Free Inquiry In Crealive Sociology Volume 33 NO.2 November 2005 131 SONG LYRICS IN CONTEMPORARY METAL MUSIC AS COUNTER-HEGEMONIC DISCOURSE: AN EXPLORATION OF THREE THEMES

Adam Rafalovich, Pacific University and Andreas Schneider, Texas Tech University

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses modern forms of metal music as extensions of the politics of youth culture, Based upon the premise thai texts form an 'ideological contract' with their audiences, an extensive examination of the aesthetic and lyrical content of metal music is provided. The authors conclude thai the conlenl of metal music exists in a reciprocal relation with its listening base, and provides a lens through which their modern-day subjective experiences lllay be understood. In illustrating this reciprocity the authors explore the vasl literature which casts a condcnlnalory gaze upon metal music and then demonstrates how a discourse analysis of this musical genre may avoid such condemnation. and posit a political discussion of it. Three of metal music's most predominant themes are discussed at length: I) psychological chaos: 2) nihilism/violence: and 3) alternative religiosity. Such themes arc placed against a cultural backdrop depicting the dominant modes of 'appropriate conduct: and arc articulated as a political reaction against such modes in Western societies.

INTRODUCTION A 'contract' involves an agreement that a The discussion of metal music as a po­ text will talk to us in ways we recognize. It litical formalion 01 youth culture is a margin­ will enter into a dialogue with us. And that alized one. We argue here tor the necessity dialogue, with its dependable elements and of such a perspective-thai the lyrical and form, will relate to some aspect of our lives aesthetic content of metal music are integral in our society. (Barker 1989 261) aspects of youth identity and reflect the power struggles young people have with contem­ Barker further argues that the popularity of a porary culture. Moreover, metal music is not cultural form is largely contingent upon its just a forum for young people to vent amor­ perceived authenticity: in "speaking to" an phous and undefined aggressions, but in­ audience it must reflect the experiences of stead, speaks directly to them. This essay that audience. Text and audience are there­ will explore some of Ihe major themes that fore mutually-obligated; the text provides a typify metal music in the American and Euro­ reflective capacity for the audience who in pean scene, and demonstrate how these turn become its interlocutor. themes are indicative of some of the cultural Barker's and other writings of this ilk il­ problems young people confront. The seem­ lustrate the contractual agreement between ingly dogmatic subscription to messages in text and audience in ways that are very rel­ metal music-for example, those of violence, evant for understanding the politics of con­ insanity, and Satanism-illustrate resistance temporary youth and their motives for con­ to socielal conditions that are legitimately suming and contributing to various forms of experienced by young people. We discuss popular culture. Of particular concern in this patterns in the narrative structure of popular study is the cultural form of metal music' and metal music lyrics as well as some aesthetic the degree to which this musical genre dem­ aspects of this music genre. Adopting a multi­ onstrates a political reciprocity with young theoretical approach, we contend that such people. Two theoretical propositions need lyrics constitute valuable texts that may be mentioning here: first, the scope of a cultural used to better understand contemporary an­ form-including its national and international tagonisms between social tends and the visibility-is contingent upon the mainte­ youth who are subjected to such trends. nance of a contract that involves a commit­ As disseminators of ideology, texts es­ ment to reflect people's experiences, and tablish reciprocity with their readership. For second, a cultural form's amount of influ­ example, Martin Barker (1989) contends that ence, its "staying power," is contingent upon the relationship between a text and its audi­ a degree of fit between audience and its ence is "contractual": message. From these propositions it can 132 Volume 33 No.2 November 2005 Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology be argued that the marked international in­ guably many other metal recording artists, fluence of metal music stems from the fact the demolition of established truths begins that the genre continues to reflect the vicissi­ a process of asserting one's own personal tudes of youth culture. Today's metal scene truth. The "tuck it" message of metal provides engages in a symbolic interplay with its lis­ the fertile soil for exploring the possibility of tening base, where young listeners match becoming "anything you want." its lyrical and aesthetic content to their own subjective experiences. Hence, the narrative METHOD structure of popular music is continually The academic literature addressing the changing. Though it is a matter ot course metal genre must include the perspectives that audiences "relate" in some way to the of those having first-hand experience with it. music they appreciate, the specifics of this As an avid listener for many years and drum­ symbolic interplay need further elaboration. mer in a metal band, the first author writes We may begin with lyrics from Roadrun­ as a "native" to the metal scene. The second ner recording artists and platinum-selling author is also an avid listener to past and metal band, Slipknot: contemporary metal music, and has been involved with the punk and rock scene in the Fuck it all. Fuck this world. Fuck everything US and Europe' for three decades. Together, that you stand for. Don't belong, don't exist, both of us have seen hundreds of rock and don't give a shit. Don't ever judge me. metal shows and have read more librettos (lyric inserts) than one could possibly count. An interpretation of these words conjures a Because of our long-term involvement with discussion of nihilism; not in the haughty, metal, we feel that we can avoid the con­ Nietzschean sense, but