Studies on Heavy Metal

Over time, many studies and observations have been conducted to understand the effects of different music genres on our physical and mental health. Among these, heavy metal and its sub-genres have often stood out and been debated. This is likely because people who don’t listen to metal music often view it as dark, angry, depressive, loud, and satanic, leading them to think it might negatively impact health. Even metal fans are sometimes stereotyped as dark and depressive individuals. If you’re reading this, you probably already know these stereotypes aren’t accurate. Let’s take a look at what some scientific studies have discovered about metal music and its listeners.

Listening to Heavy Metal is Beneficial for Fans’ Mental Health

A recent study reveals that listening to heavy metal is actually good for the mental health of its fans. Despite the angry lyrics in some songs, metal fans do not become more aggressive. In fact, long-term metal listeners tend to have happier youth and easier adaptation to middle age. Another finding shows that fans who were angered and then listened to metal music experienced a decrease in their anger and an increase in positive emotions. During the study, some of the songs that helped calm participants included Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” Five Finger Death Punch’s “100 Ways to Hate,” A Day to Remember’s “Violence,” System of a Down’s “Attack,” Meshuggah’s “Pravus,” and Escape the Fate’s “Live Fast Die Beautiful.”

Another study by researchers at Macquarie University tested the sensitivity to violence among metal fans using a standard technique called “binocular rivalry.” This test involves showing two different images simultaneously to each eye. The human brain tries to merge these images into one 3D image, typically selecting the violent image. When researchers asked participants which image they saw first, all answered the violent image. This means that metal fans reacted to violent images the same way as listeners of other genres.

Heavy Metal Fans Are the Most Loyal Audience

In a study conducted by Spotify, researchers identified the leading artists of each genre globally. They then did the same for local genres in various countries. The researchers then divided the streaming counts of each artist by the number of listeners to see which genre created the most loyalty. The result: Metal was among the top 10 genres in most countries, often in the top 5. In countries like Portugal and Sweden, metal was the most loyal genre. Leading artists included names like Metallica, Slayer, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Pantera, and Anthrax, as well as Sepultura and Cradle of Filth.

Listening to Heavy Metal Helps Reduce Anxiety, High Blood Pressure, and Heart Rate

In a study involving 1,540 volunteers aged between 18 and 65, participants underwent a series of mental stress tests while listening to popular Spotify playlists from different genres. Throughout the tests, participants wore monitors to track their heart rate and blood pressure. The results showed that after the 80’s pop playlist, heavy metal was the most effective genre in reducing blood pressure and heart rate. In 89% of the participants, the metal classics playlist led to a decrease in blood pressure. The 80’s pop playlist was effective for 96% of the participants.

Classical Music and Metal Music Fans Share the Same Psychological Profiles

Professor Adrian North from Heriott-Watt University, who studied fans of both genres, noted that metal fans actually have a peaceful nature, contrary to public stereotypes. In an interview with The Guardian, North stated, “The general public had a stereotype of heavy metal fans being suicidally depressed and a danger to themselves and society. But they are actually quite delicate things and very much like classical music fans.” North found that metal fans are generally self-assured, creative, and introverted, similar to classical music fans. Psychologist Viren Swami from Westminster University, who studied the openness of metal fans, found that they generally have a higher openness to experiences.

Black Metal and Death Metal Help Focus While Coding and Programming

In a 2019 Stack Overflow survey, it was reported that “some of us listen to more kinds of metal than we knew existed to focus while programming.” This led writer Sarah Goff-Dupont, with the help of data scientist Julia Silge and Pandora developer Rob Whitlock, to theorize which types of metal music work best for specific tasks. According to the survey, 3.2% of software developers, or an estimated 26 million people worldwide, listed a type of metal as their primary music choice while coding. The results showed that black metal is great background music for coding, and death metal provides intense focus for specific programming tasks. Rob Whitlock explained this result by saying, “When I hear a song with clean vocals, my brain starts to follow what they’re saying, and that distracts me. But with the harsh, growling vocal performances ‘vokills’ dominant in death metal, it’s just a sound. You don’t think about what they’re saying, so it just fades into the background. And if I know I’ll be working on a certain task for a long time, I’ll put on black metal, especially if it’s something I’m a bit upset about… Black metal, in a way that death metal isn’t, has an emotional resonance. Sometimes when you’re coding, you need that emotional awareness.”

6. Metal Listeners’ Music Choices Affect Their Driving Safety

A new study conducted to see how different music genres affect drivers revealed that metal music could push drivers to extremes, while classical music can cause relaxation and loss of concentration. Meanwhile, pop music creates a smooth and controlled driving environment for most drivers. Auto Express and IAM RoadSmart used the Base Performance Simulators, mastered by the world’s top race drivers, for the study. During each lap, drivers listened to thrash metal, hip-hop, classical, and pop music at maximum volume. The control lap without music was completed in 4 minutes and 37 seconds. When repeated with Slipknot’s “(sic),” the lap was 14 seconds slower and much rougher. The driver admitted that listening to Slipknot made it harder to concentrate on the track. Researchers concluded that drivers should be more mindful of their music choices, and IAM Roadsmart officials commented, “High-energy thrash metal really impaired the driver’s ability to navigate the track smoothly. This and similarly high-energy dance music are designed not just to be heard but to be felt and played loud. It’s clear they do not help with demanding driving maneuvers.”

Metal Fans Feel Part of a Community and Are More Engaged with the Genre

Heavy metal is known for having a large fan base. Lindsay Bishop, a doctoral anthropology student at University College London, studied metal fans worldwide and found they have a strong sense of community and inclusivity. They value their traditions and rules (like mosh pit etiquette) and pass them down through generations. Bishop observed, “I witnessed grown men crying because they heard a song played live for the first time in 20 years, people bringing their children or grandchildren, even a woman crowd surfing with crutches.” Metal listeners are generally more engaged with the genre compared to fans of other types of music. They follow blogs, magazines, pages, podcasts, articles, and even books about the genre more closely. Just like you’re reading this article now 🙂

These findings show that metal music and its fans have many positive characteristics. Heavy metal listeners are loyal, experience mental health benefits, feel part of a community, and are engaged with the genre.