Indigenous metal music

Indigenous metal is heavy metal music played by indigenous peoples of various colonized regions. Bands may play music from across the metal spectrum, though most center indigenous themes, stories, or

Themes and lyrics#

The term “indigenous metal” is sometimes conflated with “tribal metal,” which is more broadly influenced by pan-indigenous stories and follows Viking metal bands’ approach to capturing their culture. Indigenous metal is often explicitly defined as exploring themes of “experienced dispossession, liberation, and death” in addition to preserving linguistic and cultural heritage. Native American metal bands in the Southwest United States sometimes refer to their musical style as “Rez metal,” as it concerns political issues that make it popular among youth on reservations. Many bands focus on linguistic preservation by singing either partially or exclusively in their indigenous languages. Notably, New Zealand band Alien Weaponry have performed several songs in the Māori language on international stages. Bands Aborigene and Araña, who write about Maya civilization and Pipil stories, are among the most popular metal acts from El Salvador.

Musical style#

Artists may make use of cultural imagery, fashion, melodies, and instrumentation. In general, the use of percussion and traditional wind instruments are a core compositional element to indigenous metal music. Mexican band Cemican, for example, incorporate pre-colonial Aztec wind instruments such as stone flutes in their songs.

Language revitalization#

Metal that showcases indigenous languages plays an important role in revitalization efforts, especially when the languages used are endangered. In an interview, Alien Weaponry manager Niel de Jong voiced his belief that making the Māori language “…cool through music” may convince apprehensive Māori youth to learn the language. Brazilian folk metal band Arandu Arakuaa regularly perform in Tupi Guarani, Xerénte, and Xavante; they include a children’s song on every album to promote the languages to young audiences. In 2013, Testament lead singer Chuck Billy, who is Pomo and spent much of his youth on the Hopland Band reservation, was recognized by both California State Assembly member Jim Frasier and the National Museum of the American Indian for his positive contributions to Native American image.

Controversy#

Indigenous metal is often criticized for not being “true” Indigenous music. This trend is pervasive with respect to Indigenous knowledge production and Indigenous arts and has been criticized by Indigenous people as colonial in nature, one that solidifies the stereotype of Indigenous peoples as fundamentally “backward”. The idea of a complete loss of culture also fails to take into consideration the continuance of traditions changing in different mediums, such as but not limited to the use of black metal corpse paint which, while it originates in black metal, is also similar to the look of the Navajo witches.

Genre family: Heavy metal genres, Indigenous music, Mexican rock music, Rock music genres