rather, a shallow, list­ demnatory stances that characterize previ­ less nihilism forced upon the listener as an ous accounts of the genre and provide a instruction to turn his back on all codes of glimpse into some of its political meanings. morality and head down the path of self-de­ Our data selections for this paper are struction. Furthermore, the immense popu­ based upon a convenience sample, where larity of such lyrics (Slipknot's debut album we keep in mind some of contemporary sold over 3 million copies) may be seen as metal's most influential domestic and inter­ indicative of many of the problems associ­ national recording artists. We did an exhaus­ ated with today's youth: a lack of role mod­ tive content analysis of librettos from over els, a lack of attainable goals, a Nintendo­ two·hundred metal recordings. Librettos numbed sensibility in which responsibilities were analyzed according to an interpretive are shirked, and so on. However, Slipknot approach, using grounded theory techniques member Shawn Crahan offers a very differ­ (Glaser 1978,1992; Glaser & Strauss 1967; ent perspective on his band's music and the Strauss & Corbin 1990). Analyses of the data messages it conveys: began with "open coding," where data were categorized indiscriminately, followed by a We are here to wake you up and kilt the part "closed coding" procedure in which data were of your brain that tells you that you can't. examined for specific themes after prelimi­ It's not about me. It's about what I'm doing nary categories had been established. for kids. When I walk out onstage, there's Following a summary of the condemna­ 15,000 kids that, to me, represent potential. tory stances taken toward metal music in aca· And I'm here to tell you, to tell them that no demic writing, this paper is organized into matter what they say, you can be from no­ three sections which discuss predominant where and you can break out and become themes in this musical genre. The first of anything you want. Because the bottom line these sections is devoted to the illustration is that this is your lifetime. This is your time, of psychological chaos in metal music-a here, now, on this planet. (Orshoski 2001 theme that attacks established notions of 16) mental hygiene that define who is emotion­ ally "heaithy" and who is not. This narrative To '1uck everything" from this perspective is questions the pathologizing of chaotic states to demolish what young people have been of mind, and the belief that others should be told to believe in, but not for the sake of demo­ a source of emotional solace. The second lition. Instead, according to Crahan, and ar- section, nihilism/violence, draws from a con· Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology Volume 33 NO.2 November 2005 133

glomeration of narratives in metal music that 1993), Satanism (Trzcinski 1992) and sui­ advocate multiple forms of anti-social behav­ cidal ideation (Graham 1993; Stack 1998; ior. We argue that the expression of the pos­ Scheel & Westerlield 1999). Some of these sibility of anti-social behavior, rather than its studies contend that metal is an influential actual enactment, is highly political. The third variable in troublesome behaviors and atti­ section, alternative religiosity, explores tudes, while others contend that preferences loday's Satanic narratives in metal music, tor metal are "red tlags" for concerned par­ and also those which invoke Nordic religious ents and child psychologists. Whether im­ systems. To illustrate this we focus upon the plicating metal as a causal variable in the cultural politics of metal music stemming troubles of youth or viewing the popularity at from Scandinavian countries. Based upon the genre as a warning sign, such perspec­ this analysis, we conclude with that the lyri­ tives stigmatize the genre and those who lis­ cal content of metal music provides a fan­ ten to it. tasy structure tor a generation of youth who The now decades-old stigmatizing dis­ struggle in an era of increasing social con­ cussion of metal is well represented in the trol. lay realm and has repeatedly surlaced in the court system. These include the lawsuits filed PREVIOUS ACCOUNTS: METAL MUSIC AS in 1985 against Ozzy Osbourne tor his song AN ACADEMIC AND LAY PROBLEM "Suicide Solution," and its apparent influence As the literature demonstrates, metal over the suicide at John McCuilen; in 1990 music is often pigeon-holed into discussions against the band Judas Priest, who were ac­ that almost exclusively tocus on the moral cused of inserting subliminal messages into and social savior faire of the genre's audi­ their music that supposedly contributed to ence and artists. It is not surprising that po­ the suicidal demises of Ray Belknap and litically-oriented discussions-particularly, Jay Vance; and in 2000 against the band discussions that focus on the significance Slayer, whose apparently violent messages of metal music in reflecting the power asym­ prompted three of their young male fans to metry between youth culture and the domi­ murder 15-year-old Else Pahler.' Such legal nant culture-remain scarce. actions are no doubt bolstered by the efforts Metal music and its multitude of sub­ of censorship-oriented, special interest or~ genres are inextricably linked to youth cul­ ganizations such as the Parent's Music Re­ ture. Hence, numerous studies that address source Center (PMRC), a collective who are metal discuss this cultural form as an influ­ best known for lobbying Congress to force ential variable in the attitudes and behavior music distributors to included warning la­ of young people. With Robert Walser's Run­ bels, such as the famous "Tipper Sticker'" ning with the Devil (1993) bein9 one of the that is placed on metal and other music CDs few notable exceptions, the bulk of this dis­ dubbed to contain "explicit content." cussion of metal's connection to, or influ­ Some of the less stigmatizing portrayals ence upon youth are overwhelmingly evalu­ of metal music discount many of the con­ ative (Richardson 1991; Weinstein 2000). nections to metal and anti-sociability. Such Seemingly out of touch with the audience­ accounts often contend that the connection centered, "fan-zine" forum