Positive influence of metal music
In fact, just as there are supporters for the idea that metal music causes violence, there are those who believe it is a positive force in society and can actually help to prevent violence. Indeed, the researcher shares this view due to the large amounts of evidence that back up this claim.
The second part of this dissertation will look at this evidence and how it shows the positive influence of metal music on youth and society, contrary to the views of those who believe it to have a negative influence.
One such study that shows this phenomenon is the fact that heavy metal music has been linked with gifted students and comfort levels. The study, conducted by Warwick University, found that gifted students were more likely to listen to heavy metal music to comfort themselves and deal with emotional pressure. The sample was over 1,000 students from the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth an organisation whose 120,000 student members are within the top five per cent academically in the 11-19 age range. Instead of finding that metal was associated with poor academic ability, violence and delinquency, the metal lovers were extremely clever and the music helped them to calm down and deal with stress rather than creating it.
Stuart Cadwallader, a psychologist at Warwick, said: We are looking at a group with lower than average self-esteem that does not feel quite as well adjusted. They feel more stressed out and turn to heavy metal as a way of relieving that stress.
Participants said they appreciated the complex and sometimes political themes of heavy metal music more than perhaps the average pop song. It has a tendency to worry adults a bit but I think it is just a cathartic thing. It does not indicate problems.”
Many of these students named bands such as Dragonforce, Slipknot, System of a Down and In Flames as bands they listen to on a regular basis. This study, rather than showing metal as something that causes violence and leads to problems in youth society, shows it as something that relieves stress in some of the brightest and most able children. This is surely a positive message about metal music rather than the usually portrayed negative image.
Political influences
Another reason why metal is often seen as a negative influence has nothing to do with the nature of the music itself, but rather its anti-establishment views. As in all other eras, the music that goes against the grain of society and establishment will be seen by many as destructive, violent and dangerous. Just as the music of Elvis Presley and other 50’s and 60’s rock n’ roll artists was seen as against the establishment and having a negative impact on youth, so metal has the same problems today. Although metal music is clearly more aggressive in its sound and far more explicit in its lyrics, this is simply because of the increasingly explicit nature of society.
Metal music is the anti-establishment music of today, and is no more harmful than the music of any other era. Punk music such as the Sex Pistols was seen as being aggressive and completely against all good values in the 1970’s and 1980’s, but as seen nothing truly bad has come of this. Now it is the time of metal to be attacked as a negative influence on youth, mainly by religious groups and those with political power.
Again, this is because metal music does not hold back in its content, whether that content is about love, hate, anger or pain. The music tells the truth, or at least the youth of today believe that. Whilst the music now is far more aggressive than it has ever been, this does not mean it will lead to increased amounts of aggression in its listeners. There has always been violence no matter what the type of music, and there will continue to be in the future.
Blaming tragic incidents of violence on a musical genre is extremely dangerous, because it glosses over the real issues such as erosion of the traditional family unit and the increasing alienation felt by children in society. As another form of music comes along in the future, the attention will shift from metal onto something else. It is only when the critics of metal as a cause of violence begin to see the facts that metal will no longer be at the centre of such controversy. In fact, it is probably because of the anti-establishment nature and controversy that many aggressive and troubled souls gravitate towards metal music. If the genre was not seen in this light, then perhaps less of these sorts of individuals would listen to it and the music would not have such a bad reputation.
Conclusion
Although it is clear that metal has been associated with violence in the past and will probably continue to be so in the future, there is no direct link between metal and levels of aggression. Whilst the researcher will not deny that there is plenty of evidence to suggest that many troubled and violent individuals listen to metal music and take its messages the wrong way, this does not constitute the same as saying metal causes violence.
The well-publicised cases in the media such as the Judas Priest suicide case, the Columbine Massacre and the shooting of Dimebag Darrell all aim to place the blame for violence on metal music. The researcher admits that in all these cases metal music was involved and in some ways could be called a contributory factor towards the problems. However, far greater issues were involved in all cases, such as poor family backgrounds, societal pressures, lack of gun control, and substance abuse. Metal music could in no way be called the major contributory factor towards violence in these cases, nor could it be said that metal music was the reason these incidences occurred. Rather, it is the powerful nature of metal music that attracts these violent individuals towards it, rather than the music causing the aggression within them.
In addition to these cases, the studies mentioned have shown there to be no causal link between listening to metal music and aggression levels. Even in the cases where the researchers were looking for such a link, it could not be found. Although there is no denying that many people who listen to metal music are perhaps reckless, particularly males, and can behave badly sometimes, it is unlikely that the music is the real cause of this.
In fact, rather than being a negative influence on today’s youth metal provides comfort and catharsis for many young adults, not just those who are seen as troubled. The study of gifted children showed that many of them were indeed metal fans, and that rather than using it as a tool for aggression it helped them to relieve their stress and deal with the problems of alienation and pain in their lives. This is far from the image of the troubled, angry and violent metal listening youths that others have portrayed.
Whilst political influence will continue to portray many metal listeners as aggressive and violent individuals, the evidence suggests otherwise. In fact, it can be said that in many cases metal has a far more positive influence on people than it does a negative influence.
Tags: agression, metal music, positive, punk, violence, violent behaviour
