Heavy Metal Therapy — according to Science

Why metal music doesn’t fuel rage, but helps people process it.

I’ll never forget the day I first fell in love.

It was 1996, I was 12, and a TV commercial promoting KISS’ Reunion tour was on heavy rotation.

Seeing the fire-breathing Gene Simmons with co-conspirator Paul Stanley, make-up clad in full stage regalia, left me mesmerized.

Ever since, I’ve been fascinated with heavy metal culture — the personalities, the album covers, the fashion, the artwork, the stories, the festivals, the countless genres, and fans (who are typically some of the smartest and nicest people you’ll meet), and of course, the music.

I played in metal bands in my teens, I wrote for metal magazines and ran a metal nightclub in my 20s, and produced several metal podcasts in my 30s — it’s been a lifelong obsession.

I’ve been to several hundred concerts and festivals all over the world, including two pilgrimages to the Wacken festival in Germany, considered the ‘Mecca’ for metal fans.

And I’ve gotten used to (and fatigued by) countering arguments that “it’s just noise”, “it’s depressing”, or “it makes people violent”.

On the contrary, headbangers will tell you that it’s a source of strength, and a type of medicine.

Metal Therapy

And after almost three decades of fighting the good fight, I was pleased to discover that a recent study out of Bond University by Kirk Olsen and his colleagues confirmed as much (link in comments).

The findings:
✅ For fans, heavy metal helps regulate emotions, process anger, and create a sense of belonging.
🔬 Science confirms that the “metal makes you violent” argument is mostly myth — personality and environment play a much bigger role.
🎭 Heavy metal doesn’t increase stress levels for fans. It actually has the opposite effect, acting as a coping mechanism.

During my teens and 20’s, metal wasn’t just music — it was a form of therapy.

It still is.

So the next time you hear someone blasting Slayer, don’t assume it’s fueling their rage. It might just be saving them from it.

And yes, that’s me on the left at a Halloween party (at least, I think it was a Halloween party 😅)