Headbanging to your favourite heavy metal songs may actually be good for your head and health, new research suggests.
The genre is given a "bad rep", but studies have found that fans are happier and can process anger better, reports Perspecs.
However, it might not be a good idea to listen to your favourite metal songs when behind the wheel.
The Claim
Nick Perham, a senior lecturer in psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University, argues that heavy metal's bad reputation is "unfair".
In an article for The Conversation, he says that the music genre can "actually have numerous health benefits for fans".
He explains: "Despite the often violent lyrical content in some heavy metal songs, recently published research has shown that fans do not become sensitised to violence, which casts doubts on the previously assumed negative effects on long-term exposure to such music.
"Indeed, studies have shown long-term fans were happier in their youth and better adjusted in middle age compared to their non-fan counterparts."
Perham adds that listening to heavy metal music did not increase anger - instead it increased positive emotions. He says it suggests that listening to extreme music "represents a healthy and functional way of processing anger".
He concludes: "So, you beautiful people, whether you're heading out to the highway to hell or the stairway to heaven, walk this way. Metal can make you feel like nothing else matters."
The Counterclaim
However, it is not advised to listen to heavy metal when driving. A recent experiment claims that listening to metal can be "bad for driver behaviour", the i reports.
The experiment, carried out by road safety body IAM Roadsmart and motoring magazine Auto Express, found that heavy metal "distracted the test subject and made their driving inputs more ragged and uncontrolled".
It was conducted using a high-tech racing simulator, and the heavy metal band playing was Slipknot. It was the worst lap for the driver with the throttle movements more jagged. He also said that listening to Slipknot made it harder to concentrate on the circuit layout.
Tim Shallcross, IAM RoadSmart head of technical policy, added: "What is clear is that the ferocious thrash metal really reduced the ability of the driver to get around the track smoothly.
"That, and high-energy dance music, are designed to be felt as well as heard, and to be listened to at volume. It’s clear neither help when it comes to making exacting driving manoeuvres.
"Volume is the major factor for concentration and has a big effect. I would certainly advise drivers to dial down the noise when making a manoeuvre - and save the thrash metal for later in the day, or night."
The best result came when listening to the pop song Shake It Off by Taylor Swift.
The Facts
Heavy metal is "music to our ears" as Britain's favourite music genre, according to a survey of 2,000 people by bgo.com. It found that one in five Brits said they loved listening to headbanging metal.
Dance music, hip hop, and country and western followed with 15 per cent of the vote, while pop (13 per cent) finished ahead of classical (12 per cent). The Midlands, where heavy metal was born, had the highest proportion of fans with 30 per cent.
It was the fastest growing music genre in the world last year, new statistics from TuneCore found. It revealed that metal received a 154 per cent increase in streaming in 2018. J-Pop came in second with a 133 per cent rise, and R&B and Soul saw a 68 per cent increase in third.
In 2015, streaming service Spotify compiled a list of the world's most loyal music fans. Metal fans were ranked at number one out of all the genres.
They also found that metal is included in the top 10 - and usually the top five - most listened to genre in every country surveyed in the list.
