Introduction The ISMMS (International Society for Metal Music Studies), an international association that initiated new interdisciplinary research on metal music, was officially launched at the first conference held at Bowling Green State University (Ohio, United States) in April 2013. It was titled “Heavy Metal and Popular Culture.” This founding event was followed, in 2015, by … Read more
One day conference Liverpool John Moores University Conference organiser: Dr Nedim Hassan (Chief Editor Metal Music Studies) Friday 4th September 2026 Scenes and survival: building sustainable futures for local metal music scenes is a joint academic and industry conference that seeks to explore how contemporary metal music scenes develop strategies for sustenance and survival. Its … Read more
We seek 5k–6k-word chapters on glocalization, transfers, infrastructures, crises, religion/politics, NSBM/antimilitarism, war & diaspora, zines/archives, festivals/economies, and methods/meta-questions acrosssocialist, post-socialist, and contemporary CEE. Abstracts (500 words) + bio (200 words) due 31 July 2026.Editors: Ondřej Daniel, Peter Pichler, Jörg Scheller, Miroslav Vrzal.Chicago style. Peer-reviewed series; OA possible subject to funding. Metal is a significant global … Read more
Heavy Metal and Disability, Volume II: Blessed are the Sick Co-Editors: Jasmine Hazel Shadrack and Keith Kahn-Harris. Call for Papers: Trauma and disability are [often] discussed in similar terms. Trauma results from a profoundly distressing experience—war, abuse, migration, a sudden death—and is often the focus of therapeutic efforts to heal and become “normal” again. Disability … Read more
Call for Papers – A Collection on Faith No More (title tbc) Co-Editors: Jasmine Hazel Shadrack and Samuel Thomas Background & Rationale: Faith No More are widely regarded as one of the most important and singular bands to make the transition from the 1980s underground to the Billboard Hot 100 and a period of MTV-approved … Read more
With the passing of Ozzy Osbourne earlier this year, the journal Metal Music Studies is announcing a new “Dialogues” series of short articles for publication in Vol. 12/3, Summer 2026. We are seeking 5-7 articles of 1500-3000 words each that will critically discuss the legacy of Osbourne, Black Sabbath, and his other musical and media endeavors. Articles … Read more
Symposium at Liverpool John Moores University, Friday 3rd October 9.30 am to 5 pm Extreme metal music has been characterized as something that explores transgression, whether this is in relation to sound, its discourses and imagery, or embodied practices such as moshing and stagediving (Kahn-Harris, 2007). However, the extent to which it is deemed transgressive … Read more
Call for Book Chapters | New Metal Worlds: Music Cultures, and Studies (Bloomsbury) by editor Susan González-Martínez The book New Metal Worlds: Music Cultures, and Studies serves as a bridge to lines of thought that explore unprecedented avenues of understanding and research methodologies within the field of metal music studies, expanding existing knowledge about metal … Read more
We’re sharing this on behalf of colleagues at the University of Huddersfield. They have announced 12 fully funded 4-year PhD studentships for projects relating to amplification. Among the relevant topics, the call specifically suggests ‘a focus on the role of amplification in rock or metal’ as an indicative topic. The deadline is 25th January 2025, … Read more
In celebration of the 10th year of Metal Music Studies, we (Ross Hagen and Edward Banchs) are compiling a section of short retrospectives on foundational and important publications for the reviews section. We are aiming for a mix of titles that includes books aimed at general audiences in addition to academic monographs and edited collections. We are … Read more