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Death metal music inspires joy not violence
- renholder 8y agoJust to note: Some death-metal bands have positive lyrics[0,1]... (Though, whether they can really be called a death metal band is possibly a point of contention.) [0] - https://youtu.be/lk2-bgwA0Ro https://youtu.be/lk2-bgwA0Ro [1] - https://youtu.be/Nh10gL_GP_w https://youtu.be/Nh10gL_GP_w
- motohagiography 8y agoNot only do they have positive lyrics, some even have comforting recipes[2] https://youtu.be/xwksxDHNoAE https://youtu.be/xwksxDHNoAE
- soheilpro 8y agoSome examples with science-themed lyrics (not all "death metal", though): Avenged Sevenfold - Fermi Paradox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl8rofNa0tI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl8rofNa0tI Avenged Sevenfold - Exist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntgOlFbGWLY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntgOlFbGWLY Nightwish - The Greatest Show on Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJb3xwtpmmc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJb3xwtpmmc Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUb1p8fm7Ag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUb1p8fm7Ag Dream Theater - The Great Debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z6vpiXQJNA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z6vpiXQJNA Allegaeon - Gray Matter Mechanics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu-NvEec8y8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu-NvEec8y8 Allegaeon - All Hail Science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONPMWHP8AZ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONPMWHP8AZ4
- mcv 8y agoI think those are more towards the symphonic end of the metal spectrum. They tend to love science, SciFi, but also fantasy.
- stringyham 8y agoCan't mention positivity without linking Lykathea Aflame [0] [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IEqf9mo93w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IEqf9mo93w
- grawprog 8y agoMakes sense. The people at every death metal show I've been are always pretty happy and friendly. Even in most mosh pits people look out for eachother and will help somebody up who falls or help someone who gets hurt out of the mass of people. It's always been positivr, even the show I split my head open on someone else's head(accidently) we both just laughed about it, then after someone told me my face was covered in blood me and my buddy went to go get me some stitches. Good times.
- RickS 8y agoGreat to see research coming to a conclusion I think most metalheads intuitively know. I love walls of sound, I love intensity that feels like it takes a surplus of cognitive bandwidth (ADHD) and gives it a little bit of resistance to tug against, almost like those various rubber stress toys. I think most metal fans hear lyrical gruesomeness as something between fantasy and a cause for more empathy than anything else. And let's be real, a lot of it is flat out unintelligible. It's an aesthetic. Most of the metalheads I know are absolute teddybears. I listen to some pretty heavy stuff (see links), but the other day I cried at a dog video, and recently had to turn off the police scanner at the mention of a particularly sad crime. Mosh pits look scary but there's a shared ethical framework. Injuries happen, but they're almost never due to malice. Somebody falls down, you pick em up. Bigger people stomp around keeping the peace and returning lost shoes, aha. It's bounded, consensual violence – just like a martial art. Exceptions exist – there are church burners and skinheads, but they tend to cluster in their own sects and you don't get mixed up with them accidentally. https://youtu.be/E9z-Tipz5JQ?t=40 https://youtu.be/E9z-Tipz5JQ?t=40 https://youtu.be/Y037ZIKckIY https://youtu.be/Y037ZIKckIY https://youtu.be/9YkSki1qbLA https://youtu.be/9YkSki1qbLA
- pacerwpg 8y agoI always look at it as a kind of performance art, for people who would never admit that they like performance art. It's absurd, and it's ridiculous and it's a really fun live experience.
- 1000units 8y agoSome artists address this phenomenon directly: Wimps and posers, leave the hall. --- Manowar, Metal Warriors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxwcr72VcKg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxwcr72VcKg
- nabla9 8y agoWe did once informal study among friends comparing heart rate in rest and taste in music. Those with low heart rate favored faster tempo and those with fastest heartbeat favored slowest tempo. (Age and cardiovascular fitness matter more, but tt the time we were all young and relatively fit).
- ralusek 8y ago\m/
- inamberclad 8y agoNo kidding. Since everyone is posting their favorites it seems, here's one of mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRKBz89uRQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRKBz89uRQ
- inamberclad 8y agoAnd another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNuVdsx7qJY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNuVdsx7qJY
- vbuwivbiu 8y agoeveryone knows metalheads are lovely people
- YeGoblynQueenne 8y agoThat's death metal though. Other forms of extreme metal can have lyrics that, far from toying with splatter-gore themes for the shock value, express terminally anti-social politics. I'm thinking of black. Sometimes I'm just happy that a few of the bands I listen to sing in Swedish or Norwegian etc that I don't understand, so that I can't tell what they're singing about. Although the imagery can often give a bit of a hint, rather. To make it absolutely clear in case people don't know what I'm talking about: there is a clear trend of black bands that are downright neonazis. By no means all, or even I think a majority, but they are right there.
