
Death metal music inspires joy not violence - TsukiZombina
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47543875
======
RickS
Great to see research coming to a conclusion I think most metalheads
intuitively know.

I love walls of sound, I love intensity that feels like it takes a surplus of
cognitive bandwidth (ADHD) and gives it a little bit of resistance to tug
against, almost like those various rubber stress toys. I think most metal fans
hear lyrical gruesomeness as something between fantasy and a cause for more
empathy than anything else. And let's be real, a lot of it is flat out
unintelligible. It's an aesthetic.

Most of the metalheads I know are absolute teddybears. I listen to some pretty
heavy stuff (see links), but the other day I cried at a dog video, and
recently had to turn off the police scanner at the mention of a particularly
sad crime. Mosh pits look scary but there's a shared ethical framework.
Injuries happen, but they're almost never due to malice. Somebody falls down,
you pick em up. Bigger people stomp around keeping the peace and returning
lost shoes, aha. It's bounded, consensual violence – just like a martial art.

Exceptions exist – there are church burners and skinheads, but they tend to
cluster in their own sects and you don't get mixed up with them accidentally.

[https://youtu.be/E9z-Tipz5JQ?t=40](https://youtu.be/E9z-Tipz5JQ?t=40)

[https://youtu.be/Y037ZIKckIY](https://youtu.be/Y037ZIKckIY)

[https://youtu.be/9YkSki1qbLA](https://youtu.be/9YkSki1qbLA)

~~~
hi5eyes
codeine king is very much not rooted in any metal, as a band from the
sludgewave era of metalcore/hardcore its a sound rooted in hardcore, codeine
king is not metal

vctms is a metalcore band

jfac is a deathcore band, esp during the doom ep era

deathcore being a combination of death metal and metalcore

actually, none of the bands you linked are metal

~~~
electricslpnsld
No one has cared about that TRVE nonsense in almost two decades, gatekeeping
genres is trite.

~~~
hi5eyes
ight bet

that doesnt invalidate the fact that metalcore isn't metal, since it's rooted
in punk hence, metal _core_

~~~
throwaway5d097
metal isn't metal, since it's rooted in punk. FACT

Extreme metal rooted from Discharge. Sounds close enough anyway. Crossover
thrash isn't metal because it has punk on it, too?

Regardless, this is just pedantry.

~~~
electricslpnsld
Funny enough you mention Discharge... most contemporary DM bands dress (and
have a few songs) that sounds like crust bands ~1982

------
YeGoblynQueenne
That's _death_ metal though. Other forms of extreme metal can have lyrics
that, far from toying with splatter-gore themes for the shock value, express
terminally anti-social politics.

I'm thinking of black. Sometimes I'm just happy that a few of the bands I
listen to sing in Swedish or Norwegian etc that I don't understand, so that I
can't tell what they're singing about. Although the imagery can often give a
bit of a hint, rather.

To make it absolutely clear in case people don't know what I'm talking about:
there is a clear trend of black bands that are downright neonazis. By no means
all, or even I think a majority, but they are right there.

~~~
cviilgan
I'd just like to point out that, as someone who mainly listens to black metal,
I do not share these opinions.

Concerning the lyrics, I generally categorize them into two groups (with non-
empty cut set):

* Intellectual lyrics, which criticize some part of society or human behaviour, or they deal with personal issues (e.g. [http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/todtgelichter/angst.html#1](http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/todtgelichter/angst.html#1))

* Theme lyrics, which try to fit a core concept of the bands music, like satanism or some war/Third Reich theme (e.g. _Graphic_ [http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/behemoth/thesatanist.html#1](http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/behemoth/thesatanist.html#1) _Graphic_ ). Also, note that a having a certain theme does not automatically imply endorsing it.

Usually, the music as well as the lyrics are cold and cynical, which can make
their actual meaning hard to place or even ambivalent at times.

Concerning the neonazis: Personally, I do not see a trend towards the worse,
but there _are_ a few sketchy bands out there (the ones I know of are usually
older, from the 90s or so).

Oh, P.S.: while the black metal fans may be not as teddybear-y as death metal
fans, we are usually quite a nice bunch :)

~~~
idDriven
Endorsing Satanism isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you read _The Satanic
Bible_ by Anton LaVey it can represent a logical construct that rejects blind
theology.

~~~
SyneRyder
That came up during episode 666 of the NPR This American Life podcast, "The
Theme That Shall Not Be Named":

[https://www.thisamericanlife.org/666/the-theme-that-shall-
no...](https://www.thisamericanlife.org/666/the-theme-that-shall-not-be-named)

The first segment about the Satanic Prayer Hotline is really amusing. Act One
is about a talk back radio preacher who went on tour with Slayer & wrote about
it for Spin Magazine, and that's also worth a listen.

------
grawprog
Makes sense. The people at every death metal show I've been are always pretty
happy and friendly. Even in most mosh pits people look out for eachother and
will help somebody up who falls or help someone who gets hurt out of the mass
of people. It's always been positivr, even the show I split my head open on
someone else's head(accidently) we both just laughed about it, then after
someone told me my face was covered in blood me and my buddy went to go get me
some stitches. Good times.