exemplified by between metal and the listener is a spuri­ magazines such as Hit Parader, Metal Mani­ ous one. For example, Christine and Ronald acs, and Metal Edge, the bulk of academic Hansen (1991) argue that many at the "dam­ literature on metal music is inundated with aging" messages metal conveys through its inquiries regarding the extent to which metal lyrical content are not adequately processed harms the listener, the greater culture, or by the listener, that the concepts metal pro­ both. Attacked from perspectives as seem­ vides are not internalized, and finally, that ingly divergent as feminism and right-wing metal fans enjoy the overall aesthetic of conservatism, preferences for metal music metal, rather than any specitic kind of mes­ are repeatedly shown to be connected to ju­ sage the genre may transmit. Portrayals at venile delinquency (Klein, Brown, Childers, metal music also seem wont to place the Oliveri, Porter & Dykers 1993; Singer, Levine genre and its listeners underneath the ru­ & Jou 1993), wanton sexuality (Arnett 1993), bric of a "subculture" (Gross 1990), denoting misogyny (Kenske & McKay 2000; Rubin, the metal scene as a collection of people West & Mitchell 2001), drug abuse (Arnett following an unrefined ideology, linked to- 134 Volume 33 NO.2 November 2005 Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology gether through shared forms of meaning­ point" of these time signatures. The arrival of less personal adornment and "scene identi· the resolution point may be long in coming, lication." The metal subculture, it is argued, depending on which meters are played represents the rebellious" phase of adoles­ against each other. Anticipation of the time cence (Bleich, Zillman & Weaver 1991) and when the meters resolve creates a state of is merely an extension of youth exploring and anxiety in the listener.' Such an anxiety typi­ breaching the boundaries of social norma­ fies the subjective moment of the adrena­ tivity. Metal is something kids eventually line-rush musical tapestry so commonly as­ "grow out of." sociated with today's metal bands and their themes of psychological confusion. Some PSYCHOLOGICAL CHAOS metal bands which employ polyrhythmic tech­ The aesthetics of metal music have been niques are: Meshuggah (Sweden), Dog argued to reflect the compleXities of contem­ Faced Gods (Sweden), Anthrax (USA), Hel­ porary culture. As the world has become con­ met (USA), and Pantera (USA). It is also ar­ jointly more fractured and psychologically guable that the implementation of such com­ alienating, the song structure of metal bands positional devices partially refutes previous has mirrored these social changes. As Rob­ assumptions which claim metal is a genre ert Walser states: based around a "relatively simple song struc­ ture" (Epstein & Pratto 1990 68). Thrash metal bands like Metallica and The illusion of dark chaos found in the Megadeth have developed a musical instrumentation of metal music, character­ discourse ... Their songs are formally ized by distorted low-tuned guitars, and even more complex, filled with abrupt cacophonous time-shifting rhythms, is changes of meter and tempo that matched by Iyricai content. Such lyrics would model a complex, disjointed world be unfitting if they conveyed "sunny" narra­ and displaying a formidable en· tives. Instead, they explore dark states of semble precision that enacts collec­ mind rarely addressed in other music genres. tive survival. (1993 157) Slayer, an American metal band with in­ ternational renown, often depict themes with According to Walser (1993), both song struc­ traumatic psychological motifs: tUfe and the precision (or "tightness" in musician's terms) with which loday's metal You better learn my name compositions are performed are part of the Cause I'm the one insane genre's collective message of modern sur­ And I'm a constant threat vival. In abruptly and precisely following You run in fear of my dark silhouette changes of meter and removing superflu­ Inside my violent mind ous5 elements from their compositions, Chaos is all you'll find metal bands strip down the music's aes­ Anarchy uncontained thetics to emphasize a cacophonic rough­ Bear witness to the scorn of my campaign ness. (From the song, "Perversions of Pain" Modern metal's disjointed, yet precise ca­ {1998]). cophony is further illustrated by the infusion of complex rhythmic techniques that further There are at least two messages present the earlier aesthetic directions begun by here. The first concerns the graphic descrip­ bands like Metallica and Megadeth. As a con­ tion of a violent mind, characterized by the tinuing reflection of metal's modeling of words "chaos," and "anarchy." The second today's psychological anxiety and as sign of directs an admonishment toward the listener. the genre's increasing musical sophistica­ One of these found in the first line directs the tion, metal bands since the early 1990s in­ listener towards a familiarity with the men­ creasingiy utilize polyrhythmic techniques in tality of the speaker. To not learn this per­ their compositions. The use ot polyrhythms, son's "name" is to deny the existence of this most notably employed in avant-garde jazz state of mind and perhaps become victim­ circles, involves the performance of two or ized by such a facet of the human condition. more time signatures simultaneously Another prominent metal band, who com­ (Magadini 1995). A pattern emerges after the pieted a 1999 North American tour with listener repeatedly hears the "resolution Slayer, and were the second stage headlin- Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology Volume 33 NO.2 November 2005 135 ers at the 2002 Ozzlest tour, is Sweden's first part of the song describes, and reach a Meshuggah. A similar message to the above state of self-awareness which reveals the excerpt from Slayer comes from their song arbitrary nature of such a cage. Such themes "Beneath" (1995): of redemption repeatedly portray psychologi­ cal pain as an individual problem with an It's time to go lnto the me below individual solution-an assertion that inher­ My morbid self beneath ently questions the validity of seeking solace A peril trip the last way out in others.

