Exploring the language and spectacle of online hate speech in the black metal scene. Developing theoretical and methodological intersections between the social sciences and humanities.

Venkatesh, V.,  Nelson, B. J., Thomas, T.*, Wallin, J. J., Podoshen, J. S., Thompson, C.*, Jezer-Morton, K.*, Rabah, J.*, Urbaniak, K., & St.-Laurent, M.* (in press). In N. Varas-Diaz, & N. Scott (eds). Heavy Metal and the Communal Experience, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. 

 

Abstract 

Instances of racism and hateful comments via online forums and public commentary on online website for media outlets are not a new phenomenon (Hawdon 2012; Hughey and Daniels 2013; van Dijk 2000, 1997, 1992). The broader extreme metal music scene has seen its fair share of online hate speech of the misogynistic, racist, homo/trans-phobic and religious variety, amongst many others (Venkatesh, Podoshen, Perri & Urbaniak 2014). This chapter presents an analysis of several paradigm cases of online incidences of hate speech in the extreme metal community, namely, an anti-semitic weblog run by erstwhile Norwegian black metal musician, Varg Vikernes; discussions around an anti-Islam Facebook post made by Norwegian black metal band God Seed; as well as several reddit and forum feeds that discuss black metal, racism and National Socialism.