NewsMarch 13, 2019 10:08 AM ET7,991 views

Death metal music inspires joy not violence, study shows

Bloodbath band
courtesy of Bloodbath Facebook
The latest installment of a decades-long investigation into the emotional effects of music concludes that death metal music inspires "joy and empowerment," not violence, as is traditionally assumed. According to the BBC, the study was conducted within the music lab of Australian university Macquarie University. Researchers used a psychological test called "binocular rivalry," in this instance comparing emotional reactions to "Eaten," an explicit track by Swedish death metal band Bloodbath, with those inspired by the Pharrell Williams hit, "Happy." The test featured 80 participants, 48 of whom were described as non-fans of death metal. Lead researcher Yanan Sun said the experiment was designed to "measure how much participants' brains noticed violent scenes, and to compare how their sensitivity was affected by the musical accompaniment." Results suggest that fans of death metal are not desensitized to violence or violent imagery. "[Death metal] fans are nice people," Macquarie psychology professor Bill Thompson told the BBC. "They're not going to go out and hurt someone." "The dominant emotional response to this music is joy and empowerment," said Thompson added. "And I think that to listen to this music and to transform it into an empowering, beautiful experience - that's an amazing thing." You can read more about the study and its findings here. [via Loudwire]

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anonymous 3/13/2019 7:11:37 AM

Sumptin' stinnnnkkkkkssss

marching_band_rules 3/13/2019 7:22:46 AM

lol is it 1999? this makes me want to join the PMRC

anonymous 3/13/2019 7:28:13 AM

Death metal gives me serious frrrts

anonymous 3/13/2019 8:00:08 AM

marching_band_rules 32 minutes ago lol is it 1999? this makes me want to join the PMRC PMRC was in the 80's dipshit

anonymous 3/13/2019 8:02:22 AM

This is what non toxic masculinity sounds like

anonymous 3/13/2019 8:07:48 AM

While Korn's "Freak On A Leash" greatly helped me process witnessing gun violence at eight years old a few years after...I still struggle being around people overall.

anonymous 3/13/2019 8:19:27 AM

Everyone knows that violent retards listen to rap.

marching_band_rules 3/13/2019 8:26:09 AM

marching_band_rules 32 minutes ago lol is it 1999? this makes me want to join the PMRC PMRC was in the 80's dipshit the debate about the effect of metal music on individuals was very hot post-columbine, and the grandstanding represented by this article also reached its peak at that time. pmrc line wasn't connected to the date.

anonymous 3/13/2019 9:34:41 AM

marching_band_rules 32 minutes ago lol is it 1999? this makes me want to join the PMRC PMRC was in the 80's dipshit the debate about the effect of metal music on individuals was very hot post-columbine, and the grandstanding represented by this article also reached its peak at that time. pmrc line wasn't connected to the date. ^^^^^^ 1985 = senate hearings 1999 = Bill O'Reilly Go finish high school.

anonymous 3/13/2019 9:48:07 AM

yeah! to high school to learn about bills oreally! so flippin PWND

anonymous 3/13/2019 9:54:15 AM

thats because most death metal fans don't even move at shows. they can barely bare to nod their heads. you old fcks should just retire from going to shows.

anonymous 3/13/2019 11:22:11 AM

marching_band_rules 32 minutes ago lol is it 1999? this makes me want to join the PMRC PMRC was in the 80's dipshit the debate about the effect of metal music on individuals was very hot post-columbine, and the grandstanding represented by this article also reached its peak at that time. pmrc line wasn't connected to the date. ^^^ Nice back pedal, bro.

anonymous 3/13/2019 11:53:40 AM

My friend danced naked in a mosh pit in Philly once. Someone in the crowd yelled out,"Ew, You can see that guys ding dong,"

anonymous 3/13/2019 1:15:30 PM

Study shows that Bloodbath only enjoyed by cheerful pussies.

anonymous 3/13/2019 1:32:30 PM

These "studies" are just ways to generate clickbait headlines and nothing else. They always use the "accessible" death metal songs with simple structures like Morbid Angel's "God of Emptiness", Decapitated "Spheres of Madness" or Cannibal Corpse's "Hammer Smashed Face" to do these tests, as if they think the genre is a novelty.

TinFinS 3/13/2019 1:33:34 PM

marie kondo my life up with some blast beats yo

anonymous 3/13/2019 2:08:04 PM

impending doom is stoked?

anonymous 3/13/2019 3:08:50 PM

"Biggita biggita biggita biggita FUHFUHFUHFUHFUHFUHFUHFUH URRRRF" inspires joy.

anonymous 3/13/2019 5:36:50 PM

no shit

anonymous 3/13/2019 6:20:33 PM

yeah! to high school to learn about bills oreally! so flippin PWND ^^^^^ Is that how you interpreted that statement? fck high school. Go back to the first grade.

anonymous 3/13/2019 10:19:23 PM

Deadbeat dads inspire their children to resent them regardless of what "seminal" upstate metalcore band their father sang for. Midget hard gay, lying cheater kicked out of his band.

anonymous 3/14/2019 12:28:36 AM

should i consider my ex or her uncles pedos?

anonymous 3/15/2019 1:12:48 PM

anonymous2 days ago While Korn's "Freak On A Leash" greatly helped me process witnessing gun violence at eight years old a few years after...I still struggle being around people overall. you must be fun at parties.


Tags: Bloodbath


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