Metal studies is an ever-growing field within academia, with annual conferences being held and new publications appearing fairly regularly. However, theory and methodology are two fields of research that have not yet been much discussed. Frequent criticism of metal studies often focuses on a lack of theoretical as well as methodological engagement – an accusation of being unscientific. There has been some work focusing on this problem and trying to deal with it – mostly sociological and music..

Helden, Imke von

English

OpenEdition

 
Volume !
La revue des musiques populaires 
9 : 2 | 2012
Contre-cultures n°2
Nicola MASCIANDARO (ed.): Hideous Gnosis. Black Metal
Theory Symposium I
Imke von Helden
Electronic version
URL: http://journals.openedition.org/volume/3370
DOI: 10.4000/volume.3370
ISSN: 1950-568X
Printed version
Date of publication: 15 December 2012
Number of pages: 211-213
ISBN: 978-2-913169-33-3
ISSN: 1634-5495
 
Electronic reference
Imke von Helden, « Nicola MASCIANDARO (ed.): Hideous Gnosis. Black Metal Theory Symposium I », Volume !
[Online], 9 : 2 | 2012, Online since 15 May 2015, connection on 10 December 2020. URL : http://
journals.openedition.org/volume/3370  ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/volume.3370 
L'auteur & les Éd. Mélanie Seteun
211
Volum
e ! n° 9-2
ment in!uent. Obtenant leurs données d’entretiens 
avec des musiciens, les chercheurs montrent que les 
deux mouvements ont des constantes dans leur vision 
du monde (imaginaire du Nord, mythologies paga-
nistes ) et dans le rapport à l’underground vs mains-
tream. Les spéci"cités du black metal anglais viennent 
notamment d’une appartenance marquée aux classes 
populaires. 
Ces contributions particulièrement intéressantes et 
pionnières montre l’ampleur du travail encore à e#ec-
tuer pour sortir des stéréotypes des médias et de la 
société civile sur le sujet et comprendre une tendance 
musicale et culturelle qui, bien que longtemps restée 
dans l’ombre, concerne aujourd’hui une part non 
négligeable de la population internationale.
Gérôme G$%&'()
M')*+ S)$,%'- is an ever-growing "eld within aca-
demia, with annual conferences being held and new 
publications appearing fairly regularly. However, 
theory and methodology are two "elds of research 
that have not yet been much discussed. Frequent 
criticism of metal studies often focuses on a lack of 
theoretical as well as methodological engagement – 
an accusation of being unscienti"c. .ere has been 
some work focusing on this problem and trying to 
deal with it – mostly sociological and musicologist 
publications as well as the Hard Wired workshops in 
Germany and Switzerland, for instance – but book-
length analyses of the subject are still few. .us, a 
volume ostensibly focusing on theory, even if it is 
black metal theory in particular, is most welcome, 
and promises to further invigorate the "eld of metal 
studies . However, the claim that the editor and 
authors of this volume postulate in the book’s title is 
not borne out by its content. 
In fact, Hideous Gnosis is as obscure to the outsider as 
black metal itself: its black-and-white aesthetics and the 
want of a blurb or an explicatory introduction make it 
di/cult to access. A "rst glance at the publication does 
not tell the reader of its aims nor of the audience at 
which it is aimed. Nor does it give any information on 
how the volume came into being. Furthermore, there 
is no information on the authors, some of whom do 
not give references at all. Several essays pick up philo-
sophical concepts and ideas without further explaining 
them, thereby not inviting the uninitiated reader and 
thus, a broader audience (Masciandaro: “teaching those 
who already know“ (Masciandaro 2010:84f)).
Regarding a genuine theory of black metal, one’s hopes 
are dashed: as this volume is in the nature of an anthol-
ogy, there is no systematic approach to a genuine black 
metal theory. Instead, the essays o#er a discussion of a 
range of aspects that black metal is concerned or asso-
ciated with, such as politics and religion.
Only a few authors try to explicitly approach a black 
metal theory: editor Nicola Masciandaro attempts 
to parallel black metal with a theory of negativity 
Théorie
Nicola Masciandaro (ed.), Hideous Gnosis. Black Metal Theory Symposium I, Charleston, 
Createspace, 2010.
212
Vo
lu
m
e 
! 
n°
 9
-2
Dossier metal studies
and states that black metal (or rather its followers) 
refuses discourse and self-reflection, thus evading 
theory, maybe in fear of realising themselves having a 
“cavedweller’s fantasy“ (ibid: 85). Scott Wilson’s essay 
“BAsileus philosoPHOrum METaloricum“ on the 
intersection of black metal and academic discourse, 
too, states that there is no such conjunction – there 
is no “academic illumination of black metal“ (ibid: 
35) because an analysis cannot be undertaken without 
bias. Rather what takes place is the other way round: 
a ‘blackening’ of the discourse. Hunter Hunt-Hendrix 
develops theses on transcendental black metal as 
opposed to hyperborean (Scandinavian).
.e essay’s focus clearly lies within the subjects of black 
metal’s relationship to religion/Satanism (Butler, Scott, 
.acker), Nazism/National Socialism (Noys, Williams) 
as well as the role of nature, the failures of ‘modernity’ 
and the longing for a primordial past (Shakespeare, 
Stephanou). Negativity and decay are two other "elds 
that are discussed (Russo, Masciandaro). Whereas Evan 
Calder Williams and Benjamin Noys pose the ques-
