Running Head HEAVY METAL MUSIC1HEAVY METAL MUSIC.docx

Running Head: HEAVY METAL MUSIC
1
HEAVY METAL MUSIC
Heavy metal music - A promoter of drug abuse and reckless
behavior
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Introduction
Since its early beginnings, heavy metal music has been source
debate and controversy across the society. The origin of heavy
metal is traced back in England and the United states towards
the late 1960s and the early 1970s (King, 2011). The Blue Cheer
group based in California was the first band given the title
"heavy metal band". The musicians introduced a fresh sound
and stage character to the music industry. Their stage

performance was also associated with what the public viewed as
outrageous acts (Martin, 2013). They were seen as the mock-up
for afterward heavy metal bands. They dressed in black leather
coats, along with wild guitar solos (Levine, 2009).
The strong subculture
The term “heavy metal” was coined from Steppenwolf’s song
"Born to Be Wild". In this song, the musicians use the phrase
“heavy metal thunder,” hence people termed all type of music
using such style as heavy metal (King, 2011). During those
days, bands that qualified under this category included ACDC,
Metallica, Blue Cheer, and Led Zeppelin, among others. All of
them had similar stage characters and musical styles (Levine,
2009). They employed exceedingly fast tempos, and rapid
guitars and drums. The psychedelic rock and blues-rock are
frequently quoted as the roots of heavy metal music. Only that
the musicians developed a thick, heavy, drum-and guitar-
oriented sound, typified by highly amplified twist and rapid
guitar solos. According to Levine (2009), of all rock & roll’s
innumerable forms, this type of music is the most intense in
terms of theatricality, volume and machismo.
One of the major characteristics of heavy music culture is the
language and communication. Most of the songs, no matter their
origin are predominantly in English. Artists from Italy, Japan,
Mexico and Finland write their songs in English (Weinstein,
2001). This could either be due to the origin of metal music in
English-speaking nations or a way of appealing the large
population of metal fans in the United States and Britain
(Lacourse, 2001 & Stack, 2004). Interestingly, when bands take
stage in non-English speaking countries, the crowd literally
sings along with the band in a language they do not even speak.
It is implausible type of music that surpasses cultural barriers.
For instance, from the video footage of the song Japan as it is
played by the band Judas Priest to a crowd of thousands of fans
shows almost every person singing along with the musicians
(Levine, 2009). Through cheering, crying and facial
expressions, the crowd is crowd is very emotionally moved.

In addition, when listeners and fans discuss and rate bands on
the Internet, English is the predominant language. In spite of
having people from non-English speaking states such as
Switzerland, Finland and Japan, approximately 87.5% of online
forums dedicated to heavy metal music do their presentations in
English (Stack, 2004 & King, 2011). Some listeners make the
effort of learning English in order to understand the song
content and converse with the artists and other bands while
others will employ translating applications to communicate.
From what is described above, one can see that heavy metal
music has a very strong subculture which is sometimes viewed
to isolate its fans from the common traditional culture. Most of
its fans demonstrate extreme dedication to their type of music
and rely on it to serve various purposes (Weinstein, 2001).
According to analysts, this type of over-dependency can lead to
extreme influence based on what is preached in the music
(Lacourse, 2001). Unfortunately, most songs in this music genre
speak about drug use and as a result impact the fans to believe
in the goods that come with the use of drugs. In addition, the
violent nature of the music is viewed as one that promotes
violence. As a group that can be easily influenced by what they
see and hear in the media, adolescents who prefer heavy rock
are thought to quickly grasp the message in these songs and put
it into practice. This therefore, predisposes them to develop
delinquent behavior and drug abuse issues (Lacourse, 2001).
Conversely, supporters of heavy music argue that, most people
who come up with such conclusions do not actually know what
the music genre entails and their negative judgments are
founded on hearsay and superficial knowledge. They are just
mere misconceptions (Levine, 2009). However, the author of
this essay will argue that, while it has some positive side of it,
heavy rock mostly has negative influence on people, especially
the adolescents.
Heavy metal music – A promoter of drug abuse and reckless
behavior
Over the years, heavy metal has had to receive suppression of

