It’s been a pretty slow news week, so I thought I might share this article submitted by Andrew that talks about how Heavy Metal is seen as comfort music for bright children:
“There is a perception of gifted and talented students as being into classical music and spending a lot of time reading. I think that is an inaccurate stereotype. There is literature that links heavy metal to poor academic performance and delinquency but we found a group that contradicts that.
“We are looking at a group with lower than average self-esteem that does not feel quite as well adjusted. They feel more stressed out and turn to heavy metal as a way of relieving that stress.
“Participants said they appreciated the complex and sometimes political themes of heavy metal music more than perhaps the average pop song. It has a tendency to worry adults a bit but I think it is just a cathartic thing. It does not indicate problems.”
The article mentions Tool in the list of favored bands….
What do you guys think? Personally of all the “bright people” I know, there doesn’t seem to be any more metal fans than I’ve noticed in other demographics. But I guess we could all probably agree many many dumb arse metal fans….
Read enough of these things and visted the site enough times I figured I may as well register… Personally I think that the apprecation for metal stems more from angst, stress, frustration, or the afore-mentioned inablity to adjust than any kind of IQ score. Of course those with high IQ’s have been known to develop certain eccentricities in behavior and dress that could cause angst, stress, and frustration to come about when trying to make friends or generally conform to their particular socital norms. I know I’m a nerd, and I know it pissed me off something fierce when I… Read more »
I’m intelligent, but certainly not an outsider. Neither are any of the other intellectual Tool fans I know (a fair few). I’m a positive person, and feel very little angst. Tool for me is something that makes me think, and makes me feel. It isn’t for getting rid of anger… for that I’d listen to music that’s actually angry. But yes, I’d say the “real” Tool fanbase (those who actually get the music) is more intelligent than average… but not because of being angsty outcasts.
I thought i was an outlier considering how many meat heads i see @ shows, then again who am I to judge others, especially the ones who choose to catch fists with there face.
Oh yeah, there are meatheads who like Tool, for sure. But they don’t “get” Tool. However pretentious and elitist that may sound.
[quote comment=”32491″]Oh yeah, there are meatheads who like Tool, for sure. But they don’t “get” Tool. However pretentious and elitist that may sound.[/quote]
Yeah, that sounds very pretentious and elitist. What’s there to “get” about Tool? You either like the music or you don’t. Everything else is secondary….
But you like it a lot more if you “get” a lot out of it…
outlandish teacup who are you to say that people are meatheads and that they dont “get tool” i think You dont get tool what happened to being open minded and not to judge that really annoys me, tool in my view is a completely interpretive band and thats the greatest thing about them it doesnt matter who you are or what you are its all about the music and how how you interpret and act is completely up to the lisener.
and not to be judged
Of course everyone gets something different from Tool. But it’s difficult to be open minded when you see people beating each other up when Maynard’s singing “Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion”.
indeed, especially when they’re knocking over 5 foot girls and ruining many people’s experiences in the process
Some people are depressed and some are intelligente , some are both . To question is important when doing something like listening to “tool” and music . Like in every process i think . Its easier for the mind sometimes to hide that way in the brain , i guess. Question other people is something we cannot do as humans , individual entities have the right to do has they do. I think its not a matter of intelligence but as an art goes the best self absorv way ,the outside content in the music and in the lyrics and… Read more »