ABSTRACT
Communication between fans has always been an integral facet of the heavy metal culture, because heavy metal, more than any other style of music, is almost exclusively a fan’s music. It has generally been scorned or rejected by mainstream media and music critics, so from the beginning the role of the fanzine has been crucial. Fanzines are informal magazines essentially created by fans for fans. As the fanzine has evolved from its crude homemade beginnings to rival legitimate magazines in terms of style and layout, the Internet has become an even greater tool for communication among heavy metal fans. Most bands (or their record labels) have their own official Web sites, but it is the Web sites created by fans that allow individuals to forge an identity within the heavy metal community and facilitate communication between fans. Chat rooms and message boards allow for nearly instantaneous communication, which further solidifies one’s place within the heavy metal community. Often band members
themselves will participate in chat rooms or message boards, creating an even greater sense of immediacy and belonging for fans. With the Internet, heavy metal fans no longer have to rely on postal mail for contact with fellow fans, and this has served to foster an even greater sense of community within the heavy metal fan culture.
