Sunday 7 March 2010

Big Shiny Prison, Metal Jew, Heavy Metal Islam

If that image doesn't grab your attention, then nothing will......

I came across it on the Metal Jew blog (where there's a link for a free download) in the course of following up some resources on cultural sociology and popular music. I regard cultural sociology as an alternative to the garden variety Zizekianism that tends to dominate the cultural studies influenced parts of the blogosphere, as well as the sociology of culture (my earlier post on Janet Wolff clarified some of the important differences). Other than Metal Jew, one can read Andy Bennett's (Griffith University) position paper to see what is involved, and then - for example- try to read Heavy Metal Islam according to Bennett's strategy (I suggest this supplement because it's rumoured something went awry during publication in HMI, which led to a watering down of the theoretical focus; so as it currently stands, it could probably be compared to a kaleidoscope- many entrancing shapes and colours that somehow never seem to align). Not sure when the related film might materialise though:


Metal Jew also makes some interesting observations about Burzum's new album, with which I concur. I'd adopt a similar justification for my taste in Death In June, Blood Axis, Boyd Rice et al- which otherwise make for strange bedfellows with the Afrofuturism I also enjoy.

Thanks to book editing commitments over the last fortnight I now have such severe RSI that I can barely type. I've since been avoiding the computer like the plague, but still hope to check in again before too long.

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