Listening to metal = Agressive personality?

[Pharaoh]

If you're an asshole, the problem you have isn't listening to metal...the problem is you're an asshole

I think you got it, Matt. I couldn't agree more.

 

[Beelzebub]

if someone blames your music style, then you have the right to kill him. Beat the shit out of him... if it's a girl, then carefully explain to her that her statement was insulting and that you think she must respect your opinion. If the girl is ugly, or full of shit... kill her anyway.

 

[shanky]

fuck yeah, Bruce Lee is the shit.

That's just a cropped version of a photoshopped picture I saw on a website one day. His facial expression was just so fucking priceless I had to use it as an avatar.

Full picture:

 

[Bryant]

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he accused me of having an aggressive nature due to listening to metal,

----snp---

So how does your internal radio measure up to your moods and behaviours? Are you a complete nutter or the proverbial saint? You'll probably have to untie the rope to participate in this thread. Freaks.

That was a well thought out and well stated post, and I agree with your hypothesis to an extent, but disagree to an extent as well. I'm far from a psychologist, but I'll state my reasonings for disagreeing firts:

The first question I think that needs to be asked is do all people that listen to metal have an aggressive personality. I can safely say that the answer to that is no, because I have met many metal-heads and I would say metal-heads are quite a diverse crowd. Many are quiet and reserved, others are loud and aggressive. I also believe age has quite a bit to do with emotions. I was certainly much different when I was 20 than when I was 35. Most people mellow with age. A younger crowd tends to be more aggressive than an older one.
The second question one might have to ask is much like the age old chicken and egg question. Is one drawn to an aggressive art form due to their personality, or did metal music mold the said personality. I think in more times than not, it is some of both. That last tidbit goes back to quite a bit of psychological studies of nature vs. nurture and most agreed it was a combination of both which influenced a person's personality.
The last question is why doesn't everyone air drum when listening to metal ? I think that different people express their emotions and are affected by their emotions in different ways. I think metal affects different listeners differently and different songs/bands also affect people differently as well.

Now to something I agree with....... yes I think if you are actively listening to aggressive music it makes you more aggressive. Does it necessarily make you physically act on the emotion ? Depends on the person, but I think the impulse is there.

I know that different types of music give me a different feeling or "vibe" if you will. Prog-metal/prog-rock often gives me a sense of empowerment and awe due to the technical aspects. Darker metal like darker style thrash, death metal etc. makes me feel dark and aggressive. The Goo Goo Dolls make me want to go hug my wife and Accept makes want to break stuff. These are just personal examples, but I don't think it is too far from the norm.
Aggressive music, much like aggressive sports raise testosterone levels. I know I have screamed at the tv hundreds of times because some guy I have never met dropped a football, missed a kick etc. However, you don't usually hear about some guy giung on a shooting spree because The Browns lost. The theatrics and anti-religious themes of metal music make good fodder for the media, so it gets more criticism.


Bryant

 

[Matt]

I couldn't disagree with you more, and again i feel this is a completely ignorant comment. I can say yes, the screaming part is very much a part of death/black metal (don't forget metalcore). Satanic lyrics, yes, people think all metal is satanic, but to say that comes from death metal is silly. First of all, in the grand scheme of things, death metal bands aren't satanic (though there are obviously some such as deicide). That would be black metal my friend, and even black metal, though largely a satanic genre, has just as many bands who are more into mythology and folklore as well as nature, not just satan.

that's exactly what I've been trying to tell people right there.

 

[Yurti]

That's just a cropped version of a photoshopped picture I saw on a website one day. His facial expression was just so fucking priceless I had to use it as an avatar.

Full picture:

When I was young 9-13, Bruce was my hero, and I had a nickname Bruce Lee, but it was a mistake - I thought I'd be a cong-foo master - but at 15 I began to play guitar, things change - now I don't care a shit, it is more important to be a master of guitar playing!

