Mathijs Peters

Mathijs Peters is a lecturer at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society. He has published on a wide variety of themes and topics, ranging from the moral theories of Schopenhauer and Adorno to the lyrics of Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He is particularly interested in the intersections of philosophy, cultural studies and popular culture.
A Reflective Hauntology: On the 2024 Reissue of Manic Street Preachers’ ‘Lifeblood’

A Reflective Hauntology: On the 2024 Reissue of Manic Street Preachers’ ‘Lifeblood’

Manic Street Preachers’ oeuvre indicates that one can only keep preaching manically if one lets oneself be haunted by the past to show the cracks in capitalist realism.

Zeal & Ardor’s Antiracist Nietzschean “Götterdämmerung”

Zeal & Ardor’s Antiracist Nietzschean “Götterdämmerung”

In “Götterdämmerung”, black metal band Zeal & Ardor carve out an empowering Black position from Nietzsche’s response to a rotten nihilistic culture.

Orwellian Times: On Manic Street Preachers’ ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’

Orwellian Times: On Manic Street Preachers’ ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’

Manic Street Preachers’ The Ultra Vivid Lament is driven by George Orwell’s aim to make political writing into art.

On IDLES’ Danceable Relatable Battle Hymns

On IDLES’ Danceable Relatable Battle Hymns

It is not in IDLES’ oft-derided lyrics but in their visceral performances that they connect with listeners.