Some big questions

When I started this project, there were some big questions I wanted to try to answer:

What is the appeal of metal and punk rock? What is it about fast, loud, abrasive, brutal, non-mainstream stuff that appeals to people? And who are these people?
Why do some bands “click” with someone and others don’t? Where do these preferences come from? What do our memories and histories have to do with it?
How is someone’s enjoyment and use of heavy music related (if at all) to mental health? Is my preference for Scandinavian death metal and symptom of a mental health problem? Or is it a way to cope with life so I don’t develop one?
What does family have to do with it? Is this just a part of teenage rebellion? Why does one person emulate the tastes of a parent or sibling, while others go out of their way to be different?
What are the costs and benefits of identifying as a punk fan or metal fan? What makes someone want to purposely be on the outside of the mainstream? And what makes some people more comfortable with this than others?
How does music inform our social, cultural, spiritual, and political views? Do we seek out music that confirms our beliefs? Or are we changed by the artists we listen to?

So let’s hear it? What do you think? And what are you listening to right now?

Published by Steve Byrne