Calder Hannan from Columbia University in New York City shares his research on progressive metal and topic theory.
Hannan examines the ways of hearing genre borrowing in the music of the influential American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me. This paper takes topic theory as a starting point, arguing that far from being an esoteric music theory tool useful only for expanding listening to the music of Mozart and his contemporaries, it reflects a mode of listening to Between the Buried and Me that is very common and accessible.