Heavy Metal Scholars Gather in Ohio

[Moloc]

But were there any bands playing?

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?m ... um=twitter

The inaugural "Heavy Metal And Popular Culture" international conference took place April 4-7 at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio. It was the first scholarly conference on heavy metal in the U.S.

Metal music and culture scholars from Norway, Germany, Switzerland, the U.K., France, Canada, New Zealand, Finland, Brazil and all over the U.S., including Puerto Rico, gathered to share theories, network, and discuss the forthcoming peer-reviewed journal that will be published by The International Society For Metal Music Studies.

In his report on the event, Neil Shah of The Wall Street Journal writes: "At the conference, musicologists delved into the deep growling of so-called death metal singers, demonstrating the differences between inhaled and exhaled screams, and revealed how some 'speed' metal bands secretly use computers to fake their superfast drumming â€â€￾ despite most metal fans' distaste for artifice. Experts cataloged the widespread use of masks and face paint by bands, and chronicled the history of the heavy-metal concert T-shirt."

"For the first time, I'm talking with my peers," Dave Snell, a 33-year-old researcher, who received a $80,000 grant from the New Zealand government a few years ago to study "Bogans," New Zealand's hard-partying, metal-loving underclass, told The Wall Street Journal. "Usually at conferences, it's a room full of suits, and I'm in my IRON MAIDEN T-shirt," said Dr. Snell, who holds a doctorate in social psychology.

[Knucklehead]

"At the conference, musicologists ... revealed how some 'speed' metal bands secretly use computers to fake their superfast drumming â€â€￾ despite most metal fans' distaste for artifice.

And *now* we know how Pat does it.

Seriously, I'm not exactly certain why this topic is worthy of academic inquiry. Given the genre's glorification of the underground, isn't this sort of attention antithetical to some core principles?

I understand geek enthusiasm, but aren't these guys taking it just a little too far? And is this the same guy at the WSJ who wrote about the "conference" on black metal, a couple of years back? If so, what is his deal?

[stygian will]

the hubbie and i researched moving to new zealand several years ago but decided against it...wow we were soooo wrong...$$50,000 from the gov to research bogans....its like a country designed for me to finally use my grad degree!!!

[Brian]

This is stupid.

[Strange]

I had to double check the source on this to see if I was actually reading an Onion article. As much as I enjoy discussing metal with you fine folks over beers at the Highlander, the idea of discussing it in any kind of "Official scholarly fashion" just seems silly as hell to me.

[badcarburetor]

If something/anything sticks around long enough it eventually becomes part of academia.

[stewvee]

What Kay said. Every grad student eventually does a "reading" of whatever is prevalent in pop culture.

[ratanda]

I haven't read this article yet, but there's video from the conference.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 24606.html

[stygian will]

i might be in the minority here but i find metal to be just as legitimate as any musical form i studied in college...i mean wagner was the pop music of its day and how many conferences have been dedicated to the ring cycle

[TheKshatriya]

Yeah, its a legit form of music, but I kinda also think it has more of an attitude/state of mind that other music doesnt have and kinda makes me think this is just lame nerd shit.

[badcarburetor]

I think that pretty much anything is worthy of study and dissection. I love reading non-fiction/academia about all kinds of subjects. It's just that taking subcultures into the academic realm sucks the life out of them and makes the "scholar" look like a wet blanket who just "doesn't get it" because they have to work in absolutes and with a certain vocabulary to draw conclusions.

It's one thing to say, "Fuck, this week sucked. I'm so burned. I need some beers, buds and blastbeats this weekend!" It's another for an outsider to stroke their non-ironic beard and conclude (complete with footnotes), "The 'metalhead' tends be a blue collar worker - even when one's IQ and education would merit them a higher class of workplace. In order to alleviate this sense of underachievement they tend to 'drown their sorrows," if you'll parden the turn of phrase, in alcohol, light drug use and 'dancing' to agressive music. Their belief that their chosen form of music which they judge to be 'more meaningful' than that of their peers tends to give them a feeling of superiority over those more traditionally successful peers."

[Moloc]

I just read the WSJ article and I don't think these guys are "outsiders." Do I think they take themselves and metal far too seriously? Yes. Yes, I do.

[badcarburetor]

I just read the WSJ article and I don't think these guys are "outsiders." Do I think they take themselves and metal far too seriously? Yes. Yes, I do.

That's a good point. I should have said "expert" and not "outsider."

[Kaganator]

METAL!

[Oracle]

I think this is great news. Metal does have a place in academia and it's refreshing that it's being taken up by the scholarly community. I have a few friends who are metalheads and are writing theses about metal. Is it nerdy? Oh fuck yes. But it's high time that metal got some respect and I look forward to the day where someone might be able to take a course on the history of heavy metal, since there are already courses on other genres of music.