My first exposure to metal (that I remember) was around '83-'84. In '87-'88 (age 11/12) I started buying albums for myself. I grew up in a small town and only metal magazines, Headbangers Ball, a Sunday night metal show on the radio, and buying albums "blind" lit my path into the world of metal. Music stores in my area had limited stock and I had to place special orders or use mail order to obtain the albums I wanted. The internet has been a blessing and made it much easier to find and buy new music! It's been a long journey, but metal brought tremendous joy into my life!