------
wyred
The timing of this article feels like it was written in response to Singapore
banning a Swedish black metal band from performing at the very last minute.

[https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-
black-...](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-black-metal-
concert-cancelled-singapore-11320738)

[https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-
concer...](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/watain-concert-mha-
consulted-before-classification-imda-11334674)

~~~
CapricornNoble
I fly halfway across Japan about every two years for metal concerts in Osaka.
Big-name extreme metal acts usually only visit Tokyo & Osaka. About 3-4 years
ago Watain was headlining a show. I would have been PISSED, having bought a
plane ticket and a hotel, only to find the headline act was cancelled due to
some nonsense. \m/>_<\m/

~~~
reustle
Fellow metalhead in Tokyo. Know of any good shows/lists of shows?

~~~
CapricornNoble
Usually I just wait for something to pop up on my feed on Facebook, probably
based on some of the bands I follow. Here's Osaka's most common metal venue:

[https://www.songkick.com/venues/269466-namba-
rockets](https://www.songkick.com/venues/269466-namba-rockets)

------
somlor
Some recent favs:

\-
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5eQuhBfDE0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5eQuhBfDE0)

\-
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHlZA5OYj2I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHlZA5OYj2I)

\-
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WeeMHq3I3Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WeeMHq3I3Y)

\-
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFM7kj0RII](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFM7kj0RII)

\-
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ekRLVXIIpw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ekRLVXIIpw)

\-
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlFeOy-I2MY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlFeOy-I2MY)

\-
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Qqk_wNFOk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Qqk_wNFOk)

~~~
kacamak
Spectral Voice is really something else, take a listen to Blood Incantation.

~~~
somlor
Thanks, digging them already.

------
cletus
So here's a thought that just occurred to me.

For context, I've never understood death metal or anything in that realm. The
screaming in particular... but I realize that's just my personal preference.
No judgment intended. Just opinion, not objective fact.

So only recently I discovered the ASMR phenomenon. And it seems like ~10% of
the population (estimated) get a particular response to those sounds.

Other commenters here talk about a "wall of intensity" and things in that
realm. What if metal appreciation is the same way as ASMR? By this I mean,
what if you just have a predisposition to the sound intensity?

Just a question. I have no answers. This might be ridiculous. I have no idea.

~~~
NeedMoreTea
I'd be surprised if it's that simple. If you'd not raised the point, I think
I'd have guessed most had to grow on you with exposure like appreciating
spirits or strong foods. Hang around with bikers or metal heads and you'll
learn to love it whether you intend to or not... Or find something else to do
fast. :)

After growing up with Sabbath, Lemmy, Maiden, ACDC, UFO etc, when I first
heard death metal and growl vocals I just thought it sounded a bit naff. Yet
somewhere along the way to middle age I grew to love them and also stopped
noticing genres. There's now plenty of Ensiferum, Arch Enemy and so on in
among bands of all kinds, classical and jazz I listen to these days.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFYVcz7h3o0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFYVcz7h3o0)

~~~
plorkyeran
For me it was absolutely an exposure thing. I spent years listening to metal
with clean vocals but hating harsh vocals. Then I listened to one of
Equilibrium's instrumental songs
([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DiJw9wIibw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DiJw9wIibw))
and fell in love. I was disappointed to discover that most of their songs were
"ruined" by the growled vocals, but managed to enjoy them in spite of that.
Over a bunch of listens I learned to how to appreciate what Equilibrium did
with growls, and once I "got" that I started enjoying a lot of other bands
that I previously disliked.

------
inamberclad
No kidding. Since everyone is posting their favorites it seems, here's one of
mine:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRKBz89uRQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRKBz89uRQ)

~~~
inamberclad
And another:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNuVdsx7qJY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNuVdsx7qJY)

------
renholder
Just to note: Some death-metal bands have positive lyrics[0,1]... (Though,
whether they can _really_ be called a death metal band is possibly a point of
contention.)

[0] - [https://youtu.be/lk2-bgwA0Ro](https://youtu.be/lk2-bgwA0Ro)

[1] - [https://youtu.be/Nh10gL_GP_w](https://youtu.be/Nh10gL_GP_w)

~~~
motohagiography
Not only do they have positive lyrics, some even have comforting recipes[2]

[https://youtu.be/xwksxDHNoAE](https://youtu.be/xwksxDHNoAE)

~~~
renholder
I don't know why but I half-expect that to be a ROSMT[0] link.

[0] - [https://youtu.be/OvW2xeSn4As](https://youtu.be/OvW2xeSn4As)

------
_bxg1
> We used 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams as a [comparison]

> I didn't personally write them, but I would be frankly astounded if anyone
> listened to that song and then felt a desire to be eaten by a cannibal

If anything, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams is more likely to make me want to be
eaten by a cannibal.

------
pazimzadeh
> "We used 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams as a [comparison]," said Dr Sun.

