"Extreme Healing: The Catharsis of Heavy Metal" | Michael LaRocco | TEDxBellarmineU
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- Опубликовано: 3 мар 2021
- For most of his life, Mike has been obsessed with heavy metal music. He listens to it every day, plays in metal bands, and features it in his academic research. Despite the fact that it is often dissonant, aggressive, ugly, and even violent, it brings him joy and calm like no other genre of music, and during the immense stresses of the COVID pandemic, the brutality of heavy metal provided healing and catharsis. Mike’s talk addresses these apparent contradictions, speaks to the surprising benefits of aggressive music, and considers how extreme times often call for extreme soundtracks. Besides serving as a professor, Michael is a filmmaker and musician. He has an intense obsession with heavy metal music, both personally and professionally. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
i'm glad someone understands :)..."corpse grinder screams so i dont have to" is exactly how i feel
🙏🏻 *high fives* 🙏🏻
Or... or... you can scream WITH him.
Facts.
420 like. Weedeater. Cannabis Metal.
I'm addicted to pigger nussy 😂
Man give this guy a 🏅, he explained the feeling of being a metalhead and how they are not violent and are always nicer
Close.
So true. When I first got into metal I was so surprised at how nice and welcoming metalheads (usually) are.
Give this guy a heavy 🏅
Metalheads are happier...
Not always
"Comfort doesn't always come in a hug. Sometimes, it comes in a scream". I felt that deep inside. A couple of weeks ago, my husband traveled across the country for a battery of tests to determine whether or not the mass in his lungs were cancerous or benign. I drove home from the airport with loud heavy metal blasting from the car audio system, shouting along with the lyrics giving a voice to my fear, anger at the circumstances that might be taking my love of 16 years away from me so unfairly, the chaos whirling within me, threatening my once peaceful life and the future I hoped and dreamed we would share together for more decades to come, driving safely, responsibly, and lawfully, of course. Then, I came home and watched Star Trek until I fell asleep in my chair. I felt like my fandoms were giving me the shelter and comfort I desperately needed after his doctors' potential diagnosis and recommendations. Music, of any genre or style that resonates with us, is like a good friend who always takes us in and gives us solace in times of trouble and suffering. I thank metal for taking me in on that dark night, when I had nowhere else to turn. The mass was benign, so I'm damn thankful for that, too.
What a great history. I'm glad for the final ending 🤘🤘🤘
Beautiful. Happy for you and for him and for your comforting fandoms. Amen.
That’s a great story and I’m so glad it was benign!
When my marriage was breaking up, I would scream dystopian lyrics when I was alone in the car. So I could go on functioning the rest of the time. Happy just wasn't doing it.
My sympathies 💚 How f'ing incredibly ridiculous that you should have such a concern and be made to cross the continent in that state of worry to receive proper medical attention. I can't imagine that was anything but detrimental. Glad for the good news!
This person is extremely well spoken and funny. I was shocked that the crowd didn't even make a sound when he tried joking at certain points.
The audience doesn't make any sound at all, no laughing, no gasps, no coughing or throat clearing, no "aww" at the babies, nothing. I thought he was talking to a camera only, tbh, but then he said this thing about talking to him after the show if one liked the same band as him, so uh... I'll assume they didn't have mics for the audience and didn't capture their sound at all? So strange.
I thought the same thing--I kept laughing out loud--he's a hoot. Where was the audience laughter?
This was filmed during the pandemic. There is no audience. He deserves to cover this topic again with a full auditorium.
@@j.juarez9526 OH my bad. I'm so used to the illusion of believing there is always a live audience, that is becomes uncanny to realize there isn't one
I thought the same! Dude was giving gold and the audience was dead. Then, reading @J. Juarez comment I understood why haha
"Corpsegrinder screams so that I don’t have to"
Something I’ve been trying to explain for years - put into words so easily. So well spoken.
Corpsegrinder screams so that I don't have to...unless I want to. That's the beauty of metal for me is how empowering it is in making me feel allowed to show my emotions in an extreme way because Corpsegrinder is.
@@Kevin_2435 It's actually from Tom Arya in slayer.
"Slipknot screams so that i don't have to" is how i feel. THANK YOU SLIPKNOT 🤘🥺
Why I got into punk rock and stayed there, even as a grown-up. Nobody understands if they haven't been where we have.
I'm 61 and have been a metalhead since I was 10 years old. I've heard it all from people coming down on me for my choice in music; especially since I'm a woman and an "older" one at that. I feel the same way: metal calms me down when my emotions are in turmoil. Metal says what I can't, when words from me don't come forth. I'll be a metalhead until the day I die.
