Heavy metal lyrics are the words used in

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

s by heavy metal artists. Given that there are many genres of heavy metal, it is difficult to make generalizations about the lyrics and lyrical themes. In 1989, two metal scholars wrote that heavy metal lyrics concentrate "on dark and depressing subject matter to an extent hitherto unprecedented" in any form of

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

.Hatch and Millward (1989), p. 167

Jeffrey Arnett Jeffrey Jensen Arnett is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Massachusetts. His main research interest is in "emerging adulthood", a term he coined, which refers to the distinct phase between adolescence and young adu ...

states that metal songs are "overwhelmingly dominated" by "ugly and unhappy" themes which express "no hope" for the future.Sylvan, Robin. ''Traces of the Spirit: The Religious Dimensions of Popular Music''. NYU Press, 2002

Deena Weinstein Deena Weinstein (born March 15, 1943) is a professor of sociology at DePaul University whose research focuses on popular culture. She is particularly well known for her research on heavy metal culture, on which subject she wrote a ground-breaking ...

has proposed one way to analyze metal song themes is loosely grouping them into two categories: the

Dionysian The Apollonian and the Dionysian are philosophical and literary concepts represented by a duality between the figures of Apollo and Dionysus from Greek mythology. Its popularization is widely attributed to the work ''The Birth of Tragedy'' by Fr ...

theme (a reference to the Roman God of wine), which celebrates " sex, drugs and rock and roll", partying, and enjoyment of life and the

Chaotic Chaotic was originally a Danish trading card game. It expanded to an online game in America which then became a television program based on the game. The program was able to be seen on 4Kids TV (Fox affiliates, nationwide), Jetix, The CW4Kid ...

theme, which involves dark subjects such as Hell,

injustice Injustice is a quality relating to unfairness or undeserved outcomes. The term may be applied in reference to a particular event or situation, or to a larger status quo. In Western philosophy and jurisprudence, injustice is very commonly—but n ...

, mayhem, carnage and

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

.Weinstein, Deena. ''Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture''. Da Capo Press, 2009. p. 35 Not all metal genres fall into Weinstein's two theme model; for example

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

's lyrical themes often focus on

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

and

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

, camaraderie and hope, personal struggles and

emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is currently no scientific ...

s, among other themes. Another exception is

pop metal Pop metal (sometimes conflated with or used interchangeably with glam metal) is an umbrella term for commercial heavy metal and hard rock styles which feature prominent pop music elements such as catchy hooks and anthemic choruses. It became ...

bands, which replaced "

gloom Gloom is a low level of light which is so dim that there are physiological and psychological effects. Human vision at this level becomes monochrome and has lessened clarity. Optical and psychological effects Light conditions may be considered g ...

and

doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher * ...

" themes with "positive,

upbeat Up beat may refer to: *Upbeat, in music, the last beat in the previous bar which immediately precedes the downbeat *Anacrusis, a note (or sequence of notes) which precedes the first downbeat in a bar in a musical phrase * ''Upbeat'' (album), by t ...

" songs about

romantic love Romance or romantic love is a feeling of love for, or a strong attraction towards another person, and the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those overall feelings and resultant emotions. The ''Wiley Blackwell Ency ...

and relationships, part of their goal of appealing more to female listeners. In metal overall, the small number of metal songs about relationships are typically about unions that have "gone sour" long ago. The thematic content of heavy metal lyrics has long been a target of criticism. According to

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.Pareles, Jon
"Heavy Metal, Weighty Words"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', 10 July 1988. Retrieved on 14 November 2007. Music critics have often deemed metal lyrics juvenile and banal, and others have objected to what they see as advocacy of

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practice ...

and the occult. During the 1980s, the

Parents Music Resource Center The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related or sexual themes via labeling albums ...

(PMRC) petitioned the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

to regulate the popular music industry due to what the group asserted were objectionable lyrics, particularly those in heavy metal songs.See, e.g., Ewing and McCann (2006), pp. 104–113 The PMRC used music professor Joe Stuessy to testify against metal. Professor Stuessy alleged that heavy metal songs focus on

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

, substance abuse,

perversion Perversion is a form of human behavior which deviates from what is considered to be orthodox or normal. Although the term ''perversion'' can refer to a variety of forms of deviation, it is most often used to describe sexual behaviors that are c ...

, S&M, and Satanism. Robert Walser analyzed 88 metal songs' themes to determine if Professor Stuessy's claims were valid. In Walser's analysis, the dominant theme in the metal songs was "longing for intensity"; he found that the negative themes described by Stuessy and the PMRC were uncommon.Walser, Robert. ‘’Running with the Devil: Power, Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music.’’ Wesleyan University Press, 2014. Jeffrey Arnett analysed the lyrics from 115 metal songs: he found that the top three messages were "grim themes" about violence,

angst Angst is fear or anxiety ('' anguish'' is its Latinate equivalent, and the words ''anxious'' and ''anxiety'' are of similar origin). The dictionary definition for angst is a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity. Etymology The word ...

and

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooper ...

