The primal scream of thunderous drums, distorted guitars and guttural vocals is a form of therapy that very little else can replicate. In a world where anxieties and stresses are skyrocketing, and when it seems like the world is constantly against us, the visceral catharsis that heavy music often brings is immediate and relieving.
Heavy metal, its many subgenres and classifications, and its sister genres, hardcore and punk, have often been mischaracterized as a practice reserved for the angry misanthropes, outcasts, and nihilists of the world. Yet beneath its aggressive and boisterous exterior lies a sophisticated mechanism for emotional release, psychological healing, and validation.
Exploring the Link Between Heavy Music and Anger
The misunderstanding of heavy music can be boiled down to a fundamental misconception about anger itself, however. Anger is an emotion we all feel, whether we want to admit it or not. We all have those songs that we play when we’re angry: whether it’s the visceral emotion conveyed in “Pain Remains” from deathcore powerhouse Lorna Shore, or the empowering battle cries of “A Call For Blood” by hardcore icons Hatebreed, that transform frustration into strength.
However, to those who’ve not pursued it for its truest art form, on the surface, heavy metal’s link with anger can seem rather arbitrary on the surface.
Heavy music creates spaces for collective emotional processing. Mosh pits are the very embodiment of healthy expression, with the crowd engaging in a controlled act of aggression but with smiles on their faces. Yes, they throw their bodies at each other, but there’s the underlying etiquette of mutual care amongst each other, where if someone falls down, they’re helped back up on their feet. Despite appearing chaotic to those outside the scene, these almost ritualistic expressions follow a common code (one that even Marzzacco Injury Law, a team of attorneys, wrote about): look after those around you.
This undeniably questions the predisposed notion that metal, hardcore and punk are purely angry genres. Yet why do communities in the scene report a greater sense of belonging and acceptance among each other, and why is it especially the case among those who feel marginalized elsewhere? The music and surrounding scene validate different emotions that contemporary and mainstream society often dictate that we suppress.
Anger is the Fuel of Heavy Music’s Neverending Fire
Rather than being inherently destructive, anger serves as the potent lifeblood of heavy music when channeled productively. Bands like Rage Against the Machine don’t just express rage; they transform their words into articulate and poetic social commentaries wrapped in explosive, pulsating riffs and vitriolic rhymes. Their very name encapsulates this philosophy – rage directed purposefully towards the real perpetrators of violence, injustice and greed, rather than letting that anger permeate the body of the expressor.
This transformation of anger as an inherently ‘negative’ emotion into meaningful creative output represents a healthy expression. Hatebreed exemplifies this approach perfectly, with their iconic hardcore sound carrying lyrics that have always appeared inclusive and empowering for the less fortunate, transforming collective frustration into a rallying cry for community strength.
However, not all expressions within heavy music can be seen as beneficial for the oppressed and misunderstood. Anger that’s not processed healthily can fester into bitterness, or erupt violently in a way that harms – physically and mentally – those closest to us. The line between cathartic release and unhealthy rumination can wear incredibly thin.
Taking That Journey Towards Catharsis
When we talk about catharsis, we’re typically discussing the proverbial movement around an arc, from the initial build of tension to the explosive release and the inevitable cleansing and aftereffects. Channeling anger becomes a point of relation between the musician and the listener, with the latter finding that poetic lyrics and the often fast and aggressive instrumentation exemplify exactly what they’re feeling.
Dayseeker demonstrates this profoundly with their album “Dark Sun,” dedicated to vocalist Rory Rodriguez’s late father. Here grief is processed through music that takes listeners on a journey through pain toward something resembling resolution, rather than merely wallowing in despair. The new album – due out this year – promises yet another left turn, no doubt, if “Pale Moonlight” is anything to go by.
Contrastingly, the scenes surrounding metal, punk and hardcore are not exempt from criticism. Music and lyrics that champion wallowing in self-pity or committing acts of violence without reprisal could reinforce unhealthy emotional patterns and behaviors. After all, the mainstream media is very quick to point the finger at artists in the scene who single-handedly contributed to an emotionally stunted or fragile person’s state of mind before an atrocity was committed. The scene often gets tarnished with stereotypes and connotations that simply aren’t true; one person’s unhealthy expression of anger doesn’t represent the entire scene, many of whom could consist of your colleagues, contemporaries, or friends.
How Digital Tech is Affecting Perceptions
The digitization of music creation and consumption has also affected the perception of heavy music. Digital production tools have augmented but also democratized creativity and emotions in music, which is both a blessing and a curse. In a recent article for MPB, photographer Jill Furmanovsky, whose lens has captured generations of musicians, highlighted that digitization has actually made things “too easy and therefore devalued.”
As such, talented musicians can craft the most technically adept and complex pieces without an abundance of hours in the studio. Yet the raw human elements can be lost in a sea of intricate, isolated, and razor-sharp songs that are composed to the nanosecond for continuity. Those elements – the slight imperfections in time signatures, the physical strain of the singer’s vocal cords, the energy between the band members recording together – are emotionally authentic. Some continue to argue that technical perfection allows for more bands ‘pushing the envelope’, but as a result, human creativity is being stifled and sacrificed.
Social media has transformed expression, providing an easier way for bands and fans to connect. However, identity is often the priority rather than music, where one misstep from a legitimately human artist can open them up to a plethora of scrutiny from online communities. The question remains: does this digitized music scene present a healthy environment to allow musicians and artists to eloquently and organically express themselves? Some would argue no.
What to Do
The most successful artists navigate this tension by embracing technology while preserving emotional authenticity. They recognize that catharsis doesn’t have to be expressed through a wealth of cutting-edge audio editing tools or technological primitivism. It requires honesty from the top-down; the equipment and materials are irrelevant.
Heavy music will always cultivate swathes of listeners seeking emotional release, but the definition of the latter will remain open to interpretation. For some, it’s as simple as crying, for others, it’s finding humor or comfort in a composition that’s disgustingly heavy to the point of parody. However, one thing remains the same: heavy music’s unapologetic emotional honesty remains relevant and essential to many people’s psychological sanity and wellbeing.
The screams, distortion, and rhythmic intensity provide both a soundtrack for the real anger they feel and a pathway through it, offering much-needed catharsis in a world that empowers people in finding healthy means of expressing their most difficult and confusing feelings.
words Dakota Murphey
