IndexAbstractIntroduction Overview of metal musicHistory of metal music and its subgenresMarginalization of metalheadsChristianity about metal musicEnemies of the heavy genreFormation of Christian metal bandsCounter-argument against metal musicRefutation of the counter-argumentMusic metal on the human psychePersonal opinionConclusionReferencesAbstractMetal music is a relatively new genre in the world of music. However, the said genre is wrongly frowned upon by people because claims that it is satanic have spread like wildfire. Although the claim that metal music is harmful prevails over the opposite, many studies have demonstrated the beneficial aspects of its existence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIntroduction Music is one of the most important creations of man as it is the art of describing a certain event or idea using notes, silences and a certain rhythm to attract the attention of the masses. It has existed since the dawn of humanity starting with cavemen who danced around flaming pyres singing ritual songs to please their gods. Then, music began to evolve to describe ideas such as love, patriotism, and modern problems such as drug addiction. The golden age of modern music began in the 20th century with the creation of many genres (most notably blues, jazz, rock and roll, heavy metal, hip hop, and pop). However, some of these genres are heavily criticized by society. Heavy metal is the most infamous child of the 20th century due to claims that it is linked to Satanism. While the claim that metal music is harmful prevails over the opposite, many studies have demonstrated the beneficial aspects of its existence. Overview of Metal Music History of Metal Music and Its Subgenres The history of heavy metal music dates back to the 1960s. The heavy genre was born in 1968 in the English West Midlands, in Birmingham. And who was his father? None other than the legendary band Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath was a heavy metal band influenced by multiple genres such as Hard Rock and Blues. The members of this historic band include Tommy Iommi as the sole guitarist, Bill Ward as the drummer, Geezer Butler as the bassist and the legend Ozzy Osbourne behind the microphone. However, Ozzy was later kicked out due to drug abuse and was replaced by the equally famous Ronnie James Dio in 1979. However, Dio left 4 years later. Heavy Metal is divided into many subgenres, however only the main subgenres will be discussed. First of all, Thrash metal was created in the early 80's with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. Thrash Metal uses distorted guitars, medium-paced drums, and relatively clean vocals. Another important subgenre to discuss is Death Metal. Death Metal was introduced by the band Death (hence the name) in the mid-1980s. Death Metal features a more brutal tone and melody than its Thrash Metal counterpart. Death Metal includes heavily distorted guitars, fast-paced percussion, and distorted vocals known as "growling". Third, a completely different genre from its brethren is Metalcore. Metalcore was created in the 90s by bands like Killswitch Engage and Bullet for My Valentine. It features complex distorted guitars, very fast paced drums and clean vocals along with growling at some points in the songs. Marginalization of metalheadsListeners of the heavy genre are usually marginalized due to their musical taste. However, this topic is itself controversial due to the scholars who debate itwhether listeners marginalize themselves because they have built an oppositional relationship against mainstream music, or whether society criticizes metalheads in the same way that society belittles homosexuals and atheists. This is evident because MTV never plays metal songs and the Grammy Awards exclude the metal genre. However, it can be concluded that marginalization is the fault of both parties. Christianity on Metal Music Enemies of the Heavy Genre Since the dawn of metal music, Christians have considered it the "devil's music", since according to Bishop Alexander, "contemporary heavy metal rock" is the genre that exists in hell . Furthermore, Bishop Alexander goes on to say that heavy metal and rock are leading Christians away from the one true way, the way of God. However, all of these statements contain errors. For example, the genre "heavy metal rock" doesn't even exist considering that Heavy Metal and Rock are two completely different genres. Therefore, it can be concluded that Bishop Alexander is not knowledgeable about heavy metal and therefore is not qualified to make such claims. Furthermore, Christians have based their hateful relationship with heavy metal music on hypocritical grounds, as they have created many bands of that genre. Forming Christian Metal Bands After listening to heavy metal music, some Christians have decided to jump on the metal music bandwagon and create bands of their own. Own. The most popular band leading Christian Metal is called Skillet. Skillet have songs that act as gospels like the song "My Religion" and use religious symbols like in their lyric video for the song "Not Gonna Die" where the lion symbolizing Jesus Christ helps a little girl symbolizing humanity defeat a six-headed dragon or devil. Some bands, however, do