Medieval Media Transformations and Metal Album Covers

Abstract

This chapter analyses the different ways in which metal album covers draw upon medieval media. The analysis is situated within the broad theoretical frame of intermediality, and more specifically view the process where medieval media cross the borders and find their way into metal album covers as media transformation. Four different types of media transformation are analysed, and it is argued that the medievalism of album covers can be defined in terms of media transformation. Likewise, neomedievalism is defined in terms of second-order media transformation. The album cover is described as a media patchwork, and the chapter gives examples of the patches in terms of relationship and properties.

Citation

Vestergaard, V. (2019), "Medieval Media Transformations and Metal Album Covers", Barratt-Peacock, R. and Hagen, R. (Ed.) Medievalism and Metal Music Studies: Throwing Down the Gauntlet (Emerald Studies in Metal Music and Culture), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 21-34. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-395-720191004