December 21, 2012 12:11

Swedish man gets disability benefits for addiction to heavy metal

Roger Tullgren attended over 300 gigs last year

Photo: PA

A man in Sweden has been reportedly awarded state disability benefits for his addiction to heavy metal.

According to the Global Post, 42-year-old Roger Tullgren said he consulted three psychologists to testify his addiction to the Devil's Rock, which led to him attending over 300 concerts last year, leaving him seemingly unable to hold down a job.

"I have been trying for 10 years to get this classified as a handicap," he told Swedish newspaper The Local. "I spoke to three psychologists and they finally agreed that I needed this to avoid being discriminated against."

According to the report, he now has a part-time job as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Hassleholm, which will be supplemented by disability benefits. Tullgren's new boss has agreed to let him rock out to Slayer as loud as he wants while scrubbing dishes, so long as it doesn't disturb guests. He has even agreed to grant Tullgren time off to go to gigs.

"I signed a form saying: 'Roger feels compelled to show his heavy metal style. This puts him in a difficult situation on the labor market. Therefore he needs extra financial help'. So now I can turn up at a job interview dressed in my normal clothes and just hand the interviewers this piece of paper," Tullgren said.

Tullgren said he's been hooked on metal since his brother played him a Black Sabbath album when he was a toddler.

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