The Benefits of Heavy Metal Music Ever since it was first introduced to the public in the 1970s, heavy metal music has been associated with immoral activities. These disputes center on people's ethics, religion, political stance, and other social factors. Famously, in the winter of 1985, after consuming copious amounts of cannabis and alcohol, two clinically depressed teenagers attempted suicide while listening to Judas Priest's album Stched Class. One died instantly, the other, James Vance, spent two years in hospital before dying from complications from his suicide attempt. Shortly before his death, Vance wrote to his friend's parents, claiming that the music "had hypnotized them into believing that the answer to life was death. (VH1 2001)” Despite toxicology reports showing that the teenagers were heavily intoxicated at the time of the suicide attempts, the band was sued by Vance's family for $6.2 million over the deaths of the two boys in 1989. However, since the families and lawyers were aware that free speech is protected by the First Amendment, they analyzed the music for subliminal messages, that is, hidden commands in the music that would induce immoral behavior. The charges were eventually dropped, but one thing remains unresolved: Are accidents like these the fault of heavy metals? The short answer is no. Despite its outward appearance as a counterculture, people who perceive metal as negative (other musicians, politicians) should stop associating the music with childishness, ignorance and violent behavior through editorials and public criticism of metal musicians. Heavy metal music should be appreciated because it engages and applies knowledge of other topics associated with higher learning, inspires musicians to become virtuosos, and directly affects the mental well-being of human beings in a positive way. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To prove that heavy metal is beneficial, the term must be defined. According to Merriam-Webster, heavy metal music is defined as “energetic, highly amplified electronic rock music with a hard beat.” This definition is a blanket statement that does nothing but downplay the impact of gender on society. Heavy metal cannot be defined in one sentence, because there are so many different genres that fit this definition that would not be considered heavy metal; dubstep and rockabilly music would fall under this definition. To have a solid foundation on what heavy metal is, it is necessary to explain it, in depth, from its roots. The creation of heavy metal began with a genre nicknamed "hard rock" in the mid-1960s, near the end of the "Flower Power Era." This brief period was an era of extreme social expression that coincided with the Vietnam War and the end of segregation. Many people, especially young people of the time, supported the ideas of peace, love, equality and an end to social injustice. Hard rock bands such as The Who, Janis Joplin, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix , The Beatles and The Rolling Stones created music that reflected the fight against injustice, which encouraged young people and other progressive individuals to take a stand against the injustices in the environment they lived in. This was not the first time that people used music to reflect their feelings towards the lack of equity occurring in the world around them However, hard rock received much more attention because of the “technological advances it enablednew goals in sonic disruption” (Pearlin 2014). The music was louder, bolder and more powerful. Armed with lyrics that reflected “brutally blunt social commentary” (Pearlin 2014) and the power of sonic disruption, hard rock musicians inspired and appealed to less privileged people around the world, particularly aspiring musicians. Some musicians have chosen to recreate the sound and become hard rock themselves psychedelic rock artists. Others chose to rely on what they were given; particularly in 1968 in West Midlands, Birmingham, where pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath made a name for themselves. “Recalling the clamor of the steel mills that dominated the landscape of their hometown” (Pearlin 2014), Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler created a genre (aptly nicknamed heavy metal) that intensified the sound of bands before They. . These sounds included heavily distorted guitar riffs, pulsating bass lines, fast pounding drums, and lyrics that reflected morbid themes. The topic has also taken a detour from injustices affecting the world to injustices affecting specific individuals. Topics included: death, drugs, the effects of war on a person, and alienation. These topics attracted the interest of those who could directly relate to the content of the texts. Whether drug addicts, socially marginalized teenagers, or those seeking to deviate from the popular music played on the radio, this audience has allowed heavy metal to grow as a popular music genre. After Black Sabbath made their impact on the music world, many other inspired English musicians decided to build on their music to create a similar sound. Bands like Judas Priest, Diamondhead, Iron Maiden, Angel witch and Motörhead took the momentum created by Black Sabbath, but made guitar riffs and bass lines faster, more melodic and more complex. Drumming was faster thanks to the growing popularity of having two bass drums (commonly known as a double bass) and a double pedal, allowing drummers to make music more catchy. Their lyrics, while touching on the same topic, also included topics such as fantasy, horror and mythology. The result was an explosion of heavy metal music in Europe, North America and South America. This event, known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), was the main catalyst for the number of heavy metal bands that formed in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Annihilator, and Metal Church fused the original metal sound that Black Sabbath created with NWOBHM. The result was thrash metal, whose musicians lived by three principles: “harder, faster, louder” (Pearlin 2014). While their predecessors focused on melody, thrash musicians were more interested in