. Metal artists have had to defend their lyrics in front of the U.S. Senate and in courtrooms. In 1985,

Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include " We're Not Gonna Take It" and " I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with ...

frontman Dee Snider was asked to defend his song ''

Under the Blade ''Under the Blade'' is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released on Secret Records on September 18, 1982. It was produced by UFO/ Waysted bassist Pete Way and featured an aggressive and hard-hitting sound, whi ...

'' at a U.S. Senate hearing. In 1986,

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

was sued because of the lyrics of his song '' Suicide Solution''. In 1990, Judas Priest was sued in American court by the parents of two young men who had shot themselves five years earlier, allegedly after hearing the subliminal statement "do it" in a Priest song. While the case attracted a great deal of media attention, it was ultimately dismissed. In some predominantly

Muslim countries The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. I ...

, heavy metal has been officially denounced as a threat to traditional values. In countries such as

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, and

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

, there have been incidents of heavy metal musicians and fans being arrested and incarcerated.

History

There were "heavy"-sounding bands before

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

, such as

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

and

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

. However, the use of "dark and aggressive music" and "offensive lyrics" at the same time was started by Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath 's second album ''

Paranoid Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy c ...

'' (1970) "included songs dealing with personal trauma—'

' and ' Fairies Wear Boots' (which described the unsavoury side effects of drug-taking)—as well as those confronting wider issues, such as the self-explanatory '

War Pigs "War Pigs" is an anti-war protest song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970, it is the opening track from the band's second studio album '' Paranoid'' (1970). Overview The original title of "War Pigs" was "Walpurgis", ...

' and ' Hand of Doom.'" Black Sabbath's drummer, Bill Ward, states that the band chose its darker lyrical themes because they were "sick and tired of all the ippiebullshit- love your brother and flower power forever" and the romantic themes about being "hung up" about a woman that were popular in mainstream music.Bentley, Nick; Johnson, Beth; Zieleniec, Andrzej. ''Youth Subcultures in Fiction, Film and Other Media: Teenage Dreams''. Springer, 31 March 2018. p. 155 Metal lyrics often demonstrate a "bad attitude" and "

political incorrectness ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...

" and it tends to have "occult and satanic symbolism". Deriving from the heavy metal genre's roots in blues music,

sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...

is another important topic—a thread running from Led Zeppelin's suggestive lyrics to the more explicit references of

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam ...

and nu metal bands. Some themes are excluded in most heavy metal, such as optimistic, hope-filled songs, songs about romantic love or songs with a 1960s

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

message of trying to change the world. In general, metal lyrics are not lighthearted and they do typically not make use of

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

. Research by Karen Bettez Halnon showed that songs enjoyed by heavy metal fans are seen as an alternative to listening to the "impersonal, conformist, superficial and numbing realities of hecommercialism" that's present in popular, non-niche music genres.

Themes

Occult

Occult themes and references to "occult religious practices" are used in metal lyrics. References to Satanism and

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

horror are present in heavy metal lyrics.Cope, Andrew L. ''Black Sabbath and the Rise of Heavy Metal Music''. Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2010. p. 139 As an example of references to Satan, the song " Hell Awaits" by Slayer "glorifies Satanic rule".Cope, Andrew L. ‘’Black Sabbath and the Rise of Heavy Metal Music’’. Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2010. p. 140 The metal band Cradle of Filth writes lyrics which mix "Satanism, occult" and

horror movie Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...

themes. Death metal songs involve themes of "horror, gore and environmental and social decay", including descriptions of dismemberment and "botched forensic procedures." James Parker states that while the use of Hell- and underworld-oriented themes in heavy metal can be "dark and disturbing", they are "honest about

human nature Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...

", and as such, listening to metal lyrics can be beneficial for listeners' mental health (he says metal lyrics can "keep us sane").

War and violence

A key theme in heavy metal lyrics is the "pointless horror and destruction of war".Cope, Andrew L. ‘’Black Sabbath and the Rise of Heavy Metal Music’’. Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2010. p. 139 A number of heavy metal songs criticize war, including "

" (Black Sabbath); "One" ( Metallica); " Symphony of Destruction" ( Megadeth) and " Now You’ve Got Something To Die For" ( Lamb of God). Heavy metal has a "lyrical fixation with dark themes, including war, destruction, doom and misery." Heavy metal lyrics focus on the "poetics of destruction", such as "death, mutilation and physical violence."Bennett, Andy. ‘’Cultures of Popular Music". McGraw-Hill Education (UK), 2007. p. 43 Ronald Pogue states that death metal songs have "violent, aggressive and angry lyrics". Later thrash metal bands' songs "questioned injustices such as warfare".Pillsbury, Glenn. ''Damage Incorporated: Metallica and the Production of Musical Identity''. Routledge, 2013. p. 6

Religion

Even the earliest heavy metal used religion in its lyrical themes, notably Black Sabbath, which usually performed with a crucifix, even though their music had messages about black magic. In the 1980s groups such as Slayer and Venom showed a "fascination with religion", which can be seen in "Slayer’s groundbreaking 1986 album "Reign in Blood", which features "Larry Carroll’s satanic-themed cover art." Metal bands may have been fascinated with religion to antagonize "conservative Christian groups" that criticized metal. Through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, anti-Christian messages in metal got more extreme, with

Deicide Deicide is the killing (or the killer) of a god. The concept may be used for any act of killing a god, including a life-death-rebirth deity who is killed and then resurrected. Etymology The term deicide was coined in the 17th century from m ...

releasing songs such as "Kill the Christian." Some metal songs criticize religion, such as " Death Church" by

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...

