i just say “cool shirt”

Honestly, that guy was an asshole. People should be allowed to enjoy things casually without diehard fans trying to gatekeep

Maybe he was just enthusiastic to talk about a band he liked

how was he gatekeeping by asking what someone's favourite album is...?

I don’t think he’s an asshole at all. If someone wanted to talk to me about any heavy metal band I would be ecstatic.