The thing is, judging bands on their appearance is nothing new. We all do it instinctively, even if we’d prefer people to think that we’re prejudice and snobbery free. It’s part of the process, whether we like it or not. It’s human nature. And no, it’s not fair. Tough shit. That’s how we roll. And you know what? Black Veil Brides knew exactly what they were doing when they conceived their image. Andy Biersack is a smart cookie: he knew that most Lamb Of God fans would hate his band and he didn’t care. He doesn’t court that audience. If, like Robb Flynn, a few people suspend their prejudices and discover, to great surprise, that they actually enjoy BVB records then that’s great. But the fact that many won’t doesn’t necessarily mean that people are being narrow-minded pricks. We make instinctive aesthetic judgements, both visual and musical, primarily based on past experiences. Generally speaking, I don’t like bands with Hitler-in-a-gale haircuts because, in my experience, the haircuts usually point to a musical mindset and aesthetic choices that I can’t relate to or get excited about. Okay, so not everybody thinks about this stuff as much as I do, but then most people aren’t quite so tragically obsessed with music as I am.
http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/blog/blogs-of-war-why-its-ok-to-judge-bands-on-image/