Mapping International Metal

Music lives on a highly international spectrum.  However one can forget that it includes all genres. As western ideals of music have developed, so too has an elitist attitude toward popular genres.  The early 1960s experienced a huge growth of popular music. This was largely attribute to the growing genre of rock n roll.  The major groups of this time created the archetype of the rock band. This includes loud rebellious and dangerous music. The end of this decade began the trend of heavy metal, born from advancements in music technology and dissatisfaction with the social climate of the era. Since then, metal has been replicated across many different cultures and has become an all–encompassing genre of international music. In this project, I will explore the geography of the top 100 metal bands map worldwide, tracing the focus of their tours and plotting the locations of their major fan–bases using the Arc GIS program. I hope to show the scope of the metal genre on the world and explain key concepts within the genre that are widely misunderstood.

Project Leader 

Sarah Elizabeth Redlhammer is a senior pursuing a dual degree at the University of North Florida. Her majors are in International Studies with a focus in European studies and Classical Vocal Performance.  Her research interest vary from music history to vocal health. She has performed in various shows around the state of Florida and enjoys analyzing German lied. She is hoping to complete an internship with the Digital Humanities program relating to international metal music. Sarah hopes to graduate in the spring and pursue a master’s degree to become a Singing Health Specialist.

Faculty mentors: 

Chris Baynard, associate professor of geography and GIS
Clayton McCarl, associate professor of Spanish and director, International Studies Program