rhythm. The guitar riffs were completely distorted, heavy (due to the use of down picking) and were played at breakneck speed. The lyrics heavily criticized the masses and challenged their socially accepted values; waging war to create peace, the concept of uniformity, etc. This impressed musicians, listeners and critics who were amazed by the abilities of these musicians and the messages and stories conveyed by their lyrics. However, this sensation was short-lived, as mainstream audiences found the music too extreme to listen to. Because of this, the metal genre has split, pushing even major thrash metal bands to “experiment with a lean, commercially viable direction” (Pearlin 2014). Others embraced their newfound underground status and settled for a "cult following" of fans.Through small groups of people who wanted to stay true to the fast, hard and loud metal sound they were exposed to in the 1980s, extreme metal was born. MIT's Jeffrey Pearlin describes it as a genre that "represented traditional metal conventions taken to every imaginable extreme: severely out-of-tune guitars, guttural vocals, unimaginably fast tempos, and radically taboo lyrical content." The topic became explicitly about hard drugs, murder, rape, suicide, crime, and other topics deemed deplorable by American society. This is the music that most people in society think of when they hear the words "heavy metal". They immediately think of death, lack of control, ignorance and childishness, to such a high degree that heavy metal is considered to have a set of attitudes that exceed the social norm; heavy metal has been marked as counterculture. Heavy metal controversies are “social reactions to perceived deviance, usually triggered by boundary-challenging events” (Hjelm et al 2012). If a band sings something that directly contradicts their morals, they worry and do whatever is necessary to preserve their values, as if they were directly influenced by the counterculture. This is known as moral panic theory. For this reason, religious organizations have picketed heavy metal concerts and groups of people have banded together to destroy artists' albums and accessories. An infamous example of this is the actions of former second lady and social issues advocate Tipper Gore. He founded an organization known as the Parents Music Resource Center in 1985. With the assistance of other PMRC members, he compiled a list of songs that conflicted with his moral beliefs (drugs and foul language are harmful, violence is wrong, children must be raised). in environments free from any influence that might contradict these values, etc.) have ensured that all the songs on this list (called Filthy Fifteen) are forever vilified for having lyrical topics relating to sex, violence, drug use and sadomasochism . Nearly half of the songs on this list were by metal bands like Black Sabbath, Venom, WASP, and Judas Priest. This moral panic does not imply that America's youth will be corrupted. In fact, heavy metal music has done far more good than is recognized. Heavy metal music is often a great source of inspiration for aspiring musicians. Due to the number of virtuoso musicians who have made a name for themselves through heavy metal, many musicians who sat alone in their bedrooms playing their favorite albums are now considered some of the greatest technical musicians of today's generation. But how is the virtuous defined in this case? Merriam-Webster defines the term as “a person who does something very skillfully.” While this definition touches on the general basics of what it takes to become an exemplary artist, it is quite broad and could be more specific to this situation. To have a solid foundation on what a virtuoso is, the following definition will be used when referring to a virtuoso: A musician whose playing style is different from that of any other artist. When looking for examples of virtuoso musicians, however, most lists are composed primarily of classical musicians. This could be an example of how metal musicians are nicknamed as part of the counterculture. They don't have the same respect for their contribution to the world of music, because of some lyrics, their sound and the implications their sound brings with it. However, this should not be a reason to overshadow the impact that metal musicians haveabout the world of music. Yngwie Malmsteen is a great example of this. By fusing neoclassical music and heavy metal together, Malmsteen managed to industrialize common but fundamental standards of metal. His fast playing style, sweep-picking (dragging the pick across the strings while playing) inspires many musicians to learn and practice the guitar, in the hope of gaining sufficient technical skill to play quickly. Another important part of his playing is his iconic tone. Like most metal musicians, Yngwie Malmsteen strives to produce a heavy but clear sounding tone to play notes quickly and make the notes he plays recognizable. This contrasts with beginner guitarists who have not yet established their sound. Therefore, the tone of an amateur is often very “confused”. Additionally, Malmsteen inspires people to become the best they can be by teaching. He has become known to today's generation of musicians thanks to his popular free lesson videos on YouTube. Often, spectators attempt to imitate his virtuosic skills. His contribution in making the metal genre so distinct has cemented Malmsteen's virtuoso status in music history. Another example of a musician becoming virtuoso is in the case of Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. Any knowledgeable fan knows that Hammett's guitar-playing prowess began when he tried to emulate Yngwie Malmsteen's fast guitar playing on records. Unlike Malmsteen, however, Hammett did not help popularize metal's currently distinct sound, but instead popularized the genre with a new sound. Like Malmsteen, Hammett is known for his incredibly fast playing style, which makes people want to listen to Metallica's music. Because of their mainstream success, playing fast has become a notable and desired skill in learning to play the guitar. He further exemplifies virtuosic skills using melodic layering with co-guitarist