Metalheads today: Classic subculture or its echo?

Namen diplomskega dela je raziskati, v kolikšni meri lahko danes metalce in njihovo glasbeno-kulturno doživljanje metala še povezujemo s konceptom klasične subkulture. V isti sapi se sprašujem, ali so danes metalci še tipični predstavniki tipične subkulture oz. v kakšnem smislu današnja slika metalske scene še spominja na tisto jedrno heavymetalsko subkulturo. Spremembe, ki so se odvile od nekoč do danes, bodo orisane s pomočjo teoretične razdelave klasične subkulturne teorije in sodobnih postsubkulturnih študij. V namenu iskanja zametkov obeh subkulturnih teorij je bilo opravljenih deset delno strukturiranih intervjujev, sogovorniki pa so bili razdeljeni v dve generacijski skupini. Pet jih pripada mlajši generaciji metalcev, v kateri so vsi v svojih zrelih dvajsetih letih, medtem ko ostalih pet pripada starejši generaciji, dane intervjuje in ugotavljam podobnosti, predvsem pa razlike, med starejšo in mlajšo generacijo. Primerjava pogledov, stališč, dojemanja, doživljanja in izkušenj obeh generacij okvirno zariše, kje in kako se danes metal in metalci ujamejo v koncepte tako turbulentnega, živega in spreminjajočega se pojma, kot je subkultura.The aim of the thesis is to investigate to what extent current so called metalheads and their musical and cultural experience of metal can still be connected with the concept of classic subculture. At the same time I wonder if metalheads nowadays are still typical representatives of a typical subculture, or in what sense does current image of the metal scene still resembles the core heavy metal subculture. The changes that have taken place from the past to the present will be outlined on the basis of the theoretical elaboration of classic subcultural theory and modern post-subcultural studies. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to find the origins of both subcultural theories. The interviewees were divided into two generational groups. Five of them belong to the younger generation of metalheads with all being in their late twenties, while the other five belong to the older generation, with the interviewees being in their forties or older. In the analytical part, I dissect the given interviews and identify the similarities and above all the differences between the older and the younger generation. A comparison of the views, attitudes, perceptions, opinions and experiences of the two generations roughly outlines where and how metal and metalheads nowadays can be defined within the concepts of such a turbulent, living and changing idea as subculture