• DOI:10.1007/S40889-016-0013-Z
• Corpus ID: 147137236

When all is lost: thrash metal, dystopia, and ecopedagogy

@article{Buckland2016WhenAI,
  title={When all is lost: thrash metal, dystopia, and ecopedagogy},
  author={Peter Dawson Buckland},
  journal={International Journal of Ethics Education},
  year={2016},
  volume={1},
  pages={145-154}
}

• P. Buckland
• Published 2 March 2016
• Sociology
• International Journal of Ethics Education

Thrash metal songs have confronted listeners with socio-political problems since the genre emerged in the 1980s. Its abrasive tone and dystopian language implicitly and explicitly attacks norms, religion, the economic and political status quo, and social injustice. In addition to these anthropocentric concerns lives a powerful critique of our problematic contemporary relationship with the more-than-human community. This paper examines implicit and explicit environmental ethical statements in 18 thrash songs released between 1987 and 2013 written by 12 bands. It shows a consistent ecologically dystopian position and critical ethical stance ripe for ecopedagogical and ethics education purposes. Following that, the article explores more specific environmental ethical issues and presents approaches to incorporating them into curricula with possible bridges to other musical genres. It concludes with a call for a deeper critical ethical conversation in the age of ecocide.