Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music
By Robert Walser and Harris M. Berger
3.5/5
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About this ebook
Dismissed by critics and academics, condemned by parents and politicians, and fervently embraced by legions of fans, heavy metal music continues to attract and embody cultural conflicts that are central to society. In Running with the Devil, Robert Walser explores how and why heavy metal works, both musically and socially, and at the same time uses metal to investigate contemporary formations of identity, community, gender, and power. This edition includes a new foreword by Harris M. Berger contextualizing the work and a new afterword by the author.
Ebook Edition Note: all photographs (sixteen) have been redacted.
“Walser belongs to a small but influential group of academics trying to reconcile ‘high theory’ with a streetwise sense of culture . . . an excellent book.” —Rolling Stone
“Takes musicology where it has never gone before; I once saw the chapter on metal guitarists and the classical tradition performed live in a lecture hall, but even on paper it smokes.” —SF Weekly
“Walser is truly gifted at doing what few critics before him have done: analyzing the music . . . In virtuoso readings of metal music that forge persuasive links between metal and particular classical music traditions, Walser reveals the ways that musical structures themselves are social texts.” —The Nation
“Making surprising connections to classical forms and debunking stereotypes of metal’s musical crudity, Walser delves enthusiastically into guitar conventions and rituals.” —The Washington Post
Robert Walser
Robert Walser es uno de los más importantes escritores en lengua alemana del siglo XX. Nació en Biel (Suiza) en 1878 y publicó quince libros. Murió mientras paseaba un día de Navidad de 1956 cerca del manicomio de Herisau, donde había pasado los últimos años de su vida. Siruela ha publicado también el libro de conversaciones Paseos con Robert Walser, de Carl Seelig y Robert Walser. Una biografía literaria, de Jürg Amann.
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The Walk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Sempach Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Reviews for Running with the Devil
7 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5An interesting (and incredibly in-depth) review of many aspects of metal music and culture. I borrowed this book knowing that it was about 80s popular metal, though I was a bit disappointed Walser did not spend more time with some of the underground metal that has come to be much more popular today. He explains the decision as a desire to create as broad a view as possible, and, hey, he's the dude writing it, I just read.I really enjoyed the discussions of musical forms and his defense of metal as legitimate. He also casts an interesting picture of metal as a counter-culture movement that is more about empowerment than rebellion. These early chapters, however are the ones that are probably most dated. He holds metal up as a genre that accepts women readily and actively seeks multi-cultural influence. I believe that these two aspects of the culture are less true today than they were 20 years ago.All in all, an enjoyable read to someone already familiar with the genre, but a bit dated to provide much understanding to a complete metal outsider.