Eso-kitsch in Czech Folk Metal : A Case Study of the Band Odraedir

Authors

PUCHOVSKÝ Michal KRAJTL Ondřej

Year of publication 2022
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae: Studia de Cultura
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Arts

Citation
Web https://studiadecultura.up.krakow.pl/issue/view/689
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.24917/20837275.14.3.9
Keywords contemporary Paganism; metal studies; folk metal; kitsch; Czech Pagan music scene
Description Some criticism Pagan oriented folk metal music as “commercial”, i.e., created primarily for profit. We are convinced that this distinction is worthless, unmeasurable, and unverifiable from an analytical point of view. However, within a given musical genre, music fans and critics still distinguish very different works in terms of quality. Therefore, we propose to replace the vague term “commercial production” with the term esoteric kitsch (eso-kitsch), which is based on Tomáš Kulka’s analytical-aesthetic theory of kitsch. Using examples from the Czechoslovak folk metal scene, we show that eso-kitsch is a suitable tool for identifying musical creations that are characterized not by economic, creative, or spiritual value but primarily by aesthetic value.
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