Satanism and other occult themes are frequently associated with Heavy Metal music and fans, yet that does not indicate they worship him or worship occult themes themselves. Instead, most artists place aside personal beliefs to instead focus on what fascinates and inspires them.
But media loves to focus on any connections between music and terrible acts.
It’s blasphemous
People often assume that heavy metal music is offensive. This misconception is incorrect as most metal bands do not worship Satan or demons but use heavy music as an outlet to express themselves while glorifying God at the same time. Many musicians who perform metal are actually Christians; many even write Christian metal songs to emphasize how much stronger is Christianity than Satanism and evilness.
While some bands do worship Satan, this shouldn’t be taken as a widespread phenomenon. Although YouTube videos have exposed what many consider Satan-worshiping tracks from other genres of popular music like hip-hop or country to be, such attacks tend to target specific artists while metal music often receives blanket condemnations.
Metal music has long been accused of glorifying evil and encouraging suicide, due to its aggressive lyrics and sexual imagery. Additionally, its darker themes serve as a counterbalance to the prevalent “peace and love” hippie culture in America.
Other than black metal, which is undeniably offensive in itself, most metal bands don’t worship Satan or demons – in fact most don’t even use images or language associated with such. An exception to this trend would be Sepultura who were recently banned from Lebanon over allegations they held “satanic beliefs.” These accusations have no basis in fact and it is upsetting that supposedly democratic countries like Lebanon ban metal bands on this basis alone.
It promotes suicide
Heavy metal music has often been depicted by critics as inherently sinful and demonic, prompting accusations of devil worship, murder and suicide – some even allege it contributes to mass school shootings! Although such claims may be exaggerated, it’s important to acknowledge there may be those with negative experiences with metal who cannot stand it.
Although certain metal songs do feature lyrics about death or the devil, this does not indicate they promote suicide. Instead, such lyrics convey power and strength to young listeners while serving as a form of self-expression for artists themselves. Furthermore, songs often focus on emotions or fantasy inspired themes; moreover some metal artists are highly educated enough to incorporate history and mythology in their lyrics as sources.
MTV was instrumental in fomenting moral outrage against metal in the 1980s with shows such as “Devil Worshipers” and “The Satanic Bible”, depicting metalheads as blood-drinkers, grave-robbers, sacrilegious hooligans, pentagrams, inverted crosses and devil horns being prominent imagery portrayed. These shows had an enormous effect on young metalheads who would soon find themselves accused of suicide promotion or other grave transgressions by media vultures or moral crusaders.
Over time, most of these accusations have been disproven, and media no longer focus on tenuous links between metal music and heinous crimes. Unfortunately, metal may still be demonized like any other popular culture; however, its supporters could continue scapegoating it despite this reality. While metal can have positive influences on some fans such as helping reduce stress in everyday life; feeling accepted within communities of metal fans; improving mental health or increasing logical thinking capabilities etc – its negative side can only go so far before people turn against it!
It’s violent
Heavy metal music can foster many negative behaviors, including drug use, graphic violence and suicide attempts, fascination with the occult, sexually degrading lyrics, aggressive rebellion and an obsession with power and status. Furthermore, this music reinforces attitudes and behaviours linked to sexism, racism, blasphemy, pedophilia as well as reinforce “devil-worshipping” cultures with some reports attributing metal bands with violence incidents or depraved sexual behavior as the culprit.
Some metal songs criticize religion, like Machine Head’s song “Death Church,” which attacks Christianity’s hypocrisy. Other metal bands use apocalyptic themes and Satanic imagery in black metal subgenre songs referred to as demonic.
Metal music’s thematic, compositional, and musical qualities have made it immensely popular with many listeners. Originating as part of countercultural movements in the 1960s – often as an oppositional response – to peace-and-love hippie culture – metal is known as an artform that draws heavily upon dark fantasy elements to resist bland pop culture; its sound combines elements from blues-influenced reality with mythical aspects typical of rock.
Studies have demonstrated that metal music’s violent lyrics do not cause its listeners to become sensitised to violence in their music; some listeners actually respond better to its aural elements than those who do not enjoy metal. Furthermore, research shows that long-term metal listeners tend to display less negative behaviors than non-listeners as well as being happier in youth and better adjusted as middle aged individuals than those who don’t appreciate the genre.
It’s occult
Heavy metal music has long been associated with occult themes. Bands often employ Satanic imagery or demonology as part of their message. Yet the occult does not represent only a dark force – many use its knowledge and power for strength during difficult times.
Hard rock music has often been accused of being Satanic. While such claims may sound scary to some people, it’s important to remember that such claims often stem from gossip or imagination rather than actual evidence. Although Satanism and occultism may cause fear among some individuals, taking these claims seriously could only make things worse.
Sandy Pearlman first popularized the term “heavy metal” in 1970 and immediately employed it to discredit rock music, particularly Black Sabbath’s slow three-chord riffs and tales of death, hellfire, and destruction which were seen as being associated with Satanism. And ever since that initial coinage by Sandy, metal heads have been stigmatized as murderers, devil worshipers or even Satanists.
While metal music may include elements of Satanism, the genre does not equate to the occult. Occult themes have long been part of rock music – as evidenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate, Led Zeppelin and KISS using them. Additionally, bands often incorporate aspects of satanism into their music to express personal beliefs or express experiences they’ve encountered personally.
Morbid Angel has been described as “heavy metal’s real religion”. Their lyrics and sound draw heavily from pagan mythology, Sumerian deities, ancient incantations chants and ancient rituals. Furthermore, Morbid Angel has included symbols like skulls, pentagrams and crosses into their artwork while their songs often reference death, destruction, or wrath in some way.
It’s dangerous
From its infancy, metal has long been associated with Satanism and evil. Conservatives have blamed metal music for society’s woes such as depraved sexual content and violence – though there is no concrete proof to back these claims up. While some fear its dark imagery and themes, most fans find them empowering; those concerned should take measures to ensure their children do not listen to this type of music or at least closely monitor them while listening.
Heavy metal music offers both aesthetic and educational value; for example, students can learn about logical fallacies and research design issues through its lyrics. Furthermore, heavy metal can serve as an educational tool by engaging viewers with controversial issues in popular culture – an especially vital function in an age when scientific claims are often challenged by media and the general public.
Heavy metal lyrics often cover controversial subjects like satanic worship, death, hell and devil worshipping; this stems from its flirtation with occult themes. This was most evident during Norway’s 1990s black metal scene when Mayhem and Gorgoroth were accused of selling their souls to Satan; other metal bands have also been accused of possessing hidden messages of Satanism such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest who have also been accused of having hidden messages buried within their songs.
Thankfully, most metal musicians do not hold to satanist beliefs and worship Satan; their songs reflect ideas, feelings and subjects which fascinate them – from mythology and fantasy to ideas from their personal experience. Johan Hegg of Swedish band Amon Amarth is an atheist but still writes songs influenced by Norse mythology and Prose Edda for example.