# Should I let my 13-year old listen to these heavy metal groups? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 26, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508 "2010-01-26T14:19:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![XJUICE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/df788c/32.png) [@XJUICE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJUICE)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/182 "2023-03-14T19:21:09Z")
cmon dude my dad taught me listening to metal when i was 4 yrs old so its fine ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/183 "2023-03-14T22:58:54Z")
The “zombie” described in the OP would now be in his 20s, and old enough to make his own decisions regarding the music he likes. Welcome to the Dope, Xjuice! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/184 "2023-03-15T03:29:44Z")
The OP’s kid probably is into K-pop by now. Or worse, country. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/185 "2023-03-15T05:39:48Z")
My kids love “pop” music, mostly because I hate it. So I told them the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were pop music and everyone is really happy on long car journeys. As for heavy metal, it is not my thing at all. However i think we do need to appreciate the simple existence of vegan death metal. I give you [Cattle Decapitation](http://www.cattledecapitation.com/). ETA: I wonder if there is some kind of corollary to “rule 34” (if you can think of it, there is porn of it) in the massive numbers of metal subgenres. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/186 "2023-03-15T12:14:58Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > I give you [Cattle Decapitation](http://www.cattledecapitation.com/). I doubt that their song “We Eat Our Young” will put the kiddies at ease on long car trips. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/187 "2023-03-15T12:52:06Z")
It’s a threat, not a promise! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/188 "2023-03-15T12:59:54Z")
I thought maybe the thread had been bumped by @robby’s son. Ah well, he’s probably lying in a gutter somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/189 "2026-08-23T17:46:14Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I thought maybe the thread had been bumped by @robby’s son. Ah well, he’s probably lying in a gutter somewhere. Nope, still doing fine. He’s 29 years old now! Working as a civil engineer and got his professional engineer’s (PE) license last year. He is still really into music. He has gone on road trips to follow his favorite bands, which are _Ween_ and _King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard_, along with a lot of metal bands I can’t keep track of. He actually went to about 40 live concerts year—it’s his main form of entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/190 "2026-08-23T18:23:14Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > The OP’s kid probably is into K-pop by now. Or worse, country. I _really really_ do not like modern country music. But I’d rather listen to ten hours of it vs. one minute of K-pop. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/191 "2026-08-24T11:30:37Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Nope, still doing fine. He’s 29 years old now! Working as a civil engineer and got his professional engineer’s (PE) license last year. That sort of tracks. When I was younger, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Metallica became a gateway for me to initially become a civil engineer. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/192 "2026-08-24T18:36:56Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > He’s 13 and he’s listening to music his parents don’t like. How shocking! > > Leave him alone and let him listen to what he wants. In time he’s not going to ask you for permission anyway. Better to let him get it out of his system now. This. ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/193 "2026-08-24T19:25:48Z")
This is an ancient topic, but I am glad that the OP has said that their kid turned out fine. Our kid has been listening to AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, The Offspring, The Clash, Tool, etc. since they were 8 or 9. As long as the songs don’t include slurs or sexist words/themes, we don’t try to censor what they listen to. A few bad words never hurt anyone. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508/194 "2026-08-24T20:32:44Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > > He’s 13 and he’s listening to music his parents don’t like. How shocking! > > > > Leave him alone and let him listen to what he wants. In time he’s not going to ask you for permission anyway. Better to let him get it out of his system now. > > This. But he hasn’t gotten it out of his system! He’s still listening to metal bands 16 years later according to the OP. He even got himself a college degree and a successful career just so he’d have money to follow these bands around! It will all end in tears, I’m sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-my-13-year-old-listen-to-these-heavy-metal-groups/526508.md?page=9)