ABSTRACT
Heavy metal is a global subculture, developing from its origins in Birmingham city in the 1960s and 1970s. Whilst it incorporates a distinct sound, an easily identifiable style and unique rituals, it has still evolved into a series of subgenres that have incorporated a variety of meanings across the globe. The fact that heavy metal and its fans have been described as 'uncivilized' and that their behaviour has been positioned as 'morally dubious' makes it the perfect context in which to explore Norbert Elias' figurational sociology framework and his ideas concerning processes of 'civilizing'. The external controls refer to the role of rules and regulation and the presence of security or 'bouncers'. The presence of security personnel facilitates the performance of aggressive rituals either through their absence from heavy metal events or through what Goulding et al. The code of the mosh pit is governed by what Mark, depth-interview, describes as the 'unwritten rules'.
