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The very first issue from the very first volume of Metal Music Studies is available now. The website states “Metal Music Studies is the journal for the International Society for Metal Music Studies”. When capitals begin almost every word in a sentence you know you’re looking at something important. Ultimately, the journal wants to provide an “intellectual hub” while promoting the International Society for Metal Music Studies, it wants to be the focus for research and theory in metal music studies and it wants to publish articles from across the scene.
There’s about 10 chapters in the first issue of Metal Music Studies, I haven’t read any yet except for the first page of the introduction where it was mentioned there’s a metal music conference happening in Finland this year during their summer. I’m confused because one of the most un-metal things to do is go to any conference ever because everyone knows conferences are giant circle-wank exercises.
Some of the articles sound pretty good like the Amalgamated Anecdotes: Perspectives on the history of metal music and culture studies, because there’s nothing better than a bunch of short stories about getting drunk at gigs you went to decades ago in places you don’t live.
There’s also an article entitled Dark Epistemology: An assessment of philosophical trends in the black metal music on Mayhem, which seemed kinda appealing at first but after seeing that it’s 14 pages long, I’m not sure what more could possibly be said about them apart from the bleeding obvious. Don’t be drawn into the article Lyrical stresses of heavy metal and rap, again I haven’t read any of these yet, but flicking through the article, it appears to be an article by some feminist whinging about misogyny and rap.
In other news
It’s finally here, the 2015 Melbourne Soundwave festival will be held at Flemington Racecourse this Saturday and Sunday.
Lamb Of God and Killer Be Killed will be at 170 Russell on Tuesday February 24.
Soundgarden will play Festival Hall on Tuesday February 24.
All That Remains will release their new album The Order Of Things on Friday February 27.
Psycroptic will release their sixth album, Echoes To Come in March.
Nile drummer George Kollias will be holding a full day drumming workshop at Northcote’s Drumtek on Sunday March 8. He’ll also be there playing classic Nile tracks on Monday March 9 and he’ll still be there playing new solo stuff on Tuesday March 10. All tickets through Oztix.
Cancer Bats will release their fifth studio album Zero on Friday March 13.
Psycroptic with special guests Goatwhore will play The Hi-Fi on Friday March 13, Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on Sunday March 15, The Barwon Club on Friday March 20 and Melbourne’s Wrangler Studios on Saturday March 21.
Mastodon will play Festival Hall on Friday March 27.
Gallows will release Desolation Sounds on Friday April 10.
The Ocean will play The Evelyn Hotel on Saturday April 18.
Suffocation and Decapitated will play the Corner Hotel on Saturday May 9.
If you have any news about local metal bands, shows or albums, let THTH know by emailing to [email protected] or get in touch via Twitter at @TooHeavyToHug
By Paul S Taylor