Decorative lettering that reads, "Exploring blackletter in metal music, Raquel Ferraro."

Exploring Blackletter in Metal Music

Sometimes, you’re able to tell a band’s genre based on their logo alone. This is especially the case with heavy metal. During my early research into the genre’s album covers and band logos, I had a question: Why is blackletter so common in metal music?

This book contains a brief overivew of blackletter history and takes an extensive look at the music, lyrics, and themes of a selection of metal bands that utilize blackletter in their design. The inspiration behind these design decisions tends to be connected to genre trends, informed by fantasy, religion, and history. Each of these influences are discussed in in this book, highlighting intersections between typography, visual culture, and metal music.

A black book with a cover that reads, "Exploring blackletter in metal music"The spread of a spiral bound book. On the left page is an image of Black Sabbaths "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," album cover. On the right page is a body paragraph titled, "Black Sabbaths, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath."The spread of a spiral bound book. On the left page is a collage of medieval manuscripts and art of a unicorn. The word "Four," reads in bold lettering. On the right page is an image of a sword in a stone and the bold lettering that reads, Fantasy Influence."