An evaluation on the musical, symbolic and social reasons ofmarginalization policies towards the metal music culture and its followers and their responsive functionality in the construction of identity and community constellations

The fact that art productions, in respect of their nature and structures, are a means of "interpretation" that cannot be thought of independently from social dynamics, necessitates that the path to be followed in deciphering them must first be shaped through the analysis of the cultural paradigms of the society in which they sprout. While questioning the reasons for the popularization or marginalization of music categorized as an art production, it is necessary to try to determine the intersections or divergences of the adopted canon of expression with these concepts after an entire scheme of the subjects in close contact is brought out. In this context, the method applied while elaborating on the Metal music culture, which is the focal point of the given research, has been shaped within the framework of three main headings: Firstly, the basic characteristics and transformation stages of metal music have been examined, and their historical and musical components have been emphasized; secondly, the historical and cultural path of the symbols and performative ritualistic acts used in this genre has been tried to be explained; in the last chapter, which consists of two parts, first, how the symbolic expression language used in this genre is reflected in identity construction and disclosure, and its relationship with social status is examined; then, through non-music consumption products and practices, the representation modes that serve the manifestations of the genre in a wider public sphere and the commercial projections of its existence have been tried to be conveyed. Keywords: Metal music, Identity, Community, Subculture, Symbol and Allegory, Ritualistic