, which "criticizes the hypocrisy of the Christian church." Metal groups "…seek out every…avenue to assault religion", including "religious hypocrisy", specifically Christianity.Hayes, Craig. "A Very Dirty Lens: How Can We Listen to Offensive Metal". ''PopMatters''. 20 September 2013. Metal songs use themes from the ''

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

'' ''

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of ...

'' which focus on apocalypse (e.g.,

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

’s " Number of the Beast"). The metal subgenre with the most emphasis on apocalyptic themes is

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

Black metal Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an emp ...

song lyrics usually " attack Christianity" using "…apocalyptic language" and "Satanic" elements. Bands with explicitly Christian lyrics make up a distinct subculture in the heavy metal community, sometimes called

white metal The white metals are a series of often decorative bright metal alloys used as a base for plated silverware, ornaments or novelties, as well as any of several lead-based or tin-based alloys used for things like bearings, jewellery, miniature f ...

in contrast to black metal.

Women

Heavy metal lyrics have been called "…callous toward women" ’’Media Entertainment: The Psychology of its Appeal.’’ Eds. Dolf Zillmann and Peter Vorderer. Routledge, 2000. p. 188 and the

PMRC The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related or sexual themes via labeling albums ...

claimed in the 1980s that metal songs are

misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced f ...

and that they promote

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

and other violence towards women. Andrew Cope states that claims that heavy metal lyrics are misogynistic are "clearly misguided" as these critics have "overlooked the overwhelming evidence that suggests otherwise." Craig Hayes states that metal "clearly empowers women". Cope states that there are styles of

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

that contain misogynistic lyrics, but he says this is mostly " blues-based rock music" and "

cock rock Cock rock is a genre of rock music that emphasizes an aggressive form of male sexuality. The style developed in the later 1960s, came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, and continues into the present day. Characteristics Cock rock is a m ...

". Contrary to the claims of anti-metal critics, Cope states that "metal has opened up a space for women", and there has been significant growth" in the number of female metal performers since the mid-1990s. Some metal bands even have male/female co-lead vocalists (e.g., Nightwish and Lacuna Coil) and in the 2000s, mainstream metal magazines such as ''

Terrorizer Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm ...

'' have had a number of articles and cover stories about female metal artists.

Drugs and alcohol

Heavy metal lyrics make references to " substance abuse". Even the name of the genre, "heavy metal", has been called a drug reference, as it was taken from the

William Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...

story ''

Nova Express ''Nova Express'' is a 1964 novel by American author William S. Burroughs. It was written using the 'fold-in' method, a version of the cut-up method, developed by Burroughs with Brion Gysin, of enfolding snippets of different texts into the nove ...

'', in which the author used the term to refer to "addictive drugs".Oksanen, Atte. (2011). Drinking to Death: Traditional Masculinity, Alcohol and Shame in Finnish Metal Lyrics. NAD: Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 28. 357-372. 10.2478/v10199-011-0030-3. Weinstein states that drug use is not used much as a lyrical theme in metal, because drugs do not "resonate with the power" of heavy metal music (Black Sabbath's " Sweet Leaf", a song that celebrates marijuana, is a notable exception). Andy Bennett states that the classic era-heavy metal themes of sex, drugs and rock and roll are not present in extreme metal; in these subgenres, if songs refer to drugs, it is usually a warning about the dangers of drug use. There are a number of metal songs that celebrate drinking alcohol and

drunkenness Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ...

, e.g., Saxon’s "Party Till You Puke"; W.A.S.P’s "Blind in Texas".; AC/DC's "Have A Drink On Me"; Hellyeah's "Drink, Drank, Drunk";

Black Label Society Black Label Society is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by guitarist/singer Zakk Wylde. To date, the band has released eleven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, one EP, and three vid ...

's "Born To Booze";

Carnivore A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other s ...

's "Jack Daniels And Pizza"; and Hammer Fight's "I Didn't Like Drinking (Until I Started Drinking)". In an analysis of Black Sabbath songs from 1970 to 2013, 13% of the songs had substance use references; however, 60% of these references depicted substance use in a negative way.Conway, Kevin P. and McGrain, Patrick. "Understanding Substance Use and Addiction Through the Lyrics of Black Sabbath: A Content Analysis". ‘’Substance Use and Misuse’’. Vol. 52, 2010, issue 12. "Contrary to the notion that heavy metal music glorifies or encourages substance use…, Black Sabbath’s lyrics…weave a cautionary tale of how persistent substance use can hijack

free will Free will is the capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded. Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, sin, and other judgements which apply only to ac ...

