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, Yuri Chung-Kim! Check out more of her work at yurichungkim.com!
Heavy Metal 101: Music and Culture
Wednesday January 25, 2023
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 GUTS of Metal - Music Theory and Songwriting with Colin Brumley
Tuesday February 7, 2023
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Colin Brumley. Titled "The GUTS of Heavy Metal: Metal Music Theory," join us for an evening of metal music theory and songwriting with Colin Brumley of Dormivore and Noctobre. This presentation will be a deep dive into how metal is made and how it works, from the granular to the bird’s-eye view. Topics will include foundations in classical music theory (no prior knowledge needed), scales and modalities utilized in different types of metal, how to expand your listening, and — new this year! — apply these ingredients, augmented with other musicological factors, towards songwriting via analysis of full original songs. We wouldn’t show you how to make the world’s greatest grilled cheese without actually dissecting one!
All About Harsh Vocals – History, Application, and Technique with Paul Buckley
Wednesday February 8, 2023
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Paul Buckley. This talk will discuss some background information regarding harsh vocals, how to develop and maintain a harsh vocal style, and examples of how harsh vocals are applied in metal.
History of Heavy Metal, Part I (RESCHEDULED)
Thursday February 9, 2023
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).
Connections Between Metal and Literature with Dean Swinford
Wednesday February 15, 2023
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Dean Swinford. We will discuss connections between metal and literature by talking about Dean's Death Metal Epic novels and his academic research on allegory and medieval themes in various metal genres. Decibel Magazine has called his novels “wild and imaginative” for the ways that they explore metal genres through a coming-of-age story of a wayward Floridian guitarist.
History of Heavy Metal: Part II
Tuesday February 21, 2023
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, New American Metal, Metalcore and Grindcore, Black Metal, Death Metal, and Extreme Metal.
GeoShred and Technology-Based Expressive Musical Instruments with Jordan Rudess
Tuesday February 28, 2023
MIT Heavy Metal 101 is pleased to present guest lecturer, Jordan Rudess. Jordan Rudess, keyboardist with the prog metal band, Dream Theater, technologist, and app creator will present his physical modeling-based app GeoShred as a way to open dialogue about the advancements in technology-based expressive musical instruments.
History of Heavy Metal: Part III
Thursday March 2, 2023
This will be a seminar examining even more genres of Heavy Metal. Topics will include more obscure genres of Progressive Metal, Metal Fusion, Experimental and Avant-Garde Metal, and whatever else we missed so far. As always, it's going to get weird.