"If you hide your own roots" - themes in lyrics by Finnish and Russian Karelian metal bands

Journal article

The transnational region of Karelia is divided between Finland and Russia; two countries that differ in myriad ways. Karelians have negotiated questions of identity and belonging throughout the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries. However, current events, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and increased contemporary discourses on minority identity as well as cultural appropriation, have made identity questions increasingly salient. Karelian metal music has become an important site for identity negotiations in multiple languages and with the incorporation of sources from history and folklore. This article considers four lyrical themes – belonging, history, folklore, nature – and how these contribute to identity negotiations. Karelian lyrics are compared with the help of distant reading and thematic analysis to better understand the differences and similarities on both sides of the border. The East-West divide can be discerned from the database with Finnish Karelian bands more likely to adapt material related to the West, whereas Russian Karelian artists more regularly invoke the East.

Authors: Doesburg, C

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Popular Music
• Acceptance date: 2025-08-06
• EISSN: 1474-0095
• ISSN: 0261-1430
• Language: English
• Keywords: identity construction; thematic analysis; metal music; Karelia; distant reading