James Hetfield. Creating a melody from scratch requires a great deal of knowledge of how musical notes and other melodies work. Creating an additional melody line to sound aurally pleasing is an entirely separate skill that requires knowledge of various scales (such as Ionic, Aeolian, and Phrygian) and the ability to remember notes or know what a note sounds like before it comes played, to aid the process of visualizing the construction of the harmonies. When musicians listen to these compositions, they can try to create their own guitar harmonies, because they sound aurally pleasing to any general listener. Hammett is also known for its various effects. Using a combination of wah pedal (a device that changes the tone of the signal emulated by the amplifier) ​​and tremolo arm (a lever located on the bridge of a guitar used to change the pitch of the strings), his solos are noteworthy the point where anyone who listens to a Metallica song knows Hammett is playing. Thanks to him, these tools can be seen in the setup of almost every guitarist. This work not only demonstrates Hammett's technical abilities, but also how he is capable of inspiring other musicians to reach their maximum potential. Additionally, heavy metal can benefit students who listen or play it frequently because the music incorporates knowledge of other subjects they may be learning. at school. An example of an application of the heavy metal is basic physics concepts. The modulation of sounds that comes out of a guitarist's amplifier or the way his voice sounds on a record or during a concert is not accidental. Both musicians and engineers work tirelessly to create a defining soundtruly the music and separate it from any other sound like that. To do this, they need to have some basic information about what changes the sound of an instrument. Since most metal musicians couldn't afford sound engineers in the beginning, they had to learn which knobs on their amp do what. Most guitar and bass amps have five knobs for basic effects. Gain which controls distortion, an effect that adds inharmonious and harmonic tones to the sound output from the amplifier, making it heavy and gritty. Sometimes, this effect is also known as “drive”. Bass which controls the amount of low frequencies (in the unit hertz) output from the amplifier. Middle which controls the amount of mid frequencies (in hertz). Treble which controls the amount of high frequencies (in hertz). And reverb (short for reverb), which controls the persistence of a sound over a period of time, providing depth. By understanding these very concepts, metal musicians can come to not only understand basic physics, but also develop knowledge of first-year engineering concepts. While most people who listen to metal may not become engineers, those who study engineering can apply what they learn in class to the heavy metal music they listen to. University of Michigan electrical engineering professor Gregory Wakefield says faculty “are able to teach students how… resonance works, how if you push a shape in different ways, they sound different… Ha makes a lot of sense to them because they can relate it to what they are hearing” (Daniel 2011). Because of heavy metal music and my involvement with it, I seriously considered going to college to study audio engineering. In doing so, I was able to further my music career or work on live sound for events. I have the potential to learn a trade, because of the music that interests me. Heavy metal not only incorporates science with music, but also applies and adapts advanced music theory. The Oxford Dictionary defines music theory as “(The study of) the theoretical aspects of music and its notation.” Learning music theory provides the musician with an understanding of how notes and rhythms are put together.” Most music theory guidelines are built around the rules of the common practice period. According to Phillip Magnuson of the University of Dayton, the Common Practice Era is the period between 1600 and 1900 in which the foundations of rules for music were established, primarily in Europe and North America. While heavy metal musicians may not have created the renowned phrasing and structure of their music, they should be respected for taking these concepts used in classical music, adapting them to their genre, and exposing these concepts to new audiences. With this knowledge, musicians can follow and apply the rules of the common practice period, or deviate from it. Metal musicians are very often the musicians who tend to deviate from it. For example, in the era of common practice, parallel fifth intervals, such as playing a G in the soprano voice and a C in the contralto voice and then raising or lowering both notes by the same interval, were completely frowned upon at due to poor voice guidance. Heavy metal completely ignores this rule because the basis for most of their music is based precisely on the concept of parallel fifths. Most metal music is based on power chords; a root note, its fifth interval, and sometimes the octave of the root. The simplicity of this deal is responsible for some of the push andof the energy that give metal its distinct sound. In addition to adapting some techniques from previous eras, heavy metal musicians also apply the same techniques used by their predecessors from the Baroque and Classical eras. An important aspect of this is polyphony. In all music there is a melody, a memorable series of notes that adds character to the accompaniment. Although having a melody makes the composition more interesting to listen to, a second accompanying melody adds even more charm to the music. This simultaneous but different pitch arrangement is known as harmony, and when used correctly (without sounding out of place, with the correct notes in the phrase), it makes the melody sound richer and even more pleasant. Classical musicians aren't the only ones capable of applying harmonies to their music. However, because polyphony is so rare in modern music, when referring to it, the first thing that comes to mind is Vivaldi's Four Seasons. However, you don't have to go back hundreds of years to find a concrete example. Take Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy