UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO LOCATING EXPERIENTIAL RICHNESS IN DOOM METAL A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Music by Jonathan Nicholas Piper Committee in charge: Professor Nancy Guy, Chair Professor Anthony Burr, Co-Chair Professor Ricardo Dominguez Professor Eun-Young Jung Professor Katharina Rosenberger 2013 Copyright Jonathan Nicholas Piper, 2013 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Jonathan Nicholas Piper is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Co-Chair Chair University of California, San Diego 2013 iii DEDICATION To Eleanor and Chris, Sophia and Spiros. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page........................................................................................................ iii Dedication............................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents.................................................................................................... v List of Figures......................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements................................................................................................ viii Vita.......................................................................................................................... ix Abstract of the Dissertation.................................................................................... x I. Introduction......................................................................................................... 1 The Violence of Metal................................................................................ 8 The Catharsis of Metal............................................................................... 11 Aristotelian Catharsis................................................................................. 15 Psychoanalytic Catharsis............................................................................ 18 Insistent Positivity....................................................................................... 23 Death and the Necrophilic/phobic Habitus................................................. 26 Doom Metal Music..................................................................................... 33 Meaning in Doom Metal............................................................................. 34 Experiencing Doom Metal.......................................................................... 36 II. Doom Metal Music: Origins, Grooves and Fragmentation............................... 39 The Beginning of Doom............................................................................. 41 The Rise of Proto-Doom............................................................................. 46 The Crystallization of Doom...................................................................... 50 The Experience of Time in Doom Metal........................................ 51 The Groove of Doom...................................................................... 53 The Fragmentation of Doom...................................................................... 65 Death/Doom................................................................................................ 71 Funeral Doom............................................................................................. 79 Conclusion.................................................................................................. 90 III. Meaning in Doom Metal: Multidimensional Musicking through Album Art, Lyrics and Horror Films......................................................................................... 94 The Artwork of Doom................................................................................ 100 The Lyrics of Doom.................................................................................... 108 Lyrical Comprehensibility and Interpretation in Metal.................. 111 The Lyrical Construction of Doom................................................. 120 The Horror of Doom................................................................................... 130 v IV. Experiencing Doom: Jouissance, Abjection and Liberatory Uselessness........ 142 The Performance of Doom......................................................................... 150 Jouissance and Doom................................................................................. 155 The Abjection of Doom.............................................................................. 157 The Repetition of Doom............................................................................. 163 The Grain of Doom..................................................................................... 167 The Theater of Doom.................................................................................. 171 The Expenditure of Doom.......................................................................... 175 Conclusion.................................................................................................. 180 V. Conclusion.......................................................................................................... 182 References.............................................................................................................. 192 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: A map of the various subgenres and styles of metal............................. 5 Figure 2.1: Opening riff of “Relentless”................................................................. 47 Figure 2.2: Second riff of “Relentless”................................................................... 47 Figure 2.3: Third riff of “Relentless” featuring minor seconds and tritones, with an exemplary drum fill............................................................................................ 48 Figure 2.4: Basic groove pattern of “The Psychopath”........................................... 62 Figure 2.5: Opening riff of “Blood Rituals” with accompanying d-beat................ 73 Figure 2.6: Second section of “Blood Rituals”....................................................... 75 Figure 2.7: Third section of “Blood Rituals”.......................................................... 77 Figure 2.8: Fourth section of “Blood Rituals”........................................................ 78 Figure 2.9: First section of “The Mournful Refusal”.............................................. 82 Figure 2.10: Second section of “The Mournful Refusal”........................................ 82 Figure 2.11: Third section of “The Mournful Refusal”........................................... 84 Figure 2.12: Fourth “static” section of “The Mournful Refusal”............................ 84 Figure 2.13: Fifth section of “The Mournful Refusal”............................................ 85 Figure 2.14: Sixth section of “The Mournful Refusal”........................................... 87 Figure 2.15: Seventh section of “The Mournful Refusal”...................................... 88 Figure 2.16: Eighth section of “The Mournful Refusal”......................................... 89 Figure 2.17: Ninth section of “The Mournful Refusal”.......................................... 89 Figure 3.1: Into the Depths of Sorrow, Solitude Aeturnus, 1991............................ 105 Figure 3.2: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Candlemass, 1986................................. 106 Figure 3.3: Songs of Darkness, Words of Light, My Dying Bride, 2004................. 107 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation could not have been completed without the assistance and direction of Professor Nancy Guy. Her endless support, motivation and friendship during my time at UCSD has proved absolutely essential at every step of the way. This project also owes a great deal to my work with Professor Anthony Burr. Despite numerous changes in topic, he has consistently contributed an excitement to my research that kept me challenged and invested. I would also like to thank Professors Katharina Rosenberger, Eun-Young Jung and Ricardo Dominguez, for their time, guidance and support. They provided new and unexpected approaches, ideas and questions that added significant dimension and depth to the dissertation. Thank you to all of my friends and collaborators who have given their time and energy to keep me focused and motivated, whether by talking about metal, making great music or simply being amazing people: Clint McCallum, Nicholas Deyoe, Laura Hoeger, Clint Davis, Meghann Welsh, Batya MacAdam-Somer, David Medine, Sean Conway, Brian Griffeath-Loeb, Erin Cory, William Brent, Rika Brent and Evan Geiger. Thank you to my family for their incredible and bottomless support. Thank you to Kate-Robin Shuart for always knowing that I would finish and pushing me toward my best. I simply could not have accomplished this without them. viii VITA Education 2005 Bachelor of Arts, Music, University of California, Los Angeles 2007 Master of Arts, Music, University of California, San Diego 2013 Doctor of Philosophy, Music, University of California, San Diego Presentations “Mixtapes Without Tape: Materiality and the Object in Digital Music Listening,” presented to International Association for the Study of Popular Music, 30 May 2009, San Diego. “Creative Listening: Playlists, Mixtapes, and the Virtual Ethnography of Virtual Music,” presented to Society of Ethnomusicology, 21 November 2009,