ideas, words and images that, according to the general public,
are deemed offensive. While this censorship has restricted the
musicians freedom of expression and the true value of their
creations, this been seen to be for the interest of those whose
lives were and could be destroyed by the messages
communicated in some of the songs (Weinstein, 2001 & Arnett,
2012). For example, one of the key artists of heavy metal Ozzy
Osbourne has faced numerous lawsuits for hidden messages in
his songs and stage performances viewed as disturbing by many
individuals in the public. In particular, the musician was blamed
for three adolescent suicides which came after listening to the
song “Suicide
Solution
” (Stack, 2004). In one of the cases, a 19-year-old was said to
have been listening to this song when he reached for the gun
and blew his head off. The incident that occurred back in 1984
has been said to have occurred s a result of the young male
following to the preaching in the music (Lacourse, 2001). The
lyrics of the song were used s evidence to prosecute the artist.
On the contrary, supporters of heavy metal argue that, while it
is true that the music influences behaviors among teens, so do
the TV and movies. It is what one chooses to see or hear that
matters (Arnett, 2006). All media have negative and positive
information. In the lawsuit against Ozzy Osbourne, his fans
believed that the artists was wrongly accused by the public and
his songs falsely repressed by the law (King, 2011). Although

the coroners who found the young man dead reported that he
had his headphones on, no one is exactly sure what particular
song the teenager was listening to at the time he pulled the
trigger. The prosecutors could have jumped into conclusion as
recent study by NIDA demonstrated that, after conducting
investigations on the famously called pro-drug songs by Black
Sabbath, the music does not essentially fit the stereotype
(NIDA, 2016). One of the investigators, Dr. Conway, stated
that, whereas previous research indicated that heavy metal
praised substance abuse, he was surprised to come up with his
own contradicting findings after his own listening – Black
Sabbaths’ music contained advisory tale on the threats of
substance use and the awfulness of drug addiction (NIDA,
2016). As a result, it is safe to conclude that, most stereotypes
associated with the music genre are negatively constructed
misconceptions.
However, going deep into the band’s music, the investigators
listened to every song recorded by Black Sabbath from 1970 to
2013 while studying the lyrics and coding them. At the end,
four main themes were identified: love and loss, doom and
gloom, overt references to drug use, and implied references to
drug use (Arnett, 2012 & Took, 2014). While only 13% of the
band’s songs talked about substance use (either implied or
explicitly), majority of them were positive on the subject
(Zuckerman, 2008). They glorified drug as an amazing tool that

enables people to overcome the struggles of life (Took, 2014).
To most heavy metal artists and fans, drugs are way of leading
and all-time-partying life.
Many young males and female with various psychiatric
conditions, especially those who are dependent on or have
substance abuse issues, prefer heavy metal music to other types
of music. Adolescents who fail to identify with customary value
may discover simple but untraditional answer to intricate
problem in the lyrics of heavy metal (King, 2011). While a
straightforward relationship cannot be identified between
destructive behavior and heavy metal music, available data
indicates that such music encourages and promotes patterns of
violence, promiscuous sexual behavior and drug abuse.
Conversely, enthusiasts of the music genre maintain that, while
another cultural occurrence is that people who like metal have a
higher tendency of tobacco smoking (especially cigarette) than
others, the hypotheses and explanations for why this is the
situation seems to be at variance across different countries
(Arnett, 2006). In both Britain and the United States, for
instance, there is a strong correlation relationship between high
risk behavior and delinquency and heavy metal music (Johnson,
2014 & Took, 2014). However, this is just a correlation and
does not involve causation. As such, this certainly does not
denote that this type of music influences or causes young people
to acquire delinquent behavior.

However, in a study by xxxx, adolescents who preferred heavy
metal music were matched up against those who did not on a
selection of outcome variables, especially focusing on reckless
behavior, including sexual behavior, driving behavior and drug
use. It was established that, most adolescent fans of heavy metal
were less content with their family relationships and female
participants were more reckless in aspects of vandalism,
shoplifting, sexual behavior and substance use and demonstrated
lower self esteem (Lacourse, 2001).. Furthermore, participants
who liked this kind of music from both genders were higher in
sensation seeking and more self-confident in dating and
sexuality. . In regression analyses, the relation between
preferring heavy metal music and reckless behavior was
maintained for 5 out of 12 variables regarding reckless
behavior, including 75% among girls, when family
relationships and sensation seeking were included in the
equation prior to liking or not liking this type of music (Arnett,
2012)..
As a new type of music that brought a new look and sound to
rock, the reaction from the public was as expected with any
other associated with something fairly new; people found the
culture outlandish and looked down it. Most people in the
society did not even actually look into heavy metal music to
come up with facts about its nature, and made up postulations
that were wrong. Heavy metal music had a beautiful beginning

