Gender Inequality in Metal Music Production

July, 4th – 13h00 – 13h30 – FLASH BOOK LAUNCHES

Price: Free.

‘Gender Inequality in Metal Music Production’, by Pauwke Berkers and Julian Schaap.

Description: Three percent. That is the average share of women in metal music acts across the globe over the last forty years. In metal, it seems that women are nowhere but gender is everywhere. Why has this genre been an impenetrable fortress for female musicians and are there changes towards gender equality? Gender Inequality in Metal Music Production provides a systematic theoretical overview that helps explain this huge underrepresentation of women in metal music. Moreover, instead of focusing on individual scenes, this book provides a unique large-scale overview of women in global metal music. By drawing from Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives and interview data, the authors empirically study the extent of gender inequality in metal music by comparing longitudinal trends and countries, subgenres within metal, and roles in terms of instrumentation. In addition, this book examines how the ‘double-edged sword’ – greater visibility versus not being taken seriously as a musician – affects the careers of women in metal.

Cibermúsica [Cybermusic], Casa da Música, Porto