I’m 63, I wish I could meet a lady like you. Keep on banging.
Good for you! I am in my sixties as well and I love love Heavy Metal. It is the best music in the world. It calms me down in a way only my pets can achieve. It heals my soul. I will also be a metalhead until the day I die. It makes me feel so good inside.
Hey! I'm a 56 year old woman who has also been a metal head my whole life. I could NOT survive without it. Opeth is my fav band. what is yours?
@@endlessgrief9930 I love Opeth as well. I first heard of them when listening to WSOU Seton Hall's radio station. Imagine a Catholic college having a Heavy Metal radio station. Oh the Irony.
@@endlessgrief9930 Opeth is incredible live. Hope you got a chance to see them at some point.
When I hear people say, “there’s no good music these days”, I know that they are not metal fans. There has never been a wider range of well written metal than there is today.
,,KREATOR" altert wie ein guter Wein, der mit PCP versetzt ist!!!🤘
Agreed.
That’s so true! 🤣
Absolutely agree!
From cattle decapitation to cynic. There's a style for everyone.
Metal is so passionate and unfiltered.
Metal is real and emotional
I had an English teacher in middle school who was the stereotypical "nice, happy, saccharine" teacher you'd see in cartoons: she was ALWAYS smiling, and she wore dresses with youthful costume jewelry and often kept her long, blonde hair in pigtail braids. She earned a new level of respect with the metalheads when she said after a stressful day she drives home with metal music playing so loud you can hear it from the other side of the street even when she's got her windows up. Metal unites us all! \m/
LOL so I had an accident where a ton of my teeth are messed up, so I'm frequently going to my dentists now to fix things, and the two fulltime dental assistants and I have gotten fairly close, so the other day when one took her gown off at the end of the job (I was last patient of the day) and revealed that she was COVERED in tattoos, some obvious band logo's like the A7X flying skull, and a bunch of other metalesque imagery I laughed soo hard. Never would have guessed. When wearing the smock and everything, she gives off the air of someone who might listen to Taylor Swift or something lmao just goes to show you really cannot judge a book by it's cover.
I got me through my pre-teen misery of living in a broke home... It got me through the brutal trenches of high school melodrama... It got me through every breakup and every death of a loved one... It got me through back surgery and an opiate addiction... It got me through the pandemic... And it still gets me through every single day... Long live Metal. 🤘
During my dad's long and rather traumatic passing. Amon Amarth's "Shield Wall" reminded me that i needed to be strong, not for myself, but for everyone around me.
Long live metal. Long live you.
Up the Irons!
@@salemcripple so sorry for your loss. Hope you're in a better place. And long live metal.
Awe. My five year olds name is Oscar ❤ and he loves metal too
I have a great deal of depression and anxiety. Metal soothes my soul and gives me peace. I believe it expresses my feelings in a positive way and not a destructive way.
I can release my aggression in a non violent way.
Going to a metal concert gives me a catharsis and I leave feeling an emotional high without using any kind of chemical substance.
Metal has virtually saved my life.
This guy really explains it well.
I have similar problems as you do just maybe not as severe or maybe worse I can’t be sure because I don’t personally know you.
Metal has done The same for me, i always feel calmer and sometimes more relaxed after headbanging or screaming my anger out with the song lyrics, even just listening to it helps sometimes.
Metal has done the same for me. It's been a positive release of energy in my life for a few decades.
I have psychological issues, and I know what you mean.
Metal has always been very soothing to me. Coming from a scholarly and scientific background, I appreciate hearing a scientific argument about metal and catharsis.
Sometimes, the sad, somber, tremolo blur of death metalcore harmonies soaks up the pain, rage, and depression of my worst moments. My feelings mapped onto the visual scroll of the orchestration.
@@performancetesting1 well said!
I like metal too and am also a scientist, but I found very little substance to this, especially scientifically; much less than I was hoping for or expecting. The majority was his own anecdotal experience with it.
My kiddo is 5 and she's loved Gorgoroth since she was 3. She calls it zombie music.
based daughter
March 2020. I had a heart and kidney transplant, and if it wasn’t for listening to Slayer, Tool, Cannibal Corpse and others I would have lost it. The metal community is the most inclusive group of people I’ve ever been around. I have no problem going to a metal concert by myself because the crowd isn’t strangers, they are just friends I haven’t met yet.
Glad you’re still here. March 2020 I was hospitalized for cancer. Glad I’m still here too. Music worked when the painkillers did not. It was mind blowing.