I spin as J let go. The metal genre, in this sense, repre­ sents a discourse opposed to the actions of Resonating with the song's title, this excerpt the obsequious "confessing animal" de­ depicts a part of self that is unseen or unac· scribed in Michel Foucault's The History 01 knowledged in conventional social life: the Sexuality (197859).' Examining the modali­ self of morbid fascination that has been ties of psychotherapy through his account of shunned and pathologized. Another Meshug­ sexuality, Foucault argues that one of the func­ gah song, "Inside What's Within Behind" tions of modern psychiatric practice was not (1995) describes the ravages ot emotional only to find out what someone hides in the pain: psyche, but also discover what the individual was hiding from him/herself (Foucault 1978 Life neglected infected by strain 66). This was part of the bifurcated duty of I fall into the smothering the even modern psychotherapy in which the patient Flow of ravaging pain must be made aware of his/her mechanisms This my temple of self-caged contempt for avoiding the deeper roots of his/her pa­ A body slowly pierced by thology then be given the symbolic tools to Inevitable me. combat such mechanisms. It can be argued that this role of modern psychiatry was con­ Expressed through barking lyrics which are ducive to creating a relationship between unintelligible to the ear (thank goodness for confessing SUbject and therapist which was lyric inserts), this song conveys the aesthetic based on subservience and the dissolution experience of confused hopelessness. The of emotional self-sufficiency. "even tlow ot ravaging pain" is a symbol (de­ However socially abhorrent, the individu­ scribed as a "temple") of a condition caused alized, self-empowered discourse of metal by oneselt. This is a fatalistic portrayal of self­ music is an extension of the politics implied centeredness in which the process of s811­ in Foucault's work. It is a counter-discourse torture appears "inevitable." There is a larger to that which has grown to dominate West­ commentary implied in this passage, but it ern notions of mental health both in clinical is unclear until the song shifts focus and ex­ and popular realms. Metal music represents presses the possibility of redemption: a rebellion against assumptions that psy­ chological problems must be resolved Turn your eyes toward the inside through the establishment of a relationship Dig deep within I'm sure you'll find between self and something external, A different self a different soul whether that is another person or an orga­ To put you in peace with mind. nized therapeutic apparatus.

This thematic shift in the song, accompa­ NihilismNiolence nied by an ambient and markedly more intel­ Nihilistic themes in metal music are those ligible change in vocal style, advocates an that portray a denial of culturally-constructed individual solution to the aforementioned tur­ codes of conduct and their concomitant sys­ moil. Through a self-empowering sugges­ tems of morality. Such a theme may be trans­ tion, the song asks the listener to overcome mitted through a substantial demystification the condition of pain-ravaged self-centered­ ot humans. Take tor example, these lyrics ness and find a greater self somewhere from the German metal band Rammslein: "deep within." The speaker asks the listener to trust the human capacity for self-reflection Was macht ein Mann and discover a higher self. This requires the (What does a man) listener to no longer be "self-caged" as the Was macht ein Mann 136 Volume 33 NO.2 November 2005 Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology

(What does a man) the ability to wreak havoc upon the world. der zwischen Mensch and Tier nicht Take, for example, this song from the siow­ unterscheiden kann tempo, dark American metal band, Crowbar; (who cannot distinguish between man and animal) Looking at me smothering you Was Destroying all (what) Looking at me punishing you Er wird zu seiner Tochter gehen Destroying it (He will go to his daughter) Pushing you down and pulling you down sie ist schon und jung an Jahren I'm crushing all (she is beautiful and young in years) Pushing you down pUlling you down und dann wird er wie ein Hund mit eigen I'm dragging you under Fleisch und Blut sich paaren (From the song, "Wrath of Time be Judg­ (and then, like a dog, he will mate with his ment" [1996]). own flesh and blood) Another example comes from the American From an anthropological stance, this excerpt band Machine Head, and their song, "Ten explores the possibility of human behavior Ton Hammer" (1997): when animalism reigns supreme. Taboos, especially those that concern incest, may be I can feel this pain is real broken when the essential basis of these I hate deep down inside taboos-our culture and its consequent hu­ And like broke glass you'll shatter manity-are removed. In exploring the pos­ With bloody fists I'll batter sibilities of enacting behaviors that are largely Like a ten ton hammer unacknowledged, stigmatized, and re­ pressed, metal offers a critique against the I'll be the trembling in your breath moral codes that prohibit such behavior. Trickle of blood upon your flesh These behaviors often involve the sexual and! You'd love to watch me take the fall or physical degradation of another, and are I'll be the thing that you despise commonly regulated through formal means 'Cause I'm the path to your demise of social control. And I'm a be there standing taiL Given the often anti-social content of metal lyrics, it is not surprising that studies have Both of the previous passages depict a pro­ explored the connection between