- hi5eyes 8y agothe antisocial/nsbm culture of black metal is mostly a meme, left in the realms of dsbm and of nsbm/small niches of the microsubgenre war metal pensees nocturnes dropped a circus black metal album and its pretty fun/literally 0 nsbm elements https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FiKXVZnlQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FiKXVZnlQE
- c3534l 8y agoBlack metal is way sillier than death metal. In the early days, sure, there were a group of people who took the imagery of metal seriously or at least tried to. But black metal is so theatric and cartoonish these days. It'd be like being afraid Count Chocula will inspire a generation of cannibals.
- stcredzero 8y agoIt'd be like being afraid Count Chocula will inspire a generation of cannibals. Years ago, there were the fundamentalist types who would've thought that the vampire/occult theme was a cutesy backdoor into pulling kids into satanic occult stuff. Same sort of people who tried to stigmatize D&D and video games. Same sort of people who wanted to censor books, music, movies, etc. In 2019, we have a new kind of fundamentalist running around trying to de-platform wrongthink. I see them as just the 2019 version of the same people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QbTRiiZmPo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QbTRiiZmPo
- pazimzadeh 8y ago> "We used 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams as a [comparison]," said Dr Sun. Could it be that the listeners were simply tired of hearing an overplayed song (Happy) to the point that even death metal was refreshing? An obscure song should be compared to another obscure song.
- cappsjulian 8y agoomg yo that is fuckin smart plus happy is by a trans
- leroy_masochist 8y agoLiterally any Cannibal Corpse song would have been better for this study than literally any Bloodbath song.
- rajangdavis 8y agoI dunno man, Bloodbath has some bangers. Huge fan of the tunes with Akerfeldt on vocals.
- aasasd 8y agoI'd like to see a study like this done on members of the Norwegian black metal scene from the early 90s. Because I still can't figure out what the burnings and stuff were about (aside from paganism, I guess), and “TROO” metalheads sound pretty crazy even compared to all the other ‘alternative’ culture aficionados. But generally, of course, this experiment seems like just one bit of a proper comprehensive study.
- hi5eyes 8y agothe norwegian scene was mainly just edgy teenagers making music as an affront to the overly commercialized nature of metal at that time, with more roots in punk/folk than what most people think of as "metal", and ofc hail satan/vandalizing bullshit is going to be the route you take if you live in nowhere norway ironically now the 1st and 2nd wave bm bands are used as aesthetic pieces for edgy mainstream artists
- KozmoNau7 8y agoThe way I see it, metal bands in other countries and cultures had a lot of societal issues to channel into their music. Mostly repressive religion, and also political instability in South America, conservatism in the US, the end days and aftermath of the Cold War in Germany and Eastern Europe, just to name a few. Norway didn't really have much of that. It was (and is) a really safe country, very stable, religion is mostly pretty bland non-offensive Protestantism, most people maintain very ordinary non-spectacular lifestyles. The 2nd wave black metallers felt completely suffocated by this quiet peaceful existence, so they rebelled against the peace and quiet and tolerance, and took teenage rebellion to absolute extremes, doing whatever they could to frighten the ordinary people. There were probably also other issues wrapped up in it, I think Dead (Mayhem's lead singer, who killed himself) was depressed or maybe had even deeper issues. These guys felt like outcasts in their own homes, so they acted out. TROO or TRVE metalheads aren't just in black metal, although I think they are more prevalent there. We have them in every genre, from death to folk to power metal and beyond. There's a drive for some people to identify themselves by the things they like and even more by the things they don't like. Some people just get really wrapped up in something they care a lot about, and music affects us on a very primal level. Here's a great Defcon talk from Neil Fallon (lead singer of Clutch) about how music tugs at our emotions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVx5Y1OE-KE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVx5Y1OE-KE
- hi5eyes 8y agoparty death metal is very joyous Party Cannon Bong Hit Hospitalisation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eki2SNegxIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eki2SNegxIE KILLITOROUS // IT'S NOT STANLEY, IT'S STAN LEE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YflBqKgLyks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YflBqKgLyks technical party dm
- rajangdavis 8y agoThis brings me great joy: https://youtu.be/T6mUmTDJAME https://youtu.be/T6mUmTDJAME
- cletus 8y agoSo here's a thought that just occurred to me. For context, I've never understood death metal or anything in that realm. The screaming in particular... but I realize that's just my personal preference. No judgment intended. Just opinion, not objective fact. So only recently I discovered the ASMR phenomenon. And it seems like ~10% of the population (estimated) get a particular response to those sounds. Other commenters here talk about a "wall of intensity" and things in that realm. What if metal appreciation is the same way as ASMR? By this I mean, what if you just have a predisposition to the sound intensity? Just a question. I have no answers. This might be ridiculous. I have no idea.
- zzzcpan 8y agoAs I understand it music is something you can train your brain to like and the choices are heavily influenced by other people around you, society, culture. On its own metal music is equally as likable as kpop, for example. But you don't necessarily learn to have that attitude towards music and limit yourself trying to fit in, etc.