I had a terrible case of pneumonia, which barely compared to y’all’s stuff lol, but Opeth, Avenged Sevenfold and mettalica + some other bands really lulled me away when I felt like I wasn’t gonna make it. I don’t know if I would’ve if I hadn’t had metal
"Slayer" and "Cannibal Corpse" seem like rather ironic choices for post heart- and kidney-transplate surgery ;)
"comfort doesn't always come in a hug. Sometimes it comes in a scream". That's metal AF!
"Comfort doesn't always come in the form of a hug. Sometimes it comes in a scream." ..... Man..... that one hit home like a grand slam..... ❤️
I have been saying this all my life to deaf ears of pop/rap fans who think I am crazy and Metal is just noise, imagine if I told them that Metal is closer to Classical music than any other genre plus learning to growl without damaging your vocal chords and sounding good is as difficult as an Opera singer doing her entire skillset!
As a metalhead myself, nothing came close to helping me through this crazy world than music. Especially Iron Maiden and Rammstein for me. Till Lindemann in particular is the artist I never knew I needed but there he is. Love my metal!!
Till is brilliant
YES YES YES
Till's voice has healing powers I would not be writing this
Even in another language; Till makes me feel so strong
I love how for every situation, every emotion, there is a whole subgenre
Metal forever! \m/
Love from a Darkling(Dark Sarah, symphonic/ cinematic metal fan)
So many subgenres. So much to explore!
Very well said. 6 months ago now, my dog died. I've been a metalhead for years now. I ran across an In Flames song a few months before she died and slowly became a fan, going through their discography. Little did I know that "A Sense of Purpose" would turn out to be the soundtrack of me taking care of my dying dog after we found out about her liver failure. Staying up all night to care for her and make sure she didn't have anymore seizures.
She died in my arms at midnight. We buried her the next evening and afterwards I drove on the highway listening to "im the highway" "Stay with me" "sleepless again" "delights and anger" and more. Strong and smart, only for the weak ....so many more. I thank in flames for being there for me and putting a voice to my emotions. I found the song "stay with me" a few hours before my dog died and it will always have a special place in my heart. As well as "Alias" as it was the last song I serenaded my dog with a few hours before she died.
I miss her so much.
I feel your pain, truly. I lost my beautiful Bear 3 weeks ago and I'm struggling through everyday. But Metal helps me through it so much. Been listening to Fear Factory, Type o Negative, Devon Townsend Project to name a few. I wish you peace and happiness and to remember your dog had a fantastic life with you.
Thornhill, lily and the moon is the perfect song for missing a former pet
I've been into metal for 40 years. I grew up on rainbow, saxon, maiden. 84, Metallica, then slayer. I was an outcast growing up in an English town but I knew it was me, later came morbid angel. Today I'm 53, I love napalm,avenged, slayer, slipknot and I'm treated as normal. Metal got me picked on as a kid, but its was in my soul and still is. Metal is my escape, and I'm proud to be metal.
Dio fan here 🤘
What many metalheads like myself struggle at expressing is that Metal is art and like all art it also creates a home within us in the same way that any other artist or band from any other genre can do.
We just happen to find peace in complexity and harshness.
"to find peace in complexity and harshness"
Yes!
I make sculpture using blacksmithing while keeping tempo with Slayer, KREATOR and/or The Accused, therefore Metal Is Art To Make Metal Art To💀
I've always said when it comes to metal you either like it or you don't. You can explain to somebody how it makes you feel but you cannot make them feel it. I bought Quiet Riot Metal Health in 1983 when I was 9 years old with my birthday money and I never looked back. I'm 48 now and wouldn't change a thing.
A few weeks ago I took a friend of mine to see my other friends Metallica tribute band. It was her first metal show ever. And she was surprised how cool and nice everybody was and how they pick people up when they fell down in the pit. She had believed all the propaganda through the years and didn't know what to expect and ended up having a great time
If I have to explain it, you'll never understand.
Weirdly, I came at it from the other side--a die-hard jazz and classical side--and didn't "get" heavy metal until I had a kid and when things would go wrong, heavy metal sounded sooooo right. The comfort came and my daughter grew up to be a metalhead and brought me along for the ride. I love it!
I was slowly pulled into metal though, I did not get it at first until I started listening to the melodic bands with clean vocals. I can understand and get growling vocals now while when I first started even a little bit was too much for me.
@@patriciafoster9337 that's not true, people just need to be introduced to it gradually
@@xDporrada I tried sharing a music video with my sister, who is not a metal head, and she said, when I asked if she liked it,, that it was interesting. Ouch! It was a cinematic metal music video, Dance with the Dragon, Dark Sarah, pretty easy, I thought, but I suspect the emotional subtext bothered her. I guess I didn't pick wisely, and I don't have the knack for nailing someone's tastes. I have a reputation in my family for quirkiness, but I suspect they would say eccentric or even weird when I'm not around. Thank you for the good words, though, and joke them if they can't take a f* CK. I'll try another time.
