Kvetching abovt kvlt: Conflicting social uses of the index ‘kvlt’ in online metal spaces

Abstract

The word ‘kvlt’, generally pronounced as ‘cult’, is a well-recognized linguistic feature of (black) metal discourse. To date, over a dozen academic studies have included reference to the term, and all are united in sharing a broad consensus that ‘kvlt’ serves as a marker of ‘black-metal-ness’ or black metal aesthetics. The common recognition of ‘kvlt’ in both metal scenes and academic studies belies a lack of actual investigation of how the word is used, however, with ‘kvlt’ extensively appearing in discussions of metal but seeing little analysis itself. Approaching ‘kvlt’ as an index, i.e. a linguistic form linked to contested social meaning(s), the current study attempts to better understand ‘kvlt’ itself through analysis of how ‘kvlt’ is used across contemporary metal discourses. The study’s data comes from 200 uses of ‘kvlt’ divided between two sources: the Metal Archive Forums and the Reddit forum (or ‘subreddit’) r/blackmetal. Through analysing these uses in context, the study finds that while many previously attested uses of ‘kvlt’ certainly exist, there are differences in how ‘kvlt’ is used and differences in the extent to which they actually signal internal borders within (black) metal communities. Not only do black metal focused spaces utilize ‘kvlt’ differently from more generic metal ones, but also the ways that ‘kvlt’ is used to praise, critique or even simply describe metal music and scenes differ as well. As a result, the study argues that both discourse around ‘kvlt’ and the use of ‘kvlt’ itself are more than just a form of subcultural capital, serving also as part of contemporary metal identity work, boundary policing and debates over the proper ways to ‘be’ or ‘do’ metal.