Abstract: << Introduction: This periodically posted article introduces heavy metal music and the
heavy metal genre, including the sub-genres of speed metal, death metal, black metal,
thrash, doom metal, grindcore, and ambient metal.
Summary: This FAQ explores the development of heavy metal as a musical movement
through its place in a larger culture, and reects upon the ideological and sociological circumstances that motivated that development. These circumstances are tracked through
music theory, symbolism, and behavior.
It also explores the subculture of heavy metal music and its members, known as “Hessians,” who listen to the music and attempt to live by the values expressed in the music.
It includes but is not limited to a history of metal music, the philosophy of heavy metal,
the styles and sub-genres of heavy metal, etiquette in the heavy metal groups, where to
nd heavy metal t-shirts and CDs, and the cultural values of the Hessian subculture.
Authorship: The Heavy Metal FAQ was written by metal radio presenter and writer
S.R. Prozak for the Dark Legions Archive at www.anus.com/metal and features contributions from USENET metal experts 1993-1999.
Archive: The current ASCII text copy of this article may be found online at
http://www.anus.com/metal/about/faq >>
SOURCE: PDF of article