Talk: The new wave of African heavy metal

Since its inception, heavy metal has been the subject of moral panic all over the world – from parents, teachers, religious groups and authorities, who have interpreted the genre's symbols, sounds and visual identity in the worst, and most literal, senses possible. Some might argue that the shock value is intrinsic to the music’s image, but as decades have passed, metal culture in all its different facets have also come to stand for something different: A communal spirit which eventually stretches across several generations, a tight bond between artists and performers, and a deep concern with musical craft, storytelling and visual culture. In western cultures, “metal” might just as easily conjure up an image of a tightly knit cultural scene in which people still commit and care deeply, even in the way they dress. 

In African countries, the scene is younger, and a lot of the questions and dilemmas which faced American and European metal in earlier decades are still valid, often in new and unexpected ways. In certain countries, the metal scene is still the subject of more serious persecution than condemnation and sensationalism in the media. Still, it thrives in many places, inspired by the sheer joy of the music and the intense, escapist moments it has to offer – especially live. During this year's Oslo World, Arka'n Asrafokor, who are spearheading the vital metal scene in Togo, will play at Goldie. Their “asrafocore” combines a vast array of metal influences with local rhythms and sounds, pointing towards new possibilities in this music.  

Amine Hamma is one of the organisers of the Tricinty Festival, Morocco’s first dedicated metal festival, which is shaping the future of the country’s metal scene. Metal has existed in Morocco for almost 30 years. In 2003, Amine and 13 other metalheads were arrested and charged with “shaking the foundations of the Islamic faith”, receiving prison sentences for their activities playing in bands and helping promote the scene. But King Mohammed VI helped secure the prisoners’ release and got the charges dropped. 

In this panel, Hamma will meet members of Arka’n Asrafokor and Andrew Beckett, the English-born, Oslo-based cultural organiser and co-curator of The Judgement Hall festival in London. The talk will be moderated by Johanna Holt Kleive, music journalist and member of the black metal band Witch Club Satan. Together, they will try to get a glimpse of the future of African metal. What makes the scene blossom? What are the obstacles, both political and in society at large? What, if any, lessons can be gathered from metal’s rich and often controversial history from the last 50 years? And, finally – what is it about this joyful noise that makes us care so deeply?