Putting transgression into context within the complex Saudi heavy metal scene

Abstract

After the 1979 seizure of the Mecca Grand Mosque by local radicals, the Saudi authorities banned entertainment for four decades to appease clerics and to silence artists, including musicians. As a result, heavy metal music in Saudi Arabia has primarily been created and played in secret. Vision 2030 brings entertainment to the public Saudi stage, including metal music, but limitations exist. In most secular countries, extreme heavy metal is no longer seen as transgressive due to shifts in societal norms and freedom of expression, suggesting transgression can be contextual. This study investigates Saudi metal artists’ interpretations of transgression and resistance, considering the social changes in the Saudi Kingdom. Saudi metalheads play a complex role within a genre that is often associated with a transgressive approach to politics and religion. In the midst of a rapidly evolving new paradigm, musicians and fans strive to carve out a place for themselves and their music.