Study Correlates Metal Bands and Economic Comfort, but Economic Comfort Also Correlates with Whiteness

Metal isn't the genre typically associated with material comfort but an interesting map seems to suggest that "making it rain" and "Raining Blood" are more closely related than we might think. A map created by CityLab.com indicates that the concentration of incomes and metal bands are strongly correlated.

Areas such as the United States, Canada and most of Europe indicate a high level of metal bands (the study measure no. of metal bands per 100,000 residents of a region), with the highest concentration existing in Scandinavia, a region noted for its good social programs. Richard Florida, the writer of the article indicates that other factors relate strongly to metal as well.

"The number of heavy metal bands per capita is positively associated with economic output per capita (.71); level of creativity (.71) and entrepreneurship (.66); share of adults that hold college degrees (.68); as well as overall levels of human development (.79), well-being, and satisfaction with life (.60)," he notes.

Rolling Stone also correctly points out that wealthier areas offer more music training opportunities for those who wish to play metal, a genre that revels in instrumental technicality. So does this mean metal isn't as rooted in darkness as we'd like to think? Maybe, but the report conveniently avoids the question of race and financial inequality.

For example, consider Africa on the map: A large gap of almost no metal bands exists, while the number of bands picks up again as the map approaches South Africa. True, central Africa is among the poorest regions on Earth, but South Africa also features much larger white demographic to accompany its relative wealth. Whether this indicates race or income is behind metal is arguable. That argument cannot be made for the Persian Gulf states however. Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates represent three of the richest nations per capita in the world, and yet they have a significant lack of metal bands. They also lack in permanent white citizens.

As Slayer indicated in one of its early B-Sides: "Guilty of Being White" (Tom Araya is Chilean, for what it's worth).

Don't read too much into it kids. Only one factor has been proven to scientifically effect an individual's willingness to enter the scene however, and that's being metal yourself. Rock on.

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