Metal Music Studies issue 5.3 has just been published, featuring my article ‘Breaking down the breakdown in twenty-first-century metal‘. In the article:
I introduce the breakdown as a formal structure identified in certain styles of modern metal, especially metalcore. Breakdowns are widely considered to be distinct sections of a song, much like a verse or chorus: this observation provides the basis for defining breakdowns structurally using music analysis. Responding to the nascent field of research on popular music fandom, I next discuss curatorial practices focusing upon breakdowns, where online fan communities collect their favourites, rate them and compare how they are employed in metal music. Moving beyond their use as extracts of recorded tracks, I investigate some possible uses and accompaniments for breakdowns in live settings. In particular, metal performance scenarios can emphasize breakdowns as opportunities for moshing and other forms of collective motion. Finally, I consider potential listening experiences of breakdowns (and their accessibility), from catharsis and emotional release to communal belonging.
It’s a Metal Music Studies special issue on the topic of Metal and Musicology, following on from a conference at the University of Hull hosted by Dr. Lewis Kennedy (who coedited the guest issue with Dr M Selim Yavuz). It’s an important topic and a great editorial team. You can read their open-access introduction to the issue in full here.
If you’re at all interested in metal music listening, analysing metalcore, YouTube breakdown compilations (e.g. here), or why people might partake in moshing, do check out my article here.