Tuff crowd.. he did a good job explaining it though. It definitely uplifts me and gets me through hard times.
Because there is no crowd
My anxiety has no bounds. It consumes me constantly. Metal helps me deal with it. I rely on it to make me feel better. I can't explain how peaceful it makes me feel.
Metal music and its variations, more than any other genre of music is pure passion and energy. People playing this kind of music put everything in it. You’ll never find this kind of energy and honestly in pop music, or anything mainstream on radio.
I think I have a healthy balance in everything? I mean, somexs I feel like a complete mess. Other xs, throw complex sh at me then (I honestly prefer u don't tho. Especially if it's negative). Bc me: I prob actually do appear calm alot. I mean, it prob does come from trauma. But also, idk. I've prob seen worse. I fascinate me too. Anyways, I feel like I should just start saying this at work. Like nothing. Long awkward silence. & My exit will just be "k & thx for coming to my Ted talk. ✌️ K byyyeee 🤗
For me metal is therapy.
Yes.
I've been a single dad since he was 3, and I feel you. Metal helped me. My son's first show, at 13, was Maiden. It was also my birthday.
My son's 1st gig was Bon Jovi when he was 10. It wasn't the best of his concerts so I took him to Motorhead a few months later so he could watch an awesome gig.
I’ve been getting into extreme metal for the past couple of years and for me it’s all about the community. You go to a show and you finally get to see people like you, who like what you like, who dress like you do. And they’re nice, educated, happy people. If someone falls in the pit, people stop and help them up. The music is cathartic and a lot of the themes are standing up for injustices whether it’s the environment or social (fit for an autopsy comes to mind). The music is also insanely intricate and complex, much like classical. I love it.
You said it perfectly.
Are we just gonna act like this foo didn’t just say “extreme metal”
Always follow the pit rules! Except hardcore and slam... The terrible arm swinging during the "dancing", that left me with a bloody nose twice. Though, the second time the guy offered to buy me a drink, during a Veil of Maya performance (just after the release of their 2nd album, id) and that is one no one wants to miss! I had to get out of the pit though and this guy actually kept his word, but I still think moshing is better because it's less prone to accidents.
I agree. It’s one of the many reasons I like concerts so much. I feel like we get ostracized and pushed away from everything because we’re a little different and then we find people who are like us that we connect with. Music brings us together
Personally my experience of 40 yrs being in the metal scene; most musicians borderline personally disorders/toxic narcissism/ angry boozy druggy often disaffected people -maybe a general musician thing. But met loads of cool people and many pro musicians over the years.
I have a theory that I think it's seeing everything you can't deal with internally in the form of something you enjoy, removing the horrible feelings around those things
Damn you’re smart! That actually makes a lot of sense
Thats definitely partly it for me.
so concise but true
Or, alternatively, exposing yourself to extreme emotions in a safe way trains you to manage strong emotions.
It’s cathartic and it exercises your mind.
Aho!
there are more metal heads out htere than we think
Metal literally saved my life. Metal festivals are the most beautifullllll experiences I"ve ever lived, I felt I was home ❤
This 100%
May 30, I'm going to be breaking out an old denim vest enjoying howls in Deutsche (KREATOR) and double-time tap-dancing on commands in Portugues (Sepultura)🤘
"How do you like people yelling at you?"
I don't. I hate people yelling at me. I like yelling WITH Them.
When I listen to heavy music, we are screaming and yelling in unison. As a team. Expressing the same feelings and tension. I used to get yelled at my parents so I yelled back. Listening to heavy music is how I get that feeling of expressing rage, and feeling a sense of power over the air around me, vibrating it in sync.
The fact that people judge others based on what you listen to just shows how shallow minded they are. I am the the first guy to help, to give a hand, to feel for others and to shed a tear... and I listen to heavy metal and have done since I was 14 years old.
Im 21 and been listening to metal ever since I was a kid and this man perfectly encapsulates why I listen to the genre to this day. No other genre can convey my emotions the way metal does. No amount of slow, melodic music can portray my experience with depression such as metal does. No amount of upbeat, uplifting music can get me off my feet the way metal does. All the bands I’ve listened to growing up put all my emotions on their back and play with the intent to show they understand what exactly I have gone through and that I am valid in my feelings. No other genre has done that for me in a way unlike metal has for me, and I will continue to drown myself in the genre til my old age.