such lyri­ nounced power asymmetry between the cal themes and outward violence (Ballard & speaker and the outside world. The speaker Coates 1995; Epstein, Pratto & Skipper dominates this world with such ease s/he 1990). This includes studies which explore appears superhuman. The other in this abra­ metal's misogynistic overtones and the pro­ sive relation remains unnamed and general; pensity for male violence towards women the violence can be directed toward anyone (Kenske & McKay 2000; Weinstein 2000). or anything. "You" denotes a person, institu­ However, a close look at contemporary metal tion, emotional state-any number of enti­ lyrics reveals violent themes which are rarely ties perceived to be worthy of a violent on­ gender-specific, and more rarely directed at slaught. The passage constructs a shared women. This is not to say that there is no subjectivity between the speaker and the lis­ misogyny present in the current culture of tener, where they both need not share the the metal scene-a scene invariably domi­ same "you" to mutually explore the finitudes nated by young males-but rather, that the of violent fantasy. The function of metal mu­ explicit anti~female themes so readily visible sic in this regard may be likened to the en­ in 1970s and 1980s rock music are not re­ joyment audiences derived from watching tained in today's metal music. The violent films like Fight Club, in which fantasies of themes in contemporary metal lyrics speak physical violence were a way of breaking up more to issues of emotional catharsis than the monotonous life of the mall-trotting, IKEA­ to a blatant maintenance of the patriarchal shopping, modern human. Such metal lyr­ order. B ics appear antagonistic, if not blatantly cruel. Such cathartic themes often allude to ulti­ However, the description of physical violence mate forms of self-empowerment, including may be better interpreted euphemistically. In Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology Volume 33 No.2 November 2005 137 a world perceived by cynical metal fans to be Political analyses of anti-Christian tainted by a rafionalistic Weberian sluggish­ themes in music have been previously pos­ ness, violence symbolizes the beauty of rapid ited, and are typified in Elizabeth Jane change. In conveying the human capacity for Hinds's 1992 article, "The Devil Sings the violence, metal bands symbolize one's abil­ Blues," which focuses on the classic rock ity to effect immediate and visible alterations band, Led Zeppelin. In examining the sub­ in the course of events in the world. versive aspects of Zeppelin, the article com­ In a political sense, fhe individualistic and pares the band's anti-Christian occult mo­ violent motifs in metal lyrics resonate with tifs to the rise of late 18'" century Gothic lit­ those portraying psychological chaos. Dur­ erature. From Hinds's perspective, the domi­ ing a time when 5-10 percenf of school-age nant moral order, instilled in the European boys are faking Ritalin for behavioral prob­ populace through the advent of Christianity, lems (Breggin 1998), and when the propen­ is a specific focus of disdain for hard rock sity for violence and anti-institutional behav­ listeners. Such disdain is directed at two loci ior is categorized under mental disorder la­ of Christian control, including the control held bels such as Conduct Disorder and Opposi­ over bodily pleasure, subverted through the tional Defiant Disorder (American Psychiat­ lyrical expression of sexual gratification, and ric Association 199485-94), the appeal to the control over sources of spiritual contact, the virtues of violence is counter-hegemonic. subverted through sympathetic portrayals of Satan. For Hinds, discourses of bodily plea­ ALTERNATIVE RELIGIOSITY sure and narratives of underworld connec­ The metal genre is probably most famous tion comprise a postmodern politics. This for its consistent undermining of Christian­ perspective resonates strongly with Robert ity. This is notably the case with Scandina­ Walser's discussion of the postmodern poli­ vian "black metal" artists purporting Satanic tics of heavy metal, in which he describes motifs, characterized by bands like Emperor Satan as a '1ransgressive icon" (Walser 1993 (Norway), Dimmu Borgir (Norway), and Dis­ 151 ). section (Sweden), and also motifs rooted in Academic explorations of Satanism and traditional Nordic mythology, characterized by its effect upon the metal listener are as pro­ bands like Enslaved (Norway), Burzum (Nor­ lific as studies that rigorously scrutinize the way), Borknagar (Norway), and Einherjer connection between metal music and highly (Norway). anti-social behavior (see Trzcinski 1992). The term "black" has multiple meanings Most studies which address Satanic content for those who would interpret this sub-genre discuss bands which weakly allude to Satan­ of metal music. It is frequently argued that ism, rather than bands which explicitly in­ the term "black" represents a negative rela~ voke Satanic nomenclature. Artists such as tion to Christian notions of purity_ Hence, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Ozzy Os­ black metal artists commonly invoke images bourne, fall under this rubric. Through mix­ of black magic, "dark angels," and activities ing a variety of themes into their music, in­ which occur during nighttime. One band, Dis­ cluding those as unrelated as drug and al­ section, states on the credits of their album, cohol abuse (i.e. Ozzy's "Suicide Solution"), Storm of the Light's Bane (1995), that the and Greek mythology (i.e. Iron Maiden's entire project was written during hours of "Flight of Icarus"), such