Could it be that the listeners were simply tired of hearing an overplayed song
(Happy) to the point that even death metal was refreshing?

An obscure song should be compared to another obscure song.

------
taurath
Key takeaway: music is not about what it looks like on the cover. It can also
be a way to shield yourself from the people you're trying to get away from,
and a way to differentiate yourself. Almost every one of the ultra-kind but
non-mainstream people I know who are into outwardly weird or off-putting
(anti-mainstream) stuff are into the culture community for the boundaries they
provide. Juggalos are about the community, metalheads are about the community,
otakus are about the community, furries are about the community.

------
BadassFractal
Metal music is cathartic the same way a movie, a videogame, a book or a
theater performance are.

You experience intensity, highs and lows, tension and release. You expose
yourself to a harsh emotional rollercoaster, to digging deep into one's
psyche, and come out on the other end hopefully invigorated and refreshed.

If metal music inspires violence, so do the Odyssey, Star Wars, Othello and
many many others.

------
minikites
How does that square with
[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/04/04/young-
heavy-m...](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/04/04/young-heavy-metal-
fans-five-times-likely-self-harm-attempt-suicide/)

~~~
KozmoNau7
Extreme non-mainstream interests tend to attract people who feel alienated by
society, which often includes people with undiagnosed issues.

------
cyberjunkie
They (We) are pretty nice people. We're rational, scientifically inclined,
reasonable, and empathetic. We're responsible for our actions, since we don't
have any mystical ideology or supernatural deities to fall back on.

A vast majority of the music we listen mocks stereotypes, oppression, points
out to hypocrisy, the real violence and aggression shown by the 'normal'
masses.

We have cleaner track records. Some of us will dress up to appear aggressive
and immoral, but we know you have pitchforks and judgments that you're waiting
to hurl at us.

------
skibz
A notable case of people being profiled as violent due to their taste in metal
music is the Robin Hood Hills murders [1].

1:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost:_The_Child_Murde...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost:_The_Child_Murders_at_Robin_Hood_Hills)

EDIT:

The children that were prosecuted also raised eyebrows because of their
philosophical interests in LaVeyan Satanism (which is absolutely not what most
people would probably assume it to be)

------
aasasd
I'd like to see a study like this done on members of the Norwegian black metal
scene from the early 90s. Because I still can't figure out what the burnings
and stuff were about (aside from paganism, I guess), and “TROO” metalheads
sound pretty crazy even compared to all the other ‘alternative’ culture
aficionados.

But generally, of course, this experiment seems like just one bit of a proper
comprehensive study.

~~~
rypskar
Burnings where the extreme outliers, maybe like there where some killings in
the American hip-hop scene at the same time. Remember that the (black) metal
scene in Norway was so large that in the late '90s a black metal band had a
song in the national top 20 list for weeks (Satyricon, fuel for hatred). What
a handful of persons taking it to the extreme, did do not define the scene

Edit: Don't underestimate the calming effect from death/black metal when
writing code

~~~
aasasd
> _calming effect from death /black metal when writing code_

For a looong time, I've been looking for techno or breakbeat with proper
metal, i.e. more than some vague guitar buzz. No luck.

Filmmaker's ‘Crepuscular’ might be the closest thing yet:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XvB64VU3yw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XvB64VU3yw)

For some reason, a steady rhythm vastly outperforms anything else as a
soundtrack for coding.

~~~
midasz
You'd love Karma to Burn then, example:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxGD45SK08o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxGD45SK08o)

~~~
aasasd
It's alright, but it's a standard stoner rock arrangement, so not sure how it
fits in the context of my comment.

------
leroy_masochist
Literally any Cannibal Corpse song would have been better for this study than
literally any Bloodbath song.

~~~
rajangdavis
I dunno man, Bloodbath has some bangers. Huge fan of the tunes with Akerfeldt
on vocals.

------
2dollars27cents
Not metalcore but the punk/hardcore album Joy as an Act of Resistance by Idles
embodies this.

------
henearkr
Now I'd definetely love this kind of study for Hip-Hop. I feel like the
results (about decoupling between lyrics' violence and listeners/bands'
feelings) would be utterly different.

------
ralusek
\m/

------
peterwwillis
When I'm in a particularly bad mood, I'm always calmed down by hardcore punk,
thrash, and metal. I've always assumed it was an audible form of letting off
steam.

------
hi5eyes
party death metal is very joyous

Party Cannon Bong Hit Hospitalisation -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eki2SNegxIE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eki2SNegxIE)

KILLITOROUS // IT'S NOT STANLEY, IT'S STAN LEE -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YflBqKgLyks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YflBqKgLyks)

technical party dm

------
rajangdavis
This brings me great joy:

[https://youtu.be/T6mUmTDJAME](https://youtu.be/T6mUmTDJAME)

------
mar77i
And in tomorrow's news: videogames are fun...

------
vbuwivbiu
everyone knows metalheads are lovely people

------
ddrdrck_
Next clickbait title : "BDSM inspires joy not violence". Then replace BDSM
with RPG, FPS ...