not think that Hard Rock is enough to praise God and therefore have created a new genre known as Unblack Metal which has the same criteria as Black Metal, but instead of praising Satan, Jesus Christ is praised. Some of these bands include Horde, Antestor and Crimson Moonlight. When asked, Unblack Metal bands say they follow Black Metal as a style and not an ideology. Counterargument against metal music Of course, the fact that metal is satanic is true up to a point. Black Metal, or Death Metal's evil twin, is solely responsible for the stereotype that metal music is satanic. This subgenre was created by the band Venom when they dared to take the side of Satan in the early 1980s, and thus attracted the attention of Satanists who want to praise the Deceiver in the Metal music genre. Additionally, there is some speculation about backmasking in metal songs. Backmasking is the implementation of hidden messages in songs that can only be understood backwards. Again, all the backwards demonic messages are present in black metal songs like "As Flittermice as Satan's Spy" by Darkthrone where the phrase "In the name of God, let the church burn" is present towards the end of the song. Furthermore, claims that metal music makes people violent and causes some people to commit suicide also lead people to antagonize metal music. In fact, a study conducted by KRScheel and JSWestefeld in 1999 shows that teenagers who listen to metal music are three times more likely to commit suicide. Counterargument RefutationHowever, all arguments made against metal music can be easily countered. First, satanic symbols are mostly present in one subgenre in the vast ocean of subgenres of metal music, so avoiding black metal in general is the simplest but most effective remedy to the fear of being indoctrinated by the Church of Satan. Secondly,although backmasking is present in some black metal songs, it is equally ubiquitous in pop songs. However, people don't stop listening to their favorite bands like the Beatles and the Eagles. Claims that metal music and backmasking of Thrash Metal and other genres lead people to kill themselves or others are also a bold statement. Because as Rodney M.Schmaltz says "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Finally, there is a correlation between musical taste and harmful behavior. People who are more likely to engage in criminal behavior are more likely to listen to heavy music, which is why metal music has more criminals among its followers. Metal music on the human psyche Metal music has various positive effects on the human subconscious. First, liking metal music has been shown to be linked to having higher intelligence. Heavy metal listeners tend to take comfort from the said genre as they appreciate the political and complex themes present in it which are almost non-existent in mainstream pop music. For example, songs like Megadeth's "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due" carry heavy political messages and are only of interest to listeners curious about politics. Furthermore, heavy metal music listeners tend to be very similar to classical music listeners (classical music listeners have the highest IQ when it comes to the relationship between music and intelligence as both are creative, calm and comfortable with themselves Secondly, studies have shown that listening to Death Metal does not desensitise listeners to violence. Professor Bill Thomson of Macquarie University and his team showed violent images to 32 metalheads and 48 non-metalheads using a technique called rivalry. binocularly, and the study showed that both metalheads and non-metalheads responded to violent images in the same way (Donoughue, 2019). Furthermore, this same study showed that metal music makes happy and calm people quite violent. Professor Thomson says people listen to violent music to calm down in the same way that people listen to sad music The claim that metal music makes people calmer is also supported by a study conducted by the University of Queensland in which it verified the theory according to which "extreme music combines and helps to process anger". Personal opinionI personally believe that metal music is not satanic apart from Black Metal. Metal is a genre wrongly frowned upon by society. Metal fans and bands are incredibly criticized in Lebanon. Most fans are called Satanists and are urged to stop listening to the proclaimed "noise" they hear. Furthermore, it is really unfortunate that a "democratic" country like Lebanon would ban famous bands like Sepultura from hosting the show on April 28, 2019 simply because there was speculation that Sepultura was satanic and that these false accusations insulted Christianity. Furthermore, metalheads in Lebanon are among the friendliest members of society as at concerts all metalheads are friends regardless of their age, color, gender and religion. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion In conclusion, although many say that metal music is harmful to people, studies have proven otherwise. Metal music is vital in the lives of many individuals, as it relieves stress, calms people and contains profound messages not found in any other genre. Furthermore, metal music should be respected and considered equal to any.