bands' messages darkness; sort of a statement of authenticity. are amorphous. They have been attributed The term "black" also has political interpre­ "Satanic" status by unwitting parents and tations, representing the color for right-wing other concerned authorities by default. politics (opposite of lett-wing "red" political The fact that the music under scrutiny re­ positions) in most of Europe. In an introduc­ ma',ns thematically ambiguous partially ex­ tion to Kevin Coogan's article, "How Black is plains why studies tend to discount the con­ Black Metal?" Jeff Bale states: nection between metal music and any seri­ ous involvement with Satanism. For example, It (the term "black") poses the question of in "The Role of Suggestion in the Perception whether today's fascinating black metal of Satanic Messages in Rock and Roll Re­ counterculture is intrinsically associated cordings," Thorne and Himmelstein (1984) with far right political attitudes. (Coogan contend that listeners tend to hear a back­ 1999 33) masked Satanic message in a song when 138 Volume 33 No.2 November 2005 Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology they are told the message is there, rather The angels heart froze to ice than through the message's "subliminal" The blackness that falls is coming to stay power. In addition, Jonathan S. Epstein and Under the snow lies angels so cold David Pratto's "Heavy Metal Rock Music: Ju­ (Dissection, "Where Dead Angels Lie" venile Delinquency and Satanic Identification" [1995]). contends that the This excerpt typifies Satanic black metal, con­ Satanic element exists more for its shock veying the temptation of the ultimate symbol value than for any kind of real identification of Christian purity by the taboo qualities of on the part of the vast majority of Metal the night. Believing "the whispering lies" of listeners. (1990 72) the shadows, the angel meets its demise. Curiously, the angel does not become a part Such studies are important, but overlook of the dark side through the realization that the fact that Satanism is a very real narrative darkness is better than light. This is not a in today's metal music that is dogmatically narrative about the conversion of an angel adhered to by black metal artists and their into a being of the dark. In an outright dis­ fan base. For example, Satanic lyrics often missal of anything Christian, the angel is fro­ conjure images that distort or mock Chris­ zen under the snow and left to be forgotten. tianity. Emperor's song "the Oath" (1997), A prevalent and more recent black metal stands as an example: theme involves the subscription to Nordic My­ thology. Norway's Einherjer, for example, is Hark, 0' Night Spirit a band whose name refers to slain Viking Father of my dark self warriors sent to the hall Valhalla, who feast From within this realm, wherein thou the night away and return to fight and be slain dwelleth the next day (Grant 1990 26). Bands like By this lake of blood, from which we feed Einherjer have gone to great lengths to trans­ to breed mit traditional Nordic messages, both sym­ I call silently for Thy presence, as I lay this bolically and textually. Their CD, Odin Owns oath. Ye All, has the image of a bearded man miss­ ing an eye-a symbol for the Norse god Odin, Perverting the Christian ritual of commun­ who surrendered his eye to the god of wis­ ion, in which a person may symbolically drink dom, Mimir (Grant 1990 13). the blood and eat the body of Christ, the Einherjer's song "Out of Ginnungagap" speaker derives spiritual sustenance from (1998) tells the story of Nordic creation: an entire reservoir filled with blood. Through the appropriation of Old English this excerpt Out of emptiness further perverts Christian rites, and attempts Out of Ginnungagap to raise the validity of Emperor's dark oath to Came Yggdrasil that of Christian prayers with similar invoca­ Came Life tions. Out of emptiness In addition to the perversion of Christian Out of Ginnungagap rites, Satanic black metal bands also attack Came all of what is today. Christian symbolism: Very similar to the Greek notion of Chaos, as In the dawn an angel was dancing described in Hesiod's tale of creation, Surrounded by an aura of light Theogyny(Morford & Lenardon 198529-30), But in the shadows something was watch- Ginnungagap is the eternal void from which ing all existence comes. From Ginnungagap And with patience awaiting the night came Yggdrasil, Nordic mythology's "world Angel whispers: "Mournful night, tree," which links the nine worlds of the uni­ Attractive night your dark beauty obsesses verse and connects all of the Viking gods me" (Grant 199041). An angel bewitched by the shadows Black metal is wrought with Viking narra­ Seduced by the whispering lies tive and symbolism. Burzum's CD, Hlidskialf (1999), for example, is titled after the highest A spell was cast and the sky turned red throne of the gods, in which Odin oversees Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology Volume 33 NO.2 November 2005 139 the nine worlds. The CD narrates present­ turies of Christian missionary work, includ­ day Viking battle scenes in which sacred tra­ ing the inclination towards censorship (Moy­ ditions are reasserted, threatening those nihan & S0derlind 1998 40). Moynihan and who defy the resurgence of traditional Nor­ S0derlind see the appeal to a different religi­ dic beliefs with the crushing hooves of osity, more particularly, the appeal to the na­ Sieipnir, the 8-legged horse of Odin. Songs tive Viking religion, as indicative of a battle like Enslaved's "In Chains Until Ragnarok" against this legacy, spearheaded by Scandi­ (1998) retell