I’m a metal head since I was 16. I started out with some rock or pop rock then to more serous hard rock to Metal . I’m in 50s and I’m finding Immortal very soothing. I dress as if I’m a classical composer and people have no hint I’m a die hard metal head . In my collection I have very few bands that really love to listen on daily bases . Agalloch, My Dying Bride, Immortal, Micheal Schenker, paradise Lost. Arch Enemy are just a few.
I once had an architecture professor who turned out to be a huge metalhead. You'd never guess that from a classy man in his grays that wears high-end suits every day. Never judge a book by its cover.
My friend...we are together in this road...
I love your spread of bands, a lot of people tend to only listen to one or two subgenres, but it’s good not to shut yourself off from other sounds. For the longest time I never listened to Metalcore, but when I finally gave it a try I found some really great bands.
With the exception of Arch Enemy, I haven’t really listened to any of the other bands listed in your comment yet. Can you please recommend me a few “starter songs” from each of the bands you mentioned? Or better yet, can you recommend me one “starter album” from each of them?
@@jaketheadventurer2772 yes of course. The songs may not be in the same albums that I’m recommending here.
Agollach : Song Limbs
Album Mantle
My Dying Bride: Song Cathrine Blake
Album, The Dreadful Hours
Immortal: song Tyrants
Album In The Heart Of Winter
* you may try Abbath as well, any songs or albums. Abbath was the cofounder of Immortal.
Paradise Lost: Song Eternal
Album Gothic
Micheal Schenker was the co founder of Scorpions along side his older brother Rudolf Schenker. Anything by Micheal is pure gold.
Enjoy ! Glad to be of help.
Brothers of metal will always be there
Standing together with hands in the air
Manowar! 🤘
Metal shows have been some of the most positive environments & experiences I've had. Always has me going back.
Only public place I feel safe going by myself.
Slayer, Dope, Static X, and many other's are my therapy. I'm a 58yo ex singer, learning guitar. Peace love and Heavy Metal.
For me heavy metal has always been a comfort... Sometimes I really feel like s*it or depressed but when I listen some metal really it feels so calming... Especially listening Lorna Shore, Architects, Angelmaker, Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction & many more
It definitely doesn’t change my aesthetic, ideology, attitude etc. but it does calm me and help me focus. I’m a welder and when I listen to metal and narrows my mind into what I’m doing and let’s me forget about the outside world. Other music like rap, country, and pop I love, but it doesn’t help me focus and calm down like metal does.
Well said
Metal equals focus for me too.
Metal helped me through anxiety and PTSD so glad someone brought this topic to light.
Very well said Doctor. I just love Heavy Metal. It is the best stress reliever in the world.
So true their is nothing better then coming after a bad day and blasting SLAYERRR!!!
Yes!!! Finally someone understands! Death metal is my Zen, my calming, my safe place, especially Danish band Dawn of Demise, my fav. The guttural vocals, extreme lyrics, technical guitar, and amazing drums are all a symphony. It helps me scream at the world when life sucks, it relieves my anxiety and has helped me through the worst times in my life. I think hard extreme metal, lyrics and all, reflects honestly the real nature of humans that people would rather not acknowledge.
I dont look like a metal head but rather a 53 yo librarian or school teacher, no tats, piercings, etc.. I often shock people. My family never understood me and still doesnt. I grew up in very small town conservative Iowa. I am nothing near that now. I listen to my metal and crochet, which I sell. Both are what keeps me same. I can not see my life without it.
Absolutely agree. I've always found metal fans to be amongst the most intelligent, nicest and most tolerant people I've ever met.
Same but they are also some of the stupidest people on earth. Extremes.
I feel like metal is true poetry 😌🤘
Ever since I started listening to metal I started feeling much happier and better. I used to listen to regular rock/hard rock and I used to feel depressed until I switched genres.
I know there are varying opinions of Ghost and whether or not they are "metal", but I think they are, and they gave me incredible comfort while my mom was in a nursing home, leading up to her death from liver disease at the onset of the pandemic. It was such a heartbreaking era with a lot of alone time driving from work to nursing home to home, to her home to gather things for her, and many places in between in rural TN, so many opportunities for reflection, and when reflection was too painful, Ghost. I was so happy to watch this Ted Talk to #1 see a happy ending and #2 to hear the struggles and triumphs and enduring of a kindred spirit. Thank you!!!
"Sometimes, comfort doesn't come in a hug. It comes in a scream."
I found the phrase "Corpsegrinder screames, so that I don't have to" very beautiful.
This guy 100% gets it!...That love of metal
This is beautiful. The storytelling, the expression of extremity, the catharsis of knowing someone else gets it, and suddenly, community exists.
