as an elitist because I don't consider hard rock and cock rock as metal and despise music that is so cheesy and soft you can barely label it as metal by those people who believe metalheads are more intelligent than the average people. From my point of view, they're much more elitist than I will ever be.
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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26.07.2009 - 19:44
Saitenhexerin

Oh wow. Poor guy.
May he rest in peace. This somehow scares me...Sepultura were really loud as well when I saw them!
Yeah we should all watch out so that we won't loose our hearing - I just turned down the volume of my speakers o.O
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- When I die, bury me in smoke.
- Defendress of the Faith.
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