| LOGSNAPPER'S SOAPBOX: 'The Devil Made Me Do It!!!' - Review of Article written by Steffan Chirazi, in 'Hot Metal', May 1991, Issue 27, pp 32-34 |
| I believe the aim of this article is to *examine* the validity of the alleged association between Heavy Metal music and Satanism. In other words, is it true that those listening to Heavy Metal become 'Satanic'? Chirazi begins his article with a definition of 'Satan' or 'Devil'. Quoting from Lewis Spence's 'Encycopedia of the Occult', he stated that the word 'Devil' came from the Greek word 'diabolos' or 'slanderer'. The word 'Devil' was used by the Christians (and similiar religions) to describe the 'supreme spirit of evil' and the 'enemy of God and man'. In contrast, many of the 'old' religions (or 'paganism') regarded both humans and deities has possessing both 'good' and 'bad' characteristics. Chirazi continues with a description of a well-known sex-offender, Richard Ramirez (aka 'The Night Stalker'), who apparently listened to AC/DC; and many more examples of teenagers who listened to Judas Priest, Ozzy Ozbourne, and Metallica prior to committing suicide. Undoubtedly, these incidents had led to alot of 'moral panic' about the music itself, so great it lead to increased censorship, retailers having to replace 'PGR' stickers on their CD covers and designs on album sleeves determining whether or not a band's album could be sold instore. He then described an interview he conducted with the author of 'Painted Black', Dr. Carl Raschke, supposedly a professor of religious studies in a Colarado University.. Raschke apparently painted a very *grim* picture of Metal. Here is the 'laundry list' of his allegations: ALLEGATION #1: When you raise your fore and little fingers to the sky (ie in 'horn' fashion), you are unwittingly a messenger of Satan. ALLEGATION #2 SLAYER is supposed to stand for 'Satan Laughs As You Eternally Rot' (to which lead singer, Tom Araya replied that he scratched in those words near the label because he knew it would spark some controversy). ALLEGATION #3 Heavy Metal fans attend 'Hell parties' where they listen to thrash metal, take drugs and drink, and that drugs and Metal are synonymous with each other. ALLEGATION #4 The 'generalistic' nature of this one *especially* made me laugh - 'Metal is to drug use as lotteries are to compulsive gambling. Chirazi then cited several bands in the 1970's which were on serveral 'Bible Basher's' shit lists: Black Sabbath, Kiss, Led Zepplin, Judas Priest and AC/DC. These same 'Bible Bashers' also gained *plenty* of mileage from the Thrash, Death and Black Metal bands of the 1980's and 1990's (especially those with 'Satanic' images): Venom, Slayer, King Diamond/Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Danzig, Deicide, Morbid Angel and Angel Witch (a more obscure NWOBHM band). It was Chirazi's interview with Glen Benton (Deicide) that was a real attention-grabber. Benton, during the interview, said: 'I am bringing my message through my music' and then went on to say that the Holy Bible was a stigma that 'stifled the world' and it was something he could never comprehend nor believe as a child. Benton also added that the Bible also contradicted scientific fact. Chirazi then goes back to the interview with Raschke, who stated that there were no 'real' statistics on teenage Satanism and religious beliefs, and that his own research failed to support the theory that kids revolt against strict religious upbringing. Raschke also added that 'Satan-worshipping' teenagers were reared in a 'spiritual' vacuum, where they were brought up very leniently. Raschke further stated that people in the music industry deny that Satanism influences people and that they blame these problems on Christianity instead; because they (including Chirazi and the 'Hot Metal' magazine) are all part of a Satanic 'corporation' and they have to be 'sympathetic' to that viewpoint. Thankfully, Chirazi has fallen for none of the codswallop Raschke had written. He knows that, although murderers, Satanism and occult organizations have been linked, this link had existed throughout history in general, the history of music in particular and *long before* Metal had existed. Chirazi's article has the perfect ending: 'How many people have stayed away from trouble thanks to Ozzy, Priest and AC/DC?' (including myself!!!!); and that 'If Ramirez was listening to the Smiths instead, people would realize that the problem isn't music - it's the mind that leads some people to their deplorable acts.' |
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