and an appealing history, but has received criticisms that are
mostly founded on misconceptions. As Took (2014) argues,
heavy metal music is frequently repressed for being a harmful
influence on teenagers due to the genre’s aesthetics and lyrical
content. This is especially by those who are unfamiliar with the
genre and are quick to make this supposition based on the
darker and often proscribed themes found throughout the music
(Johnson, 2014). However, if these people could give it a little
more analysis, they would discover that those dimensions
perceived to be destructive actually bear positive results among
metal fans (Arnett, 2006). What is contained within metal
music is actually an exhibit of views and emotions that have a
purging impact, which enables adolescents listening to it
muddle through the relentlessly transforming world around
them. Furthermore, heavy metal music is employed as a tool for
conveying emotion in passive way, rather than through physical
demolition sought by some young people.
A research investigation conducted in Israel concentrated on the
role of music reverence and adolescent culture identification.
Young people obsessions for music could mirror n endeavor to
eventually gain some autonomy and distance from the family
and enter different social system within their peer group
(Arnett, 2012). Although young people’s participation in
fashionable culture is vital from developmental point of view
and for independence attainment, a heightened level of

attachment as marked by adoration of teen idols may be
suggestive of challenges in the process of personal-identity
formation and over-dependence on the group of peers (King,
2011 & Took, 2014). The later is frequently linked to drug use
and abuse, which is deemed a possible risk factor of suicidal
ideation. In addition, heavy metal music could have negative
effects by representing a futile avoidance survival mechanism,
which dissimulates significant issues that may remain
unattended to.
As a music that has been associated with the devil, Martin
(2013), argues that this just a misconception probably
originating from the brutality of the instruments and the
believed intensity behind the lyrics. “The distorted guitar,
overpowering drumbeat, and clean vocals alongside with some
screaming probably create a totally different image – away from
the truth” (Arnett, 2012). People view such a mixture as loud,
disturbing, and dangerous (Johnson, 2014). However, through
such a combination, heavy metal communicates the truth about
the world they live, through such a combination, it shows them
that they are not all by themselves. Heavy metal musicians
connect with millions of adolescents as they reflect what’s
going on in their minds – and the music notifies them they are
not unaided” (Lacourse, 2001). Regardless of its bad repute,
this type of music is helpful to adolescents: it talks to the murky
side of life that is ignored by most media, and actually informs

the teens that they are not deserted. Heavy metal has been
viewed as venom that enters the minds of the adolescents and
nurtures their dark wishes (Took, 2014); conversely, the
piercing vocals and imprecise beats truly symbolize a refuge for
these young adults. The common belief that the explosive lyrics
vicious, rebellious and put down in anticipations of causing the
world to collapse are just pure misconceptions.
While people who like hard metal are inclined to posses some
suicidal risk factors, they are also apt to idolize their favorite
musicians and listen to the music they like for vicarious release.
These two dimensions could to a certain extend explain the past
correlations established between preference for hard metal
music and suicidal tendencies (Johnson, 2014). As such, they
have been deemed as likely risk factors. In addition, there are
several songs that are known to preach anti-Christianity hence
promoting devil worshipping. For instance, "Satan is Endless
Satan is Timeless” and “Goat Worship” are two songs from
Nattefrost’s album “Terrorist” produced in 2006. Even before
listening to the song, their title sends a message of anti-
Christianity, which according to psychologists is likely to
influence the minds of the young as they tend to emulate what
the media tells them
On the contrary, through three elements of heavy metal
(nihilism, psychological chaos and themes portraying anti-
Christian opinions), Walser (2013), gives an analysis of the

