“They Do Things Other People Don’t Like” A Folkloristic Approach to Extreme Metal Music

Abstract

I first met my partner, Paul, while working together at a restaurant in Ontario. At the end of my first shift, Paul told me that the staff had a little tradition: once all the customers left, each employee would select a music album, and we would shuffle them together in a playlist, blasting it through the speakers as we cleaned down. “You can pick anything you want,” Paul explained; since no customers were around, we were not limited to family-friendly music. With a glance to ensure my attention, Paul shrugged
nonchalantly and returned to building the playlist. “I usually listen to heavy metal,” he confided. Sure enough, moments later, distorted guitars and coarsely screamed vocals filled the restaurant.