The Law of the Metal Scene

Metal Studies is a genuinely interdisciplinary research field. However, different specialist traditions, differing theoretical and methodological approaches, and also terminological "translation difficulties" make collaboration within the field difficult. This volume aims to explore the potential and limitations of interdisciplinary work by examining an example area - the laws of Heavy Metal - from the point of view of central disciplines. Laws are regarded as social conventions - i.e., rules that are made by human beings and are culturally stable. Examples of laws include conventions of musical language, the dress code in the metal scene, behavioural norms, and conventions in writing song lyrics.

The volume includes contributions from the fields of law, social ethics, art history, religious studies, musicology, sociology, linguistics, and cultural history.



Dr. Peter Pichler is a researcher and teacher of cultural history in Graz.