From the Publisher: “Classic heavy metal and hard rock icons, like Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and Metallica, have been touring the planet and inspiring generations of metal-heads and new waves of music for nearly fifty years. The African continent is no different, yet very few of their rock bands have attracted the mainstream coverage comparable to their Western peers.
Edward Banchs has been chronicling the continent’s blossoming hard rock and metal music since 2007, and his new book, SCREAM FOR ME, AFRICA!: Heavy Metal Identities in Post-Colonial Africa (September 2023) examines how the subculture of heavy metal is viewed in postcolonial Africa and how musicians on the continent have stepped forward to make this genre their own.
‘This is pioneering work,’ writes Metal Rules, “[Banchs] paints vivid pictures of bands struggling with common issues all bands struggle with, boredom, gear issues, promoters, crappy instruments, albeit that with the bands in Africa these issues are usually amplified several fold and usually have to contend with much more severe consequences from authorities.’
Like his first book, Heavy Metal Africa (2016), Banchs interviewed musicians, producers, and fans to create the vivid pictures of five rarely discussed metal scenes. This volume covers his travels in Botswana, Togo, South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana.
Banchs’s engaging account of the Post-Colonial African metal scene shows how diverse the continent’s music has become and showcases its unique calls for social justice and celebrations of African heritage and traditions…”
More info About the Author: “Edward Banchs is a freelance writer and independent scholar who holds a BA in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University and an MA in African Studies from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. His writing and research on the subject have been featured in various publications including The Guardian, Metal Hammer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, OGlobo, Afropop, NPR, Decibel and the journal of Metal Music Studies. He is also the author of Heavy Metal Africa: Life, Passion and Heavy Metal in the Forgotten Continent (Word Association, 2016). He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”
Scream For Me Africa! is your second book about the same subject. Why did you want to write a second book about heavy metal in Africa?
My first book, Heavy Metal Africa (published in 2016), felt a little incomplete after a while. It continues to do much better than I originally expected, but something felt off to me—as if the story wasn’t finished. Sometime in 2017 I heard from my (then) agent that a publisher was interested in picking up Heavy Metal Africa for a wider distribution, but instead it was decided that I draft an entirely new manuscript that would be intended for a more academic audience.
I was hesitant because the first book left me drained mentally. But ultimately, it was these academic themes—hybridity, Othering, authoritarianism, and how colonialism continues to affect Africa’s various rock and metal themes—that I wanted to dig deeper into. And that’s what Scream For Me, Africa! discusses. And I got to visit west Africa for the first time, so that’s an incredible bonus.
What changed for you the second time around?
I learned that “writing what you know” can only fulfill me in small amounts. “Write what you want to know,” is more apt to where I am now, and what informs Scream For Me, Africa!. I had plenty of questions I needed to answer for myself and I just went for it, whether or not I was ready for it. It was a wonderful leap forward. Apart from the deeper dive into the themes I had already written about, I was eager to challenge myself and go farther by learning about how colonialism was still truly a part of African life, and how musicians in the African continent were keenly pushing back by “decolonizing” their lives. There are some unspoken and ugly truths about African realities today, and this time around I did not hold back. I asked more critical questions and researched everything extensively. Whereas, with my first book, I just wanted to get a better sense as to how metal and rock scenes in Africa came to be.
I must also add that the years between books opened the door for me to be a better writer. I learned so much about writing by being asked to contribute for newspapers, magazines and academia. So this time around I truly felt like a writer and a scholar, not like someone fresh out of graduate school who thought he knew it all.
This is still a book that focuses on metal and rock bands. Why should anyone who doesn’t listen to this kind of music pick up this book?
Namely because the bands are the storytellers. You don’t have to sit down and listen to them to understand, they’re just relaying their lives to you. And, frankly–in the Global South–metal fans, punks, skaters, etc. are the marginalized within their societies, so their voices are increasingly valuable as the status quo continues downward into a conglomerate that continues to identify with Western values that are still tied to colonialism.
Aren’t rock and metal kind of… Western forms of art?
Sure. But it isn’t viewed that way in African life. It’s viewed as a nuisance that has corrupted people—a true rebellion against the status quo. It’s viewed as a push against the norms, many of which are just vestiges of colonialism. Thus, rock and metal are very much at the heart of a decolonial push among younger generations.
What was the biggest challenge in putting Scream For Me, Africa! together?
Covid! I had set aside time for research trips in 2019 and again in spring of 2020, but Covid changed everything. However, after speaking with a few editors and other writers I trusted, it seemed that writing how Covid was affecting Africa into the book actually supported a lot of the points I was trying to make.
How has Pittsburgh embraced your work?
Incredibly well. I’m glad to live in such a proud literary city with so many other great writers, bookshops and book enthusiasts. It makes writing easier when you have other people to lean on. And the press that my first book got locally was an incredible surprise too!
What’s next for you?
I have a few books in the pipeline. I’m hoping to secure a deal for another heavy metal-focused book soon. I also have a book about the history of the United States foreign policy toward the African continent that I’ve started, as well as an entire book about my older sister that’s drafted already. I lost her last year and wasn’t sure how to cope with her death… so I wrote about her, her loss, and how present she was in my life (without actually living with me very much); how much of an influence she had on me, the music and art she opened me up to, and the grief that comes with losing someone that you care so much about. Writing is incredibly powerful for many reasons, not the least of which is helping someone cope with loss.
At least, it works for me.
Thank you so, much, Edward. We were big fans of Heavy Metal Africa and are really looking forward to Scream for Me, Africa! – available this September wherever books are sold!
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