He knows his death metal! I bought Bolt Thrower's "Warmaster" in '91 on cassette, and it was the first death metal release I ever bought (and far from the last!). Before that, I listened to a lot of classic metal like Maiden, Motorhead, Dio, etc., which I still listen to constantly. Metal has sustained me through life's ups and downs - be they jobs, relationships, etc. - it's been there, the literal soundtrack to my life. It's not just wallpaper; it's a way to make sense of the world aesthetically, and that's what metal's critics (both on the right AND left) fail to understand.
Power metal is my favorite genre, and it brings me everything from catharsis to inspiration to feelings of empowerment. In the words of Freedom Call, "Metal is for everyone!"
Bleed by Meshuggah helps me channel rage in such a beautiful way. Early Opeth opens up my creativity and awe. Early Gojira puts me into a gear that I can’t even name yet. I’m not a metal head by any stretch but it’s always there when I need it.
What makes metal so unique, is that it deals with the world on a level of brutal honesty like no other style of music can. It tackles certain emotional topics that many people would rather not deal with - which is why it's never been part of the mainstream. Metal has the ability to understand people who are misunderstood - and that's the appeal of it. It doesn't suffer fools, or follow blindly. But it's always there for the people who need it most.
Metal forever.
One of the most alluring facts about metal is the reality that you didn't choose metal first..metal chose YOU. Schopenhauer wrote on how music holds the sovereign ability of finding and communicating with the deepest center of your soul. Our blind will identifies and relates itself to music more than any other art form. This deep connection allows music to understand our own soul even more than WE could...This gives insight to why certain music feels so special like its meant for us personally. I feel this intimacy and understanding with metal.
"Every golden nugget coming like a gift of the gods." I know there's gotta be a neurological reason, but it just feels like being home. An interestingly scholarly take on it... Truly, the metal community is the most diverse and accepting of all communities.
What I love about King Diamond and Andy LaRocque is that they have removed the self energy emotional bias from the art and have used metal for deep art, storylines and performances that equate to classical disciplines. With simply the self drive to persevere without the $ and lauding of the established esteem
5FDP helped me through a lot of negative situations. Shinedown through a lot of depression and more recently issues within our society here in the US. 80's Metallica, Ozzy etc... through the teen angst.
Music gives you the nice chemicals because YOU like it. The very anticipation of hearing a song will make you happy. I’ve been listening to Heavy Metal for almost five decades, so the bands mentioned here mean absolutely nothing to me, because they are third or fourth generation. But it’s nice to know that the genre surpassed being a ‘fad’ and adapted in so many ways. I’m happy and proud that people will still continue listening to Sabbath and Rush for decades to come.
There's nothing like listening to metal and moshing. Everyone in the pit pushing and shoving each other and whatever else. You get knocked down and picked back up, then continue. Bonding with other people even just for a moment or seeing familiar faces no matter how long it's been. I accidentally headbutted someone I barely knew during Municipal Waste's set and we laughed it off after we knew everything was alright. He got stitches above his eye and was back the next day of the Metal & Beer Fest in Philly. He had a story to share going back to work doing his best to save people's doing open heart surgeries.
The only better feeling I can think of is being on stage and seeing people moshing to your music 😎😂
@@GabiBrooks yes, that is true. Being the people to inspire all that to happen. It's cool to see members from bands, who will or have performed, enjoying the show with all the other people.
Man I never would have made it out of my teens, if it wasn't Metal. Now I'm 56 and it still keeps me going. For me it was never a fad, instead it's a way of life.
Those who listen to metal have a deeper sense of understanding in every aspect of their lives.
No other music can come even close to metal.
Trust me, I am a Hindu from India who practices meditation.
Heavy lifting while listening to metal, likes of Septicflesh, Agalloch, NeObliviscaris, Wolfheart is my therapy.
Metal is an amazingly deep and varied genre. I’ve been listening to metal for decades and there’s still so much I haven’t explored, entire sub-genres I’ve yet to appreciate.
Im a 24 year old guy who has this type of relationship with hardcore, metalcore and deathcore. Stuck in a job that I hate, dumped by my girlfriend a few months ago, whenever I feel down or just had a long day, I go and listen to Knocked Loose. Whenever I feel happy, I go listen to Enter Shikari. If I ever feel like I don't belong where I live, I go to a concert and im like "yep, this is my home". I'm happy to say that extreme music is a lifestyle, and I really don't know where would I be without it
metal is a form of therapy for me, it lets me express all the emotion im feeling at once, i get to scream out all of my anger and sadness, but i also get to scream in joy. yes, i still go to therapy to help me solve issues that im facing, but i wouldnt be able to do that without metal, it allows me to have released all of my emotion beforehand so that i can go into therapy and be purely logical, meaning that i am able to solve my problems much faster and easier. metal doesnt make you angry, violent, or hateful, metal makes you happier, more emotionally present, and far calmer. i also have quite bad anxiety, and metal is what calms it for me, although it wont do that for everyone, im lucky enough that it does for me, i also have quite severe adhd and get bored if music is too slow/not complex enough, and so metal solves that problem as well.
