Table Of ContentConnecting Metal to Culture
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Unity in Disparity e
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hough it’s given little attention – and even less serious attention – by the mainstream press,
metal music has for decades been a major creative and cultural force around the world. b
This book brings together a group of contributors from Europe, North America, and the r
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Caribbean to make a case for metal’s place not merely on the periphery of our culture, but at
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its very heart. Contributors attend not merely to the music, but also to the accompanying culture, n
and they offer intriguing insights into the presence of metal in places where it’s traditionally been
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little known, whether it be countries, classrooms, or cultural contexts. The result is a global a
portrait of metal that asserts its importance and its ongoing contribution to culture. r
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mika elovaara n
is an independent scholar, writer, and soccer coach. e
bryan bardine
is an Associate Professor in the University of Dayton’s English Department.
‘This is an original and truly excellent contribution to the debate about popular music, popular c
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culture, and the spaces in which they occur. This is a must for anyone interested in heavy metal
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and metal music studies, obviously, but a must-read for anyone interested in the connections n
between culture, music and identity.’ e
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karl spracklen, Professor of Music, Leisure and Culture based in Leeds Beckett University’s i
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School of Film, Music and Performing Arts. g
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‘[This book] builds on and contributes to important ongoing work in metal scholarship and is e
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invaluable in what it adds to the metal studies canon.’
a Foreword by alex skolnick
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niall scott, Senior Lecturer in the University of Central Lancashire’s School of Education and
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Social Science. o
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ISBN 978-1-78320-700-8
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9 781783 207008
intellect | www.intellectbooks.com
Connecting Metal to Culture
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Connecting Metal to Culture
Unity in Disparity
Mika Elovaara and Bryan Bardine
intellect Bristol, UK / Chicago, USA
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First published in the UK in 2017 by
Intellect, The Mill, Parnall Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JG, UK
First published in the USA in 2017 by
Intellect, The University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street,
Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Copyright © 2017 Intellect Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without written permission.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library.
Copy-editor: MPS Technologies
Cover designer: Emily Dann
Production manager: Matthew Floyd
Typesetting: Contentra Technologies
Print ISBN: 978-1-78320-700-8
ePDF ISBN: 978-1-78320-701-5
ePUB ISBN: 978-1-78320-702-2
Printed and bound by Gomer, UK
This is a peer-reviewed publication.
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Contents
Acknowledgments vii
List of Figures ix
Foreword xi
Alex Skolnick
Introduction 1
Mika Elovaara, Ph.D. and Bryan Bardine, Ph.D.
Chapter 1: Thor and Trolls, Flutes and Fiddles: ‘Folk’ in Metal 13
Mika Elovaara, Ph.D.
Chapter 2: … Another Thing Coming: Nostalgia and Kitsch in Mass Cultural
Manifestations of ‘Metal’ 37
Brad Klypchak, Ph.D.
Chapter 3: Metal as a Vehicle for Critical Culture in Latin America
and the Caribbean: Challenging Traditional Female
Gender Roles through Music 57
Nelson Varas-Díaz, Ph.D.; Sigrid Mendoza, M.A.; Eliot Rivera, Ph.D.;
and Osvaldo Gonzalez, B.A.
Chapter 4: Diversity in Metal Politics 81
André Epp, Ph.D.
Chapter 5: The Horror and the Allure: Metal, Power, Gothic Literature,
and Multisubjectivity 99
Jeremy Wallach, Ph.D. and Esther Clinton, Ph.D.
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Connecting Metal to Culture
Chapter 6: Bang Your Head to the ‘Beat’ of Non-Conformity 119
C.C. Hendricks, M.L.A., M.A., Ph.D. Candidate
Chapter 7: Metal Documentaries: The National, the Global, and the Cosmopolitan 143
Gerd Bayer, Dr. Phil. abil.
Chapter 8: But That Doesn’t Help Me On Guitar!: Unraveling the Myth of the
Self-Taught Metal Guitarist 163
Kevin Ebert, M.M.
Chapter 9: Beyond ‘Forms of Aggression’: Teaching Extreme Metal in the
Composition Classroom 191
Paul Petrovic, Ph.D.
Chapter 10: From Sabbath to Slayer: Using Metal in the Writing Classroom 209
Bryan A. Bardine, Ph.D.
Conclusion 229
Mika Elovaara, Ph.D. and Bryan Bardine, Ph.D.
List of Contributors 243
Index 247
vi
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Acknowledgments
Bryan A. Bardine
Drs. Sheila Hassell Hughes and Andy Slade for your support and willingness to give me the
freedom to develop a course based on my passion for Metal music and culture.
Mika was chairing the session in which I was presenting at the PCA/ACA conference
in Boston where I was giving a paper about the Metal-themed composition course I teach
when we struck up a conversation. We hit it off and decided to grab dinner at the Hard Rock
Café in Boston Market. We started talking at the bar and realized we had a lot in common –
our passion for Metal, soccer, and our families. Mika said that we should write a book – and
here it is. He’s been a great friend and co-editor/author throughout this project. I’ve learned
a lot about Metal music and culture as well as my own writing process and what it takes to
complete a work like this. Thank you.
