At Ozzfest, Metal for Iron Agers And iPodders

So what's the big difference between the old- and new-school metal?

"Talent," says a shirtless Tommy Brick, 18, of Newport News, Va., sitting about 300 yards from the newbies headbanging on the second stage. Like a lot of teen fans, he also defies the age gap, here to see Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.

Later in the afternoon, before the start of Rob Zombie's set, a quiet man with long eyeliner tears running down his face is standing by himself. He gives his name only as Kinx and says he is 18. He is wearing a black Nine Inch Nails T-shirt over fishnet stockings that cover his arms, and black baggy pants over Converse sneakers.

Kinx's band, based in Sterling, is called Tears of Acid, and yes it is new-school, and yes he hears the naysayers who say newer metal is heavy for the sake of being heavy, and its lyrics gripy for the sake of being disgruntled whereas classic metal is simultaneously dark and uplifting. But for soft-spoken Kinx, those critics have it all wrong: old-school is about the "sex, drugs and rock-and-roll lifestyle," and new-school is about expressing emotions, personal ones.

And Ozzfest, after a while, is about the $6 funnel cake stand, the Trojan rep handing out sample "Mint Tingle" condoms and the "Drown the Clown" dunking booth where a soaking-wet nightmare clown taunts passersby all day with "La-la-la-Luke, I am your father."

Kinx wanders by again. Darkness approacheth, beers continue to be pounded down, and he is not listening to Iron Maiden rocking on the main stage.

"I'm new school, remember?" he says, smiling, revealing braces. Then he asks if we want to know the meaning behind Tears of Acid. During one of his most depressing times, Kinx says, he tried thinking of a band name that expressed pain and sadness. He knew acid would leave a scar, and "scars would be a reminder of the pain."

Thanks for sharing that.

"No, thank you for listening," he says.