Black (metal) epics: Remediation of tradition in the case of Gavranovi from Serbia

Abstract

Prompted by the emergence of Serbian black metal supergroup Gavranovi and their two singles released in 2020, this article offers an interdisciplinary and intertextual reading of this project. In this article, collaborative efforts of musicology and ethnomusicology are employed in interpreting the new readings of Serbian epic tradition in the context of extreme metal, as well as its positioning in the history of Serbian extreme metal scene in general. By using the gusle, a traditional instrument, as well as the postulates of Serbian epic poetry, Gavranovi participate in contemporary remediation of tradition, which will be examined through the lens of (inter)textual analysis.