Not a Metallurgy class! This veteran crash-course is coming back in full force and will have you head banging, air guitaring, and devil horn raising in no time! Learn everything you ever wanted to know about Heavy Metal, including how Metallica continues to evolve, why Lemmy IS God (RIP), how the genre tackles some of today's biggest sociopolitical challenges, why metal bands exist in every country on Earth, and why you're probably already a metalhead without even knowing it.
WARNING: This series most definitely goes to 11! Earplugs optional.
We'll look at metal cultures, explore the fringes of the most extreme forms of metal, and, of course, listen to some SCREAMING HEAVY METAL! This is guaranteed to be the most BRUTAL class ever offered at MIT! Anyone is welcome to join, and since we're remote again this year, seating isn't limited. Learn more about this series' past in the class archive!
This year's flyer design was created by artist, Rot of Rotten Cvlt Artwork! Check out more of his work at www.instagram.com/rottencvlt!
All classes start at 6:30pm ET and Zoom links will be posted below each class!
2025
Heavy Metal 101: Music and Culture
Monday January 13, 2025
An introduction to Heavy Metal. Topics include the musicology of Heavy Metal as well as an examination of Heavy Metal culture. This multimedia extravaganza covers everything you ever wanted to know about Heavy Metal!
The Physics Behind the Shred with Will Lunden
Wednesday January 15, 2025
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Will Lunden. Will’s session will focus on the physics at the heart of the electric guitar in metal, and how the fundamental properties of waves and electronics lead to its characteristic sounds. Topics covered will include pickup design and placement, natural and artificial harmonics, multiscale/”fanned fret” guitars, the boons and banes of nonlinearity, and why distortion is so integral to the “heavy metal sound.” There will be some shred-tastic demonstrations of each of these principles along the way.
Wheels of Steel: The Influence of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with Martin Popoff
Tuesday January 21, 2025
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Martin Popoff. The talk will be on identifying the key characteristics of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. We will also look back to identify key influences on those bands from the previous ten years plus forward to see how it, in turn, inspired metal-makers for the following ten years.
Is Heavy Metal Sacred? The Psychological Functions and Desecration of Heavy Metal with Kyle Messick
Wednesday January 22, 2025
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Dr. Kyle J. Messick. Sharing his findings from two recent studies, we will explore the psychological functions of metal music and how the loss and desecration of sacred aspects of metal music culture can have a profound impact on those who value it.
History of Heavy Metal: Part I [RESCHEDULED, Friday 1/24]
Friday January 24, 2025
A seminar examining the history of Heavy Metal from the late 1960s through the early 1990s. Topics will include Hard Rock, Archetypal Heavy Metal, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM).
History of Heavy Metal: Part II
Tuesday January 28, 2025
A seminar examining the history of Heavy Metal from the early 1980s to the present. Topics include Power Metal, Thrash Metal and the Big 4.
Metal Aesthetics: A Rebel at the Core with Clara Wanning - LIVE In-Person and Online!
Wednesday January 29, 2025
This class will take place both in-person on MIT's Campus in room 35-225 and will be livestreamed (if possible) and recorded for later viewing. To join in person, please head to Building 35 on MIT's campus, and room 225 will be on the second floor. Please register here: https://forms.gle/uVk2NwbPnEw57xh98
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AvrVmqMBTk8qe67a7 Parking is limited. **Please note: you must arrive before 7pm to be able to access the classroom.**
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Clara Wanning. During this lecture, we will get an overview of the aesthetic themes underlying metal's self-image, take a look at how they develop, and start to think about the metal community's future between conservatism and counterculture.
Zoom Registration (online)
Leather And Heavy Metal: More Than Meets the Eye with Haydée Irizarry - LIVE In-Person and Online! [RESCHEDULED, Thursday 1/30]
Thursday January 30, 2025
This class will take place both in-person on MIT's Campus in room 35-225 and will be livestreamed (if possible) and recorded for later viewing. To join in person, please head to Building 35 on MIT's campus, and room 225 will be on the second floor. Please register here: https://forms.gle/YV4xuM6RcDLpq5Rg9
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AvrVmqMBTk8qe67a7 Parking is limited. **Please note: you must arrive before 7pm to be able to access the classroom.**
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Haydée Irizarry. This presentation will introduce the history of leatherworking, leather subculture, and its profound influence on heavy metal, fashion, music, and art to this day. Whether you’re a fan of heavy metal or not, there are many ways to incorporate the legacy of leatherworking in your daily style. After discussion, we will experiment with different leatherworking tools for a hands-on experience!
Zoom Registration (online)
Neuroscience of Metal with Evgeny Gromovoy
Monday February 3, 2025
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Evgeny Gromovoy. How is music processed in the brain? Why does it evoke pleasure? Can it have therapeutic effects? Advances in neuroscience are beginning to unravel these intricate questions. In this talk, Evgeny will provide an overview of our current understanding—and highlight the mysteries that remain.
All About Harsh Vocals – History, Application, and Technique with Paul Buckley - LIVE In-Person and Online!
Wednesday February 5, 2025
This class will take place both in-person on MIT's Campus in room 35-225 and will be livestreamed (if possible) and recorded for later viewing. To join in person, please head to Building 35 on MIT's campus, and room 225 will be on the second floor. Please register here: https://forms.gle/hwCu8sFqmtcZsEMH7
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AvrVmqMBTk8qe67a7 Parking is limited. **Please note: you must arrive before 7pm to be able to access the classroom.**
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Paul Buckley. This talk will discuss the history of harsh vocals, how they are applied in everyday life, and how rock and metal singers use them to do what they do.
Zoom Registration (online)
History of Heavy Metal: Part III
Monday February 10, 2025
This will be a seminar examining even more genres of Heavy Metal. Topics will include more about New American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Metal Fusion, Experimental and Avant-Garde Metal, and whatever else we missed so far. As always, it's going to get weird.
Understanding Black Metal - History, Sound, and Controversy with Lauren Crosser
Tuesday February 11, 2025
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Lauren Crosser. Join sociologist Lauren Crosser for an exploration into black metal, a distinctive and controversial subgenre of heavy metal. This lecture will explore the history and defining features of black metal. In addition, this lecture will investigate the question of how and why some of the more well-known controversial politics of black metal emerged in social democratic, economically thriving countries. Lauren will examine the heated debates and ideological struggles that continue to surround the genre today. The discussion will also touch on the evolution of black metal into various subgenres. Whether you're a seasoned metalhead or new to the genre, this lecture will spark questions and provide insights into the music, its culture, and its contentious past and present.
Life as a Modern Metal Drummer: Tech, Production, and Touring with Matt Zappa - LIVE In-Person and Online!
Wednesday February 12, 2025
This class will take place both in-person on MIT's Campus in room 35-225 and will be livestreamed (if possible) and recorded for later viewing.
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Matt Zappa. This lecture will explore drumming techniques used by modern metal musicians, featuring live demonstrations. It will also cover the skills and requirements expected of contemporary drummers in the music industry, the impact of technological advancements on music and instrument production, and personal stories from life on tour.