- mhh__ 8y agoI don't it's a genetic thing. AFAIK I like more genres than I don't, but everything I've ever gotten into (Rock -> Metal -> Jazz -> Hip Hop -> No Preference) has been because I've convinced myself to like it. Possibly a genetic trait but it doesn't feel right, especially given that metal music can be appreciated for totally different reasons: One doesn't listen to Opeth the same way as meshuggah
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoI'd be surprised if it's that simple. If you'd not raised the point, I think I'd have guessed most had to grow on you with exposure like appreciating spirits or strong foods. Hang around with bikers or metal heads and you'll learn to love it whether you intend to or not... Or find something else to do fast. :) After growing up with Sabbath, Lemmy, Maiden, ACDC, UFO etc, when I first heard death metal and growl vocals I just thought it sounded a bit naff. Yet somewhere along the way to middle age I grew to love them and also stopped noticing genres. There's now plenty of Ensiferum, Arch Enemy and so on in among bands of all kinds, classical and jazz I listen to these days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFYVcz7h3o0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFYVcz7h3o0
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- taurath 8y agoKey takeaway: music is not about what it looks like on the cover. It can also be a way to shield yourself from the people you're trying to get away from, and a way to differentiate yourself. Almost every one of the ultra-kind but non-mainstream people I know who are into outwardly weird or off-putting (anti-mainstream) stuff are into the culture community for the boundaries they provide. Juggalos are about the community, metalheads are about the community, otakus are about the community, furries are about the community.
- BadassFractal 8y agoMetal music is cathartic the same way a movie, a videogame, a book or a theater performance are. You experience intensity, highs and lows, tension and release. You expose yourself to a harsh emotional rollercoaster, to digging deep into one's psyche, and come out on the other end hopefully invigorated and refreshed. If metal music inspires violence, so do the Odyssey, Star Wars, Othello and many many others.
- somlor 8y agoSome recent favs: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5eQuhBfDE0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5eQuhBfDE0 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHlZA5OYj2I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHlZA5OYj2I - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WeeMHq3I3Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WeeMHq3I3Y - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFM7kj0RII https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFM7kj0RII - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ekRLVXIIpw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ekRLVXIIpw - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlFeOy-I2MY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlFeOy-I2MY - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Qqk_wNFOk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Qqk_wNFOk
- minikites 8y agoHow does that square with https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/04/04/young-heavy-metal-fans-five-times-likely-self-harm-attempt-suicide/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/04/04/young-heavy-m...
- KozmoNau7 8y agoExtreme non-mainstream interests tend to attract people who feel alienated by society, which often includes people with undiagnosed issues.
- wyred 8y agoThe timing of this article feels like it was written in response to Singapore banning a Swedish black metal band from performing at the very last minute. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-black-metal-concert-cancelled-singapore-11320738 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-black-... https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-concert-mha-consulted-before-classification-imda-11334674 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-concer...
- CapricornNoble 8y agoI fly halfway across Japan about every two years for metal concerts in Osaka. Big-name extreme metal acts usually only visit Tokyo & Osaka. About 3-4 years ago Watain was headlining a show. I would have been PISSED, having bought a plane ticket and a hotel, only to find the headline act was cancelled due to some nonsense. \m/>_<\m/
- reustle 8y agoFellow metalhead in Tokyo. Know of any good shows/lists of shows?
- CapricornNoble 8y agoUsually I just wait for something to pop up on my feed on Facebook, probably based on some of the bands I follow. Here's Osaka's most common metal venue: https://www.songkick.com/venues/269466-namba-rockets https://www.songkick.com/venues/269466-namba-rockets
- peterwwillis 8y agoWhen I'm in a particularly bad mood, I'm always calmed down by hardcore punk, thrash, and metal. I've always assumed it was an audible form of letting off steam.
- _bxg1 8y ago> We used 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams as a [comparison] > I didn't personally write them, but I would be frankly astounded if anyone listened to that song and then felt a desire to be eaten by a cannibal If anything, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams is more likely to make me want to be eaten by a cannibal.
- 2dollars27cents 8y agoNot metalcore but the punk/hardcore album Joy as an Act of Resistance by Idles embodies this.
- cyberjunkie 8y agoThey (We) are pretty nice people. We're rational, scientifically inclined, reasonable, and empathetic. We're responsible for our actions, since we don't have any mystical ideology or supernatural deities to fall back on. A vast majority of the music we listen mocks stereotypes, oppression, points out to hypocrisy, the real violence and aggression shown by the 'normal' masses. We have cleaner track records. Some of us will dress up to appear aggressive and immoral, but we know you have pitchforks and judgments that you're waiting to hurl at us.
- mar77i 8y agoAnd in tomorrow's news: videogames are fun...
- ddrdrck_ 8y agoNext clickbait title : "BDSM inspires joy not violence". Then replace BDSM with RPG, FPS ...
- henearkr 8y agoNow I'd definetely love this kind of study for Hip-Hop. I feel like the results (about decoupling between lyrics' violence and listeners/bands' feelings) would be utterly different.
- skibz 8y agoA notable case of people being profiled as violent due to their taste in metal music is the Robin Hood Hills murders [1]. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost:_The_Child_Murders_at_Robin_Hood_Hills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost:_The_Child_Murde... EDIT: The children that were prosecuted also raised eyebrows because of their philosophical interests in LaVeyan Satanism (which is absolutely not what most people would probably assume it to be)