I think it's because, as he said, metal (lyrics) dives into hardcore subjects, and the music also carries strong emotions. When we have problems or unpleasant feelings, we need to talk about them, not let them fester in our brains. Metal sort of provides that. It's not actually a conversation, but you hear your thoughts and worries in the lyrics, and the engaging music makes your whole body participate. Like the title says, it provides catharsis.
I’ve been a metalhead since the 1980s without metal I wouldn’t be here today. The music has saved my life multiple times
I genuinely am worried about people who don't listen to Heavy metal. How are they coping with their emotions? What do they use to calm themselves down when they have a panic attack? I can't help but imagine they're gonna resort to drugs and fights and that's seriously upsetting.
I listen mainly to Modern Jazz and Classical music, with some Irish music thrown in. I almost never listen to any pop, rock, metal, or country. These genres of music can sooth my anxious mind quite nicely.
I’m new to the scene, but I’m so glad I’ve joined the community. Some of my favs like Ghost, Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, System of A Down have helped my anxiety and self confidence immensely. “They screamed so I don’t have to” sums up the emotional experience so well.
I liken it to the Yin-Yang dynamic. We all have our soft side, we all have our aggressive side. I always get the "you don't look like you listen to metal" line, but I'll tell you I never hear that from anybody at a metal show.. Metal is a way to assuage that aggressive side. It can you pumped up, and give you the release to go about the rest of your day "normally".
Lol same here, it’s kinda funny then people usually follow up with omg why - because it’s beautiful and one of the few things that makes me feel better at times, that’s why 😊
I love bamboozling new friends with “I love metal”... the reactions are so funny to me! 😹😹
@@najrenchelf2751 I don't know if I should tell people or keep it a secret so that people don't put labels on me.
@@disorganizedclutter5513 I mean, it’s a part of who you are - tell them... if they judge you for it, then that says more about them than about you. :)
@Naj Renchelf Don't ask, don't tell is a recipe for being inauthentic, for splitting into white bread and headbanger sides... didn't work for Dr Jekyll, didn't work for Gays, doesn't work for people who've been abused one way or another, and doesn't work for Metal fans. Joke'em if they can't take a f*ck. Maybe they'll learn to see around the stereotype...
Respect for this dude, you just explained what almost every metalhead has been thinking. Also respect for listening to Bolt Thrower 💪
Yep, he had me at Bolt Thrower as well.
@@shanehall9254 Bolt thrower are really good, nice guys too. Good metal credentials when mentioning a not well so well known British band (even here in uk)
If he did that wearing a recent Metallica or Slayer T shirt it would suggest amore surface knowledge and a lack of connoisseur metal tastes (I like both btw)
@@brendanoneil3489 Been a fan of the music from album 1…., became a fan of the band when I saw them on their Australian tour. Music, jokes, stories, and insights on song writing. Yes, definitely a nice crew. Somewhat unusual how relaxed they were with a crowd compared to their contemporaries.
His talk was extremely funny, moving and heartbreaking. I can't believe the audience sounded like they were dead, or he was talking to a wall. I love it. 👏❤️
It was an empty room
As a metalhead of now 58 years I know its power of catharsis and its power to heal.
As a musician who has written and performed metal, it has always left me refreshed, renewed, relaxed.
Speechless.
Deepest respect and understanding to Michael, who opened his heart, mind, and soul to us.
When it comes to the effect of Heavy Metal onto myself, I experienced the relaxing, relieving, rewarding influence from the first day, when I discovered Iron Maiden's "Killers" album in summer 1981. And this has continued from back then to today.
Whenever I feel bad or sad, aggressive or depressive - Metal is my medicine.
Any anger or fear - Slayer will for sure blow it out of my mind, heart and soul, leaving me nice and calm and easy again.
"Heavy metal will never tell you you are too much."
That was such an "Ah-ha!" moment for me.
That's why I love metal. It's always there for me through the good and bad. It never judges, and it's always there to listen and tell you, "You're okay. You are normal to feel this, and you can handle it."
This is why the concerts are so fun.
They provide us a way to let our demons out. To let our problems out. And purge them from our system. Leaving a relaxed, relieved & at peace person behind.
Nothing more therapeutic than "Beneath the remains" Sepultura album.
I really mean it.
