Noise to let the light back in

For decades, heavy metal has been vilified as the soundtrack of aggression and societal deviance. Parents have worried, critics have scoffed, and psychologists have warned of its supposed corrupting influence.

- Sanjoy Narayan

But what if everything we thought we knew about this genre was wrong?

In December 2021, British Medical Journal published a remarkable study out of Finland (the ideal laboratory, since it is a place of 70.6 metal bands per 100,000 people). Researchers from University of Helsinki tracked over 3.6 million respondents aged 15 to 70 across 15 years, studying the relationship between heavy metal bands and health outcomes. The results indicated that cities with the highest concentrations of such bands showed lower mortality rates and fewer hospital admissions for alcohol-related problems and self-harm.

Of course, correlation is not causation. But this study doesn’t stand alone.

Research has shown that heavy metal can activate previously dormant brain regions and increase neural activity. A 2015 Cambridge University paper showed that metal fans tend toward a “systemising” cognitive style (preferring to analyse patterns and systems), suggesting a preference for complexity and analytical thinking.

Elsewhere, research has found that angry listeners who turn to extreme music don’t amplify their rage but instead begin to experience positive emotions.