Abstract
The term metal music overshadows a wide range of musical genres, which in some cases differ greatly from each other to the extent that any genre connection is no longer recognizable. So what exactly do we call metal music? Previously, the music of different subcultures was closely tied to the territory in which the subculture moved, which usually led to its perception mainly through the political categorization of individual subgenres - skins, punks, etc.
However, in the current deterritorialized environment of metal music, this is beginning to lack meaning and does not lead to any closer understanding of what is determining element of metal music, i.e. it does not help us understand the distinction between the different subgenres of metal. What can bring us closer to the current "division" of genres is the characteristic and significant quality of metal called heaviness.
However, when we try to define the nature of heaviness, we encounter various problems of semiotic nature, for example, in an attempt to compare certain levels and types of heaviness with each other. This paper presents use of Deleuzian concept of stratification, as a possible way of perceiving and understanding the essentials of contemporary metal music.