Manuel

There was documentary aired on BBC2 (the British Televison network) last night. It was on the subject of Death Metal Murders ; brief overview here.

It really annoyed me, because it nearly constantly focused on the behaviour of such a tiny minority of heavy metal fans, rather than the whole community. When discussing song lyrics, it always focused on the satanic material of a band, rather than say the anti-war/political songs of the band. I found this especially true for the piece on Slayer.

Anyhow, the implication was that a group of satanists were so influenced by the music that they decided to kill some other metal kids. The fact they were all high on drugs was skirted over, preferring to concentrate on how they were all driven by the lyrics of the songs.

It didn't quite come out and say this music should be banned. It did make reference to a court case in America where apparently Slayer hid behind their some pathetic defence :wink: of their constitutional right to freedom of speech.

The funniest bit was a monk who looked like Father Christmas singing to a death metal festival in Italy. Rather odd, that.

I think Bill Hicks summed it up best when he said that not even Judas Priest would be so stupid to record subliminal messages in their records telling their dwindling fan base to kill themselves. Who would buy their records, then?

Alexa

The satanists would. They grow their rangs of adepts and some of them are not ashame to admit their religion. I belive this combination of drugs and Satanists is like TNT. It should be simply banned , in my opinion.

__________________
"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)

Manuel

You would ban the music, a form of entertainment for many hundreds of thousands of peope, because of the activities of a handful?

I'm going to hold back a little bit here, because I'm a newbie. However, that is a very dangerous position to take. The people who commit the crime are to blame, not the music that they listen to. I listen to some of that music from time to time (normally when cleaning the house!) and I don't feel like going out and starting up a death cult, or sacrificing my sister's goat

No, the danger with what you propose is who decides what is dangerous and what isn't. I disagree with censorship in any form - it's the start of totalitarianism.

Alexa

I don't believe satanic music represents an entertainment for hundreds or thousands of people.

__________________
"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)

phiddlechik

by all means, if it provides entertainment for large numbers of people, it must be O.K. (hmmm, which is the sarcastic smiley face?) Seriously, though, there is a fine line between freedom of speech and offensive. Not sure who is to decide, except for oneself in one's own life. I find much of that music to be just a hugely marketed form of capitalism that is aimed at angry, teen-aged, white surburban boys with money to spend on CD's and other merchandise...

Leto

Alexa, I'm not sure real satanists are restricted to one type of music, unfortunatly. For them, the amalgam made between metal and their belief is a good advertisement thing. But most metal listeners or musicians are far from these. As Manuel said they're just angsty kids and people making money of it.

Alexa

I have nothing against heavy metals fans, but when I hear "satanists" associated, I don't want to listen any more. What can I do ? My Christian part reacts against them.

__________________
"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)

Leto

One Christian to another, don't let Satan foul you with his lies. And don't try to see satanism where there's only marketing trick (which can also be evil on his own). Who's more scaring ? Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath or G W Bush and his so called "Holy war" against terrorism ?

knivesout

Yea, seriously. Judas Priest lyrics are no more satanic than anything you'd find in a horror story. It;s just easy for members of the establishment to make people who listen to certain kinds of music, read certain kinds of books and so on that might contain allusions to different ways of thinking seem like evil retards. The dutiful flock hears the (usually false) accusation of Satanism or apostasy in general and is kept safely away from new ideas. Seriously, it's worth noting that belief in Satan is at the least impossible without some belief in his/her counterpart.