This thesis is an ethnomusicological cross-cultural examination of Heavy Metal, Hardcore Punk and Metalcore music-cultures and how the transculturation of two distinct music-cultures, Heavy Metal and Hardcore Punk, have resulted in a third unique music-culture: Metalcore. Attention is given to the evolution of the music-cultures through history, with mention of current trends not covered in any other literature. In addition explanations of key tenets of culture-ways and their importance in forming these cultures as separate and distinct will be included. Topics addressed will include headbanging, the sign of the horns and moshing in Heavy Metal; slam-dancing, Straight Edge, and the do-it-yourself principles of Hardcore Punk; the commercial commoditization and establishment of Metalcore as separate and unique from both Heavy Metal and Hardcore Punk. In addition, a brief assessment of material culture will be included, covering the importance of musical instruments, art, and fashion. Fashion is especially important in forming ties with respective communities, personal interest groups, and establishing personal identity within the music-cultures. Both secondary source, as well as qualitative research will be used. While much of the history and culture-ways of Heavy Metal and Hardcore Punk have been well documented throughout the 1970s there is a lack of literature concerning either culture since the 1990s and 2000s. With the exception of only a few sources, there is little material addressing Metalcore, or Crossover Thrash music-culture. As a participant within Heavy Metal culture I will offer my own personal observations, as well as those of informants, to extend and support the documentary research findings.

Présentant des styles musicaux spécifiques des musiques extrêmes, cette thèse permet au lecteur de découvrir leurs sources d'inspirations et imaginaires. Elle interroge, à travers l'histoire du genre, le concept de contre-culture attaché à la culture Metal. Dans cette perspective, cette recherche va s'intéresser aux stéréotypes et aux préjugés. Ceux liés à la pornographie, souvent mis en avant par les détracteurs de cette musique, avec l'analyse du projet Girls X présenté par le festival Hellfest Open Air. Puis ceux relatifs à l'homosexualité en étudiant le sous-genre du glam'metal et les figures de l'androgyne et du beefcake tout en s'interrogeant sur la place des femmes dans ce sous-genre. Ce travail met aussi en opposition deux sous-genres musicaux, le métal symphonique et le black métal afin de réaliser une analyse de la présence féminine sur ces deux scènes. Le premier a pour particularité de mettre en scène le conte de La Belle et la Bête et le second d'observer le lien entre femmes et religions, grandes inspiratrices du black métal, et de présenter un héros spécifique du Métal, le prêtre-guerrier. L'étude du corps féminin dans la culture Métal est essentielle. Ce sera l'occasion de mettre en lumière les muses du Métal et les critères auxquels elles doivent correspondre. Enfin, cette thèse s'intéresse aux interactions entre ce qui est traditionnellement associé à la féminité et à la masculinité dans cette culture musicale notamment à travers les notions de puissance et pouvoir, la pratique du maquillage et le port de la jupe. Enfin, le changement de genre fait l'objet d'un dernier point de ce travail. / Is Heavy Metal music a counterculture? To answer this question this thesis presents various styles of Metal music with their imaginary worlds and inspirations in relation to gender studies. First, this thesis studies pornography stereotypes and prejudices with Hellfest Open Air Festival's project: Girls X. Then, this analysis studies those in relation to homosexuality in the glam'metal and present androgyne and beefcake figures. There is also some question as to, where women are in the glam' metal ? This research shall also estimate the presence of women into symphonic metal and black metal. Symphonic metal staging tale of Beauty and the Beast and black metal study observe link between of women and religions and present the warrior-priest hero character. This work studies the female body in Heavy Metal culture as well as the interactions within this musical culture, which matter and are seen as traditionally masculine or feminine through notions power over and power to, makeup... Lastly the thesis study the transgender people in Heavy Metal culture.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 256-265). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xii, 265 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

This thesis aims to analyze how a site developed, nurtured and consumed by heavy metal fans can have an empowering character. For this, we analyze the Whiplash.net, the most trusted specializing in heavy metal in Portuguese. Theoretically we left assertions of authors like Henri Jenkins, John Fiske, Lawrance Grossberg and Michel de Certeau to show how the action of fans can reverse the logic of consumption prescribed by cultural industries and create new meanings from their everyday life and their interests. Such action is possible due to their affective investment in relation to its object of worship, process which is here understood as active reception process, not only because relativize cultural and media hierarchies, but also generates socialization and conflicts within the lifestyle. / A presente dissertação tem como objetivo analisar como um site desenvolvido, alimentado e consumido por fãs de heavy metal pode ter um caráter empoderador. Para tanto, analisamos o Whiplash.net., o maior site especializado em heavy metal de língua portuguesa. Teoricamente partimos de assertivas de autores como Henry Jenkins, John Fiske, Lawrance Grossberg e Michel de Certeau para evidenciar como a ação dos fãs pode inverter lógicas de consumo prescritas pelas indústrias culturais e criar novos significados a partir do seu cotidiano e de seus interesses. Tal ação é possível graças ao seu investimento afetivo em relação a seu objeto de culto, processo que é entendido como recepção eminentemente ativa, não só porque relativiza hierarquias culturais e midiáticas, mas também gera socialização e conflitos no seio do estilo de vida.