The Metal Discourser

Anti-Cosmosis: Black Mahapralayapaper, by Nicola Masciandaro, 2009, presented at the "Hideous Gnosis: Black Metal Theory Symposium" in Brooklyn
From a 'life-negating' or 'transcendental nihilist' perspective, discusses black metal as a means of realizing enlightening / liberating catharsis or Zen-like direct experience of reality.

Black Metal as Art: What makes metal connect with your soularticle, 2006, Dark Legions Archive website

British metal fans launch campaign to make metal music a religionnews article, by Stephanie Dearing, 2010, DigitalJournal.com
Campaign wants metal fans to be able to declare their religion as "metal" on Britain's yearly census.

ChthoniC speaks with the Dalai Lamanews article, 2009, Phayul.com
Taiwanese metal concernt supporting Tibetan independence attracts visit by the Dalai Lama.

Death metal: A �pipeline to God�?editorial, by James Robertson, 2010, SSRC.org
Explores the relationship between religion and metal, and considers that the two may aspire to similar goals despite metal's frequent critique of religion.

Death metal, religion and the socialization of emotionarticle, by Greg Downey, 2010, Neuroanthropology.net
argues the particular mood and emotional posture of metal is parallel to certain Western religious ways of dwelling in the world, particularly Christian ways, and thus the music finds a wide audience in the West and also is specially positioned to subvert religion or offer an alternative

Encoding/Decoding of Mystic-State Themes in Rock Lyricsarticle, by Michael Hoffman, 2007, EgoDeath.com
Explores spiritual experience in rock / metal, including entheogenic aspects.

From Heavy Metal to the Hajj: A former Iron Maiden vocalist shows that one can be politically active, religiously observant and a rock 'n rollernews article, by David Lee Wilson, 2006, Egypt Today

Heavy Metal Dharma Thunderblog column, by Rod Meade Sperry, 2009, ShambhalaSun.com
Looks at various instances of Buddhist imagery in metal.

In Finland, heavy metal music moves the masses, even in churchnews article, 2008, AFP Global Edition

* Journey of a Dreamdocumentary, directed and produced by Shenpenn Khymsar, 2011, Wisdom Over Knowledge Productions
Explores the lives of generations of Tibetan refugees, Darjeeling's vibrant underground music scene, the fight for a free Tibet, and how Khymsar expresses his dedication, love and passion for his occupied homeland Tibet through metal.

Loftiness of Rock: The Authentic Popular Mystery-Religion of the Late 20th Centuryarticle, by Michael Hoffman, 2007, EgoDeath.com
Explores rock / metal as a mystery religion, including entheogenic aspects.

Lyrical Techniques Conveying Mystic-State Phenomenaarticle, by Michael Hoffman, 2007, EgoDeath.com
Explores spiritual experience in rock / metal, including entheogenic (drug) aspects.

Meditation and Playing Live Musicblog column, by Nate DeMontigny, 2007, PreciousMetal.wordpress.com
From a Buddhist perspective, considers live metal performance as partly meditative in nature.

Metal listeners, scholars and journalists understandably fail to grasp the music's complex spiritual potentialcolumn, Transcix, 2011, TheMetalDiscourser.com
Explores the transcendent spiritual potential of metal for the listener and the difficulties of broaching this topic in the marketplace of ideas due to ignorance of the human condition, using as a case in point the diversity of ways in which different people interpret the black metal growl.

Paganism: Part I - The Ancient Religionarticle, by Varg Vikernes, 2005, Burzum.org
Varg Vikernes, a central figure in the black metal community, elaborates a perspective of Paganism outside the context of Judeo-Christian doctrine, and also comments on Wiccans and hippies.

* Punk, Metal and American Religionsarticle, by Eileen Luhr, 2010, Religion Compass
Explores the complex relationships between American religions and metal and punk music beyond the black-and-white condemnations of either side against the other.

Rock 'n Roll is The Devil's Music: Heavy Metal and Music in the Evolution of Consciousnesscolumn, by Sunwong Choe, 2009, SungwonChoe.com
Looks at how metal's darker aspects fit into Ken Wilbur's integrated model of consciousness as being thematically linked to lower levels of the Great Chain of Being.

The Common Vernacular of Power Relations in Heavy Metal and Christian Fundamentalist Performancespaper, by Christine A. James, 2009, presented at the second "Heavy Fundametalisms: Music, Metal and Politics" conference in Salzbur

The Counter-Reformation in Stone and Metal: Spiritual Substancespaper, by Erik Butler, 2009, presented at the "Hideous Gnosis: Black Metal Theory Symposium" in Brooklyn
Examines black metal in a modern context and also in the context of Europe's Middle Ages, and considers the nature of black metal in relation to the history of religion.

The end of the world in rock musicpaper, by Lutz Leukhardt, 2003, University of Leipzig
Examines how rock music of the 80s and 90s approaches apocalyptic themes mainly via religious or biblical ideas or via the decline of the human race.

* The Spiritual Significance of Music, Metal Editionbook, by Justin St. Vincent
A collection of interviews with metal musicians exploring the relationship between metal and spirituality.

'Vedic metal': A discussion of global and local identity in the practice of extreme metal in the South-Indian community in Singaporearticle, by Eugene Dairianathan, 2007, presented at the "Celebrating musical communities: proceedings of the 40th Australian Society for Music Education Inc. anniversary national conference" in Perth
Uses the extreme metal band Rudra as a case study.

Vedic metal: issues of local practice, popular music and educationpaper, by Eugene Dairianathan and Lum Chee Hoo, 2010, presented at the "Tenth International Conference on Cultural Diversity in Music Education" in Sydney
A group of Singaporean music teachers are introduced to the extreme metal band Rudra and discuss the nature of extreme metal bands, the reaction of their students when introduced to excerpts of Rudra's music, and the implications for educational curricula.

What happens when Buddhism and extreme-music collide?blog column, by Nate DeMontigny, TheWorstHorse.com
Nate Demontigny, vocalist for death metal band Leukorrhea, discusses the relationship between his musical career and his practice of Buddhism.