Delegates of Home of Metal’s academic conference in 2011, outside the Iron Man statue in Birmingham
The Quietus investigate with Heavy Metal studies is so readily sneered at.
“It was far from your clichéd gang of beer guzzling, bar fly head bangers. There were speakers of both genders and varied ages, backgrounds and perspectives contributing, as the Quietus can attest, having attended the Home of Metal conference held in Birmingham in 2011.
Speaking to the conference’s keynote speaker, Dr Niall Scott, senior lecturer in ethics at the University of Central Lancashire, and chair of the ISMMS, he responded to the opinion that an intellectual study of metal is redundant by outlining the aims of the ISMMS: “Heavy metal is deeply provocative, so it naturally provokes intellectual interest. We are using and participating in the scene to produce new knowledge which can be applied to other areas of study. Metal offers a disordered world view which deserves expression beyond the music. It’s a way of putrefying ideas, letting them rot and allowing new growth to come out of them.” The Quietus
What do you think? Is Heavy Metal studies a valid academic pursuit?
1 comment on “Heavy Metal academia in The Quietus”
Comments are closed.
I developed the original concept of Metalhammer magazine as a multi-lingual metal lifestyle publication out of frustration with Kerrang! as it had, at the time, complete disregard for a strong Heavy Metal culture developing in other countries around the world. We regularly featured related painters, sculptures and wrote about lifestyle issues such as the influence Metal had in fashion and other issues. It is as relevant as other cultural phenomena that have become the subject of accademic studies and research. And not like many other genres, Metal retained it’s relevance and influence during the past 40 years or so.