Ah, the Real Sep
So many good laughs in this... so many feels. I'd love to see you give this talk with an audience. All the same, you received the audience sounds on this side of the screen.
There is no audience? I was like, damn he is throwing all these jokes and out and no ones laughing, what assholes XD
@@Sir_Nook Ted Talks during times of Covid.
@@Sir_Nook That actually makes me feel a lot better knowing there wasn’t actually anyone, I was shocked at how dead the “crowd” was lmao
A perfect example of how the heaviness of particular emotions are easier to bear with the help of specific genres/songs. How awesome, good on you brother! In solidarity, from one Metalhead to the other 🤘
This talk is amazing, and it's 10 times more amazing if you are already a metal head
All music can be healing. It's about connecting with the emotions created in the music. Mainstream music is more easily accessible and therefor connects with more people. In a sense, metal is just mainstream music with things cranked up. Faster, heavier, more passionate, deeper. You have to develop a taste for it, which most people don't want to put forth the effort to do, so they quickly judge it, dismiss it, or say it's not for them without attempting to truly understand it. It's like fast food vs gourmet... or blockbuster romcoms vs more clever dark indie comedies...etc. The more you get away from what's "popular" and accessible for the masses, the more developed your palette becomes and the sweeter the art tastes. So you are able to feel/connect/heal more deeply as a result✌🧝♂💀🧙♂🖤🤘
It's been 34 years since I saw the videos for Napalm Death "Suffer the Children" and Kreator "Betrayer". I had to order the cassettes from the record store & the inside of inserts directed me to BoltThrower, Obituary, Deicide and more. I found Slayer at the same time. I'd have over 1,100 albums by the early 2000's. You'd be amazed at the peacefulness of searching up and listening to the acoustic cover of Empyrium's Dying Brokenhearted" or finding "Necrophagist top 9 solos"...
Metal has saved my life… there’s something about it that gives me peace. 💜🖤
When I was suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia, a very painful facial nerve disorder, the only thing that brought me comfort was extreme metal. I couldn't talk, or frown, all I could do was sit there stone faced and metal allowed me to scream. It saved my life during the darkest time. I am forever grateful for it's catharsis.
Bless you for bringing an explanation of the many, many shades of emotion and enjoyment that this extreme art brings to those of us who are just hard-wired for it.
Thank you so much for this.
Metal has always been my way of coping with the world. Michael does a fine job talking about this, but I don't think you can really put it into words. Metal is pure emotion; it springs from within; it transcends all ability of explaining it, you can only experience it. Horns up!
There is something in metal that no other genre of music has. The calming ability of metal in its heaviness. I only got into metal a year ago but I already feel quite connected to this genre, bands like Amon Amarth, Gojira, Pantera, Lamb of God, Whitechapel and a few others showed me what I had been missing all through high school. I feel that if I knew metal back then my high school years would have gone better.
A close friend once said “because it tickles my soul all kinds of pink”.
This really touched me. So relatable. Metalheads are by far the most wholesome, welcoming, loving and warm people I've ever known. When you can comfortably express anger, openly together with a large crowd of sweaty, smelly, energized people, you're just as comfortable being vulnerable and expressing other emotions like love. ❤️ that closing quote 😍.
Comfort comes in the form of a downtuned guitar, a six-string, and double-bass. 🤘🏻
And an amplifier the size of a refrigerator, if you have access to one! 😁 I like Marshalls myself.
Oh yes.
I heard Metal gives a similar feeling to risk taking behaviour and activates that part of the brain. I definitely used metal to hype me up rather than use drugs when I was younger. It was my drug.....I could walk through walls after listening to metal
Lol same
Great references to a wonderful variety of bands. That was truly a wide swing of emotions. Knowing these bands and how the feelings are represented in their music gives me some idea of the experience. 🤘 Thankfully everything worked out🤘
Love this talk. I often have listened to metal to calm myself during the most trying times. It can be very therapeutic.
Exactly what being a metalhead feels like!
Finally someone who can understand my passion for more than half of my life. Thank you. People don't get it when I tell them I can fall asleep listening to extreme tech death metal. It just soothes me. That's it. Everyone is different. I also appreciate being different and jot following standards
Metal is insanely deep in both musical and mental/philosophical aspects and beyond powerfull when it comes to energy, no genre provides anything close.
I’m so glad someone else listens to metal to relax and deal w emotions and feel more peaceful! Love this talk
I loved everything you said. I kind of feel refreshed after hearing you describe exactly everything I feel when I'm emersed in my play list, it's electrifying! The energy I feel in me, it truely makes me happy and it motivates me when I'm down. I want to thank you for reminding me of this, it's helped open my ears back up 🙂