Classic Heavy Metal - the stuff from the 70s and 80s - has been a major part of my life since I was a kid, and before I even knew what that kind of music was called. I've also been either studying or teaching philosophy for three decades now. Those areas have bled over into each other from time to time, and I've been fortunate to have friends and colleagues - including Scott Tarulli, Blitch 66, and (my wife) Andi Sciacca - with whom I could "talk metal" in deep, detailed, and animated conversations.
In addition to enjoying heavy metal as a fan, I've also long been researching the history of the genre. I've been wanting not just to engage in writing about classic metal, but also to engage in some teaching and interactive discussion about it. So I'm starting that up this weekend with a the first 1-hour session of Classic Metal Class - and you're invited!
I'll be hosting the class on Zoom at Noon Central Time, Saturday April 25. Here's the signup page (our Zoom is capped at 100 people). I'm planning on presenting for the first 20 or so minutes, and then we'll open it up to discussion and Q&A - and guitarist, bandleader, and professor Scott Tarulli will also be there as a special guest, participating in the discussion!
The topic I've selected for this first session is a basic but also controversial one: the early years of metal (1970-1974). "Controversial?" you might ask? Yep! There's quite a few "origin stories" to heavy metal, and the simpler they are, usually the more wrong they turn out to be. We'll be discussing the "it was just Black Sabbath at the start" narrative (usually coupled with "and then it was Judas Priest"), and showing how much richer, more complex, and more interesting the real story of metal's early years is!
We'll also be touching on some more explicitly philosophical issues like how and whether we can define music genres; what the essence of heavy metal is (if there is one); what makes a band "important" or "influential"; and why this music caught on in the first place.
So join us this Saturday for what promises to be a lively discussion of this music we love!
