Editorial introduction

Abstract

Metal Music Studies, relatively little attention has been paid to the history, scenes and cultures of metal and hardcore in Aotearoa. Extant scholarly discussions of metal and hardcore in Aotearoa have focused on individual bands (cf. Goossens 2019) and distinct local scenes (cf. Snell and Hodgetts 2007;Heath 2015;Hoad 2021), offering insights into the nuances and complexities of metal across the motu.There is still much to be studied in relation to metal, punk and hardcore in Aotearoa, and further, the relationship of these scenes to those in the Pacific more generally. While this special edition focuses specifically on Aotearoa, there is an established gap for critical engagement with metal, punk and hardcore as they are experienced in the Pacific. Heavy metal and hardcore's history in the Pacific is a rich area for further attention, particularly given the growth of anti-colonial hardcore bands such as Hawai'i's Kūka'ilimoku, the recent staging of events such as Metal United World Wide in Port Moresby and Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, and the legacies of bands such as Solid Black, Bokz Boyz, Sound Temple, Black Centipede and Red Star Unit in the Solomon Islands. Studies of metal in the Pacific Islands are nonetheless relatively sparse, with the exception of Bendrups' ( 2011) study of metal in the Easter Islands, Olson's studies on metal scenes in Hawai'i (2012; 2017), DeHart's (2018) discussion of Guam in the context of metal's international distribution, and Tecun and Petelo's (2021) exploration of 'rebellious' music within Kava collectives in Tonga. Such scholarship establishes a robust platform for future research in this context. This special edition explores the histories, scenes, practices and cultures of metal, punk and hardcore in Aotearoa. Metal, punk and hardcore have a long and nuanced history in Aotearoa, where all three genres have interfaced with localized aesthetics and colonial histories, and responded to deindustrialization in complex