We use the term “metal community” on a regular basis, but it’s unclear to many what this includes. What is the metal community? Is it defined by boundaries, or a shared ideal?
A conference of academics is meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 5, 2014 to analyze this issue by presenting papers and having open discussions on the topic. Hosted by UPR professor and metalhead Nelson Varas Díaz, the conference aims to attract scholars from the Latin America, Europe and the United States.
One of the major themes is one that metalheads have brushed over for years, namely the conflict between individualism and group identity in metal. Both are strong, but individuals finds expression through group identity in metal, seemingly a paradox. In addition, the conference will explore the communal experience in metal and how it can be analyzed.
For more information, haunt the “Heavy Metal Music and the Communal Experience – Academic Conference” page on Facebook or contact Professor Díaz at nvaras@mac.com
Tags: academia, group identity, individualism, metal community, metal studies, nelson varas díaz
A little detail on Spanish naming custom: the paternal last name goes first, followed by the maternal last name. The full name is typically used for documents, IDs and such. In informal settings, people tend to use just one last name.
In the professor’s case, Varas is his paternal last name and Díaz his maternal last name. When addressing him by his last name alone, you’d use Varas instead of Díaz.
And for anyone curious about the conference’s promo graphic, that’s the actual clock tower at the UPR main campus in Río Piedras.