What’s so special about metal?
For those who consider themselves a part of the metal community, we aren’t surprised at all by recent publications supporting the benefits of metal for metal listeners. Hearing that first song that felt like a change in your brain chemistry, channeling of all challenging feelings through singing, screaming, or air-instrumenting (if you will) to your favorite fast song, the joy of watching those songs played live amongst a sea of like-minded people, and making that quick friendship when you realize you have a favorite band in common because their t-shirt said so… It’s a euphoric experience.
For those who haven’t had that similar experience within metal and alternative music, that’s ok! I’d love to share more…
Metal music is an outlet for perceived “negative” feelings like anger, frustration, depression, chaos, and even violence. Listening to songs with such themes is a chance to express them in a safe and accepting environment. In most other spaces, shame is associated with those feelings because they are considered “bad”, yet, they are so common. Allowing for people to experience these normal feelings can be a relief. It is a myth that talking about these feelings promotes them. Rather, it is an opportunity to channel them and relinquish them. This can be done through just listening or the other ways metalheads enjoy their music like engaging in a mosh pit or headbanging. Through all of these emotional explorations, there is research to suggest that listening to metal music can actually release cortisol (a stress chemical) and support with focus and logic.
Contrary to the first point, metal music isn’t just about anger or aggressive themes, despite the suggestion with fast riffs and drum beats. Metal also largely focuses on history, sci-fi, religion, fantasy, politics, and mental health, even (just to name a few). So many themes can be explored within the context of a heavy and/or fast sound and tone.
Another common theme in metal is that of empowerment. Strength, victory, identity, and overcoming battles are just some of the ways in which one’s values are celebrated in metal. Many fans have expressed feeling better while chanting along to songs that celebrate someone’s positive self-regard or ability to rise above.
As mentioned earlier, the quick connections based on shared bands is an attractive quality of being a metal fan. In just a moment, you can see a familiar band tee or be singing along to a song with the person next to you at a show and bonding instantly begins. Prioritizing that common interest over any differences between the two people standing there exemplifies the open-mindedness of metalheads.
You can be or feel different than what is expected of you, but in the metal community, that’s wonderfully not unique to you.
Resources
Blott J (2021) High spirits: heavy metal and mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8, 105-107
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30558-7/fulltext
Scarlett, L. (2023, June 7). Psychologist says people that listen to heavy metal think more logically and are less stressed than those who don’t. Louder. https://bit.ly/45fI1N3
Sharman L and Dingle GA (2015) Extreme Metal Music and Anger Processing. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 9:272. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00272 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4439552/
