Institute for the Study of Culture (IKV) U. of Southern Denmark (SDU) Campusvej 55, Odense

Seminar Series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound

Thursday, March 31, 2016 3:15-5 p.m. in U66 Black Sheep: The Contentious World of “Unblack” Metal

Eric Strother earned his PhD in musicology from the University of Kentucky. His dissertation, Unlocking the Paradox of Christian Metal Music, examines ways in which this music exists as a bridge between Evangelical Christianity and the heavy metal subculture. He also earned an MA in Music Theory from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Strother’s research interests are varied and include popular music (particularly metal and hip-hop), jazz, the music of Appalachia, gender and music, and the relationship between musical expression and social context. He is currently part-time faculty at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, and a music reviewer for the Christian rock and metal webzine Untombed. Via Adobe Connect.

Abstract: “Christian metal” has long been viewed as a contradiction, a clash between two opposing worlds: that of Christianity and the metal scene. Christianity has tended to view it as being too much like the secular world and a cheap gimmick to make the Church seem relevant to young people. The metal scene has tended to view it as “metal lite”—too clean and “safe” to be real metal. So, those bands that did attempt to blend metal musical styles with Christian-oriented lyric themes found themselves receiving criticism and limited acceptance from members of both groups. With the forays of Christian-oriented bands into extreme metal, the criticisms grew louder and more forceful. For instance, in 2013, the Norwegian “unblack” metal band Antestor launched a tour of Brazil amidst death threats and protests over the “cultural plagiarism” of black metal music with pro-Christian lyrics. Meanwhile, Christian ministries and blogs decried them as deceivers, leading waves of unsuspecting fans to worship Satan when they think they are worshiping Christ. Instead of finding acceptance, these bands—and their fans—find themselves isolated and ostracized. This presentation will examine the phenomenon of “unblack” metal as a movement that attempts to bridge the two disparate worlds of Christianity and metal. I will give a brief overview of the roots and origins of the subgenre before discussing the seeming internal contradictions in the context of examining its visual, textual, and musical elements. I will conclude by proposing a framework for the legitimation of “unblack” metal within the ideologies of both the metal scene and Christianity.

All are welcome – also via Adobe Connect Adobe Connect Meeting Room = https://c.deic.dk/extrememusic | Password = ”music” Sign-up is not required, but is appreciated, please see

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