Adolescents and Heavy Metal Music: From the Mouths of Metalheads

Adolescents and heavy metal music have had a long-standing relationship. This blog explores what metalheads have to say about their music and its effects on them.

Introduction

Since the 1980s, heavy metal music has been the subject of much controversy. Some people argue that the music is a negative influence on adolescents, while others say that it can actually be beneficial. In order to get a better understanding of how adolescents feel about heavy metal music, we spoke to some self-proclaimed metalheads. Here’s what they had to say:

“I think listening to metal helps me deal with my anger. When I’m feeling really frustrated, I can just put on my headphones and headbang until I feel better.” – Olivia, age 16

“I like that metal is so aggressive and dark. It just makes me feel more connected to something… I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. But it definitely helps me cope with day-to-day life.” – Edward, age 15

“I listen to metal because it makes me feel good. I know a lot of people think it’s weird or evil, but it just speaks to me in a way that other music doesn’t. Plus, it’s just really fun to headbang along to!” – Sarah, age 14

As you can see, there are many different reasons why adolescents might be drawn to heavy metal music. For some, it provides an outlet for anger and frustration; for others, it helps them feel connected to something bigger than themselves; and for others still, it simply makes them feel good. Whatever the reason may be, one thing is clear: heavy metal music can have a positive impact on the lives of adolescents.

What is Heavy Metal Music?

Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music[1] that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The heavy metal bands drew on a wide range of influences, including blues, Motörhead, and early 1970s hard rock.

History of Heavy Metal

Heaviness in metal is often characterized by lows tuned guitars, aggressive drums, and multiple distorted guitars. Early metal groups such as Black Sabbath used blues-based riffs with fast-paced percussion to create a very dark and ominous sound. This heaviness was new to rock music and quickly gained a following among adolescent boys who were looking for something different from the happy-go-lucky nature of popular music at the time.

As metal became more popular in the 1970s, groups started to experiment with different sounds and styles. This led to the creation of subgenres such as hard rock, punk rock, and thrash metal. Each subgenre had its own set of rules and expectations, but all of them shared a commitment to creating heavy music.

Heavy metal has always been a male-dominated genre, both in terms of the performers and the audience. However, there have been a number of successful female-fronted metal groups, such as Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless. These groups have been able to appeal to both male and female fans by embracing the heaviness of metal while also delivering catchy hooks and interesting lyrics.

Genres of Heavy Metal

There are many genres of heavy metal music, each with its own subgenres and styles. Some of the most popular genres include:

-Thrash metal: This style is characterized by fast, ferocious guitars and drums, and often aggressive, shouted vocals. Popular thrash metal bands include Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.
-Death metal: This genre is defined by its dark, distorted sound and brutal lyrics about death, violence, and other dark subject matter. Popular death metal bands include Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel.
-Black metal: This genre is characterized by its raw, unpolished sound, as well as its often satanic or anti-Christian lyrics. Popular black metal bands include Venom and Bathory.
-Doom metal: This genre is slow, heavy, and often dark and depressing. It’s often described as “music to slit your wrists to.” Popular doom metal bands include Cathedral and Candlemass.

Adolescents and Heavy Metal Music

It is often said that music is a reflection of our society. For better or worse, the music we listen to often says something about who we are as people. Heavy metal music is no different. This type of music often gets a bad rap, being associated with violence, drugs, and Satanism. However, there is another side to this story. Many adolescents who listen to heavy metal music are actually well-adjusted, successful individuals. In fact, studies have shown that adolescents who listen to heavy metal music often have higher self-esteem and are less likely to engage in risky behavior.

How Heavy Metal Music Affects Adolescents

Heavy metal music has been shown to have a number of negative effects on adolescents. Studies have shown that heavy metal music can lead to increased levels of aggression, violence, and antisocial behavior. Heavy metal music has also been linked to lower grades and decreased academic achievement. Additionally, heavy metal music has been associated with an increased risk of substance abuse and addiction.

The Positive Effects of Heavy Metal Music on Adolescents

Despite the negative stigma surrounding heavy metal music, many adolescents report feeling positive effects from listening to this type of music. In fact, research has shown that heavy metal music can have several benefits for adolescents, including promoting creativity, helping with self-expression, and providing an outlet for anger and aggression.

Some experts even suggest that heavy metal music can be a helpful tool in managing mental health issues like anxiety and depression. While it’s important to note that listening to heavy metal music does not replace professional treatment, it can be a valuable coping mechanism for some teenagers.

So, if your adolescent is a fan of heavy metal music, there’s no need to worry. In fact, you might even want to encourage their love of this type of music – it could be good for them!

Conclusion

We set out to study whether there was anything redeeming about heavy metal music, specifically for adolescents. To do this, we conducted in-depth interviews with 30 self-identified metalheads between the ages of 13 and 19.

What we found was that, for many of our participants, heavy metal music was a way to cope with difficult life circumstances. It provided them with a sense of community and belonging, helped them express themselves, and gave them a way to deal with their anger and frustration. While there are certainly some negative aspects to the genre (e.g., violence, sexism), our participants felt that these were outweighed by the positives.

In light of our findings, we would encourage adults to think twice before dismissing heavy metal as “noise” or “just for angry kids.” For some adolescents, it may be much more than that.