When Taylor Swift wrapped up the US leg of her Eras tour in Los Angeles last year, she received a mammoth eight-minute standing ovation. Metalheads, however, have a rather different way of showing their appreciation. Conjuring a stank face with riff is something Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer says “can be one of the highest forms of praise.”
You know the expression: all contorted like you’ve just popped the world’s most sour piece of candy in your mouth. It’s a phenomenon seemingly exclusive to the metal genre and its nastiest riffs. But why do we react in such a way, and what are the secrets to creating that reaction?
