Session Name: Revisiting Sacred Places, Texts, and Practices II
The Life of the Bygone Ferocious Deities in Indonesian Black Metal Aesthetics
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
14:00 – 15:45 (GMT+7)
Paper Abstract: Black Metal is known as the 'darkest' subgenre of the global heavy metal tradition. Major themes in the black metal tradition include occultism, paganism, quietus, and satanism. Indonesian Black Metal is no different. This style, which first appeared in Indonesia in the 1990s, was significantly influenced by the 'mighty' Scandinavian Black Metal tradition that is well-known as the utmost scene that incorporated the contemporary comprehension of Nordic spirit, pagan, satanist and misotheist credo. Surprisingly, the situation of Indonesian black metal suggests a musical aesthetic that echoes similar patterns of Scandinavian black metal traditions; about how to bring, the so-called, extreme religiosity in a contemporary black metal aesthetic. This paper discusses how the Indonesian black metal aesthetic was conceived as a text that not only voices but further brings to life the bygone celestial figures among Indonesia's ancient religious life in this contemporary era. The ferocious yet omnipotent depiction are being reflected in accordance with the circulated mythological narrative about the 'old deities' in the local society.
Presenter(s)
PA
Petrik M. Akhtabi
Airlangga Institute of Indian Ocean Crossroads, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia