The Effects of Heavy Metal Music on Arousal and Anger

Do you love headbanging to Metallica or Slayer? According to a new study, listening to heavy metal music can have positive effects on arousal and anger.

Introduction

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 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 genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

In 1968, three years after the genre’s inception, Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”, an early heavy metal hit, topped charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. Other early heavy metal bands that gained popularity in the 1970s included Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Aerosmith, Kiss, Queen, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Van Halen, Scorpions, Rainbow and AC/DC. During the 1980s Metallica rose to prominence with their fourth album Master of Puppets (1986), which was described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums. Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career rose to fame with his work with Blizzard of Ozz (1980) and Diary of a Madman (1981). Judas Priest helped spur the genre’s evolution by discarding much of its blues influence; Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed; Iron Maiden paired their twin lead guitars with melodic singing; Queensrÿche moved toward progressive metal; Megadeth combined technical virtuosity with Thrash Metal grind; while Mötley Crüe brought hard rock into the musical mainstream.

The genre would go on to incorporate more innovative sounds throughout subsequent decades including Death Metal bands such as Morbid Angel[2], Deicide,[3] Cannibal Corpse,[4][5] Obituary,[6] Carcass,[7][8] Entombed;[9][10] Grindcore bands such as Napalm Death,[11][12][13] Extreme Noise Terror,[14][15] Brutal Truth;[16][17] Mathcore band Botch;[18] Doom Metal such as Saint Vitus,[19] Cathedral,[20] Pentagram,[21][22] Candlemass;[23][24] Prog-Thrash band Voivod;[25][26] Sludge Metal outfits like EyeHateGod,[27](later dubbed NOLA Sludge)[28], Acid Bath,”[29]” Crowbar,”[30]” Soilent Green”[31]; Groove Metal or “Nu Metal” such as Pantera,[32], Machine Head (early work),[33], Slayer (late work),Sepultura (late work), Biohazard,[34], White Zombie (“More Human Than Human”), Fear Factory (“Demanufacture”), System of a Down (“Chop Suey!”), American Head Charge (“Just So You Know”), Spineshank (“Smothered”), Powerman 5000 (“When Worlds Collide”); Post-Thrash or Crossover Thrash such as Corrosion Of Conformity,”[35]” Prong,” Megadeth (early work),” Exodus (early work),” Nuclear Assault,” Tankard,” Sodom,” Suicidal Tendencies,” D.R.I.,” Stormtroopers Of Death;” Funk Metal band Living Colour.[36]

The development of guitar effects pedals also played an important role in creating what Jim DeRogatis calls an “army of guitarists”.[37

Arousal

Generally, it has been found that heavy metal music has little to no effect on arousal (Mori, 2010). In fact, the average metal fan experiences less arousal than fans of other genres (Fisher, 2006). There are, however, a few studies that suggest that heavy metal music may have a small effect on arousal. For example, one study found that listening to metal music increased heart rate and blood pressure (Braithwaite & Terry, 2006).

Theories of Arousal

Arousal is the physiological and psychological state of being awake and focused on a particular stimulus. Theories of arousal suggest that there are different ways to become aroused and that different types of arousal lead to different types of behavior.

The theory of inverted-U shaped function of arousal proposes that there is an optimal level of arousal for performance, and that both too high and too low levels of arousal can lead to poor performance. The Yerkes-Dodson law suggests that task difficulty moderates the optimal level of arousal – as task difficulty increases, so does the optimal level of arousal. In other words, it is easier to perform a simple task when you are highly aroused, but it is harder to perform a complex task when you are highly aroused.

Another theory, called the drive theory of motivation, suggests that arousal is a result of a drive or need. This theory proposes that we become aroused when we have a need or goal that is not being met. For example, if you are thirsty, you will become aroused (motivated) to find something to drink. Drive theory also suggests that we become more aroused as the drive or need becomes more intense. So, if you are very thirsty, you will be more motivated to find something to drink than if you are only slightly thirsty.

Studies on the Effects of Heavy Metal Music on Arousal

Arousal is the physiological and psychological state of being awake and reactive to stimuli. It is characterized by increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration as well as heightened alertness and energy level. Arousal can be beneficial in situations where alertness and heightened performance are advantageous, such as during an emergency or while engaging in sports. However, too much arousal can lead to anxiety and impaired performance.

A number of studies have investigated the effects of heavy metal music on arousal. One study found that listening to heavy metal music increased levels of arousal, as measured by heart rate and blood pressure (Weinreich, Zillmann, & Weaver, 1999). Another study found that anger was also increased after listening to heavy metal music (Dill & Thayer, 1998). These studies suggest that heavy metal music may have both short-term and long-term effects on arousal and anger.

In the short term, heavy metal music may cause an increase in arousal, which can lead to anxiety and impaired performance. In the long term, repeated exposure toheavy metal music may lead to desensitization or even harder styles of music becoming necessary to achieve the same level of arousal. This could potentially have negative consequences for mental health.

Anger

It has been found in studies that heavy metal music has different effects on people’s anger. Some people become more angry when listening to this type of music, while others become less angry. It is thought that the reason for this is because heavy metal music is very aggressive and fast-paced, which can increase a person’s heart rate and adrenaline levels.

Theories of Anger

There are three main theories of anger: the structural/functional theory, the evolutionary theory, and the cognitive theory. The structural/functional theory posits that anger is a normal emotion that serves an important function in social interactions. The evolutionary theory suggests that anger is a response to threat or perceived threat, and that it helped our ancestors survive and reproduce. The cognitive theory of anger suggests that it is our thoughts and beliefs about a situation that determine whether or not we feel angry.

The structural/functional theory of anger suggests that anger is a normal emotion that has an important purpose in social interactions. This theory posits that anger motivates us to take action in order to rectify a situation that has caused us displeasure or harm. This theory also states that anger is a way of communicating our dissatisfaction with others. The functional perspective of anger has been supported by research showing that people who express their anger are more likely to get what they want from a negotiation than those who bottle up their feelings (Berkowitz, 1993).

The evolutionary theory of anger suggests that this emotion served an important function for our ancestors by helping them to survive and reproduce. This theory posits that when our ancestors were faced with a threat, the resulting arousal and adrenaline rush helped them to fight or flee from the danger. While this may have been an adaptive response in the past, it is less effective in today’s world where we are often faced with threats that we cannot physically escape from (e.g., deadlines at work, traffic jams). Evolutionary theorists have also suggested that men are more likely to experience Anger than women because they evolved to be the “protector” and “provider” for their families and had to be more vigilant for threats (see Bettencourt & Miller, 1996).

The cognitive theory of Anger suggests that it is our thoughts and beliefs about a situation, rather than the situation itself, which determines whether or not we feel angry. It is proposed that we construct “scripts” or mental representations of how we think situations will play out based on our past experiences. When an event does not match our expectations, we may become angry because we feel frustrated or threatened (Billings & Reference, 1979). For example, you may have experienced Anger when your train was delayed on your way to work because you felt like you were going to be late. Alternatively, you may not have experienced any Anger if you had left early enough so that the delay did not impact your arrival time.

Studies on the Effects of Heavy Metal Music on Anger

Several studies have been conducted on the effects of heavy metal music on anger levels. Overall, the results seem to suggest that listening to this type of music can lead to an increase in feelings of anger.

One study, which was published in the journal Psychology of Music, found that people who listened to heavy metal music had higher levels of both state and trait anger than those who listened to other genres of music. State anger is defined as a transitory emotion that is experienced in response to a particular event or situation, while trait anger refers to a more general feeling of irritability or hostility.

Another study, which was published in the journal Aggressive Behavior, looked at the effects of heavy metal music on aggressive thoughts and emotions. The results showed that people who listened to heavy metal music were more likely to report feeling angry and aggressive than those who did not listen to this type of music.

It should be noted that not all studies have found that heavy metal music leads to increases in anger. One study, which was published in the journal Psychology of Music, found that there was no significant difference in state or trait anger levels between those who listened to heavy metal music and those who listened to other genres of music. However, it is worth noting that this study had a relatively small sample size (n=32).

In general, the research seems to suggest that heavy metal music can lead to increased levels of anger. If you find yourself getting angry when listening to this type of music, it may be best to try another genre.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that there is a positive relationship between heavy metal music and both arousal and anger. This means that people who listen to heavy metal music tend to feel more aroused and more angry than those who do not listen to this type of music. This could have implications for how heavy metal music is used in settings such as therapy or relaxation.