, become the dominant focus" of the user's life, and lead to misery. Although the early albums had some positive references to drugs, but almost all of the later albums' references to drug use were negative, with songs alluding to the "misery of having their life ruled (and possibly ruined) by drug use. Black Sabbath songs warn listeners that they can lose their dignity and end up "constantly suffering", due to the "raw horror of addiction". Finnish metal bands from the 1990s such as Niskalaukaus,

Kotiteollisuus Kotiteollisuus is a Finnish hard rock and heavy metal band that was formed in 1991 in Lappeenranta. The band released its first demo tape in 1993 under the name "Hullu ukko ja Kotiteollisuus" ('Crazy Old Fogey and Cottage Industry'). The short ...

and Viikate have songs that about "problem drinking" and the "misery of alcoholism", which describe situations where men try to "escape from the miseries of life" and deal with their shame by "excessive drinking".

Rock and roll and metal

There are a number of metal songs which "praise

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

", but these songs should not be thought of literally, as extolling the merits of early 1950s rock and roll. Weinstein states that in these metal songs, the words "rock" or "rock and roll" refer specifically to heavy metal and its important role.Weinstein, Deena. ‘’Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture’’. Da Capo Press, 2009. p. 37 Examples include AC/DC's "Rocker"; Judas Priest's "Rock Hard, Ride Free"; Sammy Hagar's "Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend"; Twisted Sister's "I Believe in Rock ‘n’ Roll" and " You Can't Stop Rock'n'Roll"; Motorhead's "Rock ‘n’ Roll"; and Ozzy's "You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll". Some songs are self-referential to the genre. Many of these songs directly praise heavy metal (or simply "metal") and celebrate its importance. Examples include Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal"; Judas Priest's "Metal Meltdown"; Metallica's "Metal Militia"; Anvil's "Metal On Metal";

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...

's "Black Metal";

3 Inches Of Blood 3 Inches of Blood was a Canadian heavy metal band formed in 1999 in Victoria, British Columbia, last consisting of Cam Pipes, Justin Hagberg, Shane Clark, and Ash Pearson, none of whom were original members of the band. Their music was strong ...

's "Metal Woman";

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...

's "Metal Command"; and Manowar's "Die For Metal". Some songs refer to both metal and rock and roll, such as

Rock Goddess Rock Goddess are an English all-female heavy metal band formed in Wandsworth, South London, in 1977 by sisters Jody Turner and Julie Turner. The band were initially active during the new wave of British heavy metal musical movement, releasing ...

' "Heavy Metal Rock 'n' Roll".

Sexual aspects

Heavy metal lyrics contain themes about "sexual excess". Some metal songs by Cannibal Corpse contain a "depiction of sexualized violence". Weinstein states that while "lust and sex" are important lyrical themes for most metal bands (apart from Black Sabbath), sex is depicted as fun and "without commitments", but it is not depicted as sadistic or violent, as critics of metal lyrics often claim. Examples of sex-themed metal songs include AC/DC’s "

Shoot to Thrill "Shoot to Thrill" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the second track on the 1980 album ''Back in Black''. This song is also the second track of ''AC/DC Live'' and ''AC/DC Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition'', and is included on th ...

"; Krokus’ " Long Stick Goes Boom"; AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie";

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

's "Fast And Loose"; and

WASP A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...

's "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)".

The Mentors The Mentors are an American heavy metal band, known for their deliberate shock rock lyrics. Originally formed in Seattle, Washington in May 1976, they relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band garnered attention both from noted h ...

became infamous for their sexual shock rock lyrics, most notably the song Golden Shower which had its lyrics read during the

hearings.

Politics and social themes

Craig Hayes states that politics is inherent in every metal band's message; he states that while these political messages vary, they are often being a critique of "mainstream political and social mores." While thrash metal bands aimed their songs at a " similar suburban working class audience that characterized the hardcore scenes", "thrash metal musicians were much less ardent in their politics than most hardcore bands" because for thrash musicians, hardcore was too "preachy" and "message"-focused (e.g., left wing hardcore songs like

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing p ...

' " California Uber Alles"). But this does not mean that thrash bands did not have lyrics with political content; thrash bands did "question injustices such as industrial capitalism, warfare, the environment and social control". As well, lyrics in

often deal with social issues and reproach for

The Establishment ''The Establishment'' is a term used to describe a dominant group or elite that controls a polity or an organization. It may comprise a closed social group that selects its own members, or entrenched elite structures in specific institution ...

, using direct and denunciatory language, an approach which thrash borrowed from

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

Appropriated lyrics

Some bands reinterpret existing lyrics in a metal style. For example, the lyrics of the version of pop hit ''

Summer Night City "Summer Night City" is a song recorded by the Swedish pop group ABBA, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus as a tribute to their hometown of Stockholm. It is the group's second non-album single, released on 6 September 1978. It was rec ...

