Check back later to see how '90s nü metal kids and '00s emo kids are doing.
If you spent the '80s skipping class, smoking behind the school dumpsters and listening to Slayer, a new study suggests those were actually good life choices.
The article is called "Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians, and Fans" and it ran recently in the International Society for Self and Identity's journal. It found that the '80s metalheads in question "were significantly happier in their youth, and better adjusted currently" than fans of other genres.
The research team headed by Humboldt State University psychologist Tasha Howe found that although metal fans may have indulged in risky behavior, having the support and camaraderie of a tight-knit subculture gave them an often overlooked advantage over their peers.