Bridget Shingleton and Lynn Roesch, who helped in the final stages of the editing process.
You were both amazing – Thank you!
My girls, Katie and Allie, you may not know it yet, but there is a Metalhead inside of you
waiting to throw the horns some day!
My wife, Molly, none of this could happen without your love and support, and your no
holds barred approach as my first reader – thank you for everything.
And finally, I am grateful for my Metal muse Ronnie James Dio, RIP brother
Mika Elovaara
I would like to thank Dr. Herb Berg, who allowed me to pursue unique academic interests
in research and teach new and interesting classes in the UNCW GLS Program. That research
led to many amazing classroom experiences as well as numerous presentations and
publications; I wouldn’t be the scholar I am without Dr. Berg’s support. I would also like to
thank all of my former students in Cultural Studies classes: discussing music and culture
with you has been an important part on my professional journey in the academia. Mark
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Connecting Metal to Culture
Williams, Ashley Relf and C.C. Hendricks were amazing research assistants at various stages
of my research, Rami Andersson and Mikko Pakanen accompanied me on a number of
research trips, helping with interviews and photography; thank you all for your assistance.
My humble thanks also go to all the contributors of this book; you have been patient and
great to work with and I am grateful for the opportunity to have done so. Bryan Bardine, my
co-editor, has been a rock behind this project, ensuring that it moves along even when I have
literally had no time for it; Bryan has been the driving force behind it all. I would also like to
thank Intellect for believing in this book and more specifically, Matthew Floyd for his
guidance and leadership throughout the process.
None of this book would have happened without the support and help of the Metal fans
and artists who participated in my empirical research project either through the online
survey or through a variety of interviews. I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude
to Toni Kemi, Silke Yli-Sirniö, Lauri Levola, Mikko Forsten, Pekka Leskinen, and Marco
Järvenpää. Your belief in my research has allowed me invaluable access to the scene both
in front of the stage and backstage, and I am very grateful for that. I am especially grateful
to Mikko Kotamäki and Henkka Seppälä for insightful and enjoyable discussions on and off
the record. There are many other Metal musicians around the world who have welcomed
me to do research about their life and careers with open arms, spending time with me well
beyond what is recorded. Many, though not all, of you are mentioned in the pages of this
book; writing an all-inclusive list would be impossible, and I trust that those of you who have
helped me along the way know who you are. I raise the ‘Metal horns’ for you in gratitude.
I would never have started or finished this book without the support of my family. My
late mother and father were fans of music of all genres and they raised me and my sister to
appreciate musicianship, artistic freedom and diversity, and I do believe that the roots of
my interest in music both personally and professionally lie in the way I was raised. Most
importantly, however, I am grateful for the unconditional support from my immediate
family, my wife and three children, who always support me in everything I do. You are my
greatest source of inspiration and my motivation to try to be the best I can be at everything
I do every day. Thank you for your love and support.
viii
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List of Figures
Introduction
Figure 1: Moshpit at an In Flames show. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Figure 2: J oyful members of a moshpit at a Turisas show. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Figure 3: Kaarle Viikate on stage. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Chapter 1: Thor and Trolls, Flutes and Fiddles: ‘Folk’ in Metal
Figure 1: Turisas on stage. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Figure 2: Matias Nygard on stage. (Photo credit: Mikko Pakanen).
Figure 3: Swallow the Sun on stage. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Figure 4: Amorphis on stage. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Figure 5: Tomi Koivusaari on stage. (Photo credit: Mikko Pakanen).
Figure 6: Joakim Broden on stage. (Photo credit: Mikko Pakanen).
Figure 7: Mokoma on stage. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Figure 8: Children of Bodom on stage. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Figure 9: A moshpit turned into a line dance at a Turisas show. (Photo credit: Mika
Elovaara).
Chapter 2: Another Thing Coming: Nostalgia and Kitsch in Mass Cultural Manifestations
of ‘Metal’
Figure 1: Twisted Sister on stage. (Photo credit: Mika Elovaara).
Chapter 3: Metal as a Vehicle for Critical Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean:
Challenging Traditional Female Gender Roles through Music
Figure 1: Puerto Rican Christian metal band Xacrosaint. Drummer Marisol Marrero in
the front. (Photo credit: Nelson Varas-Diaz).
Figure 2: Xacrosaint concert in Puerto Rico. Marisol Marrero on drums. (Photo credit:
Nelson Varas-Diaz).
Figure 3: Puerto Rican metal band Matriarch. Urrutia is second from right. (Photo credit:
Nelson Varas-Diaz).
Figure 4: Matriarch concert in Puerto Rico with male backup singers. (Photo credit:
Nelson Varas-Diaz).
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