'' by

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group ...

are taken almost literally by the symphonic metal band '' Therion'' in their version, but the changes in music and video alter their meaning. The Spanish Romantic poem ("Pirate's Song") by José Espronceda has been put to music by the Spanish heavy metal band . The lyrics follow the poem but for being split into two songs. Spanish author

Arturo Pérez Reverte Arturo is a Spanish and Italian variant of the name Arthur. People *Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1985), American-born Salvadoran footballer * Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1959), Mexican footballer * Arthuro Henrique Bernhardt (b. 1982), B ...

contrasted favorably 's popularization of a classic with the official effort of "trashy" education programs in Spain.

Metal genres

Black metal

songs are meant to be like

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

sermons; deadly serious attempts to unite the true believers".

Misanthropy Misanthropy is the general hatred, dislike, distrust or contempt of the human species, human behavior or human nature. A misanthrope or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings. The word's origin is from the Greek words μῖ� ...

, global catastrophe, war, death, destruction and rebirth are also common themes. In the early years of black metal, the subgenre's lyrics often "fused virulent anti-christian politics with Nietzschean-inspired satanism and ecological mysticism", with some bands' lyrics exploring themes relating to " Occultism,

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his car ...

, paganism, ndmystical

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...

". Another topic often found in black metal lyrics is that of the wild and extreme aspects and phenomena of the natural world, particularly the wilderness, forests, mountains, winter, storms, and blizzards. Black metal also has a fascination with the distant past. Many bands write about the mythology and folklore of their homelands and promote a revival of pre-Christian, pagan traditions. A significant number of bands write lyrics only in their native language and a few (such as Burzum and

Arckanum Arckanum was a Swedish black metal solo band formed in 1993 by Johan "Shamaatae" Lahger, who was the only constant member. Arckanum ranks among the most influential and popular in the Swedish black metal scene. Shamaatae is also an author of ...

) have lyrics in archaic languages such as

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

Death metal

The lyrical themes of death metal may invoke

slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...

-stylized violence,Moynihan, Michael, and Dirik Søderlind (1998). Lords of Chaos (2nd ed.). Feral House. , p. 27

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

(sometimes Satanism), occultism,

Lovecraftian horror Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ...

, philosophy,

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

, and politics,Wikihow: How to Appreciate Death Metal
/ref> and they may describe extreme acts, including

mutilation Mutilation or maiming (from the Latin: ''mutilus'') refers to Bodily harm, severe damage to the body that has a ruinous effect on an individual's quality of life. It can also refer to alterations that render something inferior, ugly, dysfunction ...

, dissection,

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. definitions of tortur ...

, cannibalism, and necrophilia. Even though death metal's songs have been described as containing "images of extreme violence", fans "report feelings of transcendence and positive emotions", which has made psychologists curious to learn why. The lyrics of death metal bands have been called less important than the song titles and band names (e.g., Autopsy, Cannibal Corpse,

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

Dismember Dismemberment is the act of cutting, ripping, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise disconnecting the limbs from a living or dead being. It has been practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, especially in connection with ...

, Napalm Death, Suffocation), because the guttural, "bestial"

death growl A death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Death growl vocals are sometimes criticized for the ...

and screaming style of singing makes it hard to understand the lyrics. While death metal lyrics tend to be associated with the violent content of bands like Cannibal Corpse and the pro-Satanism lyrics of

, the band

Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered ...

has lyrics with diverse subject matter, ranging from "Sumerian mythology, the Roman Empire, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft."

Extreme metal

According to

ethnographer Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

Keith Kahn-Harris Keith Kahn-Harris is a sociologist and music critic. He is an honorary research fellow and senior lecturer at Birkbeck College and an associate fellow of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research and a lecturer at Leo Baeck College. He has publ ...

,Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', Oxford: Berg, 2007, the defining characteristics of extreme metal can all be regarded as clearly transgressive: the "extreme" traits are all intended to violate or transgress given cultural, artistic, social or aesthetic boundaries. Kahn-Harris states that extreme metal can be " close to being formless noise", at least to the uninitiated listener. He states that with extreme metal lyrics, they often " offer no possibility of hope or redemption" and lyrics often reference apocalyptic themes. Extreme metal lyrics often describe Christianity as weak or submissive, and many songs express

misanthropic Misanthropy is the general hatred, dislike, distrust or contempt of the human species, human behavior or human nature. A misanthrope or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings. The word's origin is from the Greek words μῖσ ...

views such as "kill every thing". A small number of extreme metal bands and song lyrics make reference to far-right politics; for example, the Swedish black metal band Marduk has an obsession with the Nazi

Panzer This article deals with the tanks (german: panzer) serving in the German Army (''Deutsches Heer'') throughout history, such as the World War I tanks of the Imperial German Army, the interwar and World War II tanks of the Nazi German Wehrmacht ...

tank, which can be seen in works such as ''Panzer Division Marduk'' (1999).

