Popular Culture Review 30.1
ars bring to the heavy metal studies scene . This collection reflects the theme of 2017 ’ s MHMC , “ Music and National Identities ,” which coincided with Finland ’ s independence centenary . The essays reflect both the dynamic inter-connectivity and the unique national flavor of heavy metal around the globe .
Toni-Matti Karjalainen ’ s contribution , “ Tales from the North and Beyond : Sounds of Origin as Narrative Discourses ” opens the volume with a fascinating look at the use of country-of-origin references in media coverage , which often cherry-pick nationally-flavored phrases and stereotypes that usually do not accurately reflect the music ( 15 ). The chapter showcases Finnish metal , and provides copious examples of generic narratives that claim a natural affinity of Finnish musicians to “ natural and mental landscapes , [ and ] the “ northern ” dimension ” of a snowy , despondent , strongly Romantic ideal of Nordic melancholy � a consistent depiction of the Finnish metal scene , despite its impressive diversity of sound and construction . Karjalainen notes that the placebound annotations and accompanied “ narratives of origin ” often have little to do with the musical content or style of the band / album being reviewed ; yet these descriptions often create meaningful and vivid associations in the reader ( 3 ). Prefabricated narratives link historically shaped genres and locational styles , which may help metal-conscious readers of magazines to contextualize the band / album within the larger map of metal sub-genres . Karjalainen examines a wide body of metal-centered media to illustrate this stereotypical narrative , juxtaposing bands , scenes , sub-genres , and other identities and characteristics that make up the “ sounds of origin ” in Finnish metal with the generic “ frozen tundra ” references that have little to do with the sounds or foci of Finnish music generally ( although it may fit a smaller , select group of Finnish metal bands ).
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