This multi-disciplinary edited collection explores the textual analysis of heavy metal lyrics written in languages other than English, including Yiddish, Latin, Russian, Austrian German, Spanish and Italian. The volume features fascinating chapters on the role of ancient language in heavy metal, the significance of metal in minority-language communities, Slovenian mythology in metal, heavy metal lyrics and politics in the Soviet Union and Taiwan, processing bereavement in Danish black metal, cultural identity in Norwegian-medium metal, and the Kawaii metal scene in Japan, amongst others.
Applying a range of methodological approaches - from literary and content analysis to quantitative corpus methods and critical approaches - the book conceptualises various forms of identity via lyrical text and identifies a number of global themes in heavy metal lyrics, including authenticity, parody and the desire to sound extreme, that reoccur across different countries and languages.
The book is essential reading for researchers and students of metal music and culture, as well as those with broader interests in cultural studies, musicology, literary studies and popular culture studies.