Classic Metal Class Session Videos

a monthly series focused on intersections between philosophy, history, music history, and heavy metal

Back in 2020, my friend, colleague, and fellow metalhead from childhood Scott Tarulli started a new monthly online event that we called “Classic Metal Class”. Both of us are professors and we do try to make the sessions pretty information-rich and educational, so calling it a “class” isn’t really a stretch. The “classic metal” means that we focus mainly on the early heyday of heavy metal, as it developed in the 1970s and 1980s.

Scott and I both grew up with the classic heavy metal of the 1970s and 1980s, and carried on our engagement and enjoyment of that musical genre up to the present. He went on to master the guitar, make albums, lead bands and gig with some major artists, play as a session musician, and become a professor of guitar at Berkelee School of Music. And me, among other things I became a philosopher, a content producer, and a professor of philosophy. We bring our experience, knowledge, talent, and passion into these class sessions.

Each one is devoted to a particular topic, and the discussions range over and draw upon a number of fields including but not limited to philosophy, music history, music theory, media studies, technology, and sociology. Sometimes we are looking at “scenes” that arose and developed. Sometimes at major themes of lyrical content. Other sessions focus on ethical, aesthetic, or metphysical matters arising as we think about heavy metal. We’ve also done a number of sessions about the media that supported and helped disseminate heavy metal music.

Because of the busyness of our schedules and lives, Scott and I sometimes had to put this collaborative side project of Classic Metal Class on hold at times, but we’ve always managed to come back to it. Right now, we’ve got a good head of steam built up and lots of sessions planned to come down the proverbial pike!

So here are all the Classic Metal Class sessions we have recorded so far:

• Session 1 — Early Heavy Metal (1970–1974)

• Session 2 — The Black Sabbath — Deep Purple Nexus

• Session 3 — Metaphysical Identity of Bands in Changes

• Session 4 — Mimesis, Metal Music, and Tribute Bands

• Session 5 — Mid-Late 1970s Heavy Metal In The British Scene

• Session 6 — The Ethics of Post-Farewell Tours

• Session 7 — The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)

• Session 8 — American Metal in the 1970s

• Session 9 — The Sunset Strip and the L.A. Connection

• Session 10 — Heavy Metal In Germany in the 1970s to Mid-1980s

• Session 11 — What Makes “Best Albums” The Best?

• Session 12 — Classic Metal and Cover Songs

• Session 13 — Heavy Metal Video Pre-MTV

• Session 14 — Meta-Metal Songs and Metal Identity

• Session 15 — Metal Covers of Non-Metal Songs

• Session 16 — Judas Priest & KK’s Priest — Ethical Issues

• Session 17 — Spinal Tap to Steel Panther: Parody in Heavy Metal

• Session 18 — Heavy Metal Power Ballads

• Session 19 — Recent Albums By Classic Metal Bands

• Session 20 — Who Count As “Original” Band Members?

• Session 21 — Rebellion as a Theme in Heavy Metal

• Session 22 — What Do Bands Owe Fans: Setlists and Live Performances?

• Session 23 — What Makes Guitar Solos In Metal Songs Great?

• Session 24 — Interview With Cenydd Blackwell About The New Wave Of Heavy Metal

• Session 25 — Heavy Metal In Japan In the 1970s-1980s

• Session 26 — Reviews Of Recent Albums by NWOBHM Bands

• Session 27 — Metal Bands That Say They're Not “Heavy Metal”

• Session 28 — What Makes "Best" Albums By A Band The Best?

• Session 29 — Philosophy & Heavy Metal Academic Class | Interview With Rob Colter

• Session 30 — Examining The Ethics of Bands Charging For Meet And Greets

• Session 31 — An Interview With Buck Dharma Of Blue Oyster Cult

• Session 32 — Counterfactual “What Ifs?” from Heavy Metal History

• Session 33 — Metal Genres Developing Within Classic Heavy Metal in the 1970s-80s

• Session 34 — What Makes Metal Mashups Work?

• Session 35 — Nordic Heavy Metal in the 1970-80s

• Session 36 — What Was "Speed Metal"?

• Session 37 — Magazines' Role In Classic Metal (1970s-1980s)

• Session 38 — Canadian Heavy Metal in the 1970s-1980s

If you’d like to join us, we typically hold sessions — schedules permitting — Noon Central Time, the third Saturday or Sunday of each month. You can always check the ReasonIO Events calendar to see when the sessions have been scheduled, and what topics we are planning to tackle.