There has been a lot of debates and conversations about whether or not metal music makes people violent, and/or makes individuals angry or sad. Now, I have been in the metal scene for about 6 years now and have been going to multiple shows every month and from my personal experience, people do not seem to be angry or violent.
Now, do some people tend to get angry? Yes, it is a part of human nature to get angry and I have seen it happen at shows (actual fist fights have broken out) but not because of the music. There were other factors involve such as alcohol and miscommunication. Mosh pits (and especially at hardcore shows) look like the people in the pit are fighting one another, but that is part of the culture and moshing etiquette.
There has been statistical data and research that has been done to prove that metal music doesn’t make people violent but, in fact, the exact opposite; happy. I wrote a research paper on this topic for my English class but I won’t go into much detail about the statistical data. The outcomes, however, showed that listening to metal and going to metal shows help individuals cope with things going on in their lives and is used as a stress reliever or decompressor.
Although the shows appear to be nothing but chaos, the feelings and emotions one feels is serenity. Listening to extreme music releases hormones in the brain which make that individual feel good. I know this from personal experience. The music does not make me angry, but it helps calm me down and relax. I think this can go for any type of music that you like because it is something that you can identify with.
For me, and the majority of my friends, metal is what we identify with and it speaks to us in a way that gives us the sense that we are not alone. The shows are welcoming and, for the most part, the people are friendly. There are exceptions, of course, but the community as a whole gives us the feeling of solidarity.
Stay Metal,
THE SAW