Teens and Metal Music

Blues music was the voice of the black community during the early to mid 20th century. Blues expressed the angst many felt due to segregation and mistreatment by white society. Similarly, metal music is the voice of the frustrated and ostracized youth of the 1980's to today (Young). In Metal Heads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation, Jeffrey Jensen Arnett examines the effects of heavy metal music on adolescents and concludes that messages of violence, anger, hate and rebellion have created a brand of antisocial and hateful teen outcasts. However, this is false. Metal music, while it may occasionally have messages of violence, anger and hate, usually spreads messages of individualism, enjoyment of the present moment, and freedom. These messages, along with the energetic music, and instrumental virtuosity are what attract youthful listeners to this genre.
Music is meant to entertain, and impress listeners and also cause listeners to feel certain emotions, or just affect their moods in general. Most music strives for that in one way or another. Rap, in general gives messages of partying, fighting, having sex and being rich. These messages generally make listeners happy, energized and occasionally, rebellious. Country music often has messages of country living, break-ups and love. These messages usually cause listeners to feel nostalgic or slightly melancholic. Metal also spreads it's own messages to listeners. Some of the most common are individuality, living in the present moment, and freedom. These cause listeners to feel energetic, motivated and different. These can be quite appealing feelings to those that feel misunderstood, depressed, angry and unmotivated.
Teens that are attracted to metal music often had...

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...By convincing you that their product is the perfect game time snack. In contrast "metalheads" are the outcasts of society, they are the ones that do not fit in, those that choose to not conform. They are not accepted by mainstream society and they live alternative lifestyles. They are disliked and they carry a negative stigma and therefore their choice of music does too.
The members of the bands that "metalheads" listen to also share in this identity which makes the subculture even more appealing to hardcore fans. The idea of this subculture is to be different, do not conform to mainstream society, be your own person. To a "metalhead" being a conventional member of society is seen as negative. This is not to say that they don't want to be part of society, they just want a society that accepts others and their differences. This is evident in the lyrics of the music.