Heavy metal: 'I was a teenage metalhead - here's why the negative stereotypes just aren't true'

• Benjamin Jackson takes a walk down memory lane going back to his days as a long-haired ‘metalhead.’
• With it comes the memories of being unfairly labelled as ‘aggressive,’ ‘depressed’ and ‘a threat to the public.’
• But there is academic research that has shown that metalheads are not the aggressive creatures the media sometimes portray them as.

I recall the days of my youth where I would be walking around a city centre, covered head to toe in black, a Spineshank t-shirt, and constantly getting side glances from the public.

Those that knew me, and still do, would tell you that I wouldn’t say boo to a goose and generally speaking, the amount of times I’ve had to “man up” I can count on one hand. I’m not an aggressive person in nature.

In a mosh pit however, I was one of those that was a fury unto themselves - if I don’t mind tooting my own heavy metal horn for a moment. 

But alongside the usual cat calls and jeers of being a “greebo,” “goffik” and the odd occasion a local that wasn’t part of the metal community would for some reason think I’d like to engage in fisticuffs in a local high street was another problem.

My mother, bless her, could tell you across both hands and feet the amount of time family members would visit us in our home in a sleeping Nottinghamshire village and see posters of Slipknot, Max Cavalera, Mushroomhead (remember them?) and the utter carnage that was blasting out of my stereo.

The question would always remain the same: “Is your Ben ok? He’s listening to some very aggressive music. Is he angry?”

Being a teenager at the time, of course I was angry - full of urine and vinegar as the expression goes - but owing that to the fact I was a teenager and angst was, and still is, a thing.

But within the communities I met at the time, both in college and at University, there always was one concurrent theme we all asked ourselves, clothed in the finest hooded tops and baggy jeans. 

“Why are we the ones who seem to be called out for being aggressive?”

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Turns out, it wasn’t just my generation and it’s been a stereotype for a while. Is it a case of us metalheads being misunderstood because of what we listen to, or can we blame other sources for the moral panics that heavy metal music brought?

Just why were fans of heavy metal stereotyped as being aggressive, sullen and at times a threat to the moral fabric of the world?

Why is there a stereotype that metal fans are aggressive?

Generally speaking, it has more to do with the notion that music ‘maketh’ the man, or woman, and that the aggressive aesthetics of the music imply that the person listening to it could be just as aggressive. 

Moral panics in the 80s and 90s didn’t help matters either as media coverage painted metal as a corrupting influence. Incidents like the Judas Priest subliminal message trial (1990) and the association of metal with the satanic panic movement in the U.S. perpetuated the stereotype of violent or deviant behaviour among fans.

Metal often aligns with countercultural movements, which can be perceived as anti-social or rebellious. This has led to broad generalisations about fans being aggressive or threatening. While there admittedly are some subsections of the community where this could be true, it’s tarring everyone with the same brush.

What does the research say?

Studies, like one published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2015), suggest that listening to extreme music (including metal) can help fans process negative emotions and reduce anger. Instead of inciting aggression, the music often provides a safe outlet for emotional expression.

There is also research from the University of Westminster (2013) which found that metal fans tend to have high openness to experience and a strong sense of community. They are not necessarily more aggressive but may be more introspective or drawn to complex, challenging themes.

A 2021 study in Psychology of Popular Media analysed stereotypes of music fans and found that metal fans are often inaccurately perceived as aggressive or emotionally unstable. The study highlighted that these stereotypes are rooted in prejudice rather than reality.

Finally, a longitudinal study from Macquarie University in Australia found that metal fans who grew up listening to the genre in the 1980s were just as well-adjusted, if not happier, than their peers in adulthood. This challenges the idea that exposure to metal music leads to antisocial behaviour.

So despite all the throwing down happening in the mosh pits, nine times out of ten we pick ourselves up, cordially shake one another’s hand and then discuss the finer points of what we saw at the movies. 

Have you ever been tarnished with the “metalhead - must be aggressive” brush at any point in your metal listening life? Let us know your thoughts or the experiences you had as a metal head growing up by leaving a comment down below.