the Nordic story of the day of navian youth. The early 1990s, for example, reckoning in which evil will inherit the Earth saw numerous Christian churches torched (Grant 199036). In addition, bands like En­ in Norway and other parts of Scandinavia. slaved and Borknagar have the Mjollnir (the Taking credit for the burnings were a new hammer of the Nordic god, Thor) woven into sect of Odinists inextricably linked to the their CD cover art and often brandish this black metal scene. As Moynihan and S0der­ symbol around their necks. The focused and lind state: coherent use of Nordic symbols debunks earlier speculation that metal's use of sym­ Black metal would provide the foot soldiers bols is a "signature 01 identification with ready to plunge headlong into battle, fire­ heavy metal, not. ..a religious or philosophi­ brands in hand to brazenly set alight the cal statement of faith" (Gross 1990 125). cathedrals and churches of Europe. (1998 It is increasingly argued thaf biack metal xi) is an extension of a larger religious and cul­ tural movement with the youth of Scandina­ CONCLUSION: THE POLITICS OF FANTASY via, and more recently, greater Europe and in Marxism and the Philosophy of Lan­ North America. Citing the editor of Aorta guage (1973), Russian linguist and political magazine, Keving Coogan states: philosopher, Vaientin Volosinov, asserts that shifts In the language of modern media rep­ Norwegian black metalists are modern day resent changes in social relations, primarily examples of an ancient martial/mystical band those between an art form and its interlocu­ of Werewolf-like "berserker" warriors tors. The change in social relations in the known as the Oskorei. (Coogan 199944) contemporary metal scene is one in which the genre has an implicit message of advo­ Coogan (1999 44) also mentions the con­ cacy for the conditions of youth. In the case nection between black metal and the tradi~ of metal's exploration of the darker parts of tional Nordic religious movement known as self, the politics of the dialogue is apparent. the Asatru Alliance in Europe and in the We live in an era in which psychiatric dis­ United States. courses have systematized humanity to such The berserker mentality reflected in mod­ an extent that only the most drastic modes of ern metal can be seen through religious ide· expression are politically visible. Indulgence ology, where Nordic symbolism and narra­ in the pathologized states of humanity tive are vehicles for anti~Christian sentiment. dubbed most abhorrent represents a pojj~ Tales at Ginnungagap and Ragnarok are tics against current psychiatric modalities. antithetical to the dominant Christian mythol­ This politics is largely the same when ad­ ogy. The former places creation outside the dressing the multiple forms of nihilistic be­ control of a sentient being, counter to the fa­ havior, including wanton violence and taboo mous six day process as described in the breaking. Metal's counter-Christian senti­ Bible's Book of Genesis. The latter claims ment also expresses this dialogue: the youth that the world will not end in the control at of today are not increasingly secular, as good as described by the Book of Revela­ much as they are trying to find a new founda­ tion, but instead will succumb to the forces tion for what is sacred. Within the moral or­ of evil. der of Christianity, the invocation of other Such a discourse is heavily counter-he­ myths and modes of behavior (including gemonic in Norway, an 88 percent Protes­ Odinistic rituals and acts of outright violence) tant country. As Michael Moynihan and Didrik are starkly marginalized. Today's metal S0derlind (1998) point out in their history of scene, it can be argued, offers a vehicle to black metal, Lords of Chaos, the populace of express the subjective condition of cultural Norway inherited the cultural legacy of cen- repression. 140 Volume 33 No.2 November 2005 Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology

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J Popular Culture 26151-165. ENDNOTES Ian M. 1997. The name of the father is Jouissance: 1, As metal music is constituted by a wide array of why the symbolic is the real in heavy metal sub-genres, including heavy metal, dark metal, music. J Psychoanalysis Culture & Society 2 black metal, speed metal, metalcore, grindcore, 154-8. gothic metal, satanic metal, industrial metal and Kenske L. & J. McKay. 2000. Hard and heavy: many others, and because the Jines of demar­ gender and power in a heavy metal subcul­ cation between these different sub-genres are ture. Gender, Place, & Culture 7 287-305. often blurred, it is clear that a unified term for Klein J.D., J.D. Brown, K. Childers, J. Oliveri, C. this type of music is excessively problematic. Porter, and C. Dykers. 1993. Adolescents' risky For this reason, we use the terms "metal mu­ behavior and mass media use. Pediatrics 92 sic" or "metal" as generic nomenclature refer­ 24-31. ring to any number of different sub-genres, or Lasch C. 1979. The Culture of Narcissism: Ameri· combinations of them. We differentiate this ge­ can ute in an Age of Diminishing Expecta­ neric concept of metal music from punk and tions. NY: W.W. Norton. skinhead music, as well as classic rock music. Magadini P. 1995. Polyrhythms for the Drumset. Punk and skinhead genres influenced metal, NY: Warner Music Publishing. creating subgenres with a specific following Morford M.P. & R.J. Lenardon. 1985. Classical in Northern Europe. Skinhead and punk-oriented Mythology. NY: Longman. sub-genres of metal in Germany and Scandi­ Moynihan M. & D. S0derlind. 