On Extremity

Reviews / Votes

On Extremity is a ground-breaking collection of essays that promises to shift our understanding of a concept that is often used but rarely scrutinized. While rooted in studies of metal the editors and authors expand outwards to other forms of art and practice, forging connections between multiple extremities. -- Keith Kahn-Harris, Leo Baeck College Inspiring. A book that deploys the concept of Extremity not as a catchall straight-jacket, but as a launching point into the elusive term's ever-expanding possible meanings. From listening to extreme noise to becoming one with extreme silence; from screaming against sexism and trauma to throwing an oppositional gaze at colonialism; from invoking memory to challenging forgetfulness, from confronting the shock of modernity to contending with the banality of the era of Post-Truth: the chapters contained herein position Extremity as a prescient field for years to come. -- Daniel Nevarez Araujo, University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras Like the best interdisciplinary work, the editors and contributors to this volume illuminate a key feature of our contemporary condition from multiple angles. When metal studies began as a new field of study, many wondered if it would bring a new theoretical lens to current cultural debates. The idea of "extremity" might well be that unique contribution. That is reason enough to recommend this book highly! -- Jeremy Wallach, Professor, Department of Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University