Interesting article. I remember reading an old Library book which noted that Napoleon understood the value of music, it's pschyosomatic qualities, loud martial music could stir soldiers up to do things they wouldn't otherwise do, or to accept things that made no sense, like undertaking near suicidal attacks in a wedge formation etc.
I think some churches understand the potential pschyosomatic and even psychedelic qualities of music. Extremely loud, sometimes repetitive music, designed to have those effects, often with other sensory manipulative techniques like lowering the lighting. Getting people fired up to lower their inhibitions and mental thought processes, then comes the questionable and even false teaching. I think the cranking up of the volume in music is related to the dumbing down of the biblical content in sermons. Some of the more controversial televangelists cum faith healers use techniques like musical manipulation to stir people up into a mental state where they believe they have been healed, a pschyosomatic high, which of course when reality sets in they're away from the auditorium and the spotlight.
I know one local Charismatic church that has to take volume readings, monitoring the decibels after people in neighbouring homes complained of the noise and former members complained of ringing in their ears and hearing damage after attending services.
I saw this other article online talking about the loudness of contemporary worship services:
If you've become more and more frustrated by the ever-increasing volume of worship music during contemporary church services, you're not alone.
www.patrickkphillips.com
God Bless All