Music As Transgression: Masking and Sonic Abjection in Norwegian Black Metal
MUSIC AS TRANSGRESSION: MASKING AND SONIC ABJECTION IN NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL by Woodrow Steinken B.A., New York University, 2015 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts University of Pittsburgh 2018 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH KENNETH P. DIETRICH SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES This thesis was presented by Woodrow Steinken It was defended on March 28, 2018 and approved by Olivia Bloechl, Professor, Music James Cassaro, Professor, Music Thesis Director: Deane Root, Professor, Music ii Copyright © by Woodrow Steinken 2018 iii MUSIC AS TRANSGRESSION: MASKING AND SONIC ABJECTION IN NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL Woodrow Steinken, M.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2018 In the late 1980s, the Second Wave of black metal was founded in Norway by the band Mayhem. This heavy metal scene was populated by bands such as Emperor, Darkthrone, Burzum, Gorgoroth, and Satyricon. These bands performed chaotic music, often setting lyrics with themes of Satanism, anti-Christianity, murder, rape, and torture. Extremely fast or slow tempos, unusual song structures, distortion, and lo-fi sound quality distinguished the scene stylistically from other European and American heavy metals. The individuals who created this music did so under the disguise of masks: pseudonyms and corpsepaint, a makeup style that makes one look like a corpse. Members of black metal bands also engaged in extremely violent and criminal activities, including burning churches, murdering strangers and friends for various reasons, and committing suicide. This thesis explores the connections between the music and the transgressions of this music subculture, with masking at the intersection between the two.
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