1998. Lords ofChaos: navia are more likely to be expressed through The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Under­ a national language which reflects national cul­ ground. Venice, CA: Feral House. ture. This is part of the reason why such sub­ Orshoski W. 2001. Emerging from the middle of genres are largely absent from the interna­ Iowa. Billboard 113 16. tional metal scene that, with a few notable ex­ Richardson J.T. 1991. Satanism in the courts: from ceptions, is dominated by English-a medium murder to heavy metal. In The Satanism Scare. of international communication and marketing. J.T. Richardson & D.G Bromley, eds. NY: Aldine 2. As described in Andy Bennett's (2002) method­ de Gruyter. ological critique, research concerning youth Rubin A.M., D.V. West, and W.S. Mitchell. 2001. culture and popular music often lack method­ Differences in aggression, attitudes toward ological precision and/or substantial means of women, and distrust as reflected in popular empirical investigation. While this study does music preferences. Media Psychology 3 25­ by no means employ rigid empirical sampling, 42. we employ our specific cultural knowledge to Scheel K.R. & J.S. Westerfield. 1999. Heavy metal systematize the investigation through domes­ music and adolescent suicidability: an empiri~ tic and cross-national comparisons. Such a cal investigation. Adolescence. 34 253-273. perspective helps to identify sub-genres and Singer S.I., M. Levine, & S. Jou. 1993. Heavy metal tendencies of metal music whose dynamics music preference, delinquent friends, social are not only explainable in terms of historical control, and delinquency. J Res Crime & De­ developments and linkage to other genres, but linquency 30317-29. by the genre's own international cross-fertifi­ Stack S. 1998. Heavy metal, religiosity, and sui­ zation. This dynamic is demonstrated by metal cide acceptibility. Suicide and Ufe Threaten­ bands' international touring and the increasing ing Behav 28 388~395. internationalization of the marketing of bands Strauss A.L. & J. Corbin. 1990. Basics of Qualita­ that are signed by smaller music labels. Part of tive Research: Grounded Theory Procedures this marketing certainly involves the interna­ and Techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. tional exchange of MP3 files via newsgroups Thorne S.B. & P. Himmelstein. 1984. The role of or shared distribution providers. With the ad~ suggestion in the perception of satanic mes­ vent of internet technologies and the conse­ sages in rock and roll recordings. J Psychol­ quent high availability of all types of music, ogy 116 245-248. including metal, we may conclude that a rec­ Trzcinski J. 1992. Heavy metal kids: are they danc­ ommended analysis of metal would involve a ing with the devil? Child & Youth Care Forum discussion of the genre on an international 21 7-22. scale. Volosinov V. 1973. Marxism and the Philosophy 3 All of the above court cases either ended with of Language. NY: Seminar Press. dismissal of the charges or acquittal of the Walser R. 1993. Running with the Devil: Power defendants. Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. 4. This term, of course, refers to the role of Tipper London: Wesleyan U Press. Gore in beginning the PMRC and in lobbying Weinstein D. 2000. Heavy Metal: The Music and congress to have warning labels placed on its Culture. London: Da Capo Press. explicit content CDs. The term "TIpper Sticker" is often invoked by ex-Dead Kennedys front­ man, Jello Siafra, during his spoken word en- 142 Volume 33 No.2 November 2005 Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology

gagements, in which he discusses censor­ ferent meter. Played in such a manner, this type ship of today's music, and how the messages of rhythmic structure emphasizes the gaps be­ transmitted through heavy music are widely tween notes and makes for a disturbing ma­ misunderstood by adult authorities. chine-like aesthetic. Polyrythms in jazz are 5. We are reminded here of the stark distinction based upon the same rhythmic principle, but between metal bands and the so-called "hair usually employ multi-tonal melodic devices in bands" of the mid-eighties. With most of these different meters, rather than strictly rhythmic bands such as Winger, Warrant, Poison, and devices. The melodic emphasis of jazz largely the like, the song structure rarely deviated from covers gaps in the rhythmic structure. In some a predictable 4:4 time signature. Most of these ways, this makes the polyrhythms in jazz more compositions featured rather simplistic guitar difficult to feel. Hence, jazz is considered more riff structures oriented around melodic vocals. "cerebral" and metal more "aggressive." Hence, the "hook" of most of the hair bands' 7. Christopher Lasch's the Culture of Narcissism songs stemmed from the vocal lines and not (197916-21) also addresses the phenomenon the collective participation of the entire band. of modern day confessing, albeit differently 6 Due to its emphasis on rhythm, ratherthan melody, than Foucault. From Lasch's perspective, the it may be argued that the psychological tension tendency to confess ourselves to others is an engendered by polyrhythmic song structure in extension of a narcissistic sensibility in which metal is much more intense than that created in we continuously need others for external vali­ jazz music. In metal, polyrhythms are based dation. upon sudden bursts of mono-tonal, noise-gated, a For a concise and compelling discussion of metal highly distorted, and low-tuned guitar noise that music as a vehicle for the expression of young is often juxtaposed with drums played in a dif- male pain and rage, see Ian (1997).