 

[TuoDrable]

that part was meant ironic, y'know
the whole aggressive thing -> killing because someone blames your music style...

 

[Yurti]

I thought about the whole agression thing 4 a bit, and I've found one case. When i'm playin piano downstairs and my mum is upstairs yelling "DINNER IS READY!!!" every 5 seconds cos she thinks I can't hear her, then my sister joins in by banging on the floor as well. That shits me off to the point where I have to go upstairs and yell at them for being disrespectful nags. There is one thing that they should remember, and that is my improvs will only end when the music wants to end..... and that could be a few hours, SO STOP YOUR BITCHING AND LET ME FINISH COS I DONT WANT TO EAT TILL I'M DONE!!!

Its like a catch 22. They won't stop unless u tell them off, and when u do that u lose the vibe and have to stop anyway. And if i'm in the middle of the greatest creation ever, then it will be lost half way. That makes me agressive and mad, + sad .

Another thing which doesnt make me agressive but generally shits me off to the point where I wont talk to the insulter, is when ppl insult me by saying that (there are a few offbranches here) .....

A) If I have been locked up in my room all day musicing, then that is classed as "Doing nothing", as opposed to being locked up in my room all day studying, or even just taking the day off and going somewhere.

B) "Music is just a fun thing". It keeps me sane!! Even though I probably wont have a career in music it's definately the driving force in my life. This quote is actually directed towards a 'Music vs vacuuming' argument the other day. I didn't do the vacuuming while my parents were out bcos I doin a 2hr piano improv for the whole time, and I considered that to be more important than clean carpet.

C) etc etc...


In conclusion - Metal causes conflict/agression in life due to the conflict of opinion between 2 or more parties, of which the 2nd party being a non-metaller. When directed towards an action of the metaller, the non-metaller is often found to be wrong due to lack of understanding, and vice versa, so as long as neither party can understand each other there will always be conflict in the case of a musical confrontation. And they all lived happily ever after.

The same thing. I can say, that women are don't feel like men inside, and according to music its the same situation. For instance, my girlfriend listen to metal but if to go deeper I understand that she can lead a normal life without it - I can't - but she can. Its not bad, its women, most of them can do without some things the men can't do or be without.

Playing guitar its not something important for my mother or my girlfriend, so if one day I stop my training I'm sure that they even won't notice that - "hey, you didn't play guitar today" - metalhead, you won't hear this phrase from woman, be sure of that They are not bad - they just women and I don't want to offend them.

 

[meisteh]

I'm one of the least aggressive people you'd ever meet and I pretty much only listen to metal. I'm either an exception to the rule or a proof that the rule is false by counter-example. The music I listen to has the opposite effect on me actually. I can be sad, anxious, frustrated or lonely and then just put some music on and I'll feel much better and less aggressive than I may have been.

Then again, it might depend what type of metal. I don't listen to much death and thrash for example.

 

[okram]

I can listen to brutal death metal and not be angry at all. I'm only get angry when there is no food in the house and I'm starving. Its all on your personality.

 

[Rose Immortal]

Playing guitar its not something important for my mother or my girlfriend, so if one day I stop my training I'm sure that they even won't notice that - "hey, you didn't play guitar today" - metalhead, you won't hear this phrase from woman, be sure of that They are not bad - they just women and I don't want to offend them.

That may be true of those PARTICULAR women--but don't you forget that not all women are the same!

Some of us LOVE metal!!!

 

[Yurti]

That may be true of those PARTICULAR women--but don't you forget that not all women are the same!

Some of us LOVE metal!!!

Thats Right, i know it, and its normal situation, someone likes music, someone something else, but majority or them do not like metal, many take music as something like backgroung. I don't think the situation changed if I'd play pop tunes

 

[EverDream]

interesting thread.

I think that people who listens to metal [even death and black metal] don't have to be directly agressive, but i believe that they do have some aggression. maybe even inner and self aggression...

I'm bored.