“If you’re doing your thing, and you’re doing it in New York, you are metal. And New York is metal because of you.” – Linda Leseman

This past academic year, I had the opportunity to teach an undergraduate class on heavy metal music and culture as part of an off-campus intercultural studies program that I directed in New York City. Heavy metal shows up in popular culture all the time, whether it be in consumer products or at the Olympic Games. Understanding metal culture can deepen our appreciation of these moments while also offering broader life lessons, raising interesting questions, and conveying objective truths, despite the subjectivity of music preferences.

Here are a few key takeaways from the class that stand out as particularly significant.

People fear things they don’t understand, including art.

This fear can be so intense that authority figures will label creative expression as harmful or dangerous. The recent TikTok ban echoes the “Satanic panic” of the 1980s, which grossly misinterpreted heavy metal lyrics and imagery and advocated for censorship through labeling. It is much easier to blame art for societal issues than to solve the underlying problems.

Economic circumstances are intertwined with art and culture.

Heavy metal originated against a backdrop of factories in Birmingham, England and thus the dark sound of Black Sabbath reflected working-class struggles. Today, most metal music is produced in high-income countries, leading to a more technical and virtuosic style of playing. Shifts in economic conditions transform culture in meaningful ways, but culture also has the power to shape economic conditions. When a few artists became famous in New York’s East Village, the influx of wealthy transplants made the neighborhood unaffordable for musicians, effectively killing the legendary punk scene.  

It can be uncomfortable to acknowledge skill or influence while remaining critical of an artist’s moral character. 

While metal has always been about drawing meaning and beauty from the darkness and suffering of the world, some individuals, such as those in the NSBM scene, are problematic. Can we separate the art from the artist? Art’s uniqueness is derived from the artist’s identity and perspective, and this complicates our experience of it. Kanye West recently drew inspiration from Burzum, the black metal project of convicted killer and pagan neo-Nazi Varg Vikernes, proving that this isn’t something only metal fans must reconcile.

Gender inequality persists across many fields, often limiting women to less prestigious roles.

Only 3% of metal musicians are women. When women do participate, they typically occupy stereotypically feminine roles like vocalist, or lower-status roles like bassist. Men, on the other hand, dominate higher-status positions like lead guitar. This example of vertical sex segregation shows how women’s contributions can be stifled when they are confined to filling roles left vacant by men. Patterns of gendered behavior that are embedded in the structures of our institutions can be changed, but only if we recognize them.

Success comes from following one’s true calling, even without widespread recognition.

One of metal’s greatest success stories is the Canadian band Anvil, whose resurgence illustrates that life is a series of setbacks and sacrifices we make as we strive to achieve our goals. The truth is, you don’t need a Nobel Prize, a spot at Wacken, or even more than 16 subscribers of your blog to be successful, as long as you are doing what you love with unwavering perseverance.

Authenticity builds strength in the face of life’s challenges.

NYC is a great place to teach and learn about heavy metal, not only because it’s the birthplace of bands like KISS, Anthrax, and Type O Negative, but also because it’s a city where you can be unapologetically yourself. The city can be harsh, unfiltered and expensive, but its creative energy stems from people being their true selves, no matter how unconventional.  Authenticity, a core value in metal culture, is a powerful force that helps us prevail through obstacles and hardships. 

These are just a few of the life lessons metal offers, made tangible to my students through field trips to museums, record stores, and live shows across the city. Importantly, we had the chance to engage with both musicians and scholars. I owe a debt of gratitude to Richard Christy, Max Gorelick, Jeff Podoshen, Jesse Rifkin, and Lexi Turner for their invaluable contributions as subject matter experts.

I am also grateful to St. Lawrence University for allowing me to teach about my lifelong passion. Even though it raised a few eyebrows among administrators, I got positive responses from my faculty colleagues both inside and outside of my department.  

Most of all, I’m thankful to my students, who had no choice but to take this course to complete the semester-long program. They were, quite literally, forced to rock. Though they had varying degrees of experience with heavy metal, they all approached the class with open minds. It was genuinely cool to see the genre through their individual perspectives and I was glad to hear that they enjoyed the class and learned a lot, even if they weren’t quite ready to become fans just yet. 

This year, I’ve returned to teaching economics and finance, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. Where will my academic journey take me next? I’m not certain, but I know it will be metal.

Get your metal education by reviewing the Heavy Metal NYC course materials.