Subdiscipline known as Metal Music Studies has been widely represented in various academic circles for at least last ten years. Among other topics for reflection, there is often a problem of the opposition between the global and the local in metal music industry and the question about the influence of local contests on representatives of particular geographical and cultural areas.

Just as the first edition of Nordic Metal Music Seminar, the second one will be focused on the case of Nordic metal music: the specificity of the metal culture in Finland and in Scandinavian countries. We want to consider the phenomenon of Nordic metal from the point of Culture Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Musicology, Literature and Film Studies, taking into account noticeable common tendencies as well as the work of individual artists. Apart from the theoretical aspects, we also would like to raise the practical side of metal music industry in Nordic countries, such as: recording music albums, filming music videos, organising metal festivals etc.

The seminar was originally supposed to take place in Finland in July 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. As the situation is still uncertain, we decided to do the online editing this year. The new dates are: September 13-15, 2021.

We realise that this form is incomparable to a real conference, and we made this decision in the hope that in the future we will be able to meet again live in a small northern town. Kitee International Music and Art Festival is still one of our co-organisers and partners. We will try to organise the seminar in such a way that participation in it is not exhausting for you and allows for the exchange of our research and experience. More details and our keynotes speakers will be announced soon.

The organisers are: Ethnomusicology Studies (University of Eastern Finland), Faculty of Polish Studies (Jagiellonian University of Krakow), International Institute for Popular Culture (University of Turku) and Kitee International Music and Art Festival (Finland).

We encourage all the academics who are interested in this topic to send their proposals of papers to the email address: nordicmetal2019@gmail.com by May 30, 2021. It should comprise 500-word abstract, your full name and affiliation.

We offer you to consider the following issues:

— The history of metal music in Northern countries – sources and inspirations (foreign bands, classical music, blues, rock’n’roll, hard rock); precursors – creators – followers;

— The genology of the Finnish and Scandinavian metal scene — labeling of

“heavy” music (symphonic metal, power metal, pre metal, heavy metal, speed, thrash, black, death, progressive, nu metal, etc.) – cultural genres;

— The poetics of song texts, intertexts and “high culture” influences; language of the expression (native or English);

— Rock/metal from the national and intercultural perspective; the specific role of native culture;

— The role of voice in metal music – “voice” interpretation of texts;

— Metal covers (inc. classical music, Christmas songs, etc.)

— Fan communities, metalheads – metal reception, “metal personality”, communities, fan arts and Real Person Fiction;

— Metal subculture in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland — stereotypes — ideologies;

— Metal music toward religion controversies – is it still a problem?

— Rock and metal documentary films/(auto) biographies;

— The iconography – aesthetics of album covers – logotypes; correspondence of the arts;

— Video clips of metal bands, live recorders;

— Artists’ biographies – (auto) biographical narratives;

— Performing rites – concerts, festivals, “live” and “liveness”;

— Metal culture toward new media – social networks, blogosphere, etc.

— Contemporary music industry in Nordic countries;

— The organization of metal events – concerts, festivals, fans’ meetings;

— Semiotic components of metal media and research methods of metal culture phenomena: multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity perspective, Metal Music Studies.

The decision of acceptance will be notified by June 30, 2021 and the programme of the event will be announced by the end of July.

There is no seminar registration fee; however there is a plan to develop selected papers for an edited collection of refereed proceedings.

Organizing Committee: Anna Svetlova (Jagiellonian University of Krakow), Dalva Lamminmäki (University of Eastern Finland), Toni-Matti Karjalainen (Sibelius Academy), Kimi Kärki (University of Turku), Dawid Kaszuba (Jagiellonian University of Krakow), Jakub Kosek (Pedagogical University of Krakow), Plamen Dimov (KIMAF).

Scientific Council: Andrzej Juszczyk (Jagiellonian University of Krakow), Helmi Järviluoma-Mäkelä (University of Eastern Finland), Paweł Frelik (University of Warsaw), Kimi Kärki (University of Turku).