Metal Reviews

i'm with rio on this one, it's never really occurred to me to think of people as inherently different based on their race/religion/whatever... i didnt even grow in a very multicultural community either :\

I don't think anyone was arguing that it's the "natural state," but even rio said that nowadays it's inescapable. If it never even occurred to you to think of anyone as different, then that's awesome for you, but I haven't got that. I've grown up surrounded by racism, and it's not hard to refrain from exhibiting it, but I'll always be aware of perceived differences, even with the knowledge that it's retarded to have them. Which is why I don't think FrigidSymphony was trying to rationalize or make excuses, rather than recognize a problem.

Ditto. It's all very well saying 'racism is bad', but without trying to get at the roots of why (some stupid) people think that, you'll always have a section of society that is racist. England is a very racist country in many ways, and yet in many ways is very liberal and open. A real selection we have.

This should really go in Jaden's thread in Helheim but this post makes me think of this quote, from a letter Marx wrote to Engels, I believe- talking about racial divides between English and Irish. Very prescient IMO

Blaming prejudice on "the man" FTW.

I just came across this thread and read the article. Interesting.

First off, I'm not sure who to blame on the murders that have been committed. It's quite clearly the accused/murderers are some fucked up deranged nuts. Tell me, does anybody here in MR take any of the lyrics seriously? Yeah, I do go "HAIL SATAN, BURN THE CHURCH!!!!" at times but it's just purely for fun, I never really mean it. I don't see how these types of lyrics can emotionally influence anyone, although I do admit I enjoy such lyrics. They have to be really emotionally fragile to actually do something of that sort just because a guy with a branded-inverted-cross-over-his-forehead said so.

On the other hand, I think accusing bands for your heinous acts is downright silly. True metal has always preached about being yourself, doing your own thing, and not taking orders. Now if you're a tr00 metalhead, why would you listen to someone's lyrical preaching and do what he says? Isn't that being hypocritical?

I think I mite make some enemies with my comments here. But I think it's worth telling you guys. I don't blame the churches and christians for hating metal, accusing us of being the devil's seed etc. The blame has to be put on those metalheads who committed all these stupidity. They gave us the bad name in the first place. If they had not done all these disgusting things (I'm focusin on the murders, ritualistic sacrifices here), these religious institutions wouldn't have anything against us at all.

Well, you would still have these religious organizations protesting all rock music (not just metal). But otherwise, you're absolutely right.

I disagree. Even without all the Satanik stuff, religious groups want nothing less than complete obedience. A band being in favour of a woman's right to an abortion would be labelled 'evil' by Catholic groups, a band that supports the Palestinians would be labelled 'Anti-Semetic' by Jewish ones. You can't win

Well you're right about that. These people would definitely look for any small loopholes that they could exploit to their advantage. I guess we're the victims forever.

Remember, back in the 50's people accused Elvis Presley as being the devil's music. Elvis Presley, a man who recorded full albums of Gospel classics, was making the devil's music.

Be wery kar3ful, yov.

There's been a closer (kloser!) look at abortion laws in the past few weeks in the UK, and it really brings up the age-old adage - anything remotely sexual, or female based (the two being equal, duh) is attacked by the Vocal Religious. So, women are placed on the earth to distract men from God's will, sex is the tool of the devil, and musicians are there to make you think about sex, and/or Satan (whose only purpose is to make you think about sex). It's all about sex! From Elvis' hip-shakin' to Britney Spears' ... well, whatever you call it.

Of course there'll be a few nutters who take it literally (like Bill Hicks said, 'fuck 'em! They're spoiling it for the rest of us!') but do we judge the whole of Islam by suicide bombers, the whole of Christianity by the Crusades, or the whole of Judaism by Matisyahu? Of course not. We might say we do (Christians to the lions!), but if anyone out there genuinely wants earth under Satanic reign, we have problems.

It was the hips!! The hips I say!!!!

I think Elvis is a good example of what Zad was trying to explain. Despite recording Gospel songs, the Christians (not in general, but those pain-in-the-neck groups) still wanted to accuse him of something, anything! Then they found the Holy Hip-shakin!!

Believe it or not, there was once a time where Christian groups even protested swing and jazz music. Some still do to this day. For example, my cousin went to this fundamentalist Christian grade school for about two years. The kids had to go to church every morning, they weren't even allowed to listen to swing/jazz/ragtime music (because the school saw those genres as "what started all the evil in music"), etc.

i can understand protesting jazz since most of the musicians were drug addicts