New research says heavy metal music can calm you down when you are angry.

That's right: those dark, extreme and deafening tunes can have a positive impact on people experiencing anger, according to researchers at the University of Queensland.

Previous studies have linked loud and chaotic music to aggression and delinquency, but new research by UQ's School of Psychology honours student Leah Sharman and Dr Genevieve Dingle shows listening to heavy metal can actually have a calming effect of listeners.

The pair say they found lovers of the aggressive genre of music use it to self-regulate negative emotions.

'We found the music regulated sadness and enhanced positive emotions,' Ms Sharman said.

'When experiencing anger, extreme music fans liked to listen to music that could match their anger.

'The music helped them explore the full gamut of emotion they felt, but also left them feeling more active and inspired.

'Results showed levels of hostility, irritability and stress decreased after music was introduced, and the most significant change reported was the level of inspiration they felt.'

The study, which was published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, involved 39 fans of heavy metal aged 18-34.

Participants underwent an 'anger induction', in which they were asked to recall events in their lives related to relationships, finance or employment that made them feel angry.

They then spent 10 minutes listening to songs of their choice, or 10 minutes of silence, and were then asked about their level of hostility, irritability and stress.

'Participants reported they used music to enhance their happiness, immerse themselves in feelings of love and enhance their well-being,' the study said.

All of the responses indicated that extreme music listeners appear to use their choice of music for positive self-regulatory purposes.'