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MMS 101

Our series of short posts on different topics in metal studies, written to introduce a general audience to current research.

Metal Methodology

A podcast series hosted by ISMMS Secretary Owen Coggins featuring interviews with notable scholars in metal studies.

Events, CfPs & more

All information about events, calls for proposals, and other announcements related to metal music studies.


All Posts

  • CfP: Heavy metal on the airwaves symposium
    Friday February 2nd 2024, Liverpool John Moores University, School of Humanities and Social Science Historically, heavy rock and metal music seems to have had a somewhat uneasy relationship with rock radio. As Deena Weinstein (2000) notes, during the late 1970s when bands such as AC/DC and Kiss were enjoying substantial success in terms of concert … Read more
  • Call-for-Chapters for Transatlantic Songs and Music
    Call-for-Chapters for an edited volume published by a US-based academic press (TBD):  Transatlantic Songs and Music   Benjamin Hebblethwaite, University of Florida, hebble@ufl.edu  Silke Jansen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremburg, silke.jansen@fau.de   Kevin Meehan, University of Central Florida, kevin.meehan@ucf.edu  This Call-for-Chapters invites researchers to prepare submissions for our edited book about transatlantic and Atlantic-intersecting songs and music. These pivotal forms of transoceanic cultural … Read more
  • CfP for Metal Animals at Days of animal STudies conference
    Split, Croatia, October 17–21, 2023 We invite you to contribute with your presentation to the special section on metal and animals at the Days of animal STudies conference, which will be held for the 5th time in Split, Croatia. The main organizer of the conference is the Centre for Integrative Bioethics, Faculty of Humanities and … Read more
  • CfP for Metal and Transgression: Scenes, Politics, and Religion (Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia), 6–7 September 2023
    Call for papers As one of the many branches of rock music, metal was identified with notions of transgressiveness, controversy, and rebelliousness, both by internal scene members and outsiders. As such, the neverending quest for transgression and controversy became one of the most important driving forces of metal’s artistic and social practice, urging the metalheads … Read more
  • ISMMS 2025 Presentation
  • Announcement of 7th ISMMS Conference, Seville, 3–6 June 2025
    We are delighted to announce that the ISMMS 2025 conference will be held in Seville, Spain, hosted by Susana González-Martínez of the University of Granada. The theme is New Metal Worlds: Building Bridges and Mending Broken Backs. A formal call for papers will be released in the coming months. For now, we invite you to … Read more
  • Music and the Internet, University of Chicago and online, 9-10 June 2023
    Although the below call is about popular music in general, the conference team encourage proposals on metal related topics. Music and the Internet is a hybrid, multi-day interdisciplinary conference that will take place online and at the University of Chicago, 9–10 June 2023. Its goal is to bring together scholars and creators to present across … Read more
  • CfP for ‘Intersectional (in)equality in heavy metal subculture’ panel at Talking Bodies conference
    From ISMMS member Holly Royle: I am organising a two-hour panel around the topic area of intersectional (in)equality in heavy metal subculture for the 2023 Talking Bodies Conference (12th-16th June). The conference is organised by the Institute of Gender Studies at the University of Chester, UK.    I am looking for three speakers to deliver a 20-min … Read more
  • ISMMS 2022 Elections Results
    ISMMS is pleased to announce the results of the recent election to the Executive Board. Tore Tvarnø Lind was confirmed by members as the new Communications Officer and Lewis Kennedy was voted in for a second term as Treasurer & Membership Officer. The Board thanks Frankie Stevens for standing. We thank Ross Hagen and Nelson … Read more