Metal is by no means just for tough men
Tough, masculine, rebellious - metal is for wild guys, or so it seems. However, sociologist Susanne Sackl-Sharif shows in her doctoral thesis at the University of Graz that this image is largely a cliché.
Since the 1990s, there have been more and more women in metal bands. There are also all-female groups. According to the researcher, female fronted metal bands, groups with a female lead singer, are also on the rise. What is striking in this context is that women often sing very high or "growl" very low - this is what the low screaming in death metal is called.
For her dissertation, the scene expert interviewed fans from the Styrian capital and Voitsberg. The researcher also analyzed some of the fans' favourite videos.
The surprising result of the interviews: Gender aspects were hardly mentioned by the fans surveyed. Apparently, they see the music itself as genderless, says the researcher. In general, it can be seen that the metal scene is growing and that there are now many different sub-styles.
For example, medieval metal with bagpipes as an instrument and other folkloristic elements is currently booming, explains Sackl-Sharif. Symphonic metal with operatic vocals is also quite popular. Metalcore, on the other hand, is politically engaged and propagates vegan nutrition, among other things.
More info: www.uni-graz.at
