For my senior thesis, I explored my relationship with heavy metal music through visual experimentation, hoping to gain a better understanding of why I personally resonate with this music so much. I curated a select few bands I discovered in certain key periods of my life and created distinct motion graphics to capture the music's enamoring elements. Metal being such an abrasive genre, I wanted to explore why I find this music so meaningful and personally revealing. Bridging my visual exploration with the music to capture those moments in my life, this project acts as a reflection for my personal development through the world of heavy metal.
Middle school was a weird time, everything felt too big, too small, too much. I spent hours on the internet back then. One day, while aimlessly scrolling through an online blog, I stumbled across a music video for Deftones' Change (In the House of Flies). It was like stepping into a dream where everything was beautiful but slightly unsettling. The way Chino Moreno’s voice drifted between a whisper and a scream, the way the guitars felt like waves pulling me under, it was HYPNOTIC. I didn’t know music could feel like this, like drowning and floating at the same time. It wasn’t just heavy—it was sensual, atmospheric, like emotions you couldn’t quite put into words. It felt like they understood something I was only beginning to figure out, that feeling of drifting between anger, desire, sadness, and euphoria, all in the same breath. For this piece, I wanted to focus on the song’s themes of EMPOWERMENT, RESILIENCE and CLARITY in the face of chaos. The energy will reflect the explosive yet uplifting nature of the music, emphasizing a sense of awakening and purpose.
High school was a pivotal time for me, and discovering Gojira felt like a revelation. I was recommended a song by them called Stranded, and it was the most crushing, intricate, and alive sound I'd ever encountered. Their ability to blend heaviness with a meditative quality, like nature itself screaming through the amps, hooked me immediately. As I explored their music further, each song felt monumental, like they were grappling with the weight of existence itself. Gojira's music has a rare duality: raw, primal intensity paired with thoughtful introspection—a space where destruction and growth coexist. Listening to them felt like confronting chaos while finding clarity, a sound that was both BRUTAL and REFLECTIVE. Their themes of environmental destruction, existentialism, and the struggle for inner freedom resonated deeply. L’Enfant Sauvage especially hit me. Its exploration of breaking free from societal expectations spoke to a part of me I hadn't yet understood. For this piece, I wanted to capture that sense of STRENGTH, AWAKENING, and TRANSFORMATION through the raw, expressive behavior of typography, stripping design down to its most elemental form.
By the time I got to college, I started to accept metal as an art form and an outlet of expression. I had heard of a band called Death before, but I finally sat down and listened to Symbolic and The Sound of Perseverance. This isn't just mindless death metal; it was technical, philosophical, and alive. Chuck Schuldiner's riffs felt razor sharp, precise yet unpredictable, and his lyrics hit on something deeper, exploring existence, mortality, and the struggle to evolve. It made me rethink everything I thought metal was about. It wasn't just aggression; it was INTROSPECTION, a search for meaning through chaos. Death's music was intense, but it also felt deeply human, raw, questioning, fearless, and infinitely alive. For this piece, I wanted to capture that relentless exploration of SURVEILLANCE, CONTROL, and the ILLUSION OF FREEDOM.
Special thanks to my professor, John Connolly, for guiding me all throughout this project and having faith in me. Also to all my peers, for all of the amazing feedback & support. From the bottom of my heart, none of this would be possible without any of you. <3
- Erick