for example; throughout the band's existence, he and co-guitarist Brian Robertson used harmonies extensively in their music. A notable example of their work is the song “The Boys Are Back in Town” (Jailbreak 1976) in which there is a solo that concludes the song. This section applies the use of major third, perfect fourth, and perfect fifth intervals to make this solo more interesting. Another technique used is the toccata, a piece that demonstrates all the skills of a musician. This is very common in the compositions of most musicians of the Common Practice era, especially Johann Sebastian Bach. Heavy metal “uses this technique through guitar solos” (Snapplejack2005 2016). Some songs may have a short solo in the middle of a long composition as in Megadeth's Holy Wars… The Punishment Due, or the song may be completely solo-based as in Van Halen's Eruption. Using and adapting the techniques of people who came before them, heavy metal musicians continue to apply common practice era theory to their music. This not only creates a more interesting sound, but also has the potential to help students of music theory who are looking for modern examples of classical applications. By listening to these techniques, they advance their development towards learning how to become better musicians. These important educational aspects that heavy metal incorporates are concrete evidence that shows that music can benefit its listeners. Heavy metal is not only an educational resource, it is also a tool that directly influences the well-being of its fans and listeners, artists and participants through serving as an outlet for the escape of negative energy. In the course of daily life, people may face experiences that can induce anger or any other type of unpleasant emotion. This anger can be eliminated by listening to music that matches your current state of being. Since the heavy metal is known for its intensity, it can be used in this case. In an interview with Forrest A. Hainline, stage manager at the School of Rock in Silver Spring, MD, I found that most fans believe that listening to heavy metal makes listeners "excited, energized, and loose stress". This popular belief was recently confirmed in the summer of 2015. A study conducted by the University of Queensland found that listening to heavy metal music can induce positive emotions. Author Leah Sharman conducted a study on 39 people from around the world, aged between 18 and 34. He discovered that “music regulates sadnessand increases positive emotions. When experiencing anger, extreme music fans preferred to listen to music that matched their anger... The music helped them explore the full range of emotions they felt... The results showed that levels of hostility, irritability and stress decreased after the introduction of music. In addition to this, heavy metals act as stress reducers by inducing pogo; a style of dance in which metal fans run and push each other during a concert. When you participate in the mosh pit, your adrenaline increases, you get rid of excess, pent-up energy and unwanted stress. The satisfaction gained from the act is equivalent to punching your worst enemy in the face. Mr. Hainline argues that people “need to scream at the top of their lungs, and we need to physically engage other people… when people are literally throwing themselves at each other.” participants creating a sense of unity among them. People who listen to bands like Lamb of God, Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel and Slipknot don't make up a very large percentage of music fans. Because of these fans' extreme devotion to their musical preferences, they often feel marginalized. They feel alienated from the society around them and no one wants to be alienated. Psychologist Roy Baumeister claims that “the need to belong is a fundamental human need to form and maintain at least a minimum of lasting, positive and meaningful interpersonal relationships. Meeting this need requires frequent, positive interactions with the same individuals and engaging in these interactions within a framework of stable, long-term care and concern” (Ben-Zeév 2014). A well-known example of this is Billie Joe Armstrong's experience when introduced to a mosh pit. The Green Day frontman said he “…felt like I was invisible and didn't exist. There I felt invisible and didn't exist, but I did it with a group of other people who felt the same way” (VH1 2010). The important part of this is understanding that people who appreciate heavy metal music have a special bond with others who appreciate heavy metal music. These fans, nicknamed metalheads, have effectively created a transcontinental family. Like a family, they stick together when things go wrong. On September 13, 2015, a series of terrorist attacks occurred in Paris, France, killing 130 people. Many of the reported victims were at the Bataclan where the band Eagles of Death Metal was playing. As soon as the event was reported, the metal community contacted the band and expressed its sincere condolences to the band members and concert goers. Artists from famous bands such as Anthrax, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, August Burns Red, Cradle of Filth, Pantera, Avenged Sevenfold, Drowning Pool and Bullet for My Valentine, as well as countless numbers of fans participated in this overwhelming storm of support for the band. Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale even went so far as to tweet, "This is an attack on my world." Another example is when Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister (whose work with Motörhead helped lay the foundations of heavy metal music, via NWOBHM) died in December 2015. Metalheads everywhere were devastated. Musicians around the world quickly began covering the band's songs and performing libations featuring Jack Daniel's whiskey and Coca-Cola (Lemmy's favorite drink). A bar in West Hollywood called Rainbow held a 10-hour memorial in his memory. On the day of this event, Loudwire News reported that "the Sunset Strip was closed to accommodate the crowds..." of people trying to remember their hero. Many of the metal fans I know personally.