Heavy Metal Essay, Research Paper

Musical preferences are as diverse as the people who listen to it. Different

types of music have different reputations. Heavy metal music is often labeled as

"negative." Yet others find it a harmless form of music. The argument

presented in this paper will show that heavy metal music poses no threat to the

well-being of its listeners. Like other types of music, such as jazz, blues, and

even rap. The distinct style of heavy metal music can be grouped into three main

sections (Ratliff 1). One popular style of heavy metal is death metal. Death

metal has a more dark sound and eerie style than other forms of heavy metal. The

music itself is fast, heavy, and loud. The images that death metal portrays are

death, doom, destruction, suicide, sex, and drugs. Some see these images as

harmful or having a negative effect on the listener (Halbersberg 1). Another

form of heavy metal music is speed metal. Speed metal has a more upbeat sound

than death metal and is not as depressing as death metal. It is fast paced and

has a hard impact The lead guitar follows a frenetic pace. This is in contrast

to death metal which emphasizes rhythm guitar (Graff 3). The last type of heavy

metal music is thrast metal. The name refers to both the thrashing sound of the

music and the flailing movement of its listeners. The sound is very loud and has

the same tone and style of speed metal (Graff 3). These styles however, attract

certain people. Waite 2 The majority of people who listen to heavy metal music

are suburban white males. These males range in ages between 14-24. They have a

certain style of dress and way of life. They wear dark clothing with morbid

images of death and destruction. This clothing can be seen to be a costume that

advertises the teens’ musical preference. It is a way of getting attention.

Surprisingly, even though the crowds tend to be young, adults are also seen at

these concerts. One example of an adult and a parent is Dave Mullins. He likes

to take his sons to see death metal shows.(Graff 1) Mullins says about death

metal, "I did see one band that had a clear bag with a fetus inside it. It

looked gross, but it was just a gag. When I’m watching the kids, they’re just

letting off steam. When I was a kid, we used to beat people up after school.

This seems better to me." (Graff 1) Of course, not all parents agree with

Mullins. Parents want the best for their children, but sometimes their efforts

are not beneficial. When parents nag their children about what they should and

should not listen to, kids can become angry and depressed. This possibly can

lead to drinking and drug use, and suicide. Parents can blame this behavior on

the music that their kids are listening to. A group of parents formed the Parent

Music Resource Center in the 80’s (Gonzales 1). Even the Vice-presidents wife,

Tipper Gore, got involved. She led the center in the fight against heavy metal

music. The center’s main goals were to destroy heavy metal music and all other

music that had a negative message. They were effective in banning some groups

from record stores and canceling some concerts. However, Tipper Gore’s mission

failed to kill off heavy metal music. The Parent Music Resource Center still

exists, but it is not as powerful as it once was (Gonzales 3). This group never

examined whether heavy metal music could be a healthy outlet for aggrssion.

Waite 3 A well known psychologist from Durham, Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, said

that music can influence a person’s state of mind. In her studies she found that

"if people listen to music that is faster than their heart rate, such as

heavy metal, it increases the heart rate. If you’re trying to increase your

energy level, it might be a good way to generate excitement." (Freelon 1)

Heavy metal music by increasing the heart rate of its listeners can be seen as a

form of exercise or a physical release. Studies have been done on the effect of

heavy metal music. Roe and King, child psychiatrists at the University of Iowa

examined the effects of heavy metal music on teenagers social behavior. These

studies show that many teens who thought seriously about suicide and abused

drugs listened to heavy metal, but they also showed no direct connection between

the music and these actions.(Freelon 2) Another recent survey done by the

University of Iowa reported that teenage female hard rock fans thought about

suicide more often than people that listened to other types of music. However

most of the females who thought about suicide were too scared of dying to try

it.(Freelon 2) One positive effect of this music was that even if the teenager

was feeling bad and low, listening to his or her favorite music helped him or

her feel better again.(Freelon 2) In another test, teens and their parents were

surveyed to investigate the association between heavy metal music and teens’

social function. The people taking the survey were asked about current and past

psychological functioning, as well as their music preferences. The results

indicated that teens who preferred heavy metal music had a higher incidence of

below-average school grades, school behavior problems, sexual activity, drug and

alcohol use, and arrests. Despite this, it was evident that the teens’ home

lives were stable with two parents, good living Waite 4 conditions and sound

financial status.(Took 1) Although it seems that heavy metal music was

corrupting teens’ lives, there was no direct correlation between poor behavior

and heavy metal music. Some listeners do not always understand what they are

listening to. One study group, Prinsky and Rosenbaum, found that many teens who

listen to heavy metal music misinterpreted the lyrics. This misinterpretation

was said to be due to the teens’ limited life experience and immature

development. Unlike adults, who find references to sex, violence, drugs and

Satan, teens tended to interpret the lyrics of their favorite songs as being

about love, politics, growing up, friendship, and other appropriate subjects.

Many people do not take this music seriously. Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade

Records, says: I think the genre as a whole is serious in wanting to shock

people, but it also has its tongue planted in its cheek. These bands don’t do

cannibalistic things, they do not worship Satan. They don’t do all the things

people think they do. If you take it seriously, you’re further off the deep end

than most people, I think. –Graff 1 In other words, the content can be

discounted because it is not meant to be taken literally. On stage, groups of

death metal sing about Satan, societal ills, cannibalism and sex with rotting

corpses. But to fans its entertainment. "It’s good violent fun," says

Ron Holt, 26, a death metal fan. "Its like seeing Jason slash someone’s

head off; it helps me release my aggressions, but it doesn’t mean i’m going to

go out and do it." (Graff 1) David Horn, from Metal Blade Records, says:

Waite 5 The difference between this type of music and something like gangsta

rap, is that heavy metal is pretty much firmly based in fantasy…I don’t think

a song about some mystical war or slaying a barbarian poses as much of a threat

as far as influencing people. –Graff 1 In conclusion, heavy metal music, while

much maligned, has not been found to seriously damage listeners’ lives. Yes, it

is violent and depicts images of doom and destruction, but it should not be

interpreted as a negative influence on its listeners. Teens will continue to

listen to music their parents do not care for. Heavy metal music can be healthy

for the mind psychologically as well as physically. When people look at heavy

metal music, they should not see it as a negative influence, but as a

therapeutic release for teenage energy or angst.

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