Heavy metal and the deafening threat of the apolitical

Abstract

This article focuses on the relationship of heavy metal to the political. The political is often rejected in heavy metal scenes in favour of a desired apolitical autonomy. At the same time, as the author argues, there are also more political strains in metal, as in Napalm Death’s anti-fascist stance for example. Drawing on the work of Marcuse, the author affirms the potency and subversion inherent in metal’s apolitical stance. Metal provides a ‘liberated environment’ in which the rejection of politics creates a space for community and art.