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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 and Disability, Volume II: Blessed are the Sick
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    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
  • CFP: A Collection on Faith No More (title tbc)
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    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
  • Paris Event: One day conference in Paris,  ‘Images and imaginaries of metal music’ (in French)
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    Journée d’étude « Images et imaginaires de la musique metal » vendredi 20 mars 2026 Un événement de la semaine Arts et Médias de la Sorbonne Nouvelle Des pochettes d’albums aux vidéoclips en passant par les concerts, les musiques metal déploient un ensemble hétéroclite d’univers visuels, à la fois spécifiques à la culture metal et … Read more
  • Announcement of the 8th ISMMS Conference — Liège, June 2027
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    We are delighted to announce that the 8th ISMMS conference will take place in June 2027 at the University of Liège, Belgium, hosted by Marion Brachet and Christophe Pirenne. The theme is Heavy Metal Productions: Sounds, Artefacts, Values. A formal call for papers will be released in the coming months. For now, we invite you … Read more
  • Call for Papers: Metal Music Studies “Dialogues”
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    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
  • ISMMS Board Elections
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    ISMMS members—it is that time of year again! We are holding elections for the followingpositions—President and 2 ordinary members. To stand for one of the positions you must submita 1-page statement of intent which will explain what you will bring to the role and a CV which isno more than 5 pages long. Personal information … Read more
  • Call for Papers: Crossing Borders: Metal Music Scenes and Extremity
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    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
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    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
  • Tricinty Festival 2025: Uniting global rock and metal in Rabat
    by Livy Onalee Snyder
    The Tricinty Rock and Metal Festival is set to return for its third edition on May 23 and 24, 2025, in Rabat, with organizers promising a «more intense and daring» experience. Designed to spotlight professionals in the rock and metal scene, the event is evolving into a true hub for networking and collaboration between industry … Read more