“The rain and the thunder
It’s dragging me under
But the hammer of judgment
Is crushing you”
From “Cold.Metal.Place” by Code Orange
This week on the Hardcore Humanism with Dr. Mike Podcast, we spoke with Reba Meyers of the Grammy-nominated band Code Orange. Formed in 2008, Code Orange is a hard-hitting band from Pittsburgh that mixes a range of genres including hardcore punk, heavy metal, and industrial.
Praise for Code Orange has been consistent throughout their powerful career. Rolling Stone called their 2017 album Forever the best metal album of the year, delivering “state-of-the-art heaviness.” And Forbes magazine (yes you read that correctly) called their new album Underneath “the first metal masterpiece of the 2020’s.” They have toured nationally and internationally, including supporting spots for metal titans Killswitch Engage and The Dillinger Escape Plan.
The common thread that runs through their lyrics, music, and live performances is the emotional intensity Meyers and Code Orange brings to their craft. And during our conversation, Meyers discusses her understanding of and expression of anger in her life and in her music.
Anger is often a much-maligned emotion in the mental health literature. In general, it is thought that increased anger is associated with poor mental health, while lower levels of anger are associated with improved personal adjustment and well-being. For example, there are several mental health conditions in which anger in various forms, including irritability or agitation, is considered a symptom for possible diagnosis, including bipolar disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
And there has been considerable put into developing anger management programs to help people modify their anger. For example, one meta-analysis examined the effects of anger management treatment across 96 studies and included a range of therapeutic modalities including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic and psychoeducational. The results showed that while there was an overall moderate effect of treatment, there was tremendous variability in treatment outcomes.
One of the reasons for the variability is that anger can be understood, measured, and managed very differently across different people. One of the distinctions that Meyers makes in her discussion of anger is the difference between controlled or “proactive” anger as compared to uncontrolled and impulsive anger. Studies of poorly controlled anger tend to show an association with poor psychosocial outcomes. For example, one community study of 34,000 adults found that anger which was considered uncontrolled or was associated with aggressive and violent acts was associated with higher levels of psychiatric disorder and overall poorer functioning.
However, Meyers contends that anger can be adaptive and actually improve one’s functioning if understood and managed correctly. Specifically, one might argue that anger would be an appropriate response in certain situations. For example, in the face of traumatic events, emotional suppression is actually associated with poorer health and well-being. One study of 625 adolescent participants found that adverse life events predicted suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, and that increased emotional suppression mediated that relation.
In contrast, there is evidence that exploration and expression of emotions has been associated with improved health and well-being – and may actually soothe anger. For example, one study of 39 “extreme metal music listeners” administered an experimental anger mood induction. Individuals who were then able to listen to extreme metal music actually showed improved mood. This is consistent with research suggesting that the exploration of anger and other emotions through arts and music therapy can be associated with improved mental and physical health outcomes.
Thus, there is much that we do not fully know or understand about anger, how we experience it and how to best manage it. Let’s listen to Meyers as she provides one framework for understanding and expressing anger.
Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine
