Representation and popularisation of the memory of the Great Patriotic War in heavy metal music (on the example of “Radio Tapok” band creativity)

Abstract

This article examines the features of the representation of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) memory in a peculiar field – heavy metal music on the example of musical compositions by a national band “Radio Tapok”. The purpose of the study is to identify and describe songs about the Great Patriotic War from the albums of this band as well as to make an attempt to eliminate the shortcomings of previous studies on this issue. The texts of this musical band are dedicated not only to military events, but also to the heroes who took part in combat actions. The author analyses lyrics and musical techniques of the chosen songs and provides comments from listeners from the official YouTube channel of the band creator, which confirm the educational component of the songs with a historical plot. Based on the results the author comes to the conclusion about the effectiveness of such popularization of historical events and images, especially among young people.

Keywords

• great patriotic war
• heavy metal
• memory
• representation
• popularization
• “radio tapok”