tion can black metal be understood separately from 
its lyrics, Erik Butler argues that black metal can be 
better understood in relation to the history of religion 
(ibid: 23). He also draws a comparison between black 
metal and Reformation-era Jesuits in that bands like 
Gorgoroth take on slogans (“Ad Majorem Sathanas 
Gloriam“) and he hints at morphological similarities 
between them, for example an a/liation with radical 
politics. Being elitist, black metal stresses purity and 
“represents a return to orthodoxy“ in criteria such 
as purity and ascetism (ibid: 27); “the other“ can be 
found outside as well as inside the metal community.
Aspasia Stephanou’s piece on patriarchy and femin-
ity in black metal analyses the trope of the wolf “that 
seeks to destroy subjectivity“ (ibid: 159) and thus, 
a loss of humanity. Referring to the past as well as 
Norse mythology’s symbols, black metal mourns for 
an original past and purity that never existed that way, 
interpreted as an act of affirmation of masculinity. 
Stephanou employs the image of Red Riding Hood 
and the wolf to explain the threat of female mascu-
linity that must be consumed by the wolf "gure. .e 
women in black metal (illustrated here by Astarte), she 
explains, reclaim the realm of female desire by chal-
lenging the partriarchal structures of black metal by 
turning the wolves into servants.
In “Meaningful Leaning Mess“, Brandon Stosuy pres-
ents an (nearly) uncommented discussion excerpt of 
members of American black metal bands that allows 
insight into speci"c characteristics of this community 
as opposed to the Scandinavian scenes, for exam-
ple their interest in life and philosophical questions 
surrounding it, rather than being preoccupied with 
anti-Christian forms such as Satanism.
All things considered, Hideous Gnosis is a gesamtkunst-
werk (total work of art) that is di/cult to access. In 
addition to the essays, there are symposium photogra-
phies (including photos of referees and of art) and var-
ious forms of expression surrounding the black metal 
subject (blog comments, a letter, drawings). It remains 
unclear if it is the intention of the publication to con-
tribute further to metal studies within an academical 
frame. Juliet Forshaw, in her discussion of three works 
of metal studies, admits that it is a “di#erent kind of 
scholarship […that] indulges in a level of obscurantism 
that is only possible among members of a tiny occult 
sect who are unconcerned with courting a broader 
audience“ (Forshaw 2011). Apart from “Metallic 
blackening of theory“ (Masciandaro 2009), the aims 
of this project remain unclear. A summing up of the 
discussion, to "nd out if there is indeed a consensus 
on a Black Metal .eory, would have been helpful. 
Otherwise, Hideous Gnosis o#ers interesting sugges-
213
Volum
e ! n° 9-2
tions for thinking further about already acknowledged 
topics in (black) metal studies and discusses quite a lot 
of underground bands. In addition, it is an appealing 
artistic collection in a new form of engaging with the 
subject of metal studies.
Références
M*-0%*1,*(2, N. (2009) ‘Hideous Gnosis: Schedule 
and Flyers.’ Blackmetaltheory.blogspot.com http://
blackmetaltheory.blogspot.com/ [accessed 09 May 
2012].
F2(-3*4, J. (2011) ‘Metal in .ree Modes of Enmity: 
Political, Musical, Cosmic.’ Current Musicology. 91 
pp. 140-62.
M*-0%*1,*(2, N. (ed.) (2010), Hideous Gnosis. Black 
Metal !eory Symposium I. Charleston: Create Space.
Imke V21 H'+,'1
T3' 42(, “5')*+” is like an umbrella: it encompasses 
a set of musical sub-genres that are known as heavy 
metal by the common sense. Although grouped under 
the same term, these sub-genres di#er in aspects of ide-
ology, to a greater or lesser extent, resulting therefore 
in di#erent rules of sound, aesthetics and socialization 
among fans. One’s lack of emic experience may be 
denounced by details and "ligrees. De"nitely, it is not 
a task for beginners.
Not too long ago, in the early 2000’s, researchers of 
all areas who wished to devote themselves to metal 
would not find much academic material on the 
subject, even in an international context. However, 
from the second half of the decade onwards, one has 
witnessed a signi"cant development in metal studies 
under di#erent approaches,1 as though researchers 
were only waiting for an opportunity to come out of 
hiding. Nine (if not ten) out of ten of them are fans 
of at least one metal sub-genre. Metal fans “metallise 
their lives”.2 .e a#ective investment is great. 
One can speculate that a new generation of supervi-
sors has been accepting post-graduate academic proj-
 1.6 Case studies of Brazil, Canada and USA show that 
especially from 2006 onwards, scholarly production on 
metal doubled. The same does not apply to the UK. 
(Azevedo, Hickam & Spracklen, 2011).
 2.6 Métalliser sa vie: I borrow this expression from Hein 
(2003: 249) who, by his turn, borrowed it from Roccor 
(2002: 218).
Théorie
Colin A. McKinnon, Niall SCOTT & Kristen SOLLEE (eds.) Can I play with madness? 
Metal, dissonance, madness and alienation. Critical Issues Series. Oxford: Inter-disciplinary 
Press, 2011, 192 p. 
Available at: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/publishing/id-press/ebooks/can-i-play-with-madness/, [viewed: 15.oct.2012]


Nicola Masciandaro (ed.): Hideous Gnosis. Black Metal Theory Symposium I

http://journals.openedition.org/volume/pdf/3370

Nicola Masciandaro (ed.): Hideous Gnosis. Black Metal Theory Symposium I

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

OpenEdition