Lecture 3 Heavy Music Culture and Identities Flashcards
What are the four factors that complicate defining “heavy metal”? MAIC
Music/sound, artist and audience, music industry definition, and cultural impact/context.
What role does technology play in heavy music and what is the purpose of this?
Advanced technology is used in innovative and unorthodox ways to achieve artistic goals related to power.
How does heavy music convey power and what is the significance of this in terms of the listeners?
Through sonic displays of power that make listeners feel powerful.
Which age group is most associated with heavy music culture?
Disaffected youth, typically in their teens and early twenties.
What does the heavy music community value in their audience and what does it not value?
Authenticity, devotion to the culture, and no “posers.”
What bands or artists characterized heavy metal culture in the early to mid-seventies and what did they focus on in order to portray this?
Artists like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Alice Cooper, with a focus on bleakness and masculine identity.
Why is heavy music seen as rebellious? (4) SLTP
Because of challenging sounds, offensive lyrics, transgressive themes, and performances.
What are some stereotypical markers of heavy music fans?
Wearing band t-shirts and long hair
What influence did industrial towns have on the guitar player Black Sabbath’s music?
The demoralizing environment and guitarist Tony Iommi’s injury led to innovative techniques like lower guitar tuning.
What made Alice Cooper’s performances unique?
Shocking and disturbing content like fake executions, makeup, and fire-breathing.
How did punk rock differ from heavy metal? (3)
Punk rock had a raw, anti-establishment attitude, political messages, and intentionally dissonant sounds
What is the significance of the Sex Pistols in punk culture, when did this happen and where?
They made strong political statements, especially during the economic hardships of the late 70s in the UK.
What bands characterized hair metal in the 1980s? what were their vocals and styles like?
Bands like Poison and Bon Jovi with male vocalists exploring higher ranges and more flamboyant styles.
What does NWOBHM stand for, when did it occur, and what bands did it feature?
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal, a movement in the late 70s and early 80s featuring bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
What is thrash metal, when did it come to be, what does it sound like, and what bands have this type of music?
A subgenre of metal that emerged in the 80s with more extreme sounds, focusing on speed and chaos, as seen in bands like Metallica and Slayer.
