Organized religion—and all of the selflessness, sacrifice, and submission required by its theologies and traditions—provides another discourse by which heavy metal music and its culture construct and rehearse its masculine self-image. The hypermasculine bravado and machismo that characterizes so much of heavy metal culture, from the performers to the fans, proves highly antithetical to the moral codes and prescribed virtues associated with the Judeo-Christian tradition and its emphasis on humility, modesty, and restraint. Heavy metal feeds its hedonistic appetite for destruction by inverting (and perverting) such spiritual and social controls, and by making a virtue of vice. Moreover, heavy metal self-fashions itself in a sensational hodge-podge of symbol systems, borrowing images and iconography from mythology, horror films, the occult, Satanism, war, politics, and popular religion—all designed to shock, outrage, and challenge a self-righteous establishment and the Powers That Be. If heavy metal has had a rich history (and a flush bank account) based on its canny ability to confront and antagonize religious authorities, hypocritical televangelists, and concerned parent-teacher organizations, it has also courted controversies ranging from censorship, lawsuits, and moral panics. In the process, heavy metal continues to enhance its masculine mystique by casting its bands and fans as a vanguard of virtuous, undefeated underdogs whose powers depend upon their collective refusal to soften, submit, or sacrifice. Religion allows heavy metal to engage in a discourse that actually touches upon contemporary events and issues, and directly affects its fans—many of whom consider heavy metal to be their religion. This presentation will analyze the anthemic music and lyrics, as well as the visual imagery represented in music videos, album artwork, and other forms of representation utilized by popular heavy metal bands in its “war on religion,” which is regularly perceived as an authoritative cult of conformity that threatens metal’s passionate devotion to freedom, pleasure, and individuality.
About the presenterMichael Stamps
Michael Stamps teaches writing and literature at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, PA. He received his Ph.D. in English from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he specialized in Renaissance Literature. His pop culture research interests include gender/sexuality in film, horror films, and heavy metal music.