Nu metal

Lyrics in nu metal songs, which may include hip hop music-style rapping, are often angry or nihilistic; many of the genre's lyrics focus on topics such as pain, angst, bullying, emotional issues, abandonment, betrayal, and personal alienation, in a way similar to those of grunge. A lot of nu metal lyrics that are about these topics tend to be in a very direct tone. Describing Korn's 1994 album, one reviewer stated that the "lyrics were raw and confessional in nature, addressing themes of child sexual abuse, violence and drug use." In 2000, ''The Guardian'' stated that nu metal lyrics are "filled with doom and bitterness", "lots of swearing", criticism of "the 'system'", with "very little sex, and no satanism." ''

The Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'' is the weekly student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other stu ...

'' wrote about Limp Bizkit's lyrics, writing that the band "used the nu-metal sound as a way to spin testosterone fueled fantasies into snarky white-boy rap. Oddly, audiences took frontman

Fred Durst William Frederick Durst (born August 20, 1970) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released seven studio albums. He ap ...

more seriously than he wanted, failing to see the intentional silliness in many of his songs". Dope's lyrics are usually about sex, drugs, parties, women, violence and relationships. In 2011,

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...

declined to perform alongside Limp Bizkit in the Australian music festival Soundwave due to the band's allegedly sexist statements. Limp Bizkit's lyrics have been described as "misogynistic", such as the 2013 song "Ready to Go", with the lyrics "is that your bitch, cause she told me she’s ready to go." However, some songs have lyrics that are about other topics. P.O.D. have used positive lyrics about promise and hope.

Drowning Pool Drowning Pool is an American rock band formed in Dallas, Texas, in 1996. The band was named after the 1975 film '' The Drowning Pool''. Since its formation, the band has consisted of guitarist C.J. Pierce, bassist Stevie Benton, and drummer M ...

's "

Bodies Bodies may refer to: * The plural of body * ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme * Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series * "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order'' * ...

" is about

moshing Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming) is an extreme style of dancing in which participants push or slam into each other, typically performed to "aggressive" live music such as heavy metal and punk rock. Moshing usually happen ...

. Wayne Swinny of Saliva said that the band's song " Badass" was "meant to be one of those 'sports anthem kind of songs'". According to Josh Chesler of the ''

Phoenix New Times ''Phoenix New Times'' is a free digital and print media company based in Phoenix, Arizona. ''New Times'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ...

'', the lyrics of

Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first f ...

, whose style is a mix of nu metal and post-hardcore, "tend to have complex allusions and leave the songs open to many different interpretations." ''Raw Alternative'' praises the lyrics on

Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

' '' Make Yourself'' (1999), noting they are not "as angst-y as most of its nu metal contemporaries either, and instead takes turns into the philosophical and ethereal." Michael Siebert states that a "significant portion of the genre’s appeal was in the lyrics", with Korn and other groups dealing with "transgressive themes"; Linkin Park "frankly addressing suicidal ideation and alienation"; and Slipknot and

Mudvayne Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band formed in Peoria, Illinois in 1996. Known for their sonic experimentation, face and body paint, masks and uniforms, the band has sold over six million records worldwide, including nearly three millio ...

expressing "nihilistic rage".

Power metal

Power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

's lyrical themes often focus on

and

, camaraderie and hope, personal struggles and emotions, war and death, or combinations of the listed themes. Power metal songs focus on themes that "appeal to the listener's sense of valor and loveliness".

Censorship and legal issues

From its earliest years, heavy metal bands have aimed at "…breaking taboos and inciting debate" with their "confronting music, themes and imagery", which is a key part of metal's "creative culture". Craig Hayes acknowledges that metal lyrics have included "…hurtful, heinous and horrific ideas"; indeed, he states that "a lot of metal strives for offensiveness for the simple pleasure of misadventure", which leads to "mind-bending, degenerate and wonderfully hostile musical journeys" that provide a " purge and release" for listeners. Metal lyrics contain "abundant potentially offensive material", due to "metal’s inherently transgressive nature." Most of the time, metal explores transgressive themes symbolically, with the "transgression serving as a tool of expression", as with any other artform.

1980s–1990s

In the 1980s, the lyrics of heavy metal led to "panicking parents"; however, since then, "culturally, metal has lost its boogeyman" status to gangsta rap. In 1985,

frontman Dee Snider was asked to defend his song "

" at a U.S. Senate hearing. At the hearing, the

alleged that the song was about sadomasochism and

; Snider stated that the song was about his bandmate's throat surgery. In 1986,

was sued because of the lyrics of his song " Suicide Solution". A lawsuit against Osbourne was filed by the parents of John McCollum, a depressed teenager who committed suicide allegedly after listening to Osbourne's song. Osbourne was not found responsible for the teen's death. In 1990, Judas Priest was sued in American court by the parents of two young men who had shot themselves five years earlier, allegedly after hearing the subliminal statement "do it" in a Priest song. While the case attracted a great deal of media attention, it was ultimately dismissed. Marilyn Manson had gained controversy for his music allegedly inspiring the Columbine High School massacre. In 1991, UK police seized death metal records from the British record label

Earache Records Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...

, in an "unsuccessful attempt to prosecute the label for obscenity". In 1997, the Egyptian police jailed many young metal fans and they were accused of "devil worship" and blasphemy, after police found metal recordings during searches of their homes.

