ABSTRACT
While heavy metal has historically been both male-dominated and male-centric, the androcentrism of the heavy metal scene is intensified in death metal, as evinced by the subculture’s codes of behavior, its aesthetic, and its reputation for having the highest male-to-female ratio of any metal subgenre. Drawing on additional research material and interviews with female death metal fans, this chapter explores these issues and how they can contribute to an emerging subfield within metal studies concerned with the politics of gender and female participation. It highlights the specific nature of power, distinguishing it from related concepts, and argues that women in the death metal scene lack power both collectively and individually. The chapter argues that cost reduction serves as a coping mechanism by which female fans mitigate the psychological distress that arises from submission to patriarchal demands.