political formations of this genre in adolescents. Under
“psychological chaos”, the author explains that way themes in
heavy metal assist young people to identify with music as the
surrounding world is chaotic. The connection aids in forms of
relation and expression that are unavailable in other music
genres. Nihilism found in metal lyrics is viewed as a challenge
to the customarily created code of conduct (Arnett, 2012). As
adolescents discover their beliefs, they can defy what is
conventionally acknowledged and see the bigger picture hence
forming their own beliefs. Furthermore, nihilism and violent
aspects in metal music are employed by fans as a kind of
expression rather than action, such that emotions can be
articulated through music rather through physical violence
(Zuckerman, 2008). Anti-Christian aspects found in heavy metal
bear the same effect in that, they shove the limits of what is
generally accepted. In his article, Walser (2013), asserts that,
rather than for concrete identification of non-Christian views,
such elements are employed more for “shock value”. For
instance, in the photo of a DIO album cover that depicts
demonic images provide the “shock value” to the collection
(King, 2011). As such, the scenes in this genre of music
provided way to articulate the prejudiced condition if a subtle
repression.
However, even if the images contained in this type of music
were used by the fans for “shock value” purposes, most of them

promote disrespect for religion among the youth. For example,
the band Marduk that takes the name of the ancient Babylonian
God is famous for its religious and philosophical Satanism
themes (King, 2011). One of their wicked early tape covers
displays masturbating with a crucifix and the words “Fuck Me
Jesus.” In addition a few choice songs including “Blessed
Unholy” and "Jesus Christ Sodomized," are clearly not just
meant for purposes of shock value but demonstrate a concrete
identification of non-Christian views among heavy metal artists.
Conclusion
From what is described above, one can see that heavy metal
music has a very strong subculture which is sometimes viewed
to isolate its fans from the common traditional culture. Most of
its fans demonstrate extreme dedication to their type of music
and rely on it to serve various purposes. According to analysts,
this type of over-dependency can lead to extreme influence
based on what is preached in the music. Unfortunately, most
songs in this music genre speak about drug use and as a result
impact the fans to believe in the goods that come with the use of
drugs. In addition, the violent nature of the music is viewed as
one that promotes violence. As a group that can be easily
influenced by what they see and hear in the media, adolescents
who prefer heavy rock are thought to quickly grasp the message
in these songs and put it into practice. This therefore,

predisposes them to develop delinquent behavior and drug abuse
issues. Conversely, supporters of heavy music argue that, most
people who come up with such conclusions do not actually
know what the music genre entails and their negative judgments
are founded on hearsay and superficial knowledge. They are just
mere misconceptions. However while it has some positive side
of it, heavy rock mostly has negative influence on people,
especially the teenagers.
References
Arnett, J. (2006). Adolescents and heavy metal music: From the
mouths of metalheads. Youth

and Society, 23(1), 76.
Arnett, J. (2012). The soundtrack of recklessness musical
preferences and reckless behavior
among adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 7(3), 313-
331.
Johnson, G. M., Shontz, F. C., and Locke, T. P. (2014).
Relationships between adolescent drug
use and parental drug behavior.Adolescence 19: 295–299.
King, P. (2011). Heavy metal music and drug abuse in
adolescents.Postgrad. Med. 83: 295–304.
Lacourse, E., Claes, M., & Villeneuve, M. (2001). Heavy metal
music and adolescent suicidal
risk. Journal of youth and adolescence, 30(3), 321-332.
Levine, E. M., and Kozak, C. (2009). Drug and alcohol use,
delinquency, and vandalism among
upper middle-class pre- and post-adolescents.J. Youth Adolesc.
8: 91–101.
Martin, G., Clarke, M., & Pearce, C. (2013). Adolescent
suicide: music preference as an
indicator of vulnerability. Journal of the American Academy of
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(3), 530-535.
Martin, L., and Segrave, K. (2008).Anti-Rock: The Opposition
to Rock and Roll. Archon Books,
New York.

NIDA. (2016, 11 7). Heavy Metal and Drug Use: A Complex
Relationship. Retrieved 12 10,
2016, from National Institute of Drugs for Teens:
https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/heavy-metal-and-drug-
use-complex-relationship
Stack, S., Gundlach, J., & Reeves, J. L. (2004). The heavy metal
subculture and suicide. Suicide
and Life-Threatening Behavior, 24(1), 15-23.
Took, K. J., & Weiss, D. S. (2014). The relationship between
heavy metal and rap music and
adolescent turmoil: real or artifact?. Adolescence, 29(115), 613.
Walser, R. (2013). Running with the devil: Power, gender, and
madness in heavy metal music.
Wesleyan University Press.
Weinstein, D. (2001). Heavy metal: The music and its culture.
Da Capo Press.
Zuckerman, M., Eysenck, S. B. G., and Eysenck, H. J. (2008).
Sensation seeking in England and
America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons.J. Consult.
Clin. Psychol. 46: 139–149.

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