Exploring what the word "heavy" means for (metal) music producers and musicians.

What is it about?

Heaviness is a key criterion of metal music, both sociologically and aesthetically. Nevertheless, it is not well understood what heaviness "is". This article investigates how (metal) musicians and producers use the word "heavy" in online discussions.

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Photo by JT on Unsplash

Photo by JT on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Previous research has either used the word "heavy" without definition or has reflected on it theoretically. This study is the first to examine how practitioners use the term in the "real world" to determine how well academic discourse and everyday use align. The findings confirm the academic considerations but also reveal further aspects of heaviness that have not been considered in research to date.