Keywords

Heavy metal, lyrics, lyrical analysis, millennial, themes

Abstract

Research on heavy metal music has traditionally been framed by deviant characterizations, effects on audiences, and the validity of criticism. More recently, studies have neglected content analysis due to perceived homogeneity in themes, despite evidence that the modern genre is distinct from its past. As lyrical patterns are strong markers of genre, this study attempts to characterize heavy metal in the 21st century by analyzing lyrics for specific themes and perspectives. Citing evidence that the “Millennial” generation confers significant developments to popular culture, the contemporary genre is termed “Millennial heavy metal” throughout, and the study is framed accordingly. Utilizing prominent metal albums from the 2000-2009 decade, 250 randomly selected songs are analyzed for the inclusion of 115 different themes and their contextual usage. The frequency of each theme is then ranked by prevalence in order to illustrate common focus in the genre. Results showed that themes of death, storytelling, violence, and social commentary prevail; overall, accentuated topics and their usage point to an aptitude for confronting tenebrous realities and personal attempts to understand them. Characteristic connections between Millennial metal and the Millennial generation are also noted through emphasized individuality, social awareness, and civil liberalism

Notes

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Graduation Date

2012

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Gay, David

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Sociology

Degree Program

Applied Sociology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0004527

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004527

Language

English

Release Date

December 2012

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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Included in

Sociology Commons

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