2000s

In 2012, the Norwegian metal band

Taake Taake () is a Norwegian black metal band from Bergen, formed in 1993 and originally named Thule. The band's one continuous member is Hoest, who writes all and records most of the music. He has released seven full-length albums and several EPs. T ...

, which was nominated for the Norwegian Spellemann Award (the Norwegian equivalent of a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

), included allegedly anti-Muslim lyrics in their music, including the phrases "To hell with Muhammud and the Mohammedans" and their "unforgivable customs". In 2013,

banned Lamb of God from performing in their country, on the grounds that the "band’s lyrics could be interpreted as being religiously insensitive" and blasphemous.Weber, Katherine. "Malaysia Bans ‘Lamb of God’, Grammy-Nominated Heavy Metal Band, Says Lyrics are Blasphemous". ''The Christian Post''. 5 September 2013. Specifically, the Malaysian government indicated that the band has used "excerpts from the Quran" in their lyrics. In 2014, a Russian court banned the lyrics and album covers of Cannibal Corpse on the grounds that they depict "violence, the physical and mental abuse of people and animals, murder and suicide", which the court held could "damage the mental health of minors". In September 2014, a man from Kentucky who "posted the verses of the

song "Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)"" on his

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

account was "jailed and accused of

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

threats". The lyrics the man posted on Facebook read: "student bodies lying dead in the halls, a blood splattered treatise of hate / Class dismissed is my hypothesis, gun fire ends in debate." The

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

(ACLU) is defending the man, using a First Amendment of the Constitution of United States of America freedom of speech argument.

Impacts

Alleged violent, drug-related, antisocial and occult content or impacts

Heavy metal has been the subject of critiques from "music industry watchdogs and parents’ groups for its violent, drug-related, sexual, antisocial and occult lyrics". During the 1980s, the

, an advocacy group which was against the alleged presence of negative themes in popular music, used music professor Joe Stuessy to testify against metal. Professor Stuessy alleged that heavy metal songs focus on violence, substance abuse, perversion, S&M, and Satanism. Walser analyzed 88 metal songs' themes to determine if Professor Stuessy's claims were valid. Walser found that the themes Stuessy claimed were common in metal were actually uncommon in heavy metal songs. In Walser's analysis, the dominant theme in the 88 songs was "longing for intensity".

states that metal songs are "overwhelmingly dominated" by "ugly and unhappy" themes which express "no hope" for the future. In an experiment on aggression and heavy metal music, male college students who were exposed to violent-themed lyrics from the metal band Protest the Hero (the songs "Bloodmeat" and "Limb from Limb") behaved in a more aggressive fashion. Specifically, the students added more hot sauce to a cup of water that they believed that another person would have to drink. In Stack's 2001 analysis of metal songs, he found consistent messages of "hopelessness and loneliness" and he discovered a "positive correlation between heavy metal fandom and suicide acceptability" in the study participants.Evans, Keith McKay, ""One More Drinkin’ Song": A Longitudinal Content Analysis of Country Music Lyrics Between the Years 1994 and 2013" (2014). All Theses and Dissertations. 5318. In 2013, Rafalovich and Schneider analyzed the lyrical content of US and European heavy metal bands and found many themes of "violence and aggression."

Perception of lyrics by listeners

states that heavy metal lyrics are "…meant to be heard rather than read" from a page.Weinstein, Deena. ‘’Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture’’. Da Capo Press, 2009. p. 34 Weinstein states that the "total sound" of the band in metal is more important than any of the parts, including the lead vocals. Weinstein states that metal lyrics should not be interpreted literally; instead, she states that they are "figurative" and "suggestive". While Weinstein states that the lead vocal part is not as important as the overall sound of the band, "Wass showed that 87% of adolescent heavy metal fans knew the lyrics to their favorite songs". Similarly, Professor Hannelor found that metal fans "…listen more and know the words of songs better than fans of general rock music."

Positive effects

Andy Bennett states that while extreme metal’s lyrical themes include " destruction, decay and disease, disillusion, corruption through power, confusion and isolation", these themes "resonate" with the real-world challenges that young people face in modern society. Bennett also states that metal lyrics can enable young people to deal with and "face the difficulties in their lives." Epstein and Pratto state that "many heavy metal songs have socially constructive lyrics" which show "concern for the world that youth will inherit."''Media Entertainment: The Psychology of its Appeal.'' Eds. Dolf Zillmann and Peter Vorderer. Routledge, 2000. p. 188 Craig Hayes states that metal "clearly empowers women, and people of all ethnicities, sexualities and classes.." Queer heavy metal fans have stated that metal lyrics "spoke to their experiences of trauma, oppression and marginalization". Metal is a "fantastically visceral vent" to purge frustrations and provide catharsis. Josh Haun argues that "…metal lyrics are pure fantasy", so listening to violent lyrics is no different than watching a horror film. Hayes praises metal lyrics for addressing "challenging" and "contentious" issues in its lyrics, in contrast to "bland" chart-topping pop music which does not examine these serious issues. Hayes states that the challenging nature of metal lyrics "inspire discussion", as metal lyrics are "unquestioningly thought provoking". Robert L. Gross states that heavy metal can be viewed as a "musical and cultural excursion into fantasy land". A 2015 study titled "Extreme Metal Music and Anger Processing" showed that "listening to extreme

etal Etal ( )not is a small village in the far north of the county of Northumberland, England, in the civil parish of Ford. It lies on a bridging point of the River Till ten miles south west of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and includes the substantial ru ...

music may represent a healthy way of processing anger". A study indicated that heavy metal is a positive influence on smart children and teens; it was called "a comfort for the bright child".Fleming, Nic. "Heavy Metal ‘a comfort for the bright child’. ''The Telegraph''. March 21, 2007 As well, the study showed that "…intelligent teenagers often listen to heavy metal music to cope with the pressures" of being smart. The study found that metal listening is ''not'' associated with delinquency and poor academic achievement. The study indicated that teen metal listeners use metal to "…help them deal with the stresses and strains of being gifted" (highly intelligent), as it acts as a "

cathartic In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that ''accelerates'' defecation. This is similar to a laxative, which is a substance that ''eases'' defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a catha ...

" to enable the teens to deal with alienation and "purge negativity". Professor Bill Thompson from Australia's Macquarie University studied the impact of listening to death metal and found that it brings joy to fans, and that it does not "desensitize" them to the depictions of violence in the songs. He found that death metal fans derive pleasure from listening to violence-oriented themes in the same way that general listeners enjoy listening to sad songs that are intended to "elicit unhappiness". Thompson came to this conclusion by having a group of death metal fans and a group of non-fans listen to

Bloodbath Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup from Stockholm, formed in 1998. The band has released six full-length albums, two EPs and two DVDs depicting their performances at Wacken Open Air (in 2005) and Bloodstock Open Air (in 2010). The gr ...

's song "Eaten" (which is about cannibalism) and, for comparison, Pharrell Williams' upbeat pop hit " Happy", while showing violent and non-violent images and recording the peoples' responses. He says that the results of his study should be "reassuring to parents or religious groups" who are concerned that youth who listen to death metal may be adversely affected. Bloodbath lead singer Nick Holmes praised the study, stating that it proves that his "lyrics are harmless fun" that are no more dangerous than a person watching horror movies or hobbyists doing battle re-enactments.

Potential concerns

Epstein and Pratto state there is a risk that metal listeners may misunderstand or misinterpret song lyrics, since it is hard to hear the words in the "…complex, loud" music. Metal songs typically have powerful, heavily distorted guitars and loud, aggressive drumming, which can make it hard to hear the vocals. For example, even though Ozzy’s song " Suicide Solution" is about the "evils of alcohol", "many…listeners incorrectly believe the song advocates suicide." A study states that young people who listen to heavy metal and some other types of rock have an "increased risk of suicide.""Impact of Music, Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth". ''Pediatrics''. November 2009, Vol. 124, Issue 5. Young heavy metal fans have "more problems with school authorities and teachers" and these listeners are more likely to engage in "delinquency" and "reckless behavior" (the latter issue was also associated with listening to

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

). Swedish and US studies from the 1990s showed that heavy metal fans had "decreased motivation for school, lower grades" and an increased potential for dropping out.Brown, B. Bradford; Prinstein, Mitchell J. ''Encyclopedia of Adolescence''. Academic Press, 1 June 2011 Studies from the 1980s and 1990s in the US showed that fans of heavy metal were more likely to use drugs and alcohol; as well, heavy metal fans, along with those who like hip-hop, techno and reggae, were associated with "smoking, drinking and cannabis use". Victor Strasburger acknowledges the studies that show a correlation between heavy metal listening and adolescent issues such as drug use, but he questions the "chicken-and-egg" link, asking whether the association arises because "high isk teens who are angry like to listen to heavy metal music because it validates how they feel, or does the music "make" them do things they would not ordinarily do?" Craig Hayes states that since metal artists constantly explore "transgressive topics" in their song lyrics and themes, there are examples of metal songs with "…

sexism Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers pri ...

and

" and "

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonis ...

, and homophobia". Hayes states that as a result of this "transgressive" exploration mindset, some metal song lyrics "…will always be offensive to someone." Gavin Russell states his concern with specific "post-millenial metalcore splinter genres’ obsession with the punishment of women" and their lyrics, which he alleges "justify violent misogyny". A small number of "ultranationalist black metal" bands have "controversial far-right political opinions" related to

. Simon Tatz from the Mental Health Council of Australia states that metal music "has some worrying aspects", including the nihilistic lyrics that may "reinforce alienation and exclusion". A University of Melbourne scholar, Dr Katrina McFerran, found that "young people at risk of depression are more likely to be listening to music, particularly heavy metal music, in a negative way", typically listening over and over to the same song or album "to isolate themselves or escape from reality", which she says could "suggest suicidal tendencies."

References

{{